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| Photo Credit: Brainfood |
The mind is our most precious resource. We have to build it with knowledge, train it with challenges and guard it from foolishness like negative thoughts and toxic beliefs. We also need to feed it exactly what it needs so that we can do exactly what we need to do. Now, I have come upon something profound. This has been one of the strongest driving factors for my choosing to be a bangin' bird food eater and sticking with it till I rest in peace. Eating lots of plants has been shown in many different ways to be not only beneficial but significantly life-changing in regards to one's thinking and overall mental climate. Let's check out a few things.
The first is a story from Vegetarian Spotlight about a prison in San Bernardino County, CA. Here is the scenario:
Due to a rising inmate population and a falling bed count, San Bernardino County began accepting bids for a new private prison that would be able to accommodate this growing number, one expected to double by 2050. Mr. Terry Mooreland, CEO of Maranatha Private Corrections LLC, was one of those bidders. Here's the kicker! With his bid, he had one condition: the inmates had to have the option of being served a vegan diet. So Mooreland wins the bid and builds Victor Valley Medium Community Correctional Facility in 1997.
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| Photo Credit: Vegetarian Spotlight |
The diet was a part of a larger program known as NEWSTART, which also included bible studies, job training and anger management. The prison was divided into two sides and inmates could chose a side on which to live. One side operated using the standard California Department of Corrections guidelines, while the other operated under NEWSTART. First, they expected only a few inmates to choose the NEWSTART option, but a surprising 85% of them opted for the program.
So what happened?
You had one of the "most remarkable prison success programs in the country, where inmates got out and stayed out." That is what happened. At the prison, the recidivism rate, the amount of prisoners who were rearrested, was 93% lower than that of the State of California. To be exact, it was a rate of less than 2%. These results were observed for seven consecutive years. Bangin Bird Food business!
So why did they stop?
Someone was supposedly running up somebody else's phone bill. Smh, first world problems. They terminated the contract over these phone revenue issues. That is ridiculously sad seeing that that should have been the least of concerns in comparison to the remarkable results they were seeing otherwise. C'mon guys. Check out the article in its entirety: Vegan Diet Impact California Prison.
Now you may be thinking to yourself, "I don't know about all that. I mean if you're reading the Bible and "woosawing" everyday, what do you expect? If this is profound, how come I haven't heard about this all over the news?" Now that is a wonderful question. They should be implementing this approach all over the country and the world, right? My answer: The sad reality of "politricks", as my people say.
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| Photo Credit: miketyson.com |
So if you are still questioning the power of plants, let's consider our long-time friend: Mike Tyson. Most people may think of a couple of things when this man comes to mind. Crazy. Cannibalism, Child-Like Voice. Champion. I happen to think this man is quite intelligent. He is very well-read and a deep-thinker. What?!?! Nahhhh. Yes, he does have an intense fascination for pigeons but which one of us doesn't have our own idiosyncrasies. Don't even try. I know you have a thing for clowns. I saw it all on facebook. :)
Listen, this man was currently reading Puddn'head by Mark Twain, which I happened to read earlier this year because of this interview. Let's check it out:
In the interview, Greta Van Susteren asks Mike Tyson, "Mentally feeling different as a vegan?". He responds, "Incredible. I wish I was born this way. When you find out about the processed stuff you have been eating. I wonder why I was crazy all those years." I bolded for emphasis.
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| Photo Credit: lancearmstong.com |
Remember the Word's Getting Out post about presidents and athletes. I featured the article about Lance Armstrong starting the Engine 2 Diet. What really caught my attention was what he said when asked what kind of difference he noticed after starting the diet. "Energy level..my energy level has never been this consistent, not just consistent but high...The other thing-I expected to get rid of that dip but I didn't expect the mental side of it, and the sharpness and focus that I've noticed." Wickeeeed.
Even on his own LiveStrong website, there is an article about the significance of a vegetarian diet for young athletes. It specifically lists a section about mental clarity:
"Many people who switch to a vegan or vegetarian diet report feeling higher levels of energy and mental clarity. This is most likely due to the large amounts of vitamins and nutrients vegetarians consume."
So if bangin' bird food gives you a bangin' brain, what about food that is not so bangin'. A study from UCLA suggests that processed foods have negative impacts on the brain. Plant-based foods appear to curtail and even protect against cognitive degeneration. Check out this excerpt:
"He who does not mind his belly, will hardly mind anything else" - Samuel Johnson
Nice little play on words there. Sammie J, my dude!
That's my spiel for the day! :)
Thank you for reading! My people, I appreciate you all so much. Be healthy and happy. Ciao!
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