Monday, August 29, 2011

CNN's The Last Heart Attack Special

CNN featured a special on preventing and reversing heart disease. Dr. Sanjay Gupta features former President Bill Clinton in his program seen below as they share President Clinton's new plant-based lifestyle and the heart attack proof diet he used to reverse his heart disease.  And President Clinton did this after quadruple bypass surgery!

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn is also featured.  He's one of the foremost leading experts on the topic of heart disease and nutrition and he's also featured in this special.  Dr. Esselstyn has reversed hundreds of cases of heart disease, including the most severe cases, with a plant-based diet.  His book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease has revolutionized the way we look at treating cardiovascular disease in this country.  It's by far the most effective, safest, and least costly way to approach this deadly disease and provides answers that conventional medicine can't even touch with drugs and surgery.

Sit back, relax, and watch this life changing special and make yourself heart attack proof!










If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!
by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The New Food Pyramid Unveiled

For more than a year, the US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services have been meeting to formulate the new dietary guidelines which are required by law to be revised every five years.

Despite special interest groups’ involvement in the process, the government has done a great job with the new guidelines. The guidelines include focusing on reducing calories (2/3 of adults and 1/3 of children are overweight or obese) and eating fewer processed foods.

The confusing food pyramid has been replaced with a simple plate with a new look. Half of the plate is filled with vegetables and fruit, ¼ of the plate is filled with grains, and ¼ filled with protein.

Vegetables and fruits can be fresh, cooked, whole, frozen, pureed, or canned. Grains should be whole grains. Stay away from products and bread make with white flour. Try brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and whole wheat bread instead. And don’t forget the low-fat, low cost, healthier sources of protein including beans and legumes.




If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!
by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Powered By Plants: Interview With No Meat Athlete And Runner Matt Frazier


Running... for some it's part of their normal workout routine; for others it makes them cringe at the very thought of it.  For Matt Frazier it's become entrenched into his heart and soul.  Running is not just something he does to get some regular exercise but instead something that's turned into a unique passion of fueling his desire to make a positive impact on the world around him.

He never used to feel this way about running though.  In fact, in high school and the beginning of college he hated running and only did so if required as part of fitness program.  But that all changed one day when he became infatuated with the idea of being able to actually run AND finish an entire marathon.

He's come a long way since then and his journey has inspired tens of thousands of people along the way.  Today you won't find Matt running only marathons but competing in ultramarathons of 50 miles or more!  Now that's a feat that very few people in this world can attest to.  What's even more incredible is that Matt accomplishes all this without ever eating a single bite of meat.  That's right, he doesn't even eat lean meats such as chicken or fish that many would consider a necessity to do what he does.  Instead he's powered predominantly by plants.

Matt's running times actually improved as an endurance runner when he stopped eating meat and became vegetarian in 2009.  After being laid up with an injury for some time he decided to cut out meat from his diet before getting back into running.  The first time he returned from his injury he ran a 12 mile run faster than he'd ever run before.  He shaved 30 seconds per mile off his total time during that run!  He attributed his improvement to his new "no meat" diet and has never looked back since.

It wasn't long after that when he started his own blog, No Meat Athlete, to share his story with others.  He's become an inspiration to athletes of all kinds as well as non-athletes looking to improve their overall health and fitness.  I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Matt and will share more of his story below.  I hope you find it as uplifting and motivating as I did and I encourage you to check out his website after reading his interview for more fantastic material!

Interview with Matt Frazier

You've been a long distance runner for several years now. How many marathons and ultramarathons have you run so far? How long do you see yourself being a long distance runner in the years to come?

So far, I've run 8 marathons and 5 ultras, with 3 of the ultras being 50K's, and 2 of them being 50-milers. It's funny though, to answer this I actually had to stop and count up the number of marathons I had done. Not because it's so many, but because after I got into ultrarunning, where sometimes you'll do a marathon or 30 miles just as a training run, I sort of stopped counting.  
I don't really have any plans of stopping as a distance runner.  You see all these 60 or 70 year-olds running marathons and ultras, and I think people are finally starting to reject the "running is inherently bad for your body" idea. Two runners this year finished the Badwater Ultramarathon (the 135-mile run through the 120-plus degrees temperatures in Death Valley at age 69!)

