staying healthy in the fast laneA recent example of this in your average, hard-working Ameri-
can was the use of a low-fat vegan (animal-free) diet among GEI-
CO employee volunteers who were obese and/or had a previous
diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. After a twenty-two-week worksite
research study on this diet, there was a reduction in body weight
of more than eleven pounds and waist circumference reduction
of more than two inches.^1 Another practical example of applying
a “plant-strong” dietary approach in the real world has been dem-
onstrated by Rip Esselstyn, triathlete, health advocate, author of
The Engine 2 Diet (2009), and Texas fireman. Rip has shown how
well this diet and lifestyle approach works in reducing weight and
cardiovascular risk in a hard-working, all-American fireman in the
heart of Texas. If it can be done in this setting, it can be done any-
where. You may say you don’t want to make these diet and lifestyle
changes. Fine, but don’t blame the government or anyone else for
spiraling healthcare costs! It’s all on you once you are educated.
After the country is “lean and fit,” if you have to add in some ani-
mal foods, then you can do it, though I don’t recommend it. Healthy
aging cultures do not eat as much animal foods as Americans do,
and when they do, they don’t eat mass-produced, factory-farm ani-
mals. Virtually none of these “Blue Zone” or “Cold Spot” healthy
aging societies eat the highly processed, high-fat, high-sugar, and
highly refined grain diets that we do as well. (“Blue Zones” refer
to places where chronic diseases are low and people live long,
functional lives. A “Cold Spot” is an area where a specific chronic
disease occurs very infrequently or not at all.)
The bottom line is that it’s your choice to live an unhealthy life-
style once you are educated on the basics of health. After you read
this book, you will have that simple, basic knowledge, and you’ll
have simple daily steps to make this happen in the busy, modern
world—quickly! The kind of change I am talking about is not only
possible but also simple, affordable, and can even be fun. I’ve seen
others do it; so can you!
There will always be an exception to every rule. A small minor-
ity of people might not feel well applying these principles initially.
Still, if you follow the guidelines presented in this book and re-
member nothing else but these 9 Simple Steps to Optimal Health,