In this concluding episode, Dr. Grant covers how elevating our vitamin D intake can improve our wellness in several areas and other advantages of sunbathing. Dr. Grant has shared that vitamin D can help prevent respiratory infections by improving immunity. “More recently, a meta-analysis of acute respiratory infections found that if you had your vitamin D level above about 10 nanograms per milliliter or 25 nanomoles per milliliter, you had a greatly reduced risk of developing acute respiratory infections.” Tooth decay is the most common form of oral disease, affecting more than 70% of children globally. Though not well-publicized, vitamin D can play a role in improving oral health. “One of the very first clinical trials on the benefits of vitamin D was reported in 1928. May Mellanby reported that. And what she found is, yes, that boys who had taken the vitamin D developed fewer dental caries than boys who didn’t.” “Sunlight exposure has many health benefits. Vitamin D is one of the more important ones. So going outdoors helps reduce the chance of developing depression.”

“There are many benefits of sunlight and being in nature. People can have reduced risk of Seasonal Affective Disorder with more UV exposure from (sun) lamps or from taking more vitamin D. Vitamin D has been found to reduce the risk of depression. There has also been studies showing that vitamin D during pregnancy helps increase serotonin levels during pregnancy and that the offspring then have better serotonin production and that serotonin is linked to the risk of autism. Sunlight and Vitamin D can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other dementia.” Animal products are also a risk factor for developing dementia. Dr. Grant explains. “The countries with the highest meat or other animal product consumption had the highest rates of Alzheimer’s and that was about 6% or 7% of the senior population, age-adjusted. Whereas the countries that had very little meat and (ate) mainly grains, and so on, had about 1 or 2%.”

Dr. Grant is an American physicist with a 30-year career in developing laser systems for remote atmospheric sensing and a former National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) employee. He became interested in health issues and, thus, in 2004, founded the “Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center” or SUNARC in San Francisco, California, USA. In this three-part series, we'll learn about the advantages of sun exposure, namely absorption of Ultraviolet B or UVB rays that stimulate the body's production of vitamin D, which has significant health-boosting effects. “In our book ‘Embrace the Sun,’ we did mention that sun deprivation can be as dangerous as smoking. That was based on a study from Sweden which followed people for 10 or 20 years and looked at mortality rates as a function of the amount of time they spent in the sun. Those who spent more time in the sun lived longer." In our interview, Dr. Grant stated there is overwhelming evidence that vitamin D created by Ultraviolet B ray exposure can prevent, and reduce the death rate from, certain cancers.

“And if you want to be a healthy person or recover from disease, you’re not going to escape the need to change your diet in very specific ways.” In the first place, we do not have to struggle with making challenging healthcare decisions. Dr. Popper says many doctor visits, diagnostic tests, drugs, and procedures could be avoided if people ate healthy, plant-powered diets. Dr. Popper also strongly feels that individuals can help advance the vegan movement by being living examples of the excellent health and wellness that comes from eating plant-based.

Možná je to proto, že Vánoce jsou spojovány s cennými hodnotami, jako je sdílení, že s větší pravděpodobností reagujeme šťastnějšími emocemi při poslechu hudebních skladeb, třeba „Mesiáše“ od německého barokního skladatele Georga Friedricha Händla, jež se často hraje během této sezóny.

Dr. Pamela Popper is a vegan naturopath and an expert in medicine, nutrition, and health. She is the founder and president of Wellness Forum Health. She has written books such as “Food Over Medicine: The Conversation That Can Save Your Life,” and “Solving America’s Healthcare Crisis.” That is one of the key services offered by Dr. Popper and Wellness Forum Health – helping and informing people on what is best to eat and what to avoid. “I’m 61 years old. I have more energy now than I did when I was 20, and I have the energy to do everything I want to do. …People say sometimes it just can’t be all that simple that diet is so important. You just make it sound like diet makes everything better. Well, it does make everything better.”

University of Toronto researchers in Canada have found that people eating a plant-based diet lowered their LDL cholesterol by nearly 30% in just four weeks, a result comparable to taking cholesterol-lowering medications. In addition to reducing LDL cholesterol, the researchers found that the diet led to an estimated 13% reduction in the overall risk for cardiovascular diseases, which include angina and heart disease. A study published in the “Journal of the American Heart Association” in August 2019, further supports the health benefits of a vegan diet. Dr. Rebholz and her colleagues examined data from 12,168 middle-aged people who had enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. The results showed that the reduction in deaths from heart attacks, and other severe cardiovascular events, is correlated with people consuming more vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains.

The beach is your free natural gym! Spending time here can help stimulate nearly all of our senses, especially touch. In addition, when shoeless, we can absorb negative ions from treading on the sand. Sand is a natural exfoliant, so there is yet another benefit to us when strolling on the sand with no footwear. It cleanses our skin and removes dead skin cells. In addition to the sun, seawater is good for our skin, with the salt acting as an exfoliant. The sun opens our pores, and while swimming, the water enters and expels the toxins, so sea bathing contributes to detoxification. Another important benefit of spending time on the beach is stress release. The gentle atmosphere, with sounds of the surf and sight of the ocean and various animals like sea birds, makes us feel peaceful.

