The Number One Cause of Death and Disability
The Global Burden of Disease Study, funded by the Gates Foundation, that took years to develop by more than 500 researchers, 300 institutions, and 50 countries, was the largest analysis of risk factors for death and disease in history. In the United States the massive study determined that the American diet was the leading cause of both death and disability. The researchers determined the primary reason for a shortened healthy lifespan was not eating enough fruits. (How Not To Die by Michael Greger, M.D.)
A Whole Food Plant Based diet also known as a Nutritarian diet, promotes eating foods like "GBOMBS" (Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries and Seeds & nuts) daily while avoiding meat, dairy, sugary, and processed foods. (Joel Fuhrman, M.D.)
This way of eating has shown to prevent, stop the progression of, and even reverse, many chronic illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
American Heart Association
American Heart Association (AHA) released guidelines in March 2026 advising, "less meat, more plants". The AHA champions legumes, nuts, and fish for heart health, calling the pro-meat stance unhealthy.
Key points:
- The American Heart Association (AHA): Their new guidance explicitly highlights that swapping red/processed meats for plant-based proteins reduces cardiovascular risk.
- Health Expert Concerns: Experts argue that high consumption of red meat and full-fat dairy violates established guidelines to keep saturated fat below 10% of calories.
- Scientific Backing: Research cited by the AHA demonstrates that diets rich in beans, peas, and lentils are far better for heart health than those centered on red meat.
- Environmental Concerns: Critics, including researchers from the World Resources Institute's (WRI) Food, Land & Water Program, point to the high environmental cost (greenhouse gas emissions) of the beef-focused diet. The AHA and other nutritional experts warn that ignoring the benefits of plant-based protein in favor of high-meat consumption could increase chronic disease risks.
Health and wellness
Health and wellness are essential components of living a full, productive, and independent life. To support you on this journey, we have dedicated this webpage to providing the tools and information you need to make informed, healthy lifestyle choices.
You will find a variety of valuable resources, including recommended readings, adaptive exercise ideas tailored to different abilities, and connections to community-based programs and services. In addition, we will share updates on special events, workshops, and activities scheduled throughout the year to help you stay engaged, informed, and educated.
Healthful Books
The following titles will be available soon to read for free in our resource library.
The China Study
The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health is a book by T. Colin Campbell and his son, Thomas M. Campbell II. The book argues for health benefits of a whole food plant-based diet.
The China Study examines the link between the consumption of animal products (including dairy) and chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and bowel cancer. The book is "loosely based" on the China–Cornell–Oxford Project, a 20-year study that looked at mortality rates from cancer and other chronic diseases from 1973 to 1975 in 65 counties in China, and correlated this data with 1983–84 dietary surveys and blood work from 100 people in each county.
The authors conclude that people who eat a predominantly whole-food, vegan diet—avoiding animal products as a source of nutrition, including beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, and milk, and reducing their intake of processed foods and refined carbohydrates—will escape, reduce, or reverse the development of numerous diseases. They write that "eating foods that contain any cholesterol above 0 mg is unhealthy." The book recommends sunshine exposure or dietary supplements to maintain adequate levels of vitamin D, and supplements of vitamin B12 in case of complete avoidance of animal products. It criticizes low-carb diets, such as the Atkins diet, which include restrictions on the percentage of calories derived from carbohydrates. The authors are critical of reductionist approaches to the study of nutrition, whereby certain nutrients are blamed for disease, as opposed to studying patterns of nutrition and the interactions between nutrients.
How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss
How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss
Every month seems to bring a trendy new diet or weight loss fad―and yet obesity rates continue to rise, and with it a growing number of diseases and health problems. It’s time for a different approach.
Enter Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of the Nutrition Facts website. Author of the mega bestselling How Not to Die, Dr. Greger now turns his attention to the latest research on the leading causes―and remedies―of obesity.
Dr. Greger hones in on the optimal criteria to enable weight loss, while considering how these foods actually affect our health and longevity. He lays out the key ingredients of the ideal weight-loss diet―factors such as calorie density, the insulin index, and the impact of foods on our gut microbiome―showing how plant-based eating is crucial to our success.
But How Not to Diet goes beyond food to identify twenty-one weight-loss accelerators available to our bodies, incorporating the latest discoveries in cutting-edge areas like chronobiology to reveal the factors that maximize our natural fat-burning capabilities. Dr. Greger builds the ultimate weight loss guide from the ground up, taking a timeless, proactive approach that can stand up to any new trend.
Chock full of actionable advice and groundbreaking dietary research, How Not to Diet will put an end to dieting―and replace those constant weight-loss struggles with a simple, healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
The Sprout Book: The Sprout Book is the book on the power of sprouts as an ultra-food for health
The Sprout Book is the book on the power of sprouts as an ultra-food for health, weight loss, and optimum nutrition.
Written by Doug Evans, a pioneer in the plant-based health movement for over 20 years, and with a foreword by Joel Fuhrman, M.D., The Sprout Book empowers readers to embark on a plant-based way of eating that's low-cost and accessible. The book shows us how easy it is to boost the nutrition of any snack, smoothie, or meal with sprouts.
Among the mind-blowing qualities of sprouts:
- they have 20-30 times the phytonutrients of other vegetables and 100 times those of meat
- they pack cancer-fighting properties and help to protect us from cardiovascular disease and environmental pollutants
- they aid in digestion
- they are a simple way to grow your own vegetables and are compatible with all diets
- they are incredible for regulating insulin levels
The forty recipes inside feature sprouts on top of raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, spices, sea vegetables, and top-quality cold-pressed vegetable oils for the healthiest diet possible.
The Sprout Book includes informative interviews with leaders in functional medicine and nutrition including Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Josh Axe, Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Joel Kahn and more. Use this book to change your diet and super-charge your health with one of the most nutrient-dense, sustainable foods on earth!
Healthful Exercise
We have available several pieces of adaptive exercise equipment at our office location in St. Albans, WV. This equipment is free to use for our VIP Members.
As a promotion for our new health and wellness initiative, we will be giving away 20 one year VIP Memberships, which will allow you access to this equipment during our normal hours of operation.
Check back often so you do not miss your opportunity to win a VIP Membership.
