By Melanie Coughlin, Special to OutreachNC

“How old do you want to be when you die?” asks Darrell Simpkins, M.D., medical director of the FirsthHealth cardiac rehab program.

A proponent of plant-based eating, Dr. Simpkins asks this question of people interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet. He asserts that individuals have more control over when they die than they think they do, and it starts with good nutrition.

Research supports his assertion, showing that a plant-based meal plan staves off and corrects many health problems. Following this diet helps prevent and treat cancer and diabetes. It can reverse heart disease, lower cholesterol and prevent dementia. All this, plus it aids in weight management.

A plant-based regimen means eating a vegetarian or vegan diet. Vegetarians consume no meat and eat mostly fruits, vegetables and legumes. Vegans do the same, but also avoid products derived from animals such as eggs, cheese and milk. A nutritious meal plan for vegetarians and vegans alike means consuming more whole foods, or foods that are as close to their natural state as possible.

Giving up animal products is a big adjustment for most Americans. On average, Americans get 40 percent of their food from animals, according to the book “The China Study.” Yet the research about the benefits of a plant-based diet is compelling enough that many adults are making a change in their eating habits anyway – and getting good results.

John Gagan, a self-described “meat and potatoes” man, experienced a dramatic drop in cholesterol after giving up meat and dairy products last summer. The drop was significant enough that Gagan’s doctor took him off one of his cholesterol medications. This is noteworthy for a man who underwent heart bypass surgery four years ago. Gagan also reports his energy level is higher. That, too, is typical for individuals who change to a plant-based diet.

Dr. Simpkins made the switch himself six months ago. A fervent exerciser who competes in triathlons, he has always had a lot of energy but sees results with his new eating plan.

“Now I have more energy, and I’m more alert,” says Dr. Simpkins. “Mentally, I feel a huge difference.”

Marjory Leidy lost almost 10 percent of her body weight after beginning a plant-based diet last summer. Though she wasn’t obese, Leidy had tried different strategies to shed a few extra pounds. When she considered changing her eating habits, she had doubts as to whether she could go without the foods she enjoyed. It turned out to be easy for her.

“I don’t miss animal protein at all,” says Leidy.

Leidy, like other vegetarians and vegans, gets her protein from other sources. Only 10 percent of a person’s calories should be derived from protein, but the “protein myth” –the claim that it’s impossible to get enough protein from a vegetarian diet– is still strong.

Bill Croft, Ph.D., tackles that myth in his role as chair of the health sciences department and as a whole health educator at Sandhills Community College. His own life is a testament to the fallacy of the protein myth. A competitive weight- and power-lifter, Dr. Croft’s protein and dietary needs are greater than the average person. He has built the strength and muscle mass he needs while following a vegetarian diet for more than 20 years.

Dr. Croft began transitioning to a vegetarian diet when he was 14. Over many years, he slowly cut back animal products and increased his intake of whole foods. He recommends people interested in changing to a plant-based diet do it slowly.

“It takes several years to become a vegetarian,” says Dr. Croft. “The biggest mistake people make is to try to do it in one day. That’s a recipe for failure.”

Fortunately for followers of a plant-based diet, it’s not as hard as it once was to dine at restaurants. Frances Purcell-Abbott, a vegetarian since 1974 made the transition to a vegan diet within the last 10 years, says she couldn’t eat out at all in the 1970s if she wanted anything more than a salad. Now she can eat almost anywhere she wants and still get quality food.

A Southern Pines restaurant, 195 American Fusion, was ahead of the plant-based diet movement. In the 1990s, Milton Pilson and his wife Karen opened the health food store Nature’s Own Market. Pilson often made his own lunch of veggie burgers using a toasting machine on his desk. Over time, customers followed their noses and bought veggie burgers from him there. He and his wife knew nothing about the restaurant business, but nonetheless launched a vegetarian eatery based on their customers’ interest. Today, the restaurant menu includes non-vegetarian items while keeping its vegetarian roots strong.

Other Sandhills area restaurants too are part of the growing effort to provide menus with fresh and local items, some even cultivate their own produce in organic gardens. The ease of finding plant-based meals is good news for people seeking to improve their health by changing how they eat.

Purcell-Abbott says vegetarians “can eat wonderfully” and not just at high-end restaurants. Growing awareness of plant-based diets means many of the chain and fast-food restaurants offer vegetarian- and vegan-friendly dishes, too. Purcell-Abbott finds vegan dishes at Ruby Tuesday, Chili’s, and Moe’s. She gives Moe’s high marks for cooking tofu in a separate container from meant, saying that level of attention to detail is rare.

And for those plant-based dieters opting to dine in, the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative offers weekly or bi-weekly boxes of fresh, locally grown produce directly from area farmers. Our region is also fertile ground for many weekly, local farmers markets, offering a plethora of vegetables and fruits, ripe and in season.

“Food is your medicine,” says Dr. Croft. “It’s very powerful. You can harness that power by eating whole foods.”

Click Here for a complete list of farmers markets in North Carolina

Read freelance writer Melanie Coughlin’s blogs at redheadedsteppchild.blogspot.com.