There are several myths about vegan or vegetarian protein.

For instance, in the 1971 book, Diet for a Small Planet, Frances Moore Lappé wrote that plants contained “incomplete proteins” with inadequate amounts of specific essential amino acids for them to meet the dietary needs of people. She emphasized the need to combine vegetable-based foods to obtain the complete amino acid complexes needed for optimum health when choosing not to consume animal protein.

However, according to more modern research by Dr. John McDougall, Lappé did not understand the scientific research on human protein needs and the sufficiency of plant-based foods. Dr. McDougall says that plant combining “is unnecessary and implies that it is difficult to obtain ‘complete’ proteins from vegetables without detailed nutritional knowledge. Because of her complicated and incorrect ideas, people are frightened away from vegetable-based diets.”

Thankfully such myths are slowly but surely being dismissed as untrue. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) revised its position statement on vegetarian diets and now agrees that well-planned vegetarian diets are “a healthy, nutritionally adequate dietary practice for all stages of life.”

In addition to this, according to Mladen Golubic, MD, PhD of the Cleveland Heart Clinic: A national (US) dietary survey was completed with over 6,000 people between the ages of 50 and 65 years old. It was found that those who reported high protein intake (example: eggs, dairy, fowl, pork, cows, lamb, etc.), increased their risk of death by any disease by 75 percent.

The study showed a quadruple increase of cancer death during the following 18 years and a quintuple increase of death from diabetes. The participants with a moderate intake of protein had a triple increase in their risk of death due to cancer when compared with the low protein intake group. “It is important to note that these associations of death by disease were completely eradicated if the ingested proteins were “plant-derived,” Dr. Golubic says.

He explained that the composition of complex amino acids, (which are the building blocks of protein), that is derived from animals, acts very differently than the amino acids from plant protein. What we need are amino acids, not the proteins themselves.

Plant-based foods are extremely high in complex amino acids, and can provide quality protein, as well as other nutrients.

I can’t tell you how many people I have met who have told me they used to be vegetarian or vegan, but they had to go back to eating meat because they didn’t feel healthy or were hungry all the time.

In actuality, it can be quite easy to get all of the nutrients you need if you just know what nutrients your body requires and where to get them.

Best Sources Of Protein For A Vegan Or Vegetarian Diet

The health benefits of legumes, which most of us know as beans, peas, or lentils, are that they are high in fiber, amino acids (which are the chemicals that combine to create protein), folate (Vitamin B9), zinc, iron, and magnesium.

• Beans: When beans are rich in color, then they are high in antioxidants as well, because the antioxidants are in the color pigment. Black beans have the highest number of antioxidants. Beans also help prevent blood sugar levels from rising too quickly after a meal, making beans a good food choice for people with diabetes or hypoglycemia.

• Lentils: Lentils are edible seeds — they come in black, red, brown, green and orange varieties — that belong to the legume family. They can help improve digestion, contribute to heart health, help control diabetes and contribute to weight loss. Plus, they’re one of the oldest known sources of food, dating back more than 9,000 years. Lentils have an incredible amount of protein for a plant-based food and contain up to 35 percent of the complex amino acids (the building blocks of protein) your body needs — which is comparable to beef, poultry, fish and dairy.

• Nuts: Nuts are perfect foods because they are a combination of protein, fat, and carbohydrate. However, nuts contain delicate polyunsaturated fatty acids that can become rancid shortly after being shelled, so store them in a tightly sealed container (preferably glass) in the refrigerator. Almost all nuts contain enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid, which can prevent the body from absorbing some nutrients. To help diminish the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, and to make them more digestible, place them in a glass or steel bowl and soak them for 12–18 hours. When buying nuts and seeds, look for products that are sprouted or have been soaked.

Try these recipes using the best sources of protein for a vegan or vegetarian diet, below to incorporate more of them into your diet:

1. Sprouted Beans

The optional seaweed in this recipe adds nutrients and helps make the beans more digestible. Serve them on top of a salad for a light lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dried beans (any variety)
• Water, plus more for soaking and cooking
• 1 tsp. pure coconut oil
• 2-inch piece seaweed (optional)
• unrefined sea salt to taste

Directions:

1. Check beans and discard any that are shriveled or discolored. Also, make sure there are no little stones or foreign matter mixed in with the beans.

