Wonderful Wisdom Wednesday -- Food and diseases

Has a ring to it, doesn't it? Wonderful Wisdom Wednesday - say that ten times fast. ;)

Last night, Corey and I watched "Forks Over Knives" on Netflix (we watch everything on there, we cut off the cable to save money - saving money will be something else I talk about soon).

Examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.

 We've been big into food and health lately, so this really sounded great to me. Boy, were my instincts right! I think as a society, we've become too complacent. Don't get me wrong, we all do it, and it's not wrong when you're thinking that you're trusting your government to produce and give us the proper nutritional standards. Instead, you get big corporations caring about money. And yes, the government is a 'big corporation'.

I have been a big meat eater my whole life. Corey has talked occasionally about becoming a vegetarian; I've always responded with "Are you crazy, I can't live without meat!", and now my response is "NO MEAT is the way to go!". It's really frightening how extreme the changes I want to make in my life really are, and why I want to make these changes.

What is the main reason people say they have to have enough meat in their diets? Enough dairy? Enough Eggs? Protein. Did you know that you can get just as much, if not more, protein from whole food plant diets? Did you also know that Animal Protein is the leading cause in Heart Disease, Cancer, and Diabetes? I'm sure there are probably more diseases that can be attributed to the animal proteins, but these are the ones they covered in the documentary.

Radical Change --

rad·i·cal

 [rad-i-kuhl] Show IPA

adjective

1. of or going to the root or origin; fundamental: a radical difference.

2. thoroughgoing or extreme, especially as regards change from accepted or traditional forms: a radical change in the policy of a company.

3. favoring drastic political, economic, or social reforms: radical ideas; radical and anarchistic ideologues.

4. forming a basis or foundation.

5.existing inherently in a thing or person: radical defects of character.

noun

9. a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles; extremist.

10. a person who advocates fundamental political, economic, and social reforms by direct and often uncompromising methods.

change

   [cheynj] Show IPA verb, changed, chang·ing, noun

verb (used with object)

1.to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone: to change one's name; to change one's opinion; to change the course of history.

2. to transform or convert (usually followed by into ): The witch changed the prince into a toad.

3. to substitute another or others for; exchange  for something else, usually of the same kind: She changed her shoes when she got home from the office.

4. to give and take reciprocally; interchange: to change places with someone.

5. to transfer from one (conveyance) to another: You'll have to change planes in Chicago.

 

verb (used without object)

9. to become different: Overnight the nation's mood changed.

10. to become altered or modified: Colors change if they are exposed to the sun.

11. to become transformed or converted (usually followed by into ): The toad changed into a prince again.

12. to pass gradually into (usually followed by to  or into ): Summer changed to autumn.

13. to make a change or an exchange: If you want to sit next to the window, I'll change with you.

I (and my husband) am making radical changes in my life, and the lives of my children. These changes may not fit everyone's idea of 'good', or 'better', but they definitely fit mine. Corey told me last night that some people will probably tell us that we're being radical in our changes. Okay, so we are... I would rather be radical about what I eat, than have my chest cracked open and have veins from my legs taken out to sew into my heart so that it can bypass the blockages. 

So, I guess in conclusion, we will essentially be vegetarians for the most part. We will still have the occasional animal proteins, but I would like to be healthy, and the best way to do that is to eat a whole food plant diet. 

How does your family view food? Do you eat healthy, and what is your definition of healthy? Do you have advice or recipes for a whole food plant diet?