Those who think they have no time for healthy eating…will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” ~Edward Stanley
My husband’s family has a long history of heart disease. Or as he so eloquently puts it…”my body is out to kill me”. We are very cautious of what we eat because of that. I swear, if he eats a grain of salt his blood pressure skyrockets. Every time we go into the pharmacy to check his blood pressure, I see him doing meditative breathing exercises hoping it will shave off a few digits. That is how temperamental his blood pressure is.
We recently visited our new general practitioner, and we needed to get ready for the full physical. He hasn’t had one in a looooooong time. So I did what I could to help his numbers out a bit. He had cut out salt completely. I filled his plate with dark leafy greens. And his absolute favorite (jk) beet smoothie every morning. Which in case you didn’t know is amazing for circulation.
I will tell you…it worked. Way better than expected. He showed me his recent BP numbers, and I made a tiny scene at the store. Nothing too embarrassing. Let’s just say I was pleased and did a happy dance right there in the aisle. And now my husband is drinking his beet drinks with a bit less disdain every morning.
9 Benefits of a Plant Based Diet
- Reduces risk of cancer
- Prevention and management of diabetes
- Helps with weight loss
- Improves energy
- Improves symptoms of autoimmune diseases (ex. crohn’s, IBS, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis)
- Prevents and reverses heart disease
- Lowers cholesterol
- Increased longevity
- Regulates blood pressure
Plant Based is the only proven diet to help prevent and REVERSE heart disease. Armed with that fact, it was the only reason I needed to push forward with this. Learning to cook with mostly vegetables, beans, and grains took some getting used to, I am not gonna lie. But, I got pretty good at it. Now my husband loves the dinners that I prepare. I have learned to cook with different spices that are great for heart health and educated myself on so many other natural healing ingredients for the body.
Another perk about living a plant based lifestyle is my daughter’s love for fruits and vegetables. She still has treats now and again, but I sweeten her muffins and cookies with fruit. We try to keep her away from processed food as best we can. So far it is working great! Her attention span is fantastic, and she doesn’t have mood swings. She eats what we eat. This will be a great precedent for what she sees as food.
Our heart controls how our entire body works. There are no signs or symptoms of heart failure. And because of this, we take it for granted. Little changes in our diet can make a world of difference. Let’s give the guy a rest.
I changed my diet as soon as I became a mother…and I am so happy I did. We must all find inspiration within ourselves to live and feel better!
Cite credit: Clevelandheartlab.com
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