US The Big C and making the jump

tobinwoodruff

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I'm new to the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. Recently I've had a health scare regarding pre-cancerous cells in my throat. I know I want to live the healthiest life possible for myself, my family and our animals. I'm most interested in growing high Alkaline foods...especially fresh greens for myself and my family, but I currently live in a condominium, and don't know what to do next. I'm really just trying to learn more about clean eating, and the benefits there are. There is such a vast world out there that I know so little about. What are the benefits of raw vs cooked diet. Cold press vs other forms of juicing. I have Acid Reflux. What foods should I stay away from? Can someone please point me in the right direction? Buying them from a super market can be expensive.... I've seen so many products on the market that allow you to grow greens from the comfort of your own home. Does anyone have a recommendation of one over another? I'd love to hear your thoughts
 
I don't think we have any raw food vegans here. But a few years ago I became interested in the diet and researched it. I drew a few conclusions.
• in order to get the RDA of many nutrients a raw foodie has to eat an extremely high number of calories. Something like 3000 and up. If you check out their stories, most raw foodies are very very active. Freelie was an aerobics instructor that rode her bike to work. Kristina is also some kind of fitness instructor.
• Many nutrients are more available in raw food. but there are just as many that are more available in cooked foods. Plus there are many foods that can not be eaten raw. Probably the best bet is to take the best of both worlds. And it doesn't have to be complicated. Dr. Fuhman suggests "a big salad" for lunch.

The cold press makes the food both raw and "less processed". I gave away my juicer years ago - mostly because i needed the cupboard space. but I barely miss it. IMHO its better to eat your fruits and vegetables. Although juicing allows you to drink like 2 or 3 carrots - you miss out on the fiber.

I used to have something like Acid Reflux. the valve ( I don't remember its name) at the top of my stomach became weakened (with old age) and didn't make a tight seal. This mostly caused problems when I was sleeping. Sleeping on my back on an incline really helped. I also cut back on coffee, tomato sauces, and citrus juices. I didn't eliminate any of those foods just cut back. Like going from 4 cups of coffee to 1. Going to pasta sauce a few times a week to a few times a month. and from drinking juice every day to maybe once a week. Nowadays I don't seem to have any symptoms and I have gone back to sleeping on a regular pillow. I also think losing weight really helped. And regular exercise.

We just had a thread on the kits for indoor growing. I'm tempted to buy one too.
 
Thanks Lou... I'll take a look at this Aqua Tree. What is it that you like about it? How much does it cost? What types of greens should I grow. Do you know which greens are the most alkaline? Thanks for reaching out to me. This is really helpful. I'm especially interested in how you beat cancer.
 
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Wheatgrass.
this should go to the top of your list. And you can grow it easily in a windowsill. I think you need a special juicer for it but you can google it and learn all about it.

Kale, spinach, celery are all alkaline and easily available at the grocery store. These are good cooked, raw or juiced.

Spirulina is good too.

If you are interested in these as a "cure" for acid reflux. I don't think it works like that. I'd have to do a little more research but these greens are good to eat regardless. And they surely won't hurt. But I think controlling your acid reflux is more about eating a healthy diet ( that includes all these greens), maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular exercise. PLUS not eating highly acidic foods.

An occasional calcium-based antiacid doesn't hurt either. If you buy the antiacids, like Tums, just get the regular strength, not the extra or ultra. It's possible to ingest too much calcium which can lead to hardening of the arteries and kidney stones. Also, a lot of plant milks have caclium added to them so they can help too. You might want to check your nutrition with something like Cronometer or SparkPeople. Just to make sure your calcium intake stays within the safe levels. I know a lady who misunderstood something and put herself in the hospital with something like calcium poisoning by taking too many supplements. If you are getting enough calcium in your diet and still want to take an antiacid, there are Magnesium based ones - Like Rolaids. But again go for the lower doses and check your nutrition. Magnesium can be even more toxic in large amounts - I check my nutrition regularly and hardly ever get even the RDA of Magnesium so I know there is more leeway.

I used to take a Rolaids every night before bed. but I don't need to anymore.
 
I strongly suggest NutritionFacts.org | The Latest in Nutrition Related Research. Dr Michael Greger researches the research and only publishes evidence based material, and is it's all run on charitable contributions.

There are many ways to do gardens indoors, including low cost DIY. I do believe the Lou suggests was just another spam, but not dismissing it
 
Wheatgrass.
this should go to the top of your list. And you can grow it easily in a windowsill. I think you need a special juicer for it but you can google it and learn all about it.

