The #1 Best Thing You can do TODAY for Your Health!

Season’s Greetings!

Maybe you have noticed that you haven’t heard from me in a while… I wish I could say it was because I was celebrating the holidays, on vacation or some other fun activity but it’s not.

My uncle, whom I loved dearly, passed away. We (my husband, daughters and I) went back to the cold, snowy, icy Northeast for the funeral & shiva at my aunt’s house in Rhode Island.
(Pictured here: my girls in their new winter gear playing in the Rhode Island “snow.”)

I’m writing not for sympathy, nor to be a downer, but for a far more important reason: your health & happiness.

Did you ever stop and think about WHY I share so many plant based recipes? Probably not, but I’ll give you a hint… it’s NOT because the broccoli lobby is paying me the big bucks! It’s also not because I am trying to be a nudge. The answer is, because I CARE. I care about the health and wellbeing of my family, friends and all of YOU, my readers, followers and fans!

I want you to live a long, happy, healthy life free from doctors’ visits, chronic diseases, obesity, and more. It’s not just an idle wish, either. Some simple diet/lifestyle changes like the ones I suggest are easy to do, but have been shown over and over to have major benefits in reducing your risk of a wide variety of chronic diseases like heart disease, some types of cancer, arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes and more.

What you eat has a direct and profound impact on your health. Honestly, MOST diseases are food related and food preventable. There’s a famous Hippocrates quote “Let food be thy medicine,” and there is a lot of truth to it. What you eat can nourish you, combat inflammation, promote a healthy gut and efficient elimination, or it can promote inflammation, heart disease or blood sugar imbalances.

One meal won’t do much of anything, one way or another. But as a lifestyle and as part of your normal routine, the food choices you make are probably the biggest single thing you can do to take charge of your health.

So what does this have to do with my uncle? Well, sadly he passed away from complications stemming from Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a quintessential food-related disease with a food-related cure. It is preventable!

Honestly, MOST diseases fall into this category, but it gets little attention. Most of the press, advertising and outreach from the major disease associations (American Diabetes Association, Susan G Komen, American Heart Association, etc) are all about finding a “cure”, aka magic pill or drug. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but there are steps they could be promoting today that would help reduce or eliminate the diseases in question! Unfortunately, they are funded by many of the big food and pharmaceutical companies that profit off the status quo. For example, statins are the most prescribed drug, and meant to control cholesterol. Changes to your diet however, have been shown to be MORE effective than statins, without the myriad of side effects or the high price tag. Yet no one is pushing them, because there’s no money in it. (I’m beyond passionate about this if you can’t tell!)

Luckily, you can take control of your OWN health.

I’m not saying everyone should be plant based or vegan (although my family is plant based, and I do recommend this way of life – both for your health and for the environment. Animal farming is the #1 contributor to global warming!) but the recipes I make and share are all things I find easy, yummy and healthy. There’s really no reason NOT to try them!

My point is that being conscious of your food choices and the long-term effects they have is probably the single most important thing you can do to ensure your health and wellbeing for years to come. And I like having you around!

So maybe in this new year, try and go “meatless” for one dinner a week. (I share lots of Meatless Monday ideas and recipes on my social media and blog!)

Already there? Great! How about one full day a week! Or two! Wherever you are, it’s not too late to start. And trust me, it will be easier than you think!

Take your health in your own hands and have a full, happy, and healthy life! Want to learn more?

Also, if there is someone in your life you care about and want to keep around for a while, let them know too!

Wishing you a happy and HEALTHY New Year!

With love & gratitude,
Abby