I sometimes eat at this amazing macrobiotic/plant-based restaurant in Austin called Casa de Luz. They have little stands on the dining tables with information cards about eating plant-based. On one of the cards it says, “When a flower doesn’t grow, you don’t fix the flower, you fix the environment in which the flower grows.” It’s the same with humans. The foods that we eat create the environment in which disease can either flourish or it can’t survive. 

If you are an average American, you’re on medication or you will be. You have one or more chronic disease states such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disease, gastrointestinal issues or you will have them. You are overweight or you will be overweight. That is the reality for people over 60 living in the United States. Here are some statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC):

• “Prescription drug use increased with age, from 18.0% of children under age 12 years to 85.0% of adults aged 60 and over.
• Prescription drug use was highest among non-Hispanic white persons followed by non-Hispanic black persons, and lowest among non-Hispanic Asian and Hispanic persons.
• The most commonly used types of drugs included bronchodilators for ages 0–11 years, central nervous system stimulants for ages 12–19, antidepressants for ages 20–59, and lipid-lowering drugs for ages 60 and over.”

That means 85% of American adults age 60 and older are on some type of medication. The average amount of prescriptions per person is five, also cited on the CDC website. Each of these medications comes with a long list of negative side effects so it’s not a benign action to opt for medication. 

And it is only one option. The other option is to eat a low-fat, whole-food plant-based diet. Really. There are zero negative side effects and countless positive side effects. It is the only way of eating that has been scientifically proven to reverse most chronic diseases. 

It is my mission to let people know this because when I found out that I had heart disease at 46 years-old, my cardiologist told me that he was really sorry for me and that I need to get on a statin. He told me to eat chicken, fish, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, “healthy fats” such as nuts, seeds, avocados and olive oil. That is exactly what I was eating. How could that be the right if my cholesterol was 288? I started suspecting that my “healthy” diet was part of the problem. He had no real solutions for me, just the band aid of medication. 

I found Dr. Esselstyn’s Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease book which explained that I should eat exactly the opposite way that my cardiologist suggested. The book had a lot of evidence that a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet without any oil would reverse my heart disease. It has. I’ve dropped my cholesterol over 100 points, changed the size and shape of my blood platelets and have lost 20 pounds and have kept it off since 2015 without an ounce of trouble. 

That is why I am compelled to share this information with you. What if you are one of the people who is searching for alternatives to illness and a life on medications with side effects? This way of eating is a bit overwhelming if you have no idea where to start. I’ve already navigated and mastered it. You can turn your health around and be well until a very old age. I can help you. Even if you start and “fail” a million times, you can always begin again without shame or judgment. 

Okay, so this wasn’t the most cheery welcome to Well Elephant, but welcome to Well Elephant! I promise we’ll have more fun in the future, but I wanted to let you know why this way of eating is so important to me. 

XO

Lauren