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Special Feature: Preventing and Curing Disease through Diet

The most common diseases today are heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and cancer. These so-called ‘lifestyle diseases’ are the result of bad habits like eating an unhealthy and unnatural diet. Consuming processed foods which are high in fat and cholesterol and full of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives clog arteries, rob our bodies of essential nutrients and fill our cells with harmful chemicals. Diets high in protein are harmful because they are acid-yielding causing the breaking down of bone and muscle tissue. Foods containing a lot of fat and sugar lead to obesity.

An ideal diet is one which is low in fat and cholesterol, high in fibre and alkaline yielding. A whole food plant-based diet which doesn’t include any animal products can prevent and reverse all these diseases and more. Whole foods are unprocessed and unrefined, and as a result are full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fibre. (The only vitamin which may be found lacking in such a diet is B12 which can be easily supplemented.) Whole foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes (beans, lentils, etc.), nuts and seeds, and whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat bread. A diet which doesn’t include any animal products like meat, fish, milk or eggs is completely cholesterol-free!

Many people have reversed illnesses and diseases by switching to a plant-based diet. In his book Reversing Heart Disease, Dr Dean Ornish, a cardiologist, tells how heart disease patients have reversed their disease completely by switching to a plant-based diet, without medication or surgery.

The China Study is a groundbreaking study by T. Colin Campbell which confirms the link between diet and cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity and that following a plant-based diet can reduce the risks and reverse the effects of these diseases.

A recent long-term clinical study published in May 2009 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has proved that a low-fat vegan diet can help prevent and even reverse type 2 diabetes. The study was led by Dr Neal Barnard, the world-renowned author of several books, including Dr Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes.

Why not try a whole food plant-based diet for just one month to see the effects on your own body? You will see how simple it is and how much good it does. This may even empower you to make a decision that could be the best insurance plan for you and your family.

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What you can do

Inform yourself.
With so many conflicting reports about food and nutrition in the media, it can be difficult to know what you should be eating. Be aware that many studies are financed by food lobbies and therefore are not impartial. Inform yourself by reading books like Eat to Live, Breaking the Food Seduction, Quantum Wellness, The McDougall Program - 12 Days to Dynamic Health, and The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart.  Useful websites include McDougall Program and Vegsource.

Learn how to cook tasty, healthy meals.
It's much easier than you think! For tips on dairy and meat alternatives and how to replace eggs in your recipes, see this page. For a wide variety of healthy recipe ideas, check the recipes section on the SHARAN website.

Eat organic.
Organic food not only has more vitamins and nutrients, it also tastes better and is more filling. For optimal health, food should be as natural as possible: unrefined and unprocessed, fresh and not pre-prepared or packaged, and free from pesticides. Choose seasonal and locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Try vegan.
Studies show that people who follow vegan diets are healthier and suffer from fewer ailments and diseases. Research shows that vegans have lower rates of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. For tips on transitioning to a vegan diet, see Try Vegan. 

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Fact or Fiction?

Athletes need to eat meat and drink milk for optimal performance and health.

FICTION!

Did you know that Olympic track and field champion Carl Lewis achieved his best results after he switched to a vegan diet? Contrary to conventional thinking, meat, milk and eggs are not necessary sources of protein for athletes. Plant-based protein sources like lentils, beans, whole rice, nuts and seeds provide sufficient protein for muscle and organ growth and maintenance. Watch Carl Lewis talking about being vegan here.

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Recipe

TABOULI

This Middle Eastern salad is tangy and refreshing!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sesame seeds soaked in water, or ½ cup of cooked quinoa/couscous/tennai/bulghar wheat
1/2 white onion
1 bunch of fresh parsley
4 tomatoes
2 spring onions or shallots
1/2 bunch of mint leaves

For the dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
Dash of olive oil (optional)
Salt
Black pepper
 
Finely chop and mix the ingredients well. The quinoa or tennai should not be overcooked for this recipe. Prepare the dressing with your taste in salt, then it pour over the salad.

For more exciting recipe ideas, visit the recipes page on the SHARAN website!

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News from SHARAN

A good way to learn about how plant-based and whole foods are beneficial for health and well-being is to join one of Dr Nandita Shah’s popular Peas vs. Pills workshops. These are held on a regular basis all over India, as well as abroad.

A series of six Peas vs. Pills workshops will be running in Auroville from December to March.

For more information visit the events page on the SHARAN website. If you’re interested in hosting a workshop in your area or to keep informed of upcoming workshops and events, contact info@sharan-india.org


Reversing Diabetes - two life saving seminars with Dr Neal Barnard are scheduled on 29 November 2009 in Mumbai  and on 4-6 December 2009 in Bangalore.

These 2 seminars will introduce the most effective lifestyle method ever developed for type 2 diabetes, based on breakthrough research led by Dr Neal Barnard (author of Neal D. Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes). This workshop is for people suffering from diabetes who would like to reduce their need for medication,  improve their cholesterol and lose weight. It is also open to their spouses, health practitioners and other people interested in healing diabetes. Book early! We are expecting full houses for both seminars. For more information, see this page.


SHARAN Library Book Service

SHARAN is introducing a new library book service. Books on health, animal rights, ethics and ecology, and vegan cookbooks can be borrowed through the service (including all the books mentioned in this newsletter). Books will be dispatched by courier to anywhere in India. 

For more information on the library book service, see this page.

Vegan potlucks are a great way to meet other vegans in your area and share experiences and recipes. For information on monthly vegan potlucks in Mumbai and Bangalore, visit this link.

Visit also the Vegan Bangalore and Mumbai Vegans blog.

SHARAN is looking for an intern interested in working on education in the fields of natural health, animal rights and organic farming. Read more here.

Did you miss past issues of this newsletter? Have a look at the SHARAN newsletter archives.

Visit the SHARAN website regularly to read about the latest news and upcoming events.

Join the SHARAN India group on Facebook to find out about upcoming events, join in the discussion board and share experiences, and meet other like-minded people!

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What is SHARAN?

We are a non-profit organization with the goals of spreading holistic health awareness, and an ecologically sustainable compassionate lifestyle. We believe that all life on the planet is interconnected. By reconnecting we can heal ourselves and our earth.

Visit our website: www.sharan-india.org
Contact us: info@sharan-india.org

Copyright 2009 SHARAN