What do you do besides running to train for events? Strength training, yoga, swimming, etc.?

I do a little bit of core work and flexibility training, but other than that I don't really do any cross-training. I like lifting weights, mainly deadlifts, to build up leg strength, but I usually only do that before I officially start a training program.  It's not that I think it's harmful, but when I ran my fastest marathon, all the workouts I did were running workouts, and since that worked, I've stayed with it.

Take us through a typical day with your "No Meat" diet. Is it different the last few days before a big race?


There are two things I try to have every day, and they're a smoothie and a salad. I find that if I just keep those two things in place, it's really easy to stay on track the rest of the day.  For example, after you drink a healthy smoothie from almost all raw foods in the morning, you don't feel like downing 3 cups of coffee.  Same with salad; you don't feel like eating a bunch of junk before dinner if you're feeling good from having a salad in the afternoon.
I like cooking, so most nights I make a nice dinner; a lot of times it's a new pasta recipe or maybe an Indian dish.  And that whatever I make for dinner is also lunch the next day.  A lot of people ask me what you eat for lunch as a vegetarian, because it seems like there aren't a lot of substantial lunch options that you can put together quickly.  But if you just make it leftovers, it solves that problem pretty nicely.
And as for snacks throughout the day, I mix it up.  Fresh fruit, vegetables or whole wheat pita with hummus, almonds or almond butter, and even stuff like chips and salsa or guacamole, which certainly isn't "health food" but isn't too bad either.


I've heard others say that being an athlete who is at the top of their game can only be done with a protein rich diet and successful athletes like Carl Lewis, Prince Fielder, or Tony Gonzalez who eat all that "rabbit food" instead of meat are the rare exception to the rule. What are your thoughts about this?



If that's the case, then there are enough exceptions that I don't think you can really consider them exceptions anymore.  There are some absolute elites in their sports who are vegetarian and vegan.  So it's not like "1 guy out of 1000 who do this sport is vegetarian," it's "1 of the top 10 guys or girls at this sport is vegetarian."  For example, all the people you mentioned are stars in their sports.  And then there are probably a lot of lesser known ones who you just don't hear about.

I'm not saying their diet is the reason they're stars.  I honestly don't even know if a plant-based diet is an advantage at the elite level.  But they're proof that at the very least it works.  I know that for me, it's just made it easier to avoid fast food and lots of other junk that you don't even realize you're putting in your body, even when you feel like you're eating healthy.  So my health has improved a lot since I went vegetarian, and with that my marathon time went way down.

If you had to pick one person who has had the biggest impact on your life so far to get to where you're at today with being a vegetarian athlete who would that be and why?


You'll probably laugh at this one, but it's the truth.  It's Tony Robbins, who isn't really an athlete and not even a vegetarian, but a motivator and peak performance expert.  If I can point to one moment in my life where I started to question all the supposed rules about how you're supposed to eat and live and what to expect from your life, it's when I went to a 4-day seminar of his.  Within two or three days of getting home, I decided to go vegetarian, start No Meat Athlete, and qualify for the Boston Marathon.

What inspires you to continue sharing your story on NoMeatAthlete.com?  I mean it is, after all, a lot of work to keep up with training, your Ph.D. goals, and everything else life throws at you.

I do it because I'm completely addicted to the feeling of putting your ideas into words, hitting the "Publish" button, and then seeing how it affects people.  And when it changes someone, like really resonates with them and gets them to start eating right or to start running or to sign up for a race they've been scared of, that's what it's all about for me.
I'm also extremely driven by the idea of being an entrepreneur and running a business that's fulfilling and meaningful and creates positive change in the world.  No Meat Athlete still has a lot of room to grow, but getting a taste of that (and recently being able to make it my full-time job) has been so motivating to me.  Sure, there are times when it feels like work, but when I go to bed at night, I can't wait until it's morning so that I can get back to work on it.

What's the one Superfood you can't live without?

Almond butter.  I put it in smoothies, on bagels, on celery, and I even eat it off a spoon sometimes.

