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Save Your Health - One Bite at a Time
The road to healthy eating
Every minute in our country approximately two
people diet from heart disease - the leading cause of death
among men and women in the U.S. This year an estimated 1,400,000
new cases of cancer will diagnosed in the United States alone.
While most of us know we should eat better, few realize that
an estimated 68 percent of all disease today is related to
diet.. The key to good health is in our own hands each time
we sit down to eat.
Current medical research has revealed a significant
fact: If you significantly reduce your consumption of meat
and dairy products and center your diet on plant foods like
fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, you will improve
your health and the increase your protection from many chronic
diseases.
You'll hear this advice from organizations like
the American Heart Association, the American Dietetic Association,
the National Cancer Institute, and the American Cancer Institute.
Why are plant foods so protective? They are loaded with health-promoting
ingredients such as fiber, powerful antioxidants, and phytochemicals.
Just as important is what plants don't have. They are cholesterol-free
and almost all are low in saturated fat. A diet rich in plant
foods has been shown to lower your risk of the following:
"There is no question that largely vegetarian
diets are as healthy as you can get," explains Marion
Nestle, chair of the nutrition department at New York University.
"The evidence is so strong and overwhelming and produced
over such a long period of time that it's no longer debatable."
Consider these Facts
- According to the National Cancer Institute, over one-third
of all cancers are diet-related. Up to 50% of all cancers
among non-smokers can be linked to poor diet.
- The American Cancer Institute estimates that choosing
a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and minimally
processed starchy staple foods, combined with not smoking,
could reduce cancer risk by 60 to 70% saving over 375,000
Americans each year.
- A study of 88,000 women found that those eating the most
animal fat were nearly twice as likely to develop colon
cancer as those eating less animal fat.
- According to the Oxford Vegetarian Study in England, vegetarians
have 30% less risk of heart disease than non-vegetarians.
Those eating neither meat nor dairy had a 57% less risk
than people eating a diet rich in animal foods in one study.
- Dean Ornish, MD has been able to reverse heart disease
in more than 70% of patients who follow, among other things,
a prescribed low-fat vegetarian diet.
- With millions watching their cholesterol, few realize
that there is the same amount of cholesterol in 4 ounces
of beef, salmon, or chicken.
- Today's Standard American Diet (SAD) includes 33% more
dairy products, 50% more beef and 280% more poultry than
our diet did 100 years ago.
- Today over 50% of adults and 25% of children are overweight.
- One study found that the average weight of people eating
no meat and dairy products was over 11 pounds less than
those who eat these foods.
- According to the American Dietetic Association, those
eating balanced vegetarian diets have lower rates of Type
II diabetes.
What you can do
Healthy eating is as close as your next meal. The good news
is that the food that is best for you is also best for the
environment, creating healthy people and a healthy planet.
Eat right: Add some meatless meals in your routine
by enjoying some of the following:
- Steaming-hot pasta topped with marinara sauce and fresh
basil
- A Mexican fajita stuffed with spicy sizzling vegetables
- A grilled veggie burger a whole wheat bun piled high with
your favorite fixings
- Stir-fry of crisp, fresh vegetables with ginger and garlic,
served over Asian noodles.
Learn more: Contact EarthSave for information about the benefits of plant-based eating.
Join EarthSave: Support our campaign to educate, inspire,
and empower people to shift toward a diet centered on fruits,
vegetables, grains, and legumes--- food choices that are healthy
for people and for the planet.
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