I am a regular guy who has been searching a long time for a healthy eating strategy that would keep my weight in check, lower my cholesterol, make me feel good, and keep me out of the sick-care system. I've had high cholesterol and my weight has bounced around for most of my adult life. I've tried low-fat, high-fat, low-carb, high-carb, low-calorie, Mediterranean, vegetarian, and you name it, without any long-lasting effect, and often feeling hungry.

I started reading about a whole-food plant-based eating strategy which resonated with me on many levels. Intuitively I knew processed foods were less nutritious than whole foods, and that large amounts of sugar, fat, and salt were not good. As I learned more, for instance that it is the only food strategy proven to reverse advanced heart disease, I decided to give it a try.

But I had a hard time finding whole-food, plant-based recipes that were simple, didn't need exotic ingredients, would refrigerate or freeze well, and didn't have added salt, sugar, and fat. So, I started developing and adapting recipes to suit my needs.

I have been living this lifestyle for over three years now. My cholesterol has gone from a high of 280 to 160 at last check. I feel better, have more energy, and my weight is constant at or below my high school weight, with no dieting. This is a food strategy, not a diet in the usual connotation of the word diet. I eat as much as I want whenever I want.

Tom Buschman, Mentor, Ohio