PLANTPURE NATION UPDATE

Here we go again. The government issued new dietary guidelines, and nothing really changed, except that Americans are now free to eat eggs. Sure, they advised us not to consume too much sugar, but that’s an easy recommendation to make. Sugar has been bashed for years; everyone knows eating too much sugar is unhealthy. But the elephant in the room is the irrefutable body of scientific evidence suggesting that animal-based foods — dairy, eggs, and all meats (red, white, processed) — cause changes within our bodies that can, for some, lead to debilitating and deadly chronic disease. And our government once again ignored this evidence, for one simple reason: money.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said earlier this year that the 2016 guidelines would remain essentially unchanged from the prior guidelines, especially with respect to meat consumption. And to the glee of the animal products industries, he stayed true to his word. Barry Carpenter, who spent much of his career at the U.S. Department of Agriculture before becoming CEO of the Meat Institute, said, "Consumers who choose to eat meat and poultry, as 95 percent of Americans do, can continue to enjoy our products as they have in the past.” 

I expected this outcome and would have been shocked had it turned out differently. As our film PlantPure Nation shows, our government is not a government of, by, and for the people; it is a government of, by, and for the wealthy special interests who know how to pull its levers.  

Whenever I see our government submitting to the rich and powerful, I always come back to one idea — an idea my mom discusses at the end of our film, when she talks about love. When I interviewed her for the film, I didn’t know what she was going to say when I asked that question of her, and hadn’t even planned on asking the question. But it came out in the course of our discussion, and I loved how she responded. She said in a heartfelt way that money does not have the importance many people think, and then went on to talk about the primacy of love. Ultimately, what she was talking about was a way of seeing the world.

When we see industries manipulating our government to their financial benefit, we often start talking about “the system,” and we forget that our society is an aggregation of people. “The system” doesn’t decide to harm others. People make decisions that harm other people. Yes, systems provide incentives for bad behavior, but people still make the decisions that hurt other people.

I have always thought that I would never make a living hurting others. If this means living in a small trailer or doublewide, then so be it (actually, this simple lifestyle sounds pretty good to me).  Now, don’t get me wrong; I recognize that there are many people who are ignorant of the truth and make poor decisions out of ignorance. But that is not true with the governmental and industry leaders who crafted our dietary guidelines. They know the intense interest in a plant-based diet, so you would think that their concern for others should drive them to do a little research. And you certainly don’t have to dig far into this issue to discover the truth, as so many millions have already done. No, these people are either ignorant by choice, or they know the truth and choose to disregard it — either way, it is evil. It is the trading of human life for money and power.

This sort of behavior is grounded in a view of the world that is, at its core, a materialistic view, and by this I don’t mean simply a money-driven view. I mean “materialistic” as the antithesis of the idea that all of existence is indivisible, and that ultimately it is impossible to commit an evil act within an indivisible universe without consequence to oneself. I believe that cause and effect go deeper through time and space than we might imagine, and the idea that you can hide from the consequences of your wrongdoing from behind the wall of an organization or bureaucracy is just an illusion. I don’t want to go into further detail here about this notion because it is a deep idea that deserves more than cursory treatment, but I will just say that there is more to the story of reform than ideas about changing systems. We need to foster in this world a more compassionate view within the hearts of individuals, motivated by the idea that what we do in this life matters.

Which brings us to our PlantPure Pods. Through a message of healing, we are encouraging self-love and love of others. And we are doing this through a strategy that engages people, not government. 

I would like to suggest that we see the new dietary guidelines as an opportunity, a catalyst to accelerate interest in the grassroots movement we are launching. I especially would like to suggest that everyone reading this share our film, PlantPure Nation, with everyone you know. The message of this film is more relevant today even than it was the day I decided to make the film. Our government is trying to pull the wool over our eyes once again, but they cannot stop us from sharing the truth with those we love.

We look forward to the new year. We have many exciting initiatives in the pipeline that we will be sharing over the coming months. And the fact that our government is once again advising us to eat lean meat, low-fat dairy products, and eggs is relevant only to the extent that it brings more attention to our cause. So buckle up and hold on!

— Nelson Campbell

SPECIAL EVENT

For those who are interested, the upcoming Holistic Holiday at Sea vegan cruise sails from Miami for seven nights, beginning on February 27. This program offers over 130 lectures and workshops from many leading authorities in holistic living and natural health. Nelson Campbell will be speaking at the Holistic Holiday at Sea about all this and more, and two showings of PlantPure Nation are scheduled.

The cruise travels to the eastern Caribbean, visiting ports including St. Thomas, U.S.Virgin Islands; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Nassau, Bahamas. In addition to the educational content, guests are served three vegan meals each day.

For more information on the cruise, click here. And if you are interested in a free room upgrade now through January 27, click here.

NOW AVAILABLE

PlantPure Nation is now available for streaming on any device, worldwide. You can even give it as a gift for just $6.95, available on our site. ​

FROM OUR PLANTPURE POD DIRECTOR

Happy New Year! As we all step into 2016, it is natural to consider how you want your health goals to blossom. PlantPure has two awesome opportunities to help launch you toward your healthy resolutions. First, if you have not already done so, look into joining a Pod group in your area. These are fun groups of people who come together around the unifying idea of whole-food, plant-based eating. Studies have shown that individuals trying to make changes in their diets are more successful when they have the support of like-minded people. Pod groups are a great way to get the support you need and make new friends at the same time. Finding groups is easy: just go to Plantpurepods.com and click on the Pod Directory header to find a group in your area.  

