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Welcome to HG Wellness University
Learn your "why"....
Understanding "why" you want to make changes in your life is just as important as the "how".
Below you will find educational material to help you learn your "why".
You will learn about the 4 pillars of health (nutrition, exercise, sleep and mindfulness) which are the foundation of our program.
Please review these materials as often as you can because knowledge is power!
Good luck on your wellness journey!!!
Pillar #1: Food & Nutrition
Introduction to whole-food plant-based diet
Consuming a diet high in fiber (fruits, veggies, legume/beans, grains) and low in unhealthy fats (animal products-saturated/trans) and sugars (simple/refined) can prevent and even reverse chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver, hypertension, high cholesterol and more.
Click and review the links below:
Anthony Lim, MD introduction to a whole-food, plant-base diet
Rip Esselstyn, Plant-strong & healthy living, TEDxFremont
HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS WITH A PLANT-BASED DIET
Dr. Gunaratnam's interview on GASTRO Broadcast GI radio about HG Wellness Program
Processed meat linked to cancer risk
Caloric and Nutrient Densities
Fat & oils have up to 30-40 times more calories than fruits and vegetables.
Please review the links below.
Jeff Novick, MS, RD: Calorie Density- How To Eat More, Weigh Less and Live Longer
Calorie Density: secret to sustained weight loss.
Review the bar graph below. Eat primarily from the foods represented by the green bars (veggies, fruits, unrefined complex carbs and legumes).
UnReCC = unrefined carbs
RefCC = refined carbs
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Pillar #2: Exercise
Exercising on a regular basis has been shown to improve your health/wellness and prolong life.
Please review the links below:
Why Walking Is The Superpower You Didn’t Know You Had
Dan Lieberman, Harvard professor: Surprising truth on exercise
Heart Health: Exercise vs. Nutrition
Pillar #3: Sleep
Sleep is critical for our health. Aim for 7-8 hours of high quality sleep per night.
Please review the links below:
Shawn Stevenson, Why sleep is more important than diet, Health theory
Matt Walker: Sleep is our superpower, TEDHealth podcast
How To Improve Your Sleep | Matthew Walker
Dr. Sherzai, Sleep. Who needs it? You do! #3 Plant strong podcast.
One more reason to get a good night’s sleep, TEDHealth, podcast,
Why Sleep Matters, Harvard Medical school
Pillar #4: Mindfulness
Managing chronic stress is also critical to our health and wellness.
Please listen to the links below.
Dr Rangan Chatterjee on How to manage stress
How mindfulness changes the emotional life of our brains
This Trick Reduce Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Secrets to solving stress cycle
Mindfulness instead of medication
Meditation and mindfulness made easy
Stress less, accomplish more, mindfulness vs meditation
How stress is destroying your health
Nutrition, the foundation of health, stop stress in it’s tracks,
The craving mind, finding joy in meditation, overcoming addiction
The power of meditation for the fidgety skeptic
Best diet for fatty liver disease
Some of our Favorite Books
Check out some of our favorite books that we recommend patients read when participating in our program. All of these can be purchased on Amazon!
How Not to Die
Feel Better in 5
How Not to Diet
This Is Your Brain on Food
Why We Sleep
Tiny Habits
Additional Wellness Topics
Developing New Habits
Use ATOMIC HABITS to Change Your LIFE! | James Clear (@JamesClear) | Top 10 Rules
John Assaraf on mindset, goal-setting and commitment to success Impact theory podcast
How to Upgrade Your Mindset in 46 Minutes | John Assaraf on Impact Theory
Rang. Chatterjee, MD, How to make lifestyle changes that will last Feel better live more podcast
Mindset / Attitude / Purpose
Why Your Excuses Will Ruin You | Rich Roll on Impact Theory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7iq2Z2D1Zs
Mindset and success, Tom Bilyeu, Feel Better Live More (FBLM) podcast, 4/20 #110 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bblzKUTIldw
Michael Klaper, MD, Get off your “Buts”, #10, Plant strong podcast https://www.plantstrongpodcast.com/blog/episode-10-klaper-returns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ar05F-LnWQ
This One Hack Will Help You Take Control of Your Brain | Mel Robbins on Impact Theory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCHPSo79rB4
WIN The War In Your HEAD And Find PEACE | David Goggins (explicit language)
The ONLY Video You Need To Find Your TRUE PURPOSE In Life | TOP 5 Best Advice
Speeches | Goalcast Jay Shetty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdHW1YipmVo
The Most Eye Opening 10 Minutes Of Your Life | David Goggins (explicit language)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLKxdTmk-zc
David Goggins - The Cure To Laziness (explicit language)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eClN__7Avuk
One of The Most Motivational Speeches Ever!!! David Goggins | (explicit language)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cuutcvdt2Xc
Michael Strahan: Impact theory Escaping the Matrix and finding happiness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUU0nvIhf8U
Jay Shetty: Impact theory. How to find your purpose https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXoErccq0vw
Nir Ejal indistractable
break free from limitations of your mind, #121, FBLM
VS Ramachandran: legendary neuroscientist building your brain for success
Wim Hof, Icemath cometh, RR, Elevating consciousness & human potential How to change your brain, A. Guberman, RR, 7/20/20
Intermittent Fasting
Fasting as a Therapeutic option for weight loss.
