Time To Change and Stay Healthy Maybe?

More of a personal post today. Over the last couple of years I've had to completely change my lifestyle and for the better I might add. I was one of these people always thinking about getting healthy but never actually did anything about it.

My typical thought processes were -  "Yeah I'm going to lose weight and get fit. Yeah I'm going to do it but I'll start tomorrow or after the weekend, no wait I'll start after the holidays maybe the following week! Right I'll start after Christmas (this is in October by the way) or definitely when the winter's over. It's too cold today to go for a run, I'll go when the warmer weather comes for sure. Oh but it's a bit too hot today, reaches for the fridge - always time for a nice cold beer." And so it goes on, any excuse would do and as you get older it becomes increasingly harder to motivate yourself and talk yourself into getting off your backside!
Then one day I got a wake up call, no need for details, but just to say I was lucky, very lucky. At the time I was 3 stones (40lbs) over weight, feeling my age (52), unfit and more.
After tests, asking questions and talking to all the medical people the opinion I took away was, ok you need to change but even if you do it's probably only a matter of time before your health deteriorates. You can slow it down but you can't ever reverse the damage that's already been done. Your past lifestyle has finally caught up with you and it's downhill from now on. Let me tell you now, that is, pardon my French, a Load Of Bollocks and I'll explain why.
I went home and never one to take things lying down began my own research starting on the internet.
I came across Bill Clinton's story and his dietician, then The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and then best of all a Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn. I realise these names won't mean much to you now, but to save all the leg work I urge you to check out two amazing films, then you can make up you're own mind.
The first being Forks Over Knives which really explains simply why following a certain diet (the whole food plant based diet) can completely transform your health and even reverse certain so called Western diseases. Your body is amazing and can heal itself believe me, that's if you allow it to and are willing to put the right fuel into it.
The next film Cowspiracy (Full Film) looks at environmental issues and opens your eyes to the hidden causes of climate change and what we are doing to this planet. Produced by Oscar winner and man of the moment himself Leonardo Dicaprio no less!
Unfortunately I had to take the long way round doing many hours of research, in fact I wish someone had told me about all this years ago. In a strange kind of way I'm glad I got the wake up call when I did but unfortunately so many people don't, my own Father for one. Even much of the medical profession, through no fault of their own, have what amounts to a few hours training in nutrition. Taught to prescribe endless amounts of drugs or cut people open when the answer is staring them in the face.
After embarking on a plant based diet I lost 3 stone in a matter of months, took up walking every day, which progressed to running and cycling. Now I am fitter, free of aches and pains (and many other benefits I'll tell you about in another post) and have more energy than I did 20 years ago.
Hard to believe that cutting out processed and animal foods can have such a dramatic effect on your health and believe me I was as big a sceptic as anyone. I now know it to be true and hopefully maybe just one person reading this might do the same.
Expect more posts on this subject as it's now become a passion of mine.
By the way the gentleman in the picture above is a plant based athlete Follow the links to read more of his story and watch the films...
Best of luck and Good health.