Kale, spinach, celery are all alkaline and easily available at the grocery store. These are good cooked, raw or juiced.

Spirulina is good too.

If you are interested in these as a "cure" for acid reflux. I don't think it works like that. I'd have to do a little more research but these greens are good to eat regardless. And they surely won't hurt. But I think controlling your acid reflux is more about eating a healthy diet ( that includes all these greens), maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular exercise. PLUS not eating highly acidic foods.

An occasional calcium-based antiacid doesn't hurt either. If you buy the antiacids, like Tums, just get the regular strength, not the extra or ultra. It's possible to ingest too much calcium which can lead to hardening of the arteries and kidney stones. Also, a lot of plant milks have caclium added to them so they can help too. You might want to check your nutrition with something like Cronometer or SparkPeople. Just to make sure your calcium intake stays within the safe levels. I know a lady who misunderstood something and put herself in the hospital with something like calcium poisoning by taking too many supplements. If you are getting enough calcium in your diet and still want to take an antiacid, there are Magnesium based ones - Like Rolaids. But again go for the lower doses and check your nutrition. Magnesium can be even more toxic in large amounts - I check my nutrition regularly and hardly ever get even the RDA of Magnesium so I know there is more leeway.

I used to take a Rolaids every night before bed. but I don't need to anymore.
Lou- thank you for your advice, and kind words. It's nice being able to reach out into the either and connect with others. I have a lot of information and new food to digest. I will look into Cronometers, and hope avoid antacids. I currently take a medication called Dexalant for GERD, but it's extremely harsh on the body over long periods of time. I'll take a look at the home grow system you mentioned. I can't even find broccoli sprouts at my local supermarket, so I want to start growing soon.
 
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I strongly suggest NutritionFacts.org | The Latest in Nutrition Related Research. Dr Michael Greger researches the research and only publishes evidence based material, and is it's all run on charitable contributions.

There are many ways to do gardens indoors, including low cost DIY. I do believe the Lou suggests was just another spam, but not dismissing it
Silvia- Thank You for reaching out...I just clicked on the link. Wow!! This looks like an amazing source of information. Thank You so much. I'm sorry I'm new to this world.....What do you mean by saying just another spam...? Are there any systems you recommend? I live in a condo with not a whole lot of extra room.
 
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Silvia- Thank You for reaching out...I just clicked on the link. Wow!! This looks like an amazing source of information. Thank You so much. I'm sorry I'm new to this world.....What do you mean by saying just another spam...? Are there any systems you recommend? I live in a condo with not a whole lot of extra room.
I was referring to the link Lou referenced to the Aquatree--I truly don't have an opinion about it, it just seems the person who created the thread became a member just to spam it--which happens. :shrug: There are lots of indoor gardening kits, and if you're handy and want to save some bucks just getting the right lighting set ups and DIY searching is just as well!

Dr Greger is FULL of information, and theres nothing he suggests that is out of the ordinary, costly, or extreme. He will never suggest anything as a cure all or tell people to not seek medical attention!
He put together a list of what you can eat in a day to ensure a days good nutrition called the daily dozen. It's only 1200 to 1400 calories as written, so it means for more food, but having those servings of each variety will keep you in good health.
As to raw vs cooked--there are foods you shouldn't leave out that are best cooked, and offer up more nutrients in their cooked form
 
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Lou- thank you for your advice, and kind words. It's nice being able to reach out into the either and connect with others. I have a lot of information and new food to digest. I will look into Cronometers, and hope avoid antacids. I currently take a medication called Dexalant for GERD, but it's extremely harsh on the body over long periods of time. I'll take a look at the home grow system you mentioned. I can't even find broccoli sprouts at my local supermarket, so I want to start growing soon.

I've taken Dexalant. I didn't notice any side effects. And it is supposed to be very safe. I think my doctor put me on it for a month and it really helped. I guess some people are on it longer and they need to be careful about how they stop taking it.

Again I think an occasional or even daily dose of something like Tums is perfectly safe but again not to be relied on as a long term solution. In the short term, it is very important to mitigate the GERDs before you damage your throat.

I have been using Cronometer daily for almost 6 months. I don't think most people don't need to use it so much. It helps identify issues and then you fix them. but I'm still in the fixing phase. But I think i am now a Cronometer expert - so if you need any help there....

