Forks Over Knives

So I just finished reading the book Forks Over Knives and I thought I'd share some excerpts from the book.  I found the book to be very informative and inspiring.  My favorite part about the book are the delicious recipes which I will be sure to add to my recipe tab. 

The primary focus of Forks Over Knives is whole foods, plant-based nutrition.  This means avoiding all animal products, refined foods and staying away from artificial foods with chemical additives.

"One quarter of what you eat keeps you alive. The other three quarters keep your doctor alive." - Egyptian Proverb

"The normal food of man is vegetable." - Charles Darwin

A plant-based whole foods diet will help to prevent heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, and many other medical conditions.  It is far better to rely on food (your fork) than surgery (the surgeon's knife)....Forks Over Knives

So when thinking of the environment, the author put together some alarming statistics:

According to a 2006 University of Chicago study, the average American diet derives 47% of its calories from animal products.  This amounts to a carbon "footprint" (impact) of 2.52 tons of CO2 emissions per year. 

If the average American meat eater were to reduce his or her intake of animal produce to 25% of total calories, it would reduce his or her foot print by approximately 1 ton!!

If every American simply reduced chicken consumption by one meal per week, the CO2 savings would be equivalent to removing 500,000 cars from the road.

If the entire U.S. population were to adopt a plant-based diet for just ONE day, the nation would conserve the following resources:

• 100 billion gallons of drinking water
• 1.5 billion pounds of crops
• 70 million gallons of gasoline
• 33 tons of antibiotics

Meanwhile, the following environmental damage would be prevented:

• 1.2 million tons of CO2 greenhouse emissions
• 3 million tons of soil erosion
• 4.5 million tons of animal waste
• 7 tons of ammonia emissions

Worldwide, farm animals consume 756 million tons of grain.  This is enough to provide the 1.4 billion people living in poverty with approximately three pounds of grain per day.

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." - Albert Einstein

So I am not saying you have to become vegan to do good for the Earth but I think going meatless a few times per week will not only benefit your health, but will also benefit our environment.  I do suggest you read or watch the documentary, which I believe is an instant download on Netflix, Forks Over Knives.

Reference: Forks Over Knives

RUN for FUN

Today is National Running Day.  Maybe if you have some time today, you can get outside and celebrate by running in your neighborhood or at a local park.  You could also make a new running resolution for 2012.  I just started running again.  My goal is to run 2-3 times per week, 2 miles at a time and then increase to 3-4 miles 2-3 times per week.  Now that the weather is beautiful, it is the perfect time for me to get outside, soak up some vitamin D and enjoy the benefits of running.

Running is a great form of exercise.  It is so good for your heart and blood flow.  Running can help to lower blood pressure and help arteries maintain their elasticity.  A regular running regimen can help with weight loss, improved bone health, increased mood and coordination.

Visit the following site to learn how you can get involved in running.

http://www.runningday.org/

National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month

June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month and that makes perfect sense as many farmer’s markets have recently opened.  Many farmer’s markets offer local, ripe produce at discounted prices. 

One of my favorite farmer’s markets is Larry’s Produce in Suisun Valley.  It is huge!  It’s open daily and the variety is amazing!  If you live in the local area be sure to check out Larry’s Produce.  They open for the season June 16^th. 

Other local farmer’s markets include the Downtown Fairfield Farmer’s Market on Thursday evenings, Downtown Vacaville Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings, and The Nut Tree’s Wednesday evening farmer’s market.  Shooting Star CSA in Fairfield is a 15 acre, certified organic farm where their crops are grown using compost.  You can also have boxes of certified organic vegetables delivered right to your door. 

For more information on the markets I mentioned above or to find a farmer’s market near you, check out http://www.localharvest.org/

Summer is upon us!  Are you trying to get in-shape fast to fit into those summer shorts and swim suits?  Or are you just interested in boosting your health with natural antioxidants? Just substitute fruits and vegetables for higher-calorie foods.  Fruits and vegetables make great snacks and can be easily added to any meal.  They are full of fiber so they are actually filling.  Just try eating fresh fruits and vegetables all day and hopefully you will see how satisfying they can be. 

Easy Fruit and Vegetable Meal Plan:

Breakfast – mixed berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries), 2 hardboiled eggs

Snack – carrots and snap peas with hummus

Lunch – mixed greens salad with red onions, mushrooms, avocado, canned salmon, balsamic vinaigrette

Snack – apple with natural almond butter or ounce of almonds

Dinner – stir fry made with broccoli, water chestnuts, onions, bell peppers, chicken, brown rice

Snack – Yonana Sundae (see blog from May 7^th) – banana with natural peanut butter and few dark chocolate chips