Many say our health care system is increasingly bogged down by treating diseases once they've appeared...rather than trying to prevent them before they happen.
That's the basis behind the Coronary Health Improvement Project. And those who follow it make something that sounds radical, very simple and well...appetizing.
This is not a lifestyle of deprivation it's actually a lifestyle of lots of great food. The Coronary Health Improvement Project was created by Dr. Hans Diehl. It has been found to reverse heart disease and we've found through doing it that it will also help with obesity and diabetes. It talks a lot about cancer and why good food helps reverse cancer if you have it or to help prevent getting it.
CHIP for short is a plant based diet that includes whole foods, little or no dairy, sugar, salt, oil or meat. People do not get enough fibre and they think that's really the secret to health and when you include fibre with everything you eat it fills you up faster and it will also reverse cholesterol, high blood pressure, constipation and diverticulitis diabetes.
"Before CHIP, I had an ulcer, I had high blood pressure, I was a little overweight...maybe 15Lbs" Now at 63 Gord is off his blood pressure medication, maintains a healthy weight, has reduced his cholesterol and his ulcer has gone away for good.
Bernie Bernardo is a relatively new CHIP participant. He was suffering from numerous health problems when he gave CHIP a try.
"I was a great french fry lover, I gotta tell you. I would have them all the time. It's something that you can still eat, but you make your own and they are tastier."
No matter what you eat there's a substitute for everything. Soy, but unfermented, this tastes like sour cream. And there's even tofu that tastes like chicken.
The term vegan or vegetarian often scares people, but Gord, Kathy and Bernie say there's nothing scary about CHIP.
"My cholesterol dropped from 5.01 down to 4.4, my blood pressure went from 123 over 78 down to 98 over 60."
As an ER nurse Kathy sees first hand the tragic results of our current lifestyle, with disease striking people younger and younger. We need to make some lifestyle changes and the only way you can make the lifestyle changes that will work is to eat more fibre, drink more water and exercise. Without those three things you're not going to have good health.
The is a CHIP program in Sarnia, as well as Gord and Kathy's group in London.
If you want more information call them at 519.472.6066 or log onto
www.londonchip.org
Perfect Patties
Mix together in a large bowl.
8 Cups instant oatmeal
1 Cup ground nuts (walnuts or pecans)
1 Cup raw sunflower seeds
½ Cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons Spike or Vege-Sal seasoning
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 Teaspoon sage
1 Tablespoon basil
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed and 6 tablespoons water
Replacement for 2 eggs
Boil 8 Cups water and add to above ingredients.
Then add 1 large onion chopped and 1 Cup Bragg Liquid Aminos
Mix well and let sit for 20 minutes until all moisture absorbed. Shape into patties by using a ¼ measuring cup or a lid from a sealer jar. Place patties on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes, turn over and bake for another 20 minutes. Parchment paper allows you to eliminate cooking sprays. Time will depend on the size of the patties and oven heat.
Use as burger in a bun with your favorite topping, or serve with gravy.
Makes 3-4 dozen patties.
Can blend the onion with some of the water before pouring into the mixture, it is much faster.
