In January of 2010, my husband Ed decided it was time to make some healthy changes in his life. He began walking daily and centering his food choices around a lot of fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean protein. I watched the changes he was making and decided that I would join him. Up until this time, Ed had suffered from hip pain, snoring, and acid reflux. I had suffered from aches and pains, not being able to walk up the stairs in my home without being left breathless, and borderline high blood pressure and cholesterol. I always worried about not being able to fit in chairs and booths at restaurants, and if I did fit, it was very uncomfortable. Over the next 18 months, Ed lost 140 lbs., going from 315 to 175 lbs. At the two-year mark, I had lost 150 lbs., going from 298 to 148 lbs.
As time went on, we noticed that we were losing our taste for meat and eating less of it. In June of 2013, we watched a couple of very good documentaries, Forks Over Knives being one of them. I was amazed at how some of the people in the film went from being so sick and medicated to healthy and medication-free in such a short period of time.
In July of 2013, Ed and I decided to cut out all animal products. Ed had suffered most of his life from nasal allergies. These symptoms disappeared within a short period of time after cutting out dairy. Now he has only occasional seasonal allergies. I had suffered from some digestive issues and would take over-the-counter meds to treat the symptoms. Three days after eliminating dairy from my diet, these issues completely disappeared, and I no longer need to take meds.
I have really enjoyed finding articles and recipes that support the plant-based lifestyle. There is so much good information right at our fingertips. With today’s social media, it’s easy to find other groups and individuals who also live this way of life.
Ed works as a pharmacist in a busy retail setting. A high percentage of the prescriptions he fills are for disorders and diseases that could be prevented or eliminated by making healthy lifestyle changes. Customers frequently ask him which diet aids work best. He is honest and tells them that none of them do, and then he shares his weight-loss story.
Today our lab results and BP numbers are fantastic, and our doctors are impressed with all the healthy lifestyle changes we have made. I have become a firm believer that each of us has the ability to prevent certain diseases and disorders by the foods that we eat.
A big thank you to doctors Campbell and Esselstyn for sharing their stories with us in such an eye-opening book and documentary. FOK has literally changed our lives!
http://www.forksoverknives.com/how-we-shed-nearly-300-pounds-multiple-symptoms-and-all-of-our-meds-in-just-two-years/
