What’s all the fuss about omega-3 in your diet?

Posted on 09/02/2012 by J. Morris Hicks

J. Morris Hicks

I actually think it’s a huge misunderstanding—along with the ubiquitous perception that the only good source is fish or fish oil supplements. It is true that you can get omega-3 fatty acids from seafood, but it is also true that there are healthier sources.

So what’s not healthy about seafood? Three words: fat, cholesterol and pollutants. Equally important is what is missing: fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Like all animal products, they have none of those powerful nutrients that are so vital to our health.

I recently heard someone ask Dr. T. Colin Campbell (author of The China Study) this question. “If you’re not eating seafood, where do you get your omega-3s and how do you know if you’re getting enough?”

Along with flax and chia seeds, a great source of omega-3

He explained that the ratio of the “healthy” omega-3 and the not-so-healthy omega-6 is more important. We get lots of omega-6 from our toxic Western diet of meat and dairy three meals a day—thereby increasing the amount of omega-3 needed to have a healthy ratio.

But, if we include lots of whole plants in our diet, our need for omega-3 drops so much that we don’t even have to worry about it.

So why does your medical doctor eat lots of seafood and why does he/she advise you to do the same? It’s because we live in a world where over 90% of us are eating a toxic diet with lots of omega-6; hence, we need a lot of omega-3 in our diet to improve our ratio. Further, most doctors have not yet learned about the power of plant-based nutrition to prevent or even reverse most chronic diseases.

The much healthier option is to consume a diet that is rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. If we’re eating mostly whole plants, we won’t need much omega-3 and can easily get all that we need from plant-foods like walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds.

You may be asking, “Why doesn’t my doctor know that?” It’s because medical doctors receive little, if any, formal training in nutrition.

But the good news is that there is a growing group of docs who are learning it on their own—and two of them (along with Dr. Campbell) recently influenced President Bill Clinton to adopt a diet of mostly whole plants with no meat and no dairy. And by doing so, he has reversed his chronic heart disease.

By the way, our former president has never looked better. After two years on a whole foods, plant-based, near-vegan diet, he is living proof of the magic of feeding your body the right fuel. Take a look at him in this 30-second video. This is not an endorsement for Obama on my part; so just mute the sound if you just want to see how Clinton is looking these days.

My name is J. Morris Hicks and I did not approve this message—only the 4Leaf diet-style that has reversed his heart disease and so much more.

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Note: Most of the above article appeared on the Food Channel earlier this year. My deal with them is that I provide with fresh content that has never been posted anywhere before. But after that content has made it’s debut there, I am free to use it on my own blog or anywhere else.

So occasionally, I may want to share one of those FoodChannel articles here—just in case you missed it. Click below if you’d like to see this article on FoodChannel, or maybe one of your friends or family members would find it more credible if they saw this kind of message on a prominent mainstream site. My Omega-3 Article at FoodChannel.

Here are a few more of my earlier blogs on the topic of omega-3 and vitamins in general:

Handy 4-piece take-charge-of-your-health kit—from Amazon.com

Want to find out how healthy your family is eating? Take our free 4Leaf Diagnostic Survey. It takes less than five minutes and you can score it yourself. After taking the survey, please give me your feedback as it will be helpful in the development of our future 4Leaf app for smartphones. Send feedback to jmorrishicks@me.com

International. We’re now reaching people in over 100 countries. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or get daily blog notices by “following” us in the top of the right-hand column. For occasional updates, join our periodic mailing list.

To order more of my favorite books—visit our online BookStore now

J. Morris Hicks, working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

For help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4Leaf page or some great recipes at Lisa’s 4Leaf Kitchen.

Got a question? Let me hear from you at jmorrishicks@me.com. Or give me a call on my cell at 917-399-9700.

SHARE and rate this post below.

Blogging daily at hpjmh.com…from the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

—J. Morris Hicks, board member, T. Colin Campbell Foundation

Posted in Bill Clinton, Omega 3 | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Eating 4Leaf in the real world (with a little wiggle room)

Posted on 09/01/2012 by J. Morris Hicks

Anytime, Anyplace—Even on Labor Day Weekend–I recently received this note from a reader in the Philippines. I responded by including a re-cap of my fine dining on the road this past weekend. First the note from Leo:

Hi Jim,

Today I’m one year eating plant based with minimal use of oils and fats. I live in the Philippines and I can tell you that I am suffering. There is hardly any place outside our home where I can eat a good vegan meal. Many of my friends argue always about my exaggerated request for healthy food.

