What Diet is Best If You Want to be Healthy?
“Diet is the top risk factor for disease and early death worldwide.” Diet has a great effect on aging and increases the risk of diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes,” says Stephen Kopecky, M.D.[1]
“The greatest determinant of your health is the food you choose to eat,” says Will Bulsiewicz, M.D., MSCI, “You can eat life-giving food that could nourish your body and earn the rewards of better health. Or you can punish your body with poisons disguised as foods that take health away with every bite.”[2] The choice is yours.
Your diet is the foundation of a healthy thriving lifestyle. But what is a good diet today?
Four Dietary Patterns Associated with Reducing Chronic Disease
Gigi Carter states there are four established dietary patterns that dieticians and nutritionists, and functional or lifestyle physicians recommend and are heavily studied:
- Whole-Food, Plant-Based (WFPB) or Vegan
- The Ornish Diet
- Mediterranean Diet
- DASH Diet
“The WFPB is entirely plant-based, the Dean Ornish dietary pattern is low-fat, high in complex carbohydrates, and almost entirely plant-based with a few animal-based exceptions; and the Mediterranean Diet and DASH Diet are more plant-based than the typical Western-style diet but also comprise moderate portions of various products in the lean forms.
All four of these dietary patterns have been associated with reducing chronic disease risk, and those that are more plant-based produce the best outcomes for reducing and even reversing chronic diseases,” continues Carter.[3]
Carter is a licensed nutritionist and a certified personal trainer. She has a wellness coaching and consulting practice in Washington state where she concentrates on chronic disease prevention using plant-based nutrition and other lifestyle management concepts.
I have experienced first-hand what a WFPB diet can do for one’s health. And there is a tremendous amount of evidence-based research that diet and health are connected. As a result, I am a bit of an evangelist on this topic. I admit. I lowered my cholesterol to within a healthy range within six months. And I cleared up digestive issues that had bothered me for years. And I lost over 30 pounds. And I continue to feel the best I have ever felt.
Isn’t it time to make those changes you have been putting off?
Please be aware, that all the materials and content contained in this blog are for general information only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Readers of this blog should not rely on the information provided for their own health needs. All specific questions should be presented to your healthcare provider(s).
Sources:
1 Stephen Kopecky, M.D., Live Younger Longer,2021, p. 95
2 Will Bulsiewicz, M.D., MSCI, Fiber-Fueled, The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring 3Your Health, & Optimizing Your Microbiome, 2020, p. XVIII & XIX
4 GiGi Carter, The Plant-Based Workplace. Add Profits, Engage Employees and Save the Planet,2018, p. 54