2. Sprout the beans, so they are more digestible. Beans have phytic acid that prevents them from being digested easily. Sprouting the beans makes them more nutritious as well as easier to digest.

Soak beans overnight or for a couple of days (Depending on the size of the bean, large beans need to soak at least 2 or 3 days to sprout) in pure water. Make sure the dish is large enough for beans to double or triple in size and can hold enough water to cover them by at least two inches. Check them each day and add more water as needed. When you see a tiny split or sprout, they are ready to cook.

3. Discard the water the beans were sprouted in.

4. Put the sprouted beans in a large pot and fill with enough new, purified water to cover the beans by about two inches. Add salt, coconut oil and seaweed, if using. Bring water to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook beans until tender, 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of beans. Larger beans will take longer. Add more water if it gets too low and the tops of beans are showing.

6. Remove from heat, and they are ready to eat.

Variation: Add a little extra virgin or pure coconut oil for additional richness.

2. Nutty Sweet Rice with Lentils

I also add some coconut oil for the savoriness it adds to the recipe. In addition to making the dish taste more satisfying, coconut oil increases energy levels, improves skin health, helps in stress reduction, increases good cholesterol, can aid in preventing liver disease, eases asthma symptoms, and can help control blood sugar.

Ingredients:

• 2 c. whole-grain, medium, sprouted brown rice
• 1⁄4 c. sprouted lentils (To sprout lentils, soak them overnight in pure water and then drain off the water before cooking in fresh water. This removes the phytic acid.)
• 1⁄4 tsp. unrefined sea salt
• 6 c. non-chlorinated water
• 1–2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 T. extra virgin, pure, organic coconut oil
• 1⁄2 c. pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 c. raisins
• 1⁄4 c. raw coconut flakes

Directions:

1. Rinse rice and lentils in a small-weave sieve until they run clean.

2. Dissolve bouillon cube in 6 c. water in a large pot.

3. Add rice, lentils, sea salt, coconut oil, and half of the nuts and raisins.

4. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer.

5. Cover the pot and do not disturb for 35–40 minutes. Do not stir.

6. When it looks as if all the water is absorbed, rice and lentils are ready.

7. Add ghee, if using, to rice and lentil mixture and gently toss.

8. Gently scoop out rice and lentils, and add coconut and remaining nuts and raisins.

Variation: Add a little sauteed onion after cooking for a richer flavor.

I wish you true health on your vegan journey!

copyright@nancyaddison2012

For another article related to skin and aging, click here.

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Well, here is a little explanation about the various definitions having to do with eating a more plant-based diet.

The mainstream vegetarian is the ovo-lacto vegetarian, who avoids all animal products that require the slaughtering of an animal. In addition to plants, ovo-lacto vegetarians eat non-fertile eggs and dairy products.

Cheese is allowed in the ovo-lacto vegetarian diet, as long as it doesn’t contain animal rennet, which is composed of enzymes usually taken from calves’ stomachs. Rennet is added to make cheese firm. Vegetarian cheeses are made with vegetable rennet, vegetable enzymes, or figs instead.

A vegan avoids all products that have an animal origin, including dairy and eggs. A vegan may avoid honey because it is made by bees, and collecting honey can deprive the bees of their natural, healthy food source for winter.

In addition to eating a plant-only diet, many vegans choose to not exploit living creatures in any way. So, they will not wear clothes made from wool, leather, silk, or fur, or use products that contain gelatin, lanolin, rennet, whey, casein, beeswax, shellac, carmine, bone, or animal fat.

People who eat chicken and fish are not vegetarians, though many call themselves vegetarian. There is frequent confusion about this point. People who eat fish but no red meat or poultry are pescatarians.

Sometimes, I am invited to dinner and served chicken, shrimp, or fish based on the misconception that a vegetarian eats chicken and seafood. When this happens to you, simply explain what foods you do or do not eat. In my experience, educating people in a kind and informative manner can turn the situation around, creating a setting that can accommodate you and be fun and educational for everyone concerned.

