Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/701910
1 6 | PULSE S u m m e r 2 0 1 6 LESS MEAT, MORE BEETS! TORRANCE MEMORIAL'S PLANT-BASED LIVING GROUP HELPS MEMBERS EAT CLEAN AND GREEN. E ating well has become a revolutionary act. Millions of people have been inspired by documentaries such as Forks Over Knives and PlantPure Nation, which argue that a diet consisting primarily of whole, plant-based foods is not only better for our health, it's the only compassionate and sustainable way to eat for our planet. e message is getting loud and clear: According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, about 5% of Americans—close to 16 million— are vegetarian, and half of those declare themselves vegan. Even more impressive, 33% of people in the U.S. are eating vegetarian/vegan meals more oen, though they are not vegan or vegetarian. at's more than 100 million people. And about 42% of those who don't eat or use animal products say they went vegan aer seeing an educational film. e films are powerful indeed, and Torrance Memorial Medical Center's "Eat Clean & Green" Plant- Based Living Group (PBLG) was created to support those inspired by these documentaries, or by any other factors. Research shows that people are adopting more plant-based eating and lifestyles for a number of reasons including concern for the planet, sympathy toward animals and how they are treated in the commercial farming system, and for health and weight loss. Concepts such as "Meatless Monday" and "Tofurky Tuesday" have taken hold across the country. e Torrance Memorial PBLG shares ideas, resources and strategies for eating out, grocery shopping, recipes and any other challenges its participants might be encountering. One of the toughest hurdles for some people is simple adherence, that is, making a decision to choose whole, plant-based meals, then sticking to it. Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), and one of America's leading health advocates, came to Torrance Memorial earlier this year as part of the Graziadio Wellness Lecture Series. In his talk, Dr. Barnard presented his research, made an immutable case for a whole foods, plant-based (WFPB) diet, and outlined a free 21-day vegan kickstarting program that PCRM offers at 21daykickstart.org. e course is based on Dr. Barnard's research and is live on the first through the 21st day of each month. Participants get a 21-day meal plan, tips from celebrities such as Kris Carr, nutrition webcasts, a community forum and daily email messages, as well as a restaurant guide. More than 450,000 people have already participated. For people who don't like to cook, there is now a meal delivery jumpstart program offered though plantpurefoods.com. And e New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman came up with one solution, which he outlines in his book, VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health... For Good. His plan: For breakfast and lunch he eats no meat, dairy or animal products. For dinner, if he wants, he can go whole hog. Aer four months, Bittman lost 30 pounds, reduced his cholesterol, stabilized and lowered his blood sugar levels and cured his sleep apnea. Eating a WFPB diet can reduce your risk for a wide range of chronic diseases, and sometimes can even halt or reverse them, including Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It's also a far more environmentally sustainable way of eating. It takes an enormous amount of resources to grow the grain and forage products required to feed livestock for human consumption. Some studies have concluded that animal-based farming is the single biggest contributor to global warming, to say nothing of other issues such as topsoil loss, water depletion and pollution. And finally, eliminating animal products produced by large factory farms helps to alleviate the suffering of the other creatures sharing our planet with us. "No matter where you are on your journey toward adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet," says PBLG organizer Erin Hoffman, "this group will meet you where you are and help you along the way." The Torrance Memorial "Eat Clean & Green" PBLG group meets twice a month—second and fourth Mondays— at 6:30 p.m. in the West Tower Auditorium. For more information, call 310-517-4711 or go to torrancememorial.org. H E A LT H L I N KS