I think as far as indoor vegetable growing kits go - you probably should do your own research. For instance, I don't need artificial light where I live now. but I would need it in the last place I lived. I also have plenty of room here so I probably wouldn't go with hydroponics. Although Home Gardyn comes with an app. It appeals to the geeky side of me.

You can grow wheatgrass in jars on a window sill. You can sprout any kind of seed in jars in your kitchen, too.
 
I'm new to the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. Recently I've had a health scare regarding pre-cancerous cells in my throat. I know I want to live the healthiest life possible for myself, my family and our animals. I'm most interested in growing high Alkaline foods...especially fresh greens for myself and my family, but I currently live in a condominium, and don't know what to do next. I'm really just trying to learn more about clean eating, and the benefits there are. There is such a vast world out there that I know so little about. What are the benefits of raw vs cooked diet. Cold press vs other forms of juicing. I have Acid Reflux. What foods should I stay away from? Can someone please point me in the right direction? Buying them from a super market can be expensive.... I've seen so many products on the market that allow you to grow greens from the comfort of your own home. Does anyone have a recommendation of one over another? I'd love to hear your thoughts

Hi Tobin,

There have been two very large studies of the comparative health of omnivores, occasional meat eaters, pescetarians, and vegetarians. These studies are the (1) Adventist Health Study I and II, and the (2) European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC-Oxford) study.

The EPIC-Oxford study found that vegetarians have a lower risk of upper digestive tract (includes throat) cancer: Cancer Rates of Vegetarians. Although I don't advocate animal flesh consumption, the pescetarians had an even lower rate of upper digestive tract cancer.

These studies' cancer risk findings have been summarized by (among others) Jack Norris, a Registered Dietitian who, though vegan himself, does a good job presenting information objectively. Here is his cancer risk website, with all studies fully cited at the bottom of the page: Cancer Rates of Vegetarians


There are a couple dozen peer-reviewed studies on raw and nearly-raw vegan diets, but none of these studies are large:

1) An uncooked vegan diet shifts the profile of human fecal microflora:
computerized analysis of direct stool sample gas-liquid chromatography
profiles of bacterial cellular fatty acids., Appl Environ Microbiol 1992
Nov;58(11):3660-6

GLC profiles changed significantly in the test group after the induction and discontinuation of the vegan diet but not in the control group at any time, whereas quantitative bacterial culture did not detect any significant change in fecal bacteriology in either of the groups. The results suggest that an uncooked extreme vegan diet alters the fecal bacterial flora significantly when it is measured by direct stool sample GLC of bacterial fatty acids .

2) Antioxidant status in long-term adherents to a strict uncooked vegan
diet., Am J Clin Nutr 1995 Dec;62(6):1221-7

The present data indicate that the "living food diet" provides significantly more dietary antioxidants than does the cooked, omnivorous diet, and that the long-term adherents to this diet have a better antioxidant status than do omnivorous control subjects.

3) Antioxidants in vegan diet and rheumatic disorders., Toxicology 2000
Nov 30;155(1-3):45-53

The shift of fibromyalgic subjects to LF resulted in a decrease of their joint stiffness and pain as well as an improvement of their self-experienced health. The rheumatoid arthritis patients eating the LF diet also reported similar positive responses and the objective measures supported this finding. The improvement of rheumatoid arthritis was significantly correlated with the day-to-day fluctuation of subjective symptoms. In conclusion the rheumatoid patients subjectively benefited from the vegan diet rich in antioxidants, lactobacilli and fibre, and this was also seen in objective measures.

4) Consequences of a long-term raw food diet on body weight and menstruation: results of a questionnaire survey., Ann Nutr Metab 1999;43(2):69-79

CONCLUSIONS: The consumption of a raw food diet is associated with a high loss of body weight. Since many raw food dieters exhibited underweight and amenorrhea, a very strict raw food diet cannot be recommended on a long-term basis.

5) Coumarin 7-hydroxylation in long-term adherents of a strict uncooked
vegan diet., Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1996;50(1-2):133-7

CONCLUSION: According to the present study, the clearly different dietary patterns and nutrient intakes between the vegans and the omnivores resulted in similar extent and rate of 7-hydroxycoumarin formation, indicating only a minor effect on coumarin hydroxylase (CYP2A6) activity by the plant substances in the uncooked vegan diet.

