As I said in my previous post I began my Whole Food Plant-Based journey on Valentine’s Day of 2019. I now tell people that’s the day I stopped taking my MEDS—Meat, Eggs, Dairy and Sweeteners (refined sugar, honey, saccharine, aspartame and sucralose). I’ll say right up front that before that day I ate nothing even remotely close to healthy. About seven years before becoming plant-powered I had a major soda addiction. My two preferred beverages were Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew. And as Mountain Dew released more flavors I’d buy and consume them. Here’s a photo I posted on Facebook in October of 2013, bragging about all the different flavors I’d snagged from a local supermarket during a great sale they were having.
Three to four cans a day were common practice back in those days—some days I’d drink even more. And then about four months later I decided to give up soda completely. One day in early 2014 I went cold turkey from Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper and haven’t had the urge to drink them since. Bottled water and sparkling water are my preferred beverages nowadays. But sadly my consumption of fast food, junk food and bad food in general continued for five more years. I’ve experienced two serious health problems over the years that in looking back now I’m pretty sure were related to my less-than-stellar diet. Both required medical intervention and multiple tests. One test even required a tube of a radioactive isotope to be injected into the jugular vein in my neck and the tube was taped to my neck as it slowly dripped into my bloodstream—not a fun thing at all.
In my quest to become healthier I have to give credit to two people whose work has helped me greatly. The first is Dr. Jane Birch, PhD. As a fellow member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka the Mormon Church), she wanted to find out what the scriptures had to say about our health and what things we should and should not be eating to keep the mortal tabernacles of our eternal souls healthy. And the other person is Dr. John McDougall, MD. His website—with its books, courses, recipes and testimonials—has been invaluable to me and many others in knowing the right things to eat. I’ll be sharing information about both of them in upcoming posts, and will include stories from people who have healed themselves of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and other serious health issues by adopting a Whole Food Plant-Based lifestyle.
In 1986 I served a two-year mission for The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Anaheim, CA. As is customary for missionaries, a plaque was made to honor my mission. One thing the missionary gets to choose for their plaque is their favorite scripture. After pondering and praying about it I chose Doctrine & Covenants 89:19-21—the promise given by Jesus Christ for those who follow the Word of Wisdom. And now, all these years later, I understand why I chose those verses. I’ve often heard that our prayers aren’t always answered or understood on our timetable, and I’ve learned from firsthand experience that it’s true. Our adopted son taught us that lesson almost twenty years ago when it seemed like we’d never find a child to adopt—then one day, there he was. And last year I learned it again in regards to my diet and health, and that the Word of Wisdom is about far more than what we should NOT put in our bodies.
promise for those who follow the Word of Wisdom
I truly feel that I am following the counsel of Jesus Christ when it comes to my health and the types of things I should be eating, drinking and doing to enjoy a long and healthy life.