Lifestyle Issues: Plant Based Pharmacist Steve Gavrilos Of Eastown Pharmacy Offers Nutritional Seminars For Healthy Living

LIFESTYLE ISSUES Planting The Seeds For A Healthy Diet With Virtual Counselling Sessions

By Dave Hall

When 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.

The Kidney Foundation “Six Degree Challenge”

By Joe McParland

WARNING

You may be seeing and hearing a great deal of me everywhere in the next few weeks!

Iwas recently invited to be the “Six Degree Challenger” to represent Windsor and Essex County in The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s “Six Degree Challenge”.

It kicks off the globally designated “Kidney Health Month” Monday, March 1 and culminates on March 11, 2021 (“World Kidney Day”) with a 24 hour giving day. (Donations can be made online throughout the campaign at: SixDegreeChallenge.com).

As a “Six Degree Challenger” I will be getting the message out to the community about kidney disease and how the community can help in fighting this disease.

I will be the point of contact for local print and electronic media, as well as posting on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The “Six Degree Challenge” has been a digital fundraising/social campaign since its inception in 2019.

This campaign encourages Ontarians to share their connection with kidney disease to help bring this often-silent disease out of the shadows, and challenge others to do the same to spread the word online while fundraising to support programs and kidney research.

Over the past two years, the #SixDegreeChallenge has raised more than $57,000 to support The Kidney Foundation’s programs.

Vital community support ensures that individuals living with kidney disease have access to the programs and services they need when they need it most. Last year’s campaign challenged everyone to show their support for the high burden of kidney disease worldwide.

This year’s “Six Degree Challenge” theme is “Living Well with Kidney Disease”.

It encourages Ontarians to share their connection or personal journey with kidney disease.

Challengers will highlight and share their connection with kidney disease on social media platforms and in the media.

We can help patients, and those who care for them, feel empowered and supported in their journey and ensure they have the resources and programs to help them live well with kidney disease.

With public support, together we can provide