Celebration! not deprivation…the complete joy of eating


Moving to “4-Leaf ” level eating will eventually lead to celebration.

J. Morris Hicks, eating 4-Leaf for health, hope and harmony on planet Earth

When people think of making a big change in their diet for one reason or another, they most often think about what they’re going to have to give up. Little do they realize in the beginning that one day they’ll look back and realize that moving to a health-promoting diet was one of the best things that they ever did.

But for now, most people regard the prospect of becoming vegetarian just a bit extreme. With that in mind, we developed our 4-Leaf Program — a simple system that can assist you in maximizing your consumption of whole plant foods; not necessarily becoming vegetarian.

Now, we know that most Americans are in what we call the “No-Leaf” range of eating, in that they are deriving less than 20% of their calories from whole plants. We know that the average American actually derives far less than 10% of their calories from these most nutritious plant foods.  But we have a hunch that most people probably realize that they could benefit from more plants and less meat in their diet. Two reasons:

A permanent, health-promoting diet-style with lots of flexibility. All of the emphasis is on what you ARE eating -- not what your are avoiding.

  • Their mother probably told them a million times that they should try to eat more fruits and vegetables.
  • It has become pretty much common knowledge that we need more whole plants in our diet, it just hasn’t yet become commonplace.

As you begin delving into our 4-Leaf Program, we’ll be giving you lots of information that will help you easily move up our 4-Leaf scale…one leaf at at time — eventually developing a lifelong habit of eating consistently at the 4-Leaf level. That means deriving over 80% of your calories from whole plant foods — in nature’s package.

As for deprivation, my advice is to forget the fake meats, fake cheeses, soy dogs and the other products that are designed to look and taste just like some of the favorite staples of your old diet-style. Instead, we encourage to enthusiastically  embrace the whole plants — moving away from reminders of your unhealthy past.

Taking charge of our own health while restoring the harmony of the planet at the same time...a big WIN for all concerned -- and a cause for celebration.

So what about the Celebration? When does that happen? During your move up the 4-Leaf scale, we encourage you to read everything on this site; noting that there is new content every day. The best way to get into the habit of reading something new every day is to subscribe (top of right column) and you will receive a notice of each new post — every single day. Why is that important?

Because, we’ll constantly be giving you health information, and other reasons, about why you may want to eat more whole plants and far less (if any) animal products — there’s a lot more at stake here besides your health. After a daily diet of this well-documented but not-so-well-known information for about a year, we predict that you will be feeling better and better about the new diet-style that you have chosen — and will maybe even feel like celebrating

For by then, you may have discovered the complete joy of eating — eating all you want of great food that tastes great while promoting your own health, nurturing the environment, conserving fossil fuels, helping to feed the world’s hungry — and all with the warm feeling that no animal had to suffer and/or give her life for your meal. You will then be experiencing the complete joy of living in harmony with Nature — at least when it comes to what you are eating.

You will ultimately realize that you’re a key part of the process of helping humankind return to the natural — and essential practice — of living in harmony with our planet.

If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list. Also, for help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4-Leaf page. From the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

If you’d like to order our book on Amazon,  visit our BookStore now.

—J. Morris Hicks…blogging daily at HealthyEatingHealthyWorld.com

PS: Occasionally an unauthorized ad may appear beneath a blog post. It is controlled by WordPress (a totally free hosting service). I do not approve or personally benefit whatsoever from any ad that might ever appear on this site. I apologize and urge you to please disregard. 

About J. Morris Hicks

A former strategic management consultant and senior corporate executive with Ralph Lauren in New York, J. Morris Hicks has always focused on the "big picture" when analyzing any issue. In 2002, after becoming curious about our "optimal diet," he began a study of what we eat from a global perspective ---- discovering many startling issues and opportunities along the way. In addition to an MBA and a BS in Industrial Engineering, he holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, where he has also been a member of the board of directors since 2012. Having concluded that our food choices hold the key to the sustainability of our civilization, he has made this his #1 priority---exploring all avenues for influencing humans everywhere to move back to the natural plant-based diet for our species.
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