6) Dental erosions in subjects living on a raw food diet., Caries Res
1999;33(1):74-80

Nevertheless, the results showed that a raw food diet bears an increased risk of dental erosion compared to conventional nutrition.

7) Divergent changes in serum sterols during a strict uncooked vegan diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis., Br J Nutr 2001 Feb;85(2):137-9

Our results suggest that a strict uncooked vegan diet changes the relative absorption rates of these sterols and/or their biliary clearance.

8) Effect of a strict vegan diet on energy and nutrient intakes by Finnish rheumatoid patients., Eur J Clin Nutr 1993 Oct;47(10):747-9

Shifting to the uncooked vegan diet significantly increased the intakes of energy and many nutrients. In spite of the increased energy intake, the group on the vegan diet lost 9% of their body weight during the intervention period, indicating a low availability of energy from the vegan diet.

9) Effect of a vegan diet on biomarkers of chemoprevention in females., Hum Exp Toxicol 1996 Oct;15(10):821-5

The significance of these changes as biologically relevant indicators of beneficial effects of vegan diets in humans needs to be determined in studies with a larger number of subjects.

10) Effects of a raw food diet on hypertension and obesity., South Med J 1985 Jul;78(7):841-4

After a mean duration of 6.7 months, average intake of uncooked food comprised 62% of calories ingested. Mean weight loss was 3.8 kg and mean diastolic pressure reduction 17.8 mm Hg, both statistically significant (P less than .00001). Eighty percent of those who smoked or drank alcohol abstained spontaneously.

11) Effects of eating an uncooked vegetable diet for 1 week., Appetite 1992 Dec;19(3):243-54

It is concluded that this vegetable diet may be of some benefit in the short term but any longer-term use requires evaluation.

12) Faecal microbial flora and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis during a vegan diet., Br J Rheumatol 1997 Jan;36(1):64-8

We conclude that a vegan diet changes the faecal microbial flora in RA patients, and changes in the faecal flora are associated with improvement in RA activity.

13) Fatty acid composition of erythrocyte, platelet, and serum lipids in strict vegans., Lipids 1995 Apr;30(4):365-9

The results show that, in the long term, the vegan diet has little effect on the proportions of oleic and arachidonic acids, whereas the levels of n-3 fatty acids are depressed to very low levels with prolonged consumption of the high linoleic and oleic acid components of this diet.

14) Fibromyalgia syndrome improved using a mostly raw vegetarian diet: An observational study., BMC Complement Altern Med 2001;1(1):7

CONCLUSION: This dietary intervention shows that many fibromyalgia subjects can be helped by a mostly raw vegetarian diet.

15) Metabolic vitamin B12 status on a mostly raw vegan diet with follow-up using tablets, nutritional yeast, or probiotic supplements., Ann Nutr Metab 2000;44(5-6):229-34

People following the Hallelujah diet and other raw-food vegetarian diets should regularly monitor their urinary MMA levels, consume a sublingual cobalamin supplement, or consume cobalamin in their food.

16) Raw food and immunity, Fortschr Med 1990 Jun 10;108(17):338-40

In view of this, uncooked food can be seen as a useful adjunct to drugs in the treatment of allergic, rheumatic and infectious diseases.

17) Raw Food Eaters: Health Habits and Nutrient Intake(FULL TEXT), Poster for the 16th International Congress of Nutrition, 27.7-1.8.1997, Montreal, Canada

The data show that an almost exclusive consumption of raw fruit and vegetables bear some advantages for nutrient intake but also may carry the threat of serious deficiencies. These findings need to be verified by analyses of nutrient status, a further aspect of this study which is currently under way.

18) Shifting from a conventional diet to an uncooked vegan diet reversibly alters fecal hydrolytic activities in humans., J Nutr 1992 Apr;122(4):924-30

Results suggest that this uncooked extreme vegan diet causes a decrease in bacterial enzymes and certain toxic products that have been implicated in colon cancer risk.

19) Survey of Food and Nutrient Intake of Hallelujah Vegetarians, Nutrition & Food Science 2001;31(6):293-303

What this study reveals is that intakes of most vitamins and minerals are adequate while following The Hallelujah Diet. Only vitamins B12 and D were extremely low. Hallelujah Acres recommends a vitamin B12 supplement and sunshine, the natural source of vitamin D, to make up for these low intakes.