Thank you so much Matt for sharing your personal story and insights on being an athlete who's truly focused on living a healthy and vibrant life.  Your story is an inspiration to many!


Visit Matt's website - No Meat Athlete










If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!
by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Movie Marathon - 20 Extraordinary Documentaries For Your Health, Our Planet, And Our Four-Legged Friends

There's nothing better than having one of those lazy, rainy days come along to fulfill your desire of becoming the world's greatest couch potato for a day.  While I wouldn't advocate doing this too often we could all benefit from kicking back and having a movie marathon once in a while.

I could think of no better way to spend this day than to enjoy some feature films that are not only entertaining and inspiring but also have the potential to be life changing.  So I present to you 20 sensational movies below that could literally save your life and/or make the world a better place all in one combo.  So sit back, relax, and check out these trailers/movies and don't forget to leave your comments or reviews at the bottom for any of your favorite flicks. Enjoy!

Friday, August 5, 2011

Getting Juiced! Day 7

Well it all comes down to this, day 7, my final day on the job.  I ended day 6 last night with no hunger cravings and headed to bed early.  I got some great sleep once again.  I think I'm really starting to get used to this juicing thing now that I've reached my final day.  Don't get me wrong I'm still looking forward to eating tomorrow but the hunger cravings aren't nearly as intense throughout these last couple of days.

Day 7


Breakfast

Sweet Potato, Orange, and Strawberry Juice
-  1 sweet potato
-  2 oranges
-  7 strawberries
-  1 carrot
-  1 green apple

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Getting Juiced! Day 6

Welcome back everyone.  I've reached the morning of day 6 of my 7 day journey.  I feel so alive this morning!  Got some great sleep last night and had no hunger cravings at all before I turned out the lights.  I think that strawberry smoothie did the trick last night.

I have a long day of work ahead of me but I'm looking forward to it.  No time to get my morning stretching in to loosen this young man up so I'll have to go through my routine when I get back from work tonight.  On to today's menu...

Day 6


Breakfast

Pineapple, Peach, and Pear Juice
-  1/2 pineapple (cored)
-  2 peaches
-  2 pears

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Getting Juiced! Day 5

Here we are again... Day 5.  Last night was filled with a few cravings for a midnight snack.  I worked the night shift yesterday so my sleep regimen was thrown off a little.  I always find that I need a few hours to wind down after getting home late at night from work before I'm ready for bed.

My hunger center had pretty much subsided until around 11pm when a bowl of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest shredded wheat cereal was calling my name.  I reluctantly never gave in though.  I'm bound and determined to make it all 7 days without consuming any solid food.

Day 5


Breakfast

Apple, Pear, and Romaine Juice
-  1 green apple
-  2 pears
-  1 heart of romaine lettuce
-  1 piece ginger (thumbsize)

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Getting Juiced! Day 4

I had some of the best sleep yet last night while on my 7 day liquid fasting challenge.  I feel great this morning - no headache, no food cravings, and lots of energy!  I hope this keeps up throughout the day.  Late afternoons and evenings are always the worst.  That's when the hunger and cravings set in.

Day 4


Breakfast

Cantaloupe, Mango, and Tangelo Juice
-  1/2 cantaloupe
-  1 mango
-  1 tangelo

Monday, August 1, 2011

Getting Juiced! Day 3

I thought this 7 day juice fast was shaping up to be a breeze but I was sorrily mistaken last night.  The green drink at dinner (Day 2) was less than enjoyable.  I managed to get through it but then as the night went on the hunger pains really started to get the best of me.  I headed to bed earlier than normal with a slight headache.

I normally suffer from migraines every few months but this was one of those headaches you get when you haven't eaten for a long time and your body is begging for something with some substance to it.  It made my attempt to get a good night's sleep pretty miserable as the next couple of hours was spent tossing and turning.  I'm hoping that's just part of the detoxing phase.  It's usually the first 2-3 days where people experience any "withdrawal" symptoms from what I've seen.

Luckily, I woke up this morning without the headache and no pressing hunger pains.  I'm beginning to love my mornings.  I feel the best during these times.  Now on to today's menu...