FEATURES Foundations for Lifelong Wellness By John Pierre
John Pierre is a nutrition and fitness consultant who has devoted his life to improving people’s wellbeing through his expertise in the areas of nutrition, fitness, women’s empowerment, green living, and cognitive enhancement. As one of the first pioneers in the nation to introduce “brain building” classes and lectures for seniors over 25 years ago, he dedicates his efforts to helping people of all ages and occupations by promoting the benefits of a plant-based diet, stress reduction, physical fitness, and the importance of compassion in life.
John is a passionate advocate for women’s rights and animal welfare. He works tirelessly to bring aware- ness to the growing childhood obesity epidemic and youth violence. John has produced and starred in three cooking videos: I
n te Kce it on Per n
explores four essential modalities which enhance and contribute to vibrant health. To learn about John’s work, visit him at
www.johnpierre.com
Your Foundations for Lifelong Wellness I spent considerable time discussing processed foods in the book is because I wanted to educate people about the reasons they have such a difficult time push- ing themselves away from these “modified edibles.” Processed foods are specifically enhanced to provoke a physiological and emotional response in our body and brain. Why else would people be running out of the house at midnight to pick up ice cream and cookies from the convenience store? They don’t get into the car and drive to pick up broccoli or carrots at crazy hours. Why? The reason is that processed foods are specifically designed to be addictive. They provide our brain with a chemical “rush.” Additionally, refining whole foods, which initially grew from the earth in their natural whole form, strips them of fiber, water, and nutrients. The majority of processed foods have artificial ingredients added to them, along with salt, sugar, and processed oil. What we’re essentially left with is an unrecognizable “food” nature never intended us to ingest. Of course there are going to be disastrous health consequences once we start to stray away from what nature intended us to eat. The predictable results are what we’re experi- encing today: obesity and every dietary related disease under the sun.
Along with processed food, dairy is a big part of the reason for the obesity and dietrary related diseases we are experiencing today. Dairy is the perfect food − but only for a baby calf. Remember, cow’s milk is a lactation product of a bovine. It’s a hormonal secretion specifi- cally designed to take a 65 pound baby calf and turn him into a 700 pound cow in less than one year. Dairy products are one of the leading contributors to the obe-
16 h ithn wh Jh ire ad
Fins ea egtLs, ad We ahlr Mes o e ae
red, Vgn Wih-os n hn Bceo et Hmmkr. His first book THE PILLARS OF HEALTH
sity epidemic we’re experiencing today for this reason. Dairy products are notoriously high in fat, even the “low fat” versions will derive a significant percentage of calories from fat. That 1 percent listed on low fat milk is actually 20% fat when calculated by calories instead of volume. But what’s downright frightening about dairy products, is the IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) found in dairy since IGF-1 causes cells in our body to hyper- proliferate. If we take prostate cells or breast cancer cells and expose them to IGF-1, they grow like weeds, causing disease at an alarming rate. When I devoted a small section of the book to talk about dairy products, I wanted to convey as much thought-provoking data as possible about their dangers because many people are not given this information and continue to innocently consume dairy which ends up essentially harming them, according to the studies I reference.
Magical Warehouses It’s only in recent times that we’ve begun to eat pro- cessed foods. In the past we didn’t have mechanical equipment and man-made chemicals which could pro- duce and create these types of edibles. All civilizations in the past have been leading healthy lives for thou- sands of years by eating whole foods grown from the soil exclusively. The reason plant foods are so critical for us is that they contain nutrients and phytochemicals which nourish and protect our cells. Plants are exposed to ultraviolet sun rays for numerous hours every day. They’re also attacked by fungus and bugs who want to eat them. Because plants can’t just run or walk away from threats like humans and animals can, they have to continually modify their methods of self-defense to stay alive. Their bodies become the phytoceutical stores that contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals which are used against outside threats. When we eat plants, we ingest these crucial elements which in turn help our bodies ward off environmental and chemical attacks. Since we’re exposed to more environmental pollutants than ever before, eating plant foods becomes critical to ensure good health. Also, plants are the most nutrient dense foods, calorically speaking. It’s difficult to eat too much plant matter because the fiber inherent in plant foods generates a feeling of fullness, which diminishes our chances of consuming too many calories. Fiber also binds with unwanted carcinogenic xenoestrogens and other toxic substances and eliminates them from the body, helping to prevent their reabsorption.
Your new philosophy of eating is vastly different from many of the dietary advice books on the market. It’s called: “Good-Better-Best.” What does this mean and why has this way of thinking proven to be so triumphant for your clients?
“Good-Better-Best,” is incredibly successful because it’s Oracle 20/20 September 2013
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36