When it comes to choosing the right vegetarian diet, a person should see how his or her body reacts to certain foods and lifestyles. It is all about balance.

The diet that works for me and my O blood type and lifestyle may not be the perfect diet for someone else. Try the various vegetarian diet choices that your heart tells you to try, and see what works. Some people’s diet choices may change over time along with age, environment, lifestyle, and circumstance.

It helps to allow a little flexibility, especially when you travel to foreign countries. Having everything set in stone can make it more difficult to maintain your vegetarian lifestyle when life throws you the unexpected. Balance, flexibility, and the ability to live in the moment can be the difference between success and joy or anger, frustration, and failure.

Find what works for you, and listen to your heart and your own body. They will tell you the best choice of vegetarian food for you. You are the best guide and judge of your body and your health.

For many of us in transition with new food choices or life in general, it takes baby steps. Some people will find that eating a little cheese or eggs now and then makes the transition easier. Later, they may be able to cut something out completely—or not.

Becoming a vegetarian or simply eating more vegetarian or vegan meals is a journey. Eating more organic, fresh, plant-based foods will definitedly help improve your health.

Simply start the journey, and see where it takes you!

Bon Appétit!

Copyright@nancyaddison2015

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Dr. Gabriel Cousens promotes a mostly raw food, vegan diet in his book, There Is A Cure For Diabetes, which he published in 2008. (2)

Researchers have done a meta-analysis (considered the highest level of scientific evidence), in which they compared six significant prior research studies, and they found that a plant-based diet significantly improved blood sugar control in Type-2 diabetes.  The results were that plant-based diets improved a key indicator of blood sugar control.  The blood sugar control indicator is called Hemoglobin A1c.  The results improved as much as 1.2 points, which is much greater than the effect of typical oral diabetes medicines. (3)

The new study focused on combining the results of all of the available studies.  The benefits of excluding meat, cheese, and eggs from the diet was as much as 0.7 points in some studies, and averaged 0.4 points overall. (4) This study also focused on long-term effects.  Participants in most of these studies were not required to reduce their calorie or carbohydrate consumption.  (5)

Diabetics who would like to reduce their medications can now understand that the type of food that they are consuming DOES have a direct impact on their health.

This new study is published in Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy.  It is called “Vegetarian Diets and Glycemic Control in Diabetes:  A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”.

By Nancy Addison CHC, AADP

Source:
1, 3, 4, &5 – Yokoyama Y, Barnard ND, Levin SM, Watanabe M. Vegetarian diets and glycemic control in diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther 2014;[4:37]3-382.
2. “There is a Cure For Diabetes” by Gabriel Cousens, MD, published 2008, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California.

It’s a great place to start for easy, delicious vegetarian food and nutritional advice!

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I frequently talk to people who think that eating healthier doesn’t always taste delicious. But, the good news is that when we start doing something new, our bodies adapt and our taste buds acclimate. When you change your diet and start eating a different type of food, it may not initially seem quite as delicious as you hoped it would. That’s because you have not been eating that food until now and your taste buds are not used to it. But, if you continue to eat that specific food on a continual basis for about two weeks, your body will adapt and your taste buds will generate and acclimate to these new taste sensations.

Stick with the new, healthier diet and allow your body to grow and evolve with you. Within two weeks, that new food will taste better than it did the first time, and you will be getting tremendous health benefits!
So, let’s get started on a new eating plan for a healthier, happier you! To begin this new dietary journey, get a fresh start with my top seven tips for making healthy eating delicious!

One: Use healthy fat in your recipes. Eating fat does not necessarily make a person fat. In fact, the right kinds of fat can make people skinny, as well as support overall health and increase energy.

The advertising industry would have us believe that fat is bad or fattening. But in reality, good fat can be critical to our health and our weight management. Fat actually tells the body how to utilize protein and carbohydrates. Fat in our food can make it taste rich and satisfying.

