Mind, body and spirit: 3 benefits of plant-based meals

Nourish your body with the best nutrients to reduce excess body weight, food cravings, the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis, explains Internal Medicine Physician Kumara Sidhartha, MD, MPH, medical director of the Cape Cod Healthcare (CCHC) Employee Health Plan. Adding foods high in nutritional value like leafy greens, colorful fruits, chickpeas and beans to your diet can improve your overall health and longevity.

In this two-minute wellness video, Dr. Sidhartha touches upon three areas:

• Color Power,
• Cooling the Fire of Inflammation, and
• Rebuilding the Body’s Defenses.

“When thinking about these three facts, try to switch up at least three meals a week to wholesome, unprocessed plant-based meals,” he said.

Summer is a great time to take extra steps to nourish your mind, body and spirit. With an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, the summertime makes it easier to eat healthier and provides an opportunity to pay more attention to what we need and what makes us thrive. When things get busy, taking care of ourselves is one of the first things we tend to set aside. It’s not selfish or an indulgence; the fact is—we can’t perform well on anything if we aren’t well ourselves!

As part of CCHC’s Healthy Parks, Healthy People program with Cape Cod National Seashore, we encourage you to join us at the Salt Pond Visitors Center in Eastham during our upcoming sunset event on Thursday, Aug. 4, at 6:30 p.m. The evening will kick off with a short talk from a Cape Cod National Seashore ranger, followed by a 1.3-mile trail walk. Participants are then invited to join Cardiologist Elissa Thompson, MD, who will give a presentation on “Love Your Heart: Eat Smart,” during which she will highlight the overall health benefits of good cardiovascular nutrition and offer practical tips to incorporate plant-based meals into your diet.

Learn more about our upcoming event at www.capecodhealth.org/wellness-wise/healthy-parks-healthy-people.