The reasons for my choice are basically the wish for long term health. After reading many books including yours about plant based diet, I decided to give it a try. After one year on a strict diet I have no complaints about my health, I lost some weight and the numbers are good, but I feel that the quality of life and the pleasure of eating out and socializing with friends has suffered and I miss that. So I am contemplating adding back some non vegan dishes which I enjoyed before I started.

Why do I write to you? I am not sure, but I guess I am feeling somewhat guilty that despite reading your daily blog, which reminds me often why I am following this diet, I decide to go a slightly different way.

Thank you for the daily inspiration, I have a lot of respect for your perseverance! Regards, Leo

A lovely beach in the Philippines

Dear Leo,

Thanks for sharing your story. So you can’t get fresh veggies in the restaurants of Manila? Isn’t the native Filipino food similar to Chinese? Aren’t there a lot of veggie dishes on most Asian menus?

As you may know, I am not a strict vegan. I don’t like the label. But I am a 4Leaf eater and bet that I eat a much healthier diet than over 90% of the so-called vegans.

As for wiggle room, this past Saturday night at a gala dinner dance in New Jersey, I had a small portion of lobster with my dinner. As I always say, I never plan to have any animal products and I never buy them, but occasionally I may choose to have a few bites. Everyone must chart their own course, and I have found that most people are not crazy about the “all or nothing” rule for any diet-style.

Healthy lunch in a pub. Earlier that day at a burger-type dockside grille, I ordered a big bowl of edamame, a side order of sautéed spinach and a bake potato with no butter or sour cream. Washed it down with a bottle of Budweiser. Delicious, enjoyable, filling and inexpensive.

The next day at Dishes to Go in Grand Central Station, NYC, for lunch I had three small dishes: quinoa salad, kale salad with edamame, and roasted cauliflower. Outstanding. Here’s a photo of this meal that cost a grand total of $8.85 (including tax):

The Bottom Line. Our 4Leaf Program is all about maximizing the percentage of whole plant calories in your diet. While there is no scientific proof as to what percentage level will reverse heart disease or prevent cancer, I believe that a solid 3Leaf diet-style (over 60% of calories from whole plants) is far healthier than the typical vegan diet of fake meat, fake cheese, chips, sodas and lots of oil, sugar and a plethora of highly-refined carbohydrates. Two words. Whole plants. And keep on having fun.

Best of luck to you Leo and thanks again for sharing. Be well, Jim Hicks

Here are a few other 4Leaf focused blogs that may be of help.

This is what I plant to be doing on this holiday in New England.

Late summer fun at our yacht club’s Friday Twilight Racing Series

Handy 4-piece take-charge-of-your-health kit—from Amazon.com

Want to find out how healthy your family is eating? Take our free 4Leaf Diagnostic Survey. It takes less than five minutes and you can score it yourself. After taking the survey, please give me your feedback as it will be helpful in the development of our future 4Leaf app for smartphones. Send feedback to jmorrishicks@me.com

International. We’re now reaching people in over 100 countries. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or get daily blog notices by “following” us in the top of the right-hand column. For occasional updates, join our periodic mailing list.

To order more of my favorite books—visit our online BookStore now

J. Morris Hicks, working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

For help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4Leaf page or some great recipes at Lisa’s 4Leaf Kitchen.

Got a question? Let me hear from you at jmorrishicks@me.com. Or give me a call on my cell at 917-399-9700.

SHARE and rate this post below.

Blogging daily at hpjmh.com…from the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

—J. Morris Hicks, board member, T. Colin Campbell Foundation

Posted in 4Leaf for Life, Healthy Eating 101, Social Challenges | 9 Comments

Delicately sharing life-saving information with a good friend.

Posted on 08/31/2012 by J. Morris Hicks

After learning about the sudden death of Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong, American hero

While spending last weekend in New Jersey, we heard the news of Neil Armstrong dying from complications from heart surgery. That completely unnecessary death got me to thinking.

What if he’d had the chance to meet his fellow Ohio resident, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn of the Cleveland Clinic? I have no doubt that in their very first meeting that Dr. Esselstyn would have told him this simple truth about our nation’s #1 killer:

Heart disease is a toothless paper tiger that need never exist; and if it does exist, it need never progress.

