Improve Your Health with
a Plant-based Diet
By Ginny Rawls
It has been estimated that sixty percent or more of the disease conditions commonly seen throughout our country are directly related to our diet. Scientific evidence continues to give us indications that diet plays a significant role in the degenerative diseases experienced throughout America today. In the past our genetic makeup took most of the blame for our diseases, but new research has discovered that our diet and lifestyle habits may play a larger role than had previously been considered. This research has revealed that we can in essence “turn on” our health promoting genes and “turn off” our diseasepromoting genes through our everyday diet and lifestyle choices. In other words, you can change your gene expression simply by changing your lifestyle. In a relatively short period of time, our daily habits can either promote better health or move us further down the road toward disease. Many health experts today are reporting the benefits of a plant-based diet. The American Dietetic Association has stated that the results of an evidence-based review showed that a plant-based diet is associated with lower risk of death from heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, lower rates of hypertension, a lower overall body mass index, lower rates of type 2 diabetes, and lower overall cancer rates. Because these issues represent the main concerns related to the leading causes of
death in the U.S., it is apparent that plant based foods can help reduce the chance of becoming a health statistic.
Here are just a few suggestions for some practical ways that you can positively influence your health:
• Eat a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and beans. These foods provide us with protection against many of the common diseases seen today.
• Supplement the diet with freshly made vegetable juices. Fresh juices provide us with concentrated, easily absorbable nutrition that can enhance the natural cleansing, healing, and rebuilding process preprogrammed into every cell of our body. An eight-ounce jar of freshly made juice contains the nutrition found in approximately one pound of produce.
• Eat foods in their least processed, most natural form. We cannot improve on what is provided through nature.
• Drink adequate amounts of pure water. This can aid in weight loss and removal of toxins from the body, promoting better health.
• Exercise. The body needs adequate amounts of movement to maintain health. The lymphatic and circulatory systems both require physical activity to function properly.
• Take time to rest, relax, and have fun. Constant stress robs us of optimal health. The glandular response to stress can cause imbalances that can be a contributing factor in weight problems as well as other health related issues.
Remember these steps are not just for adults! Teaching your children healthy lifestyle habits will be a deterrent to health problems throughout their lives. Setting early
patterns, established through education, is a good way to set a healthy path for life.
Ginny Rawls is the founder of Abundant Living Lifestyle Center where she has been offering a wide range of health education and food preparation classes since 1998. Many
people today are looking for practical information on how to improve their health on a day-to-day basis.
At Abundant Living Lifestyle Center, we offer opportunities for people to learn how natural foods and beneficial lifestyle habits can promote optimal health. At our wellness retreats,
people can experience preparing wholesome, delicious recipes while learning how to make health a habit in their daily lives.
For more information about Abundant Living and their wellness retreats visit www.abundantlivinghealth.com or call 205-669-5483 and leave your contact information on voice mail, or send your request by email to info@abundantlivinghealth.com.
