Before getting into the real subject…another short-notice fun road trip last week back to Washington DC, at the invitation of my USNA classmate and former coworker Dave to catch a Braves baseball road game. For the one day I was up there, was able to get a run in around Clarendon, take care of a bunch of errands, visit our grand daughter, visit another Navy ex-coworker, and catch the Braves-Nationals game before heading home early the next morning.
Have had several blog visits this month, but no comments in the last three plus weeks…….no big deal since my livelihood doesn’t depend on the blog’s activity. Comments are always welcome.
This is a follow up to Post #14 back in April 2021 and may not be the most popular one (for both of you who read it). It’s not meant to be political, but it does touch on political subjects. And if you have a medical profession background, you most likely will have pointed thoughts on the subject.
Also, I am not a medical professional and have not had medical professional training. What’s listed below are summaries of specific medical documentary references which were used to build this post.
Auto-immune Diseases. From various medical references: auto-immune diseases occur when the body’s natural defense system can’t tell the difference between your own cells and foreign cells, causing the body to mistakenly attack normal cells. Common auto-immune diseases include Type Two Diabetes, coronary artery disease (CAD), Crohn’s Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis, Lupus, and Parkinson’s Disease (considered partly an auto-immune disease). And most cancers.
Most medical professionals receive limited training related to the impact of food/diet on health. Without repeating what you’ll find on many of the below references, there’s growing consensus on how the “Standard American Diet” (SAD)- which includes considerable processed food- seriously degrades the body’s natural immune systems and is a direct cause for many of the auto-immune diseases. Where there is less consensus is how to treat these diseases once detected/diagnosed. Most medical professionals will recommend pharmaceutical treatments to manage symptoms of these diseases, not the diseases themselves. Many of these professionals don’t believe these diseases are curable.
The purpose of this post is to introduce references supporting the position that auto-immune diseases (and other conditions) can be reduced or completely eliminated through a Whole Food, Plant Based (WFPB) diet– not to be confused with a Vegan, Vegetarian or Gluten-Free diet, Ketogenic Diet, Mediterranean Diet, etc.
Below is a reference identifying several doctors supporting this approach for treating auto-immune diseases through a Whole Food, Plant-Based diet. If you take a look at any of the documentaries listed further in this post, you’ll see and hear from each of them on the subject.
Top Plant-Based Doctors & Experts
The basic premise for this approach is that the WFPB diet eliminates foods causing damage to the body’s natural immune systems and restores the body’s ability to fight diseases by feeding it with food that supports immune systems. Results can be seen in a matter of weeks.
There are dozens of documentaries addressing the Whole Food, Plant-Based diet. Listed below are five of my favorites, and where you might be able to watch them. Each one averages about 90 minutes in length, and I promise you, they will keep your attention:
- Eating (Third Edition) by Michael Anderson (available on Youtube)
- Forks Over Knives (Available on their website: forksoverknives.com )
- The Game Changers (Netflix)
- Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead I and II (Youtube, or just Google “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead)
Most people aren’t ready to give up their favorite foods- I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how many enjoyable food options are available when following a Whole Food, Plant-Based diet. And if you’re looking to lose weight without starving yourself…..I think you’ll also be surprised with what you hear.
Strokes. Of course strokes are not a disease, but are a result of artery blockage caused by plaque buildup. Hear what these documentaries have to say about preventing strokes.
Politics and global issues. Some of WFPB documentaries will weigh heavily on related subjects: the U.S. medical system, land and water use, climate control, and treatment of animals. I trust your ability to apply critical thinking skills to determine your position on such subjects. My only objective is to let you know you don’t have to live with auto-immune diseases- or drugs controlling their symptoms- if you don’t want.