20) Uncooked, lactobacilli-rich, vegan food and rheumatoid arthritis., Br J Rheumatol 1998 Mar;37(3):274-81

The results showed that an uncooked vegan diet, rich in lactobacilli, decreased subjective symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Large amounts of living lactobacilli consumed daily may also have positive effects on objective measures of rheumatoid arthritis.

21) Vegan diet alleviates fibromyalgia symptoms., Scand J Rheumatol 2000;29(5):308-13

It can be concluded that vegan diet had beneficial effects on fibromyalgia symptoms at least in the short run.

22) Vegan diet in physiological health promotion., Acta Physiol Hung 1999;86(3-4):171-80

The fibromyalgic subjects eating LF (living food) lost weight compared to their omnivorous controls. The results on their joint stiffness and pain (visual analogue scale), on their quality of sleep, on health assessment questionnaire and on general health questionnaire all improved. It appears that the adoption of vegan diet exemplified by the living food leads to a lessening of several health risk factors to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Rheumatoid patients subjectively benefited from the vegan diet which was also seen in serum parameters and fecal analyses.

23) Vegetarian Raw Food Dietary Regimens: Health Habits and Nutrient Intake(FULL TEXT), Presented as Poster at the Third Internatiobnal Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition, Loma Linda, California USA, March 24-26 1997

The intake of nutrients that are usually provided by foods of animal origin is insufficient. These include Vitamins B12 and D, zinc and calcium. On the other hand, the intake of certain protective nutrients, such as Vitamin C and other antioxidants, lie above the national average.

24) Vitamin B-12 status of long-term adherents of a strict uncooked
vegan diet ("living food diet" is compromised., J Nutr 1995 Oct;125(10):2511-5

The cross-sectional study revealed significantly (P < 0.001, paired t test) lower serum vitamin B-12 concentrations in the vegans (mean 193 pmol/L, range 35-408) compared with their matched omnivorous controls (311, 131-482). In the vegan group, total vitamin B-12 intake correlated significantly (r = 0.63, P < 0.01) with serum vitamin B-12 concentration. The vegans consuming Nori and/or Chlorella seaweeds (n = 16) had serum vitamin B-12 concentrations twice as high as those not using these seaweeds (n = 5) (mean 221 pmol/L, range 75-408, vs. 105, 35-252, P = 0.025). In the longitudinal study, six of nine vegans showed slow, but consistent deterioration of vitamin B-12 status over a 2-y observation period. On the basis of these results we conclude that some seaweeds consumed in large amounts can supply adequate amounts of bioavailable vitamin B-12.
 
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Just one more post: You don't have to radically change your diet, all at once, in order to improve your health. A person can begin by first eliminating the most unhealthy habits (junk food, smoking, excessive alcohol, excess calories, lack of physical activity).

Also, you don't have to figure this out by yourself. You might find it useful to make a (phone) appointment with a Registered Dietitian who specializes in vegetarian / vegan nutrition. In the United States, you can find a local RD through the website of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Eatright.org - Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Just click on the red "Find An Expert" button in the upper-right portion of their webpage.
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Just one more post: You don't have to radically change your diet, all at once, in order to improve your health. A person can begin by first eliminating the most unhealthy habits (junk food, smoking, excessive alcohol, excess calories, lack of physical activity).

Also, you don't have to figure this out by yourself. You might find it useful to make a (phone) appointment with a Registered Dietitian who specializes in vegetarian / vegan nutrition. In the United States, you can find a local RD through the website of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Eatright.org - Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Just click on the red "Find An Expert" button in the upper-right portion of their webpage.
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David- Thank you so much for all the great information.... I'm going to have to get out a dictionary to understand some of these words. In just the couple days I have been on this site I feel like I have gotten smarter.... or maybe just slightly more educated. Thank You to everyone who has reached out to me thus far. Quick question... if you were to start growing food. What would be your most nutritious first 5 be to start with.
 
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I found this article for you


I bet the herbs and spices are the most cost-effective. I sometimes see potted basil plants for sale. you could just keep one in the window for pesto.
 
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While improvements to diet are always a start, when you're already compromised it often takes as close to 100% adherence, as in 100% whole food plant based with nothing bad added and nothing good removed. That would mean sweeteners come from whole fruits-like blended dates, no oils- fats come from whole foods, like nuts, seeds, avocado.....

