Farms 2 Forks Immersion

Karen and I had a great experience last weekend. We traveled to the farm of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn in upstate New York and attended a weekend long Immersion into whole food, plant based nutrition. It was made up of two twelve hour days that contained lectures from some of the most prominent leaders in the field of whole food, plant based nutrition. We also were provided with nutritious, healthy, plant strong meals and snacks throughout the day. The event was sold out with about 450 people in attendance. There were people of all ages and all walks of life. Some overweight, some fit, some in the middle but all shared the common goal of learning how to create a healthier self through the foods we eat. There was a positive energy in the air the entire weekend. I would like to share a key point concerning calorie density which I feel to be extremely important. Calorie density refers to the amount of calories in a given weight of food. Certain foods contain more calories per pound than others and this is a good indicator to the possibility of over-consumption. A pound of grapes contains approximately between 300-320 calories. Take the water out and they become raisins. A pound of raisins contains 1,356 calories. If you were hungry you could probably sit there and eat a pound of each. It's not difficult to see the difference. Because the grapes had the water removed they can be considered processed. Ninety percent of the carbohydrates consumed in America are from refined, processed sources. I used the same food source as a example to show what a simple process of removing water can do to a natural whole food. Here is the thing, we generally consume the same amount of food in weight per day. Can you see the importance of avoiding calorie dense foods and how consuming them can lead to weight gain? Foods that are whole food, plant based are nutrient dense with little exceptions. Therefore you can consume large amounts and not worry about high caloric intakes. They will fill you up and more importantly provide you with the nutrients that are required for optimal health. Nuts and seeds are a whole food but they are also calorie dense so be careful when you choose to snack on them. They are also high in fat which most Americans already get to much of in their diets. If you have the opportunity to attend one of these next summer I would highly recommend it! Jimmy