Why when you eat matters, FBLM,#21
Stop snacking and start fasting. UH, #369
What to Eat, when to eat. Exam Room, 8/22/18.
Valter Longo, PhD: Fasting for longevity, Rich Roll, 5/21/18
Our broken plate, intermittent fasting, Rich Roll, 2/8/16
Reset with intermittent fasting, UH, #294
Food addiction/ craving
Neal Barnard, MD, Exam Room podcast, 2/21/19, Food addiction, why we can stop eating. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFuSnKD8Kc8
Neal Barnard, MD; Exam Room podcast, 1/2/18, what foods are addicting? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg0Zh7sQvTw
Neal Barnard, MD, the cheese trap - breaking the addiction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHyLV3jeifk
Michael Furhman, MD, Food addiction and emotional overeating https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fvfOyiSWnY
Powerful Speech by Dr. Fuhrman: Food Addiction & Emotional Overeating
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fvfOyiSWnY
Ruairi Robertson Food for thought: TEDxFulbrightSantaMonica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awtmTJW9ic8
Food Addiction: Why We Can't Stop Eating, Exam room.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFuSnKD8Kc8
Exam Room, 8/22/18, Adam Sud, overcoming severe food addiction
Nutrion facts podcast, M. Greger, MD, Nutrition and Addiction. 6/28/18 https://nutritionfacts.org/audio/nutrition-and-addiction/
Crushing fast food addiction, Plant strong podcast, ep. 7
The craving mind, finding joy in meditation, overcoming addiction, #374, UH
Addiction is not a choice, Rich Roll podcast, 10/26/15 https://shows.acast.com/the-rich-roll-podcast/episodes/rrp188
Breaking the dairy addiction, Neal Barnard, RR, 6/19/17
Inspirational stories
Marc Ramirez, ER former UM football player
Adam Sud. RR, Lost 100# on plant based diet, reversed DM2, overcame addiction
John Lewis Bad Ass Vegan
Josh LaJaunie, RR & ER podcast
The Fatty Liver Rx Podcast
This podcast is created by our very own wellness team! Give it a listen!
More Patient Videos
Our Favorite Recipe Resources
When you see our dietitian, we hand out a copy of the book below that applies to your choice of transition diet.
How Not to Die Cookbook
Inspired by the research based book by Dr. Michael Greger, one of many whole-food plant-based doctors who use research to support their stance on nutrition. This cookbook offers a ton of Whole-food Plant-based recipes!
Oldways Mediterranean Cookbook
This cookbook offers 28 days worth of recipes coming from the Mediterranean diet. This is still full of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, but offers a diet including meat at limited quantities.
Oldways Vegetarian & Vegan Diet Menu Plan
This cookbook offers vegan and vegetarian recipes for 28 days for those that choose a more plant-centric transition diet.
Additional Resources
Here we have additional tools that may help you be successful on your wellness journey!
Wellness Warriors Introduction
This link connects to a youtube video in which Dr. Gunaratnam describes our program and its features.
Wellness Program Description
Check out this article authored by our very own program director, Dr. Gunaratnam. He explains the importance of a wellness program in a GI setting in a very compelling way!
NutritionFacts.org
This website is put together by Dr. Michael Greger, the author of How Not to Die and one of the inspirations the the plant-based diet we recommend. This website has tons of information based on research and is fun to explore and use to learn more about plant based nutrition!
Forks Over Knives
The documentary on Netflix is a recommended watch for anyone interested in the plant-based lifestyle. The cookbook is fantastic. The cooking classes are highly rated. The link below can help you learn more about all the above and more!
Mediterranean Diet Resource
If you are interested in learning more about the mediterranean diet, click the link below!
The Four Pillar Plan
Another book by Dr. Chatterjee that we really enjoy is the Four Pillar Plan! Check out more information about this as well as how to get the book.
Huron Gastro
For more about our practice as whole, click below.
A Beginner's Guide to Starting a Plant Based Diet!
This great link is helpful for anyone looking to learn about how to start living the whole-food plant-based lifestyle!
Our Plant-Based Transition Guide
This is a basic transition guide we offer our patients that choose to pursue a plant-based lifestyle.
Our Mediterranean Transition Guide
This is a basic transition guide we offer our patients who are interested in pursuing the Mediterranean lifestyle when transitioning.
Green Shakes
These healthy green shakes are easy to make and very adjustable. You can use these for breakfast, lunch, a snack, dinner, or whatever you like! Dr. G likes them for breakfast!
