“Our bodies have within them a healing potential, and we nourish this potential with the pure and simple foods found in nature.”

— Angela Lindvall

In today’s always connected, soundbite world, it can feel easier than ever to get sucked into the noise of the next biggest “secret” to unlocking the code to your greatest health. But the truth is, we don’t need a new diet or trendy superfood to up-level our health because the answers have been here all along. The most powerful foods we can put into our bodies grow straight from the Earth beneath us.

Nature’s bounty of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes serve up the highest ‘return on investment’ when it comes to eating for preventive health. In fact, when you begin to incorporate more plant-based foods into your daily diet, you actively promote cellular renewal and deep-rooted transformation.

People have reported arthritis elimination, improved vision, lifting of depression and anxiety, removal of arterial plaque, lower cholesterol, and reduced need of insulin. All of these conditions can be lessened and possibly reversed by eating an abundant variety of fresh foods grown in nature. It’s as simple as that.

Here are some of the benefits you might start to notice when you incorporate more plants into your diet…

MORE ENERGY
Most people notice their energy levels increase when they eat fresh foods because they are much easier to digest. Thanks to their high enzyme content (a catalyst for digestion) the body experiences less digestive burden. Raw produce, for example, digests in one-half to one-third the time of its cooked counterpart. Since digestion is the biggest activity of the body, by easing its processes, you'll automatically experience a lift in your natural energy.
BETTER MOOD
When you eat more plants you actually become happier. 80-95% of serotonin (your happy hormone) is produced in the gut and plant-based foods stimulate production. In fact, there's a 30% reduction in the risk of major depression and anxiety disorders for people who regularly consume an abundance of plants, so go ahead and load up at your local farmer’s market or produce section.
REDUCED INFLAMMATION
The Standard American Diet (SAD), which is largely made up of refined processed foods and animal proteins, creates an extremely acidic environment for the body, increasing susceptibility to disease and degeneration. In contrast, plant-based foods have an alkaline effect on the body that is linked to longevity and lower C-reactive protein levels (CRP), a biomarker of inflammation.
BOOSTED IMMUNE SYSTEM
Many people claim they get sick less frequently after incorporating more plants into their diet. Some of this has to do with how plants power our white blood cells to fight real pathogens, such as cold viruses. Fresh foods contain copious amounts of vitamin C, beta carotene, and zinc, three very powerful immune boosters.
IMPROVED DIGESTION
Many belly woes such as gas and bloating can stem from poor digestion, but irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), yeast infections like candida, poor nutrient absorption, skin conditions such as acne, and even colon cancer can also result. Fiber is the magic bullet to optimizing digestion. It is essential for sweeping the digestive tract of accumulated waste, and plant foods are some of nature’s most abundant sources of it.
DISEASE PREVENTION
Fresh produce offers a plethora of phytonutrients. These are nature's compounds that keep us well ("phyto" means "plant"). Phytonutrients give plants their radiant colors and act as antioxidants, immune boosters, hormone stabilizers, and can offer us many health benefits, such as detoxifying the liver, preventing heart disease and cancer, and protecting our eyes from macular degeneration. Phytonutrients also help "turn-on" metabolism at the cellular level and regulate hormones that help control appetite.