Foods that are savory usually have some fat in them, but many low- fat or fat-free products are filled with salt, sugar, chemical additives, and MSG to make up for the lack of savory flavor the fat provides.

Coconut oil and avocado oil are examples of pure, unprocessed healthy fats.

Coconut oil is seen in most parts of the world as the super-food of fats. Coconut oil is a healthy “nut” fat. It is a highly chemically stable fat, meaning it can be heated without negative effects. Very few oils handle heat well, but certain coconut oils handle high heat very well. It is also resistant to lipid peroxidation (which may be a common mechanistic pathway that can lead to increased cancer risk) and rancidity.

 Coconut oil is unique if you are a calorie counter. Coconut oil has 2.6% fewer calories per gram than other fats. Coconut oil nourishes the body, and its medium-chained fatty acids provide a good source of energy.

Coconut oil is also highly effective as an antioxidant. Coconut oil is a safe alternative oil for any cooking recipe. And as a healthy fat, it makes food taste rich and savory!

Avocados are a superfood filled with vitamins, minerals, and healthy fat. They are especially high in potassium and fiber, which contribute to weight loss and have been linked to a lower risk of disease.

Two: Use mushrooms in your recipes. Studies show mushrooms aid the immune system because they are rich in potassium, selenium, copper, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and B complex vitamins. Some kinds of mushrooms are one of only two natural food sources of Vitamin D.

Mushrooms are an excellent source of antioxidants polyphenols, selenium, and ergothioneine (known as a master antioxidant, an amino acid containing sulfur. Sulfur is an extremely important nutrient, yet it is highly overlooked.) One medium portobello mushroom has more potassium than a small banana. Five medium cremini mushrooms have more selenium than a large egg or three ounces of lean beef. Plus, the copper in mushrooms helps the body to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body.

Mushrooms are low in calories and are about 80–90% water, which makes them a great substitute for meat in recipes when wanting to cut calories. 
Adding mushrooms to dishes is easy.

Thinly slice some mushrooms and put them on salads, pasta dishes, and sandwiches—or serve them as a side dish. Grilling them is always great, and mushrooms make a tasty and healthy alternative to a burger. I love to sauté them with onions and butter in order to bring out the rich flavor of savory mushrooms. Each mushroom has a different flavor, so experiment by trying different varieties.

Three: Eat colorful, fresh, organic food to get antioxidants. Antioxidants are in the color. Avoid white, refined foods and choose the ones with rich color. For example, in the winter, certain seasonal foods like root vegetables can be very comforting, especially potatoes! But instead of white potatoes, give yourself an antioxidant boost by trying red potatoes, purple potatoes, yams, or sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are delicious, and high in fiber and beta-carotene. 
 (Use coconut oil as a healthy fat in potato dishes. Mix it in to mashed potatoes, or use it when you cut potatoes up for baking and frying. If you want a buttery flavor, add a tiny bit of ghee to the coconut oil. Just remember: Never store potatoes in the refrigerator. Doing this will turn the starch in potatoes into sugar.)

Four: Cook with unrefined sea salt to increase your health and well-being. 
When I ask people if they use salt, they usually tell me, “No, I eat a low-salt diet for health reasons.” But unrefined sea salt is not salt that is bad for us. It is the type of salt we eat that dictates whether it is good for you.

The word “electrolyte” is a fancy medical term for salt. We need electrolytes to be healthy. Our immune systems can’t function without them. In fact, low-salt diets promote toxicity, and they have adverse effects on the body. Low-salt diets promote elevated insulin levels and insulin resistance, as well as elevated normal cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. Low-salt diets will lead to mineral deficiencies and the development of chronic disease.

Adding unrefined, mineral rich sea salt to your diet can increase the usable oxygen in your blood, detoxify blood, and neutralize radiation. Unrefined, mineral-rich sea salt makes capillaries more elastic and increases blood flow. There are various types of unrefined sea salt, all containing different mineral contents. Try a few different ones and see which you like the best.

Five: Add spices to your food to provide both flavor and incredible health benefits. 
Two spices I most recommend adding are turmeric and cinnamon.