We asked Thomas to explain why people experience plateaus and tell us what he does as a trainer to help his clients move forward again. “And it just boils down to two things, that’s it. It’s either their workout strategy is not working for them anymore, or their nutrition strategy is not working for them – or both. Once you go into plant-based training, you start eating the right way. That doesn’t really have to change much from a training standpoint.” “The most powerful driving force for a lot of people that I run into, to make the switch to go vegan, is seeing that it works better and faster. Once they try it, and they do it, and they get results faster than they ever have doing it any other way, they are like, ‘I am in. I can do this for life.’”

Thomas has a master’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion, and holds eight fitness and health national certifications. He is also an inventor, having patented the world’s first muscle tempo control system. He is a master trainer for three different fitness companies and the host of the number-one vegan fitness and bodybuilding podcast on iTunes, “Vegan Body Revolution.” In his book, “Miracle Metabolism,” he shares the protocol he created to help people get leaner, fitter, healthier – and faster – on a plant-based diet. We started by asking Thomas to reflect on what sets him apart from other fitness trainers.

“The Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor” also states that winter is a time for lower metabolism and energy storage. It is best to go to bed early and rise with the Sun. As the kidneys represent the reservoir of willpower, we should let our minds enter a state of dormancy and refrain from focusing on the outside world. Avoiding the cold and keeping warm is recommended. As to which parts of the body especially need safeguarding from the cold, it is crucial to pay attention to the back and feet. According to TCM, one’s winter diet should focus on nourishing the yin and tonifying the yang to enhance the body’s resistance and immune system. Black-colored vegan foods are thought to be good for the kidneys and thus should grace our dining table in the cold season.

When you hear the word "compassion," what do you associate it with? In multiple studies over the past 25 years, researchers have determined that this characteristic is an inborn tendency of all humans. In the fifth book of the New Testament, it is recorded that Lord Jesus Christ said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35) If performing acts of compassion make us happy, how does happiness translate into better health? In other words, when we are focused more on others than on ourselves, our life is rich in compassion and our wellness is enhanced. When the people around us are joyful and at ease, we become more cheerful ourselves.

The forest is an ecosystem full of lives. Therefore, forest therapy is a method that uses lives to heal and guide other lives. A forest is like a mother who accepts us without saying a word. To put it another way, forests have a secret power, an invisible power. Dr. Lin has been working on adding a spiritual dimension to this therapy. May forest therapy continue to grow in popularity so that many more people can benefit from nature’s blessings and elevate their health.

Dr. Lin is currently an adjunct professor at National Yang-Ming University in Taipei, Formosa and supervisor of the Taiwan Forest Therapy Society. She has done extensive research on how the forest environment benefits human health. Dr. Lin often integrates psychological consultation with forest therapy through group activities, teaching people to appreciate the beauty of the woodlands and thus facilitating psychological healing. She is also the author of a book entitled, “The Healing Power of Forests,” in which she shares her ideas and research findings on how trees improve our well-being.

Growing research reveals that the food we eat can also significantly influence how we feel emotionally and socially. Even a small, positive dietary change may thus improve a child’s cognitive functions and prevent or reduce behavioral health issues. The UK’s Mental Health Foundation refers to diet as an“underestimated” determinant of mental wellness. A healthy diet is significantly related to better emotional health, such as higher self-worth and fewer temperament issues. The findings further revealed that good relationships with parents and peers are associated with eating fruits and vegetables every day.

Dr. Glatt shows great kindness to his patients, and especially feels for those who have drug addiction issues. He sincerely wants all those he sees to make the maximum possible improvements in their health and lead high-quality lives. My heart goes out to those people because they get trapped; they get trapped biochemically. My colleagues sometimes say to me, “How can you take care of those people?” meaning alcoholics and addicts. And I say they’re all wonderful people. Those that get into recovery, and I take care of, they love me, and I love them.

We are privileged to have Dr. William Glatt, an esteemed internal and addiction medicine specialist, share with us his expert knowledge on opioids, pain treatment, and the nature of drug addiction. Opioids are morphine-like chemicals primarily used as analgesics to relieve severe pain. However, employing opioids for pain management has its inherent risks. Pain management need not be drug-based as there are many options available. Nowadays, more people are using meditation for pain issues. Inner contemplation is also another way to prevent, control, or resolve certain long-term conditions.

The key to any healthy diet is going to be incorporating a lot of fresh whole foods. So, fruits and vegetables being the cornerstone of your diet. I mean, ideally, if you're looking at grains, those grains should be whole, unprocessed grains - things like oatmeal, like quinoa, like brown rice. And then your proteins, ideally, being non-animal proteins that are unprocessed. And then, there are a lots of online resources and cookbooks in this day and age for good plant-based recipes. Changing your diet gradually.

I have seen some wonderful things happen to my patients who’ve adopted plant-based diets. Of patients who have had heart issues, of those who have gone plant-based in the course of my 11-year career, I have not seen a single one of them have another heart attack, or stroke, or need bypass surgery, or need any further stents. But around that same time I also learned about the work of Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who demonstrated in their research that a plant-based diet can actually reverse even the most severe of heart disease.

Dr. Heather Shenkman, A vegan American interventional cardiologist, who specializes in the catheter- based treatment of structural heart diseases. While Dr. Shenkman helps her patients by clearing blocked arteries via angioplasty surgery and stenting, she also encourages them to adopt healthy lifestyles. She has even written a book for the public on the topic called, “The Vegan Heart Doctor’s Guide to Reversing Heart Disease, Losing Weight, and Reclaiming Your Life.” So, one interesting fact is that places in the world where people eat more vegetables, they have less heart disease and less cancer.