The second way to catapult your health goals is to do a PlantPure Jumpstart (just like you saw in the PlantPure Nation movie). After viewing the film, many people want to experience for themselves the amazing health benefits associated with just 10 days of eating a WFPB diet. We have developed an affordable package that does just that, providing:

• 20 frozen entrees delivered directly to participants
• PlantPure Nation DVD
• Jumpstart DVD
• The PlantPure Nation Cookbook
• Hot Logic warming tray
• and much more!

This program will be available in just a few days. Go to PlantPureFoods.com to sign up.

After you “graduate,” we recommend that you join a local Pod group to keep you moving in the direction of making plant-based eating a lifestyle.  

Remember — what we eat matters!

— Laura Dietrich

CHECK THIS OUT

We now have a lot of fantastic PlantPure merchandise in our store, from T-shirts, hoodies, and hats to aprons, sports bottles, and even PlantPure tote bags. Check out these goodies and more at plantpurestore.com.

Health Editor Jo Gustafson modeling the new PlantPure Nation hoodie.
 

FROM THE EDITOR

We are getting into the dreary days of winter now, with the holidays being over and done with, and the real cold starting to settle in. It’s also the time of year when many of us start out with lofty resolutions for changing our eating behaviors and attitudes toward food this year, though we often find these resolutions tough to stick with after the first few weeks.

If you’re already struggling with your resolution to change your diet, don’t panic. Consider whether the changes you want to make are realistic; you may have committed yourself to something that isn’t feasible during an overambitious moment. Setting realistic goals for change is crucial to success; when your goals for change are too drastic, setbacks become almost inevitable, along with the accompanying frustration and self-doubt. For example, if you don’t cook much, it may be overwhelming to try and cook a healthy, plant-based meal every night, despite your best intentions. Consider other options, like meals you can make on the weekends and freeze/refrigerate, or quick and simple dishes that don’t require an arsenal of pots, pans, and utensils.

So if you find yourself stumbling, re-evaluate. Maybe break those goals down into smaller, more achievable, more defined steps that you feel you can conquer. Ticking off each of these steps will both boost your confidence and self-esteem, and help further motivate you as you see your progress toward your bigger goal.

And hey, if your goal turns out to be an epic fail — tomorrow is another day. You are human, and these things happen. Changing a lifetime habit as intrinsic as what you eat is tough, but the kinder you are to yourself, the more likely you are to succeed next time. Do ensure you’re positioning yourself for success by surrounding yourself with a supportive community; your local Pod may have a group whose members would love to help encourage you along your path to a healthier, happier you! You can find groups in your area by checking out your local Pod.

Wishing you the best in health and well-being this year!

— Amy Bissinger

GOT FIVE MINUTES?

We appreciate everyone helping spread the word about PlantPure Nation. These days more and more people are getting their information about films online, and four of the major sites — iTunes, Amazon, IMDB, and Rotten Tomatoes — offer visitors an opportunity to rate and even review films. Would you consider dropping in on one or more of these sites to add your feedback? We’ve had a lot of traffic on Amazon, but the other three sites could use some attention!

iTunes: click the blue button that says ‘”View in iTunes”

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

We have 348 reviews on Amazon! Add yours here.

WORDS FOR LIVING WELL

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

FEATURED PLANTPURE RECIPES
From Kim Campbell

Easy Black Bean Soup

This black bean soup recipe is very easy to throw together in just a few minutes. I love serving this with a baked potato or over a whole grain such as rice or quinoa. 

Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups salsa (I use a low-sodium brand such as Muir.)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (garnish)

Directions

Sauté the onions, green peppers, jalapeno, and garlic in a small amount of water until tender. Add the black beans, vegetable broth, salsa, chili powder, and cumin powder. Cook over medium heat for 10–15 minutes. While the soup is cooking, scoop out half of the soup and process in a blender until smooth and creamy. Add the pureed mixture back into the pot with the beans. Stir in the corn and continue cooking for another 5–10 minutes over low/medium heat. Serve warm and garnish with cilantro.

***********************************************************************

Nutty No-Knead Spelt Bread

I love homemade bread, but I get impatient with all the kneading and rising. This bread is so simple and much healthier than store bread. I always use flour from ancient grains, such as spelt, because it creates a slightly heavier texture than a typical wheat loaf, and it's very hearty and rustic. 

Ingredients

2 cups water, lukewarm
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons dried yeast
3 cups spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions

With a whisk, mix the water, agave, and yeast. Let stand for 5–10 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, raisins, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pecans until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon. You should have a sticky dough at this point. Place the dough in a parchment-lined bread pan. You can also use a silicone bread pan. Let the dough rest and double in size. This will take about 60 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15–20 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Cool the bread completely before slicing.

START COOKING WHOLE-FOOD, PLANT-BASED RECIPES!

As the film’s official companion book, The PlantPure Nation Cookbook brings this powerful, science-based approach to nutrition from the big screen to your kitchen with some of the same mouthwatering recipes that kick-started the film, promoting the health benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet.