Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

I’m a big fan of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a non-profit organization consisting of medical doctors, researchers, and scientists founded in 1985. PCRM promotes preventive medicine by focusing on good nutrition for disease prevention.

 

Research by PCRM proves plant-based diets improve health, prevent and reverse chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. They affect policies with their research. Therefore, I include them in my collection of favorite healing experts. The vegan lifestyle can be very healing.

 

I think everyone can benefit from PCRM’s ethical, unfiltered research and work to spread vegan lifestyles across the globe. There is a significant volume of information, so I selected these highlights.

Good Nutrition

Start by reviewing PCRM’s main page Good Nutrition. They share the power of a plant-based diet rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes, which is full of fiber, rich in vitamins and essential minerals, free of cholesterol, and low in calories and saturated fat. PCRM shows how to meet dietary needs for protein, calcium, and B12 with vegan meals. They also share that vegan diets lower the risk for many health issues and can be less expensive than an omnivorous diet.

 
The Power Plate - a guide for healthy eating to reduce chronic disease.

PCRM provides nutrition information for pregnancy, kids, and athletes. 

 

Review Nutrition Information, learn how different foods affect the body, i.e., fiber, protein, carbohydrates, dairy, eggs, and processed meats. 

Physicians Committee Free Cooking Classes

The Good Nutrition page also includes Food for Life. This is a nutrition education and cooking class program designed by physicians, nurses, and registered dietitians based on the latest scientific research, giving them an innovative approach to diet-related chronic diseases. Each class includes:

 

    • Details about how foods and nutrients work to promote or discourage disease
    • Cooking demonstrations, tips, and delicious recipes for healthy eating habits
    • A supportive and motivating atmosphere, empowering participants to take charge of their health and diet

21 Day Vegan - Free App

The 21 Day Vegan Kick Start Diet – Get the free app and sign up for online classes to take control of your health with a plant-based lifestyle.

Health Topics

Physicians Committee includes a Health Topics page to promote plant-based diets for good health. They prove and share how nutrition affects disease risks. Here are sample topics:

 

  • Arthritis – Diet change can reduce pain.
  • Asthma – Important to eliminate dairy and lead with a plant-based diet.
  • Cancer – Increasing plant fiber and decreasing meat and dairy help prevent breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer.
  • Diabetes – Plant-based diets can prevent, help manage, and reverse type 2 diabetes. See the Ted Talk too.
  • Heart Disease Risk – Plant-based diets reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and other heart disease risk factors, including insulin sensitivity, heart rate, and C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation).

Physicians Committee Educates Everyone

PCRM offers tools to bring nutrition to everyone at all levels: communities, hospitals, doctors, nurses, clinicians, medical students, scientists, patients, and all interested in eating a healthy vegan diet. They are working to make vegan meals optional in schools and hospitals.

 

PCRM programs:

 

  • Nurses Nutrition Network – Helps nurses at all levels advocate for healthy communities.
  • Clinicians – Host International Conferences on Nutrition in Medicine to share the latest research. Attendees earn continuing education credits. 
  • Medical Students – Committed to preparing next-generation physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals with plant-based resources to change the future of patient care.

PCRM hosts resources to share the benefits of a low-fat, plant-based diet, see Recipes, Fact Sheets, and Infographics. Visit the shop to purchase vegan diet starter kit, books, DVDs, and posters. 

Research Advice for Specific Conditions

PCRM also provides a Nutrition Guide for Clinicians. Research a specific health issue and see PCRM instructions for health providers.

 

Research Conditions

I love this resource. The information is for doctors. Search your illness or disease and see the definition of the condition, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, other considerations, emergency treatment, orders, what to tell the family, and references. Most importantly, see related topics and nutritional considerations.

Physicians Committee Free App - Advice for Conditions

Get the free app PCRM’s Nutrition Guide for Clinicians.

 

Note: App does not include related topics. Use the web to see related conditions, see button above.

Free Continuing Medical Education Credits

Anyone can Register

Healthcare professions can earn continuing medical education (CME) credits. PCRM partnered with George Washington School of Medicine and formed Nutrition CME. Their program offers free, non-commercial, classes filled with nutrition information.

The Exam Room Podcast

I enjoy The Exam Room, a podcast hosted by Chuck “The Weight Loss Champion” Carroll. Chuck lost 265 pounds with a plant-based diet. Topics range from the Vegan Superfoods to the Dangers of Dairy. Chuck also interviews patients who share healing success stories, celebrities, and physicians who promote a plant-based diet. See Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

 

Here is one great example from the podcast:

Healing Acne with Vegan Low-Fat Diet

The Exam Room interviews twins Nina and Randa Nelson, vegans their entire lives. In their twenties, they started getting severe acne. See how eliminating oils and toxins cures acne.

They adopted a vegan, low-fat diet and cut all oils. The twins tried antibiotics, they say antibiotics are not the solution.

 

The twins share their vegan lifestyle, making short, fun, informative videos that everyone can enjoy. Connect with them on their website, and see their book Clear Skin Diet. I love their YouTube channel, especially these two series from their playlist: Why Vegan/Curing Acne and What I Eat in a Day Vegan.

PCRM News

PCRM has an extensive News page, below are a few links:

 

  • Dr. Barnard’s Blog –  PCRM hosts this blog to share trending nutrition news, including peer review studies, and recipes.
  • Health and Nutrition News – Articles on the latest updates in nutrition and preventive medicine.
  • YouTube channel and very active social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Benefits of PCRM Membership

I enjoy being a member. I receive their Good Medicine magazine, sent quarterly to members. (See free downloads in the archives, available to all.) My favorite benefit is the live weekly Zoom call Mission Critical with Dr. Neal Barnard, MD. During this half hour session every Friday, PCRM shares updates on their activities and the latest plant-based news. I love learning about upcoming classes. One can join for as little as $20 annually. See all the Membership Benefits and Levels.

 

We donate to PCRM. Their mail campaign is strong. If you don’t want extra mail, be clear with them up front.

Find a Doctor

Locate a plant-based health care professional.

Find a Doctor

Donate Your Body to Science

PCRM employs ethical science principles with their own clinical research and promotes higher standards in research for all, including the end of animal testing. One way to support this effort is to Donate Your Body to Science. Human tissue is vital for researchers to learn how diseases start and progress and what keeps us healthy. By donating, scientists find new ways to diagnose disease and find new treatments. Donations drive research breakthroughs for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart, diabetes, and Parkinson. To learn more about body donation and the research the facilitates, please visit Anatomy Gifts Registry and United Tissue Network.

My Notes

Naturopathic doctors agree, PCRM’s dietary advice is great for your health and the vegan lifestyle can be very healing. My only concerns is that some people are intolerant to some vegan foods, i.e., fruit, grains, potato, soy, or tomatoes. Or they are intolerant to vegan combos like grains and potatoes.  

Check out my Home page. I advocate for a simple, accurate food intolerance test. Easily identify foods you can’t digest with the Carroll Food Intolerance Test.

 

Find real healing by identifying your food intolerances and adopting PCRM’s advice.

 

Namaste,

 

Diane

Diane@GutHeal.net

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