With a track record of reversing heart disease in over 95% of his patients, he would have also told him exactly how to get rid of that heart disease—within months, not years or decades. But Mr. Armstrong wasn’t so lucky. In the lengthy New York Times article about his passing, there was only one mention of the cause of death (See link below):

His family said in a statement that the cause was “complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures.” He had undergone heart bypass surgery this month in Cincinnati, near where he lived. His recovery had been going well, according to those who spoke with him after the surgery, and his death came as a surprise to many close to him, including his fellow Apollo astronauts.

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn of the Cleveland Clinic has reversed heart disease in nearly 100% of his patients — with diet change only.

While the article provided no more information about his heart disease, maybe Mr. Armstrong had only recently learned about it and was simply following the very best conventional treatments on the planet—invasive heart surgery. It’s truly sad when America’s greatest heroes and even presidents are not ever told the simple truth that Dr. Esselstyn would have told them.

Bill Clinton was lucky. Although he too had complete access to the “best of the best” when it comes to conventional treatment, he chose to heed the advice of Esselstyn, Campbell and Ornish. Having read all of their books, he chose a heart disease-reversing, whole foods, plant-based diet and will likely be around for many more years.

With this on my mind, I wrote a letter from the train to my dear friend, in whose home I had been a house-guest over the weekend. An excerpt from that letter:

As one of my very best friends, I am curious why you’re not taking the message in our book seriously. While thinking about you this morning and remembering that Neil Armstrong died of complications from heart surgery while I was at your home, I decided to write you a note from the train.

You say that you’re feeling healthy all the time—and that’s great. But often the first symptom of heart disease is a heart attack, even if your cholesterol numbers are fairly good. Meanwhile, there are some people who’d rather die of heart disease than give up meat, seafood, dairy and eggs.

Maybe you’re one of those people. If so, that’s fine and I won’t hassle you about it. But if you died next week, I’d feel guilty that I hadn’t shared more with you.

Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club—where I ruptured my Achilles tendon two years ago and the scene of the Prentice Cup with Gala Dinner Dance that we attended this past weekend.

I went on to explain that our book is all about the “big picture” of what we eat and how those choices impact our health, our environment and the long-term sustainability of the human race. After people learn about the “big picture,” different folks make dietary changes for different reasons.

Lately Dr. Campbell told me that he now believes that more people will move toward plant-based eating for environmental reasons than for health. I think he may be right. My letter continued:

Our book covers all of the “facts about food” that people should at least consider before deciding how they might wish to feed themselves and their family. While far less than half of my readers may adopt a full-blown 4Leaf diet like mine; a large majority will at least make a few changes—after reading the book. For example; our friend Tim basically just cut out dairy and lost about 25 pounds (from 157 to 132). He “gets it” and says everything in the book makes complete sense to him.

The Bottom Line. The problem is that the vast majority of the people in the western world are completely ignorant of the consequences of what we eat. They choose their food based on three criteria only: pleasure, cost and convenience (and a 4th—habit). So when should you help your good friends and family better understand the “big picture” about our food choices.

Delicately sharing unsolicited information with a friend is something that we all face from time to time. And every situation may warrant a different approach. It all depends on the relationship. For example, there are members of my own family who have no interest in hearing this information—so I will honor their wishes. Like Dr. Campbell says, I’m just trying to do the right thing and tell the truth—so I can sleep well at night.

Handy 4-piece take-charge-of-your-health kit—from Amazon.com

Want to find out how healthy your family is eating? Take our free 4Leaf Diagnostic Survey. It takes less than five minutes and you can score it yourself. After taking the survey, please give me your feedback as it will be helpful in the development of our future 4Leaf app for smartphones. Send feedback to jmorrishicks@me.com

International. We’re now reaching people in over 100 countries. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or get daily blog notices by “following” us in the top of the right-hand column. For occasional updates, join our periodic mailing list.

To order more of my favorite books—visit our online BookStore now

J. Morris Hicks, working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

For help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4Leaf page or some great recipes at Lisa’s 4Leaf Kitchen.

Got a question? Let me hear from you at jmorrishicks@me.com. Or give me a call on my cell at 917-399-9700.

SHARE and rate this post below.

Blogging daily at hpjmh.com…from the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

—J. Morris Hicks, board member, T. Colin Campbell Foundation

Posted in Bill Clinton, Heart Disease | 2 Comments