Years ago I worked with a man who for years struggled with weight, type 2 diabetes, heart disease. All ran in his family- genetics seemed to be the cause. He'd had stents, bypass, his doctor had him on the usual DASH diet of low fat and sodium but after a second (or third?) emergency bypass he was given last rites, not expected to improve. He seemed like a lost cause. He found Dr Esselstyn. Esselstyns diet to prevent and reverse heart disease is the same as Dr Gregers wfpb daily dozen, with only the tweak of no fats besides a Tblsp on ground flax, no nuts.... His only choice was try this last resort, or face a life he didn't want to live. He did it. His breakfasts were whole cooked grains with dark greens and fruits. Salads, soups, beans, lentils.... His life CHANGED. He didn't ever want to become vegan, but turning his life around he found not only his diet reflected vegan ethics, but his whole outook.

When you need to reverse sickness it's better to go to all in then 'see how it goes'.

Get the book How not to Die by Dr Greger
Whole by Colin Campbell

Put the app for the DD on your phone, check it off as you eat!

Broccoli sproutsm (and other sprouts) are probably the easiest and best food you can grow yourself!
 
I guess it depends on what Silva means by "already compromised". But big huge changes in lifestyle can be for many people very stressful. Also, big changes can create reasons to procrastinate. (i.e. i will start as soon as i can find these ingredients, or finish reading this book*).

My best advice is to start small and work your way up. Start with something you can do today. Or sometimes just one thing is really important and you can start there.

* the book thing may not even be a procrastinator's excuse. I think in Dr. Fuhrman's Eat To Live he says in the first chapter you are not allowed to start the diet until you finish chapters 1 - 3 (or something like that).
 
I guess it depends on what Silva means by "already compromised". But big huge changes in lifestyle can be for many people very stressful. Also, big changes can create reasons to procrastinate. (i.e. i will start as soon as i can find these ingredients, or finish reading this book*).

My best advice is to start small and work your way up. Start with something you can do today. Or sometimes just one thing is really important and you can start there.

* the book thing may not even be a procrastinator's excuse. I think in Dr. Fuhrman's Eat To Live he says in the first chapter you are not allowed to start the diet until you finish chapters 1 - 3 (or something like that).
I meant if you're already suffering from a disease- heart, cancer, diabetes....
I mentioned my coworker as he had changed his diet and struggled to make improvements from when he had first been diagnosed with heart disease and diabetes. In fact for him, it was big changes, mostly low fat and sodium and lower calories, and was all under a doctors supervision, and I believe a registared dietician. It was not enough to stop the progression of the heart disease he already had. Going all in under Esselstyns plan very much saved his life. Two years later he was thin, running marathons, no sign of diabetes (2), and the test results of his heart and arteries show reversal

Of course you should thoroughly reference what you're getting into, and Furhman is very much in line with Greger (and Esselstyn and Barnard...)

If you're given a diagnosis that involves such treatment as chemo and radiation, going all in to a wfpb diet isn't really all that extreme!
 
I found this article for you


I bet the herbs and spices are the most cost-effective. I sometimes see potted basil plants for sale. you could just keep one in the window for pesto.
This is outstanding information. Today I'm going to do some research on grow kits... I'm very excited
 
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I wanted to thank everyone again for all the responses. It took a lot of time to research everything. I was able to look at 3 different grow kits. I looked at the Aero Garden, but I'm not sure I want to invest/support a company like Scott's Miracle Gro. Not to mention the product seems small, and the larger ones don't seem to be available. I was also concerned about the horrible customer service reviews... I looked at the Tower Garden..., and that looks really cool, I like it a lot. Looks like I could grow a lot of food with this product and the reviews are really good...I'm concerned with the amount of space it takes up, because I would also need a separate space for seed germination. I'm also not super thrilled about the cost. The Aqua Tree looks really cool, almost like a futuristic live art piece, and it looks like I could grow a lot of food. The cost seems to be okay.... My concern is it doesn't look like you can buy one anywhere, and I can't find any reviews. I think it maybe a start-up because I did see it on kick starter, and last time I checked it was almost fully funded...... Not sure what that means though... Hopefully I can find out more information on the Aqua Tree.... If not I may just have to try and figure out how to DIY it.
 
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In the meantime, don't let the indoor gardening program give you an excuse to not eat right. You should start eating right - right now. Its summertime and the markets are full of fruits and veggies.
 
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Certainly avoiding processed foods and getting fresh produce is not expensive and is a healthier choice. With this you have natural oils in a natural amount healthy for you and no oils need to be added for any betterment. The site www.forksoverknives.com is really helpful, with recipes and encouragement, it is from doctors who are behind it.
 
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