 Turmeric is a common ingredient in Indian cuisine and contains an ingredient called curcumin. Curcumin has more than 150 therapeutic agents to combat viruses, bacterium, diseases, and other chronic conditions.
Turmeric can help curb indigestion and heartburn. It protects brain and cardiovascular health, boosts the immune system and decreases inflammation. Turmeric works better when combined with fat and if you combine it with black pepper, you can increase the rate of absorption.

Cinnamon is another spice you can add to your recipes. It us very effective in lowering blood sugar levels.

Six: Use healthier sweeteners. Sugar is like an addictive drug. It gives the body an artificial energy surge, and the body begins to crave that energy. Dr. Francis Stern states, “A characteristic of sugar ‘binges’ is that the taste for sweets, for some reason, leads to a craving for more of the same, just the way other drugs create cravings.” I encourage you to limit or eliminate sugar from your diet as much as possible. A few suggestions for when you wish to add a sweetener are honey, xylitol, dates or date sugar.

Honey is a natural sweetener that is antifungal and antibacterial. Honey contains a variety of nutrients and minerals, as well as some enzymes. It is known to facilitate muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout. Substitute honey for sugar in recipes. Always buy raw, unrefined honey so that live enzymes and nutritional properties are still intact.

 Xylitol is a sugar alcohol found in fruits and vegetables. It is made from birch tree bark and other hard wood trees. Xylitol has fewer calories and 75% fewer carbohydrates than sugar. Studies have shown that ingesting xylitol can alkalize your body, reduce sugar cravings, and reduce insulin levels. It was approved by the FDA in 1963.(Like chocolate, egg whites and red grapes, xylitol is toxic to animals.)

Seven: Use delicious probiotic foods in your recipes. Probiotic food is vital to the health and strength of the immune system, and it supports digestion and absorption of food and nutrients. Adding garlic, onions, raw, unprocessed apple cider vinegar, raw, unprocessed soy sauce, coconut yogurts, kombucha, and miso to your recipes can make them delicious as well as create a healthier immune system!

 Allium vegetables, like garlic and onions, have been studied extensively in relation to cancer. Their beneficial and preventative effects are likely due in part to their rich organosulfur compounds.

Garlic, in particular, has a wonderful flavor. It’s fragile, so I add it at the end of cooking. Adding onion is a great way to add flavor to a dish without adding extra calories. Onions can be sautéed, roasted, and grilled or caramelized. Use them fresh as a topping for sandwiches or salads, or add them to salsas and dips. They have both probiotic and antifungal properties.

 Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of lactofermentation, in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar in the food to create lactic acid. This process preserves the food. It creates beneficial enzymes, B vitamins, and probiotics.

So, lighten up, get going, and embrace a new, healthier lifestyle! By incorporating delicious, healthier ingredients into your recipes, you will give your body some necessary tools to help it heal and stay healthier in the future. Now is the time to transition to a healthier lifestyle that you can maintain for the rest of your life! Feel lighter and brighter in your body, mind, and spirit.

It’s time for new adventures with food!

Sources:

1 Gago-Dominguez, Manuela, et. al. (2007). Lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress genes and dietary factors in breast cancer protection: a hypothesis. Breast Cancer Research 2006, [9:20]1. Retrieved from http://www.breast-cancer-research.com/content/9/1/201

2  Cinnamon’s Health Benefits: Wondering how to lower blood sugar? Try some cinnamon, which has double duty benefits.” (2007, November 7.) Women’sHealth. Retrieved from http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/cinnamon-benefits-explained
3  Goulart, Frances Sheridan. (1991, March 1). “Are You Sugar Smart? Linked to Heart Attacks, Kidney Disease, Diabetes and Other Diseases, Sugar Is to the ’90s What Cholesterol Was to the ’80s (Includes 9 ways to Cope with Sugar Cravings).” American Fitness. Retrieved from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-10722552.html

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copyright@nancyaddison2015

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This nutrition packed cookbook, has everything you need to know from the best vegan, vegetarian recipes, protein for vegetarians, the best fats, the best sweeteners, protein rich vegetarian foods, quick easy vegetarian recipes, etc. It shows how to make recipes vegan, what is the best vegan protein, how to prepare carbohydrates so they are healthy.

