LIFESTYLE Planting The Seeds For A Healthy Diet ISSUES With Virtual Counselling Sessions By Dave Hall
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hen Registered Pharmacist Steve Gavrilos (also known as Stavros Gavrilidis) was diagnosed with diet-induced heart disease almost four years ago, he decided to change his diet and lifestyle rather than undergo a series of medical procedures. “I was facing an angiogram and possibly an angioplasty, and while they are largely safe procedures, they are still invasive, and to me they are band aids not cures,” explains Gavrilos, who owns Eastown Pharmacy, 2050 Lauzon Road (near Tecumseh Road East) in Windsor. Instead, Gavrilos embarked upon a research journey that ultimately led him to adopt a whole food plant-based diet, which focuses on vegetables, fruits, complex starches, grains and legumes while avoiding meat, dairy, eggs, cheese, fish, seafood, processed foods and oils, as much as possible. “I’m Greek and I even eliminated olive oil,” he adds, laughing. His research included achieving certificates in Lifestyle Nutrition offered online by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a Nutritionist (with a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry) and advocate of plant-based diets, at Cornell University in the U.S.A. Gavrilos lost 18 kilograms over 18 months and was given a clean bill of health by his doctors, without the need for medical intervention. “Not everyone is able to do what I did, but if you make significant improvements in your diet and stay away from animal products, processed foods and oils, you will notice a large improvement in your overall health,” states Gavrilos. The Canada Food Guide also recommends eliminating sugar-laced drinks and processed foods while including vegetables, protein and whole grains as part of a balanced meal. (Refer to the government website: Food-Guide.Canada.ca/en). After reaching his own health goals, aided by walking 30 minutes a day, Gavrilos decided to launch the Plant Based Wellness Forum so he could begin offering the same advice and information to patients at his pharmacy, through a series of nutritional seminars. While only offered to small groups in the beginning, Gavrilos nevertheless saw improvements in his patients’ health with weight losses ranging from 12 to 18 kilograms. Unfortunately, COVID-19 restrictions put an end to the in-person seminars and now Gavrilos offers “Zoom” sessions at $10 per person to help spread the word and provide people with alternatives to pills, medication and medical intervention. Gavrilos, who says his slogan is “I push plants, instead of pills,” does not expect everyone to be able to change from an animal-based
Inside Eastown Pharmacy, Canada’s Plant Based Pharmacist Steve Gavrilos prepares for a Plant Based Wellness Forum lecture on Zoom about the benefits of a whole food plant based diet. Photo by Rod Denis.
to a 100% plant-based diet, but even if they can change by 70% it will help them tremendously. The higher the compliance, the better the results! There are also additional benefits, including reductions in animal cruelty and environmental improvements because of a decreased reliance on meat products. Despite being a Pharmacist, Gavrilos believes medication often only masks the problem and doesn’t cure it. “The changes worked for me and I believe they can work for anyone with similar medical issues,” he says. “I’m really focused on helping my patients get better and change their lifestyle and diet so the improvements can last a lifetime.” Find more information at: Facebook.com/eastownpharmacy.
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