Eating the Green Road for Health, Sustainability and Compassion

SynergyWellnessNW (that would be me), supports these scientifically based Standards as the optimum diet for health and longevity. These Standards were established at the International Living Foods Summits, held between 2006 and 2009. Vegan and plant based diets are endorsed by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Charlotte Gerson, Director of the Gerson Institute, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Alan Goldhammer, Director of True North Health Center, Dr. Caldwell Esselsten, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. John McDougal and many other scientists, nutritionists, medical professionals and athletes. Two vegan athletes I am inspired by are Ruth Heidrich and Brendan Brazier. 

It is all pretty compelling, don’t you think?

---

Courtesy of Green Scene

According to the International Living Food Summit Guidelines, eating the following diet will significantly address the urgent issues of health, environmental sustainability, world hunger, and a compassionate respect for all life

• Vegan (no animal products, cooked or raw)
• Organic
• Whole Foods
• At least 80% raw (the remaining to be whole food, and organic)
• High in nutrition such as vitamins, antioxidants, and phytonutrients
• Highly mineralized
• Contains a significant quantity of chlorophyll-rich green foods
• Contains adequate complete protein from plant sources
• Provides excellent hydration with a large proportion of high-water content foods and pure water
• Includes raw vegetable juices
• Contains all essential fatty acids from naturally occurring plant sources
• Has moderate, yet adequate caloric intake
• Contains only low to moderate sugar and exclusively from whole food sources
• Contains minimal amounts of unprocessed salts, as needed (depending upon your constitution)
• Is nutritionally optimal for both detoxification and rebuilding

It is also agreed that:

• Eating local, ripe, seasonally available foods as appropriate is preferable
• Plant-based supplementation of Vitamin B-12 is imperative. Adequate Vitamin D levels can be maintained with sufficient sun exposure. When exposure is inadequate, take appropriate levels of plant – based Vitamin D-3.
• The addition of enzyme active superfoods and whole food supplements is advised but does not take the place of the optimum diet described above.
• Caffeinated and/or addictive substances (even in their raw form), such as cacao/chocolate, coffee, caffeinated teas, and alcohol are limited to occasional consumption, if at all.
• This way of eating can be further optimized by tailoring it based on individual needs
• Diet is a critical part of a healthy lifestyle, yet not the entire picture. A full spectrum, health-supportive lifestyle is encouraged. This includes physical exercise, exposure to sunshine (with awareness), as well as psychological health.
• Avoiding environmental toxins and toxic products is essential. Paramount is pure water (for consumption and bathing), the use of natural fiber clothing, and non-toxic personal care products. Also consider healthy options in home furnishings/building materials and related items.

Are You Healthy in Six Dimensions?

When I was a kid there was a TV show called The Twilight Zone. Do you remember it?

It was freaky science fiction about a dimension of time and space different from the one we live in day to day, but existing simultaneously.

In considering  your whole health, there are six recognized and simultaneous dimensions that make up the complete picture.  They are Intellectual, Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Emotional, Occupational and Social.*

Consider each of these for yourself.  Draw a pie with six slices and write in each dimension. As you read the paragraphs below, score your fulfillment or satisfaction for each area on a scale of 1 to 10.

INTELLECTUAL

Do you feel creatively and mentally challenged? Are you continually seeking to expand your knowledge and skills? An intellectually well person uses available resources to expand knowledge, improve skills, and to increase the potential for sharing with others.

SPIRITUAL

Do you have an appreciation for the meaning of life and the expanse of nature? Are you at peace with your place in the universe? Do you have a set of beliefs and values that give purpose to your life? Spiritual wellness involves developing a strong sense of personal values and ethics.

PHYSICAL

Do you get enough exercise? Eat a balanced diet? Do you practice safe driving and medical self-care? Do you avoid the use of tobacco, drugs, and excessive alcohol consumption? If you take good care of your body, it will repay you with years of good service.

OCCUPATIONAL

Do you find your work satisfying? Do you have a balance between your work and leisure time? Do you enjoy new responsibilities and look forward to achieving better results? Your attitudes about your work can greatly affect your job performance and interactions with coworkers. Striving toward occupational wellness will help to give you personal satisfaction and allow you to find enrichment in our life through work.

SOCIAL

How satisfying are your relationships with your spouse, your family, your friends, and associates? Are you active in community affairs? Do you contribute to protecting the environment by conserving and recycling? Social wellness is based on your ability to interact harmoniously with people and the Earth.

EMOTIONAL

Are you able to recognize and accept your feelings, your strength, and your limitations? Can you manage your emotions and cope with stressful events? Achieving emotional wellness allows you to experience life’s ups and downs with enthusiasm and grace and maintain satisfying relationships with others.

ADD IT UP

Where are your strengths and weaknesses?  What might change if you focus on raising the score in your low dimension?  Sometimes to get a change in one area you can get at it by going around instead of through. Let’s say you want to lose weight and change your diet but when you are stressed at work you eat foods that are not so good for you.  Finding strategies to ease work stress will ultimately have an effect on weight loss.  See what I mean?

Personal Health Coaches work with you to support the important change you identify.  Athletes use coaches to achieve better performance.  See what a month of support can do for you.

Contact me at www.SynergyWellnessNW.com  for a complimentary 30 minute phone consultation to see if a Personal Health Coach is right for you.

* http://www.nationalwellness.org/index.php?id_tier=2&id_c=25