This book gives vegetarians the power of healthy choices and assists them in creating long-term, sustainable, and life-enhancing strategies for being a healthy vegetarian, vegan or raw foodist. In this book, #1 bestselling Author Nancy Addison inspires, motivates, and teaches easy-to-implement suggestions for leading a nutritious lifestyle. She also offers incredible insight into health and wellness for people of all ages. The book includes over 110 easy recipes, many of which are gluten-free, raw and vegan! Get your copy of “How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian” Second Edition today!

You will find out why Celebrity Chef and Nutrition Expert Nancy Addison has been sought out by Doctors from all over the world as well as celebrities and other famous people like Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Suzie Humphreys, Maryann De Leo, Bob Fanucci, Sir Earl Toon, Bill Booth, Beth Morgan, and many others.

“How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian” 2^nd edition is an excellent book. Having had the opportunity to assist and promote health and nutrition with world-class athletes over the last 25 years; it is my opinion that Nancy Addison’s book is a formula for high-level performance in our daily lives. I can’t imagine a more informative book for the person looking to improve their health. Nancy is one of the top nutrition experts I’ve ever known. What you put on the end of your fork is more powerful medicine than anything you will find at the bottom of a pill bottle.”
– Gary L. Massad, M.D. FACOM, FAASM, FAC, LM. Past attending physician to the 1984 and 1996 Olympic Games, attending physician to United States Cycling Federation, USTAA, and USMAA

Nancy Addison is a Dallas native and raised her two children on an organic, whole-grain, vegetarian diet.

“Eat like a cow and you’ll be as strong as an ox!” – Nancy Addison

Do you want to know quick easy vegetarian recipes? This book has over 115 quick vegan and  vegetarian meals, extensive information and recipes for protein rich foods for vegetarians, information about probiotics, the thyroid, and extensive amount of other importanit information you will be thrilled to read about. Because this book is about being healthy. Making this lifestyle easy and healthy.

This book is recommended by leading Medical Doctors as a great resource for medical professionals.

It is easy to understand and easy to implement!

Nancy is an expert at making cutting edge science easy to understand and even easier to implement with her delicious quick easy vegetarian recipes and easy to implement lifestyle suggestions.

An Amazon Best Seller!

Order your copy today!  Click here!

Nancy Addison is available for interviews and appearances.

For more information, please visit www.organichealthylifestyle.com,

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He never lived to see his grandchildren grow up.

That doesn’t have to be you.

This article tells you how you can easily prevent and even reverse the effects of heart disease.

Heart Health

The Benefits of Being A Vegetarian

Today is Father’s Day.

My father had heart disease. The picture above,  is a picture of him with my daughter and my mother. I miss him.

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death of men in the United States. Over 307, 225 deaths per year of men in the United States, that is 1 in every 4 male deaths. Half of the men who die suddenly have had no previous symptoms. Heart disease kills 1,100 women a day. One in every 4 deaths a year are from heart disease. My own father had a heart attach when I was in college. He survived it, but I don’t think he ever fully recovered. That was a major reason that I changed the way I eat and live. Because of this being Father’s Day, I am going to address heart disease.

I’m a vegetarian and wrote the book, “How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian.”  I have been a vegetarian for over 27 years, because I had a great many family members die of heart disease, strokes and cancer. So, honoring him today, I thought I would discuss this briefly.

Years ago, I took a Cornell University course on the plant-based diet. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, who participated in the China Study and wrote “The China Study” and Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. M. D. who wrote “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” were two of the professors that taught the course.

Dr. T. Colin Campbell as well as Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn (a former surgeon, researcher and clinician at the Cleveland Clinic, -known as the number one heart clinic in the world) believes that by changing the diet, heart disease can be completely cured and prevented.  In our class Dr. Esselstyn explained that cardiology has only focused on treating the symptoms and not the cause.

Dr. Esselstyn explained that a plant-based diet with only a minimum of limited/low healthy fats can not only prevent and stop progression of heart disease, but also reverse it. He explained that his scientific studies show with irrefutable scientific evidence that by changing to a plant based diet, heart disease can be prevented and the epidemic eradicated.

His drew evidence in his results testing with his own patients. He taught that despite the treatments the patients had already received, like bypass surgery or angioplasties, 5 of the original group of 17 had been told by their physicians that they would probably only have about a year to live.  Of the group of 17, there had been at least 49 cardiac events leading up to this study.

Dr. Esselstyn’s 20 year clinical study comprised of 17 compliant patients on his plant based/low fat diet program the health improvement was dramatic. The patients cholesterol dropped, their anginia symptoms and blood flow improved dramatically. Within the 12 years, his 17 patients had no further cardiac events. The patients that stuck with the program survived beyond 20 years, free of symptoms. Anglograms taken of the patients showed a widening of the coronary arteries thus, a reversal of the disease. This study showed one of the most profound drop in cholesterol ever documented in a medical study.

So, if you think that heart disease just happens and that there is nothing you can do about it, then try switching to a plant based / low fat diet and see if that would work for you. It is a lot easier than you think. It just takes a new mindset, a few guide-lines, good recipes and a will to do it.

Last year was my 40^th high school reunion. One of my classmates who had heart disease was told by his physician, that if he switched to a plant based diet he would never have to worry about having a heart attack again. He bought my book and has made some changes to move toward a plant-based diet.

I am so happy for him.  Here is what he said about my book, “How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian:“

“Two years ago I had a quadruple bi-pass, and my cardiologist told me that if I changed to a plant based diet, I would never have this problem again. Being from Texas, I grew up on meat and potatoes, and I was not compliant with his advice. I came across Nancy Addison’s book and it made perfect sense to me with the simple and understandable approach. I’m started off dropping all animal meat, including chicken, which has as much unhealthy fat as steak. Within a month I dropped 17 lbs, just doing that. My system is functioning a lot better, I’ve added more fruits and vegetables, and doubled my energy. I haven’t given up seafood, but maybe down the road I will take the next step. Brava Nancy for getting me to take the first step, and helping me create a new, healthier life!!!!!”
– Ben McKinley – Naples, FL

So, in closing, what we eat in life is a choice. If you have heart disease, you may think about how the food you are eating is directly affecting your health.

I think of everyone who receives my newsletter as my dear friend and I love keeping in touch with you and adore hearing from you. Today, I am sending you big hugs and blessings for a healthy, loving heart this February and may you have a wonderful month full of health and love.

For more information on Nancy’s nutrition and health counseling go to : www.organichealthylifestyle.com

To order Nancy’s book on Amazon:  click here!

Please leave a comment and join the conversation!

Everyone would love to hear what you think!

Copyright@nancyaddison2015

More Reviews of Nancy’s book:

 Surprise content!

I am not a vegetarian but I am keenly interested in nutritional health and wellness. I found Nancy’s chapter topics to be generally relevant and she writes directly to her point so well that I am keeping this book handy as a reference for many kinds of wellness questions, including diet and lifestyle recommendations. I would title this book “How To Be Healthy” and recommend it to anyone interested in making healthier life choices- not just choosing vegetables.      by Christopher Sharp , attorney in Dallas, TX

“How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian” is an excellent book. Having had the opportunity to assist and promote health and nutrition with world-class athletes over the last 25 years; it is my opinion that Nancy Addison’s book is a formula for high-level performance in our daily lives. I can’t imagine a more informative book for the person looking to improve their health. The chapter about sugar is the most complete information available. Nancy is an expert in Nutrition, Healthy Cooking, Raw Food, Living a Healthy Lifestyle and making it all work together. What you put on the end of your fork is more powerful medicine than anything you will find at the bottom of a pill bottle.”

by  Gary L. Massad M.D.

-First National Corporate Medical Director and founder of Occupational Health Centers in America. Attending physician to the Iron Man Hawaii; Attending Physician, United States Triathlon Association; Attending Physician United States Tae Kwon Do Association, Attending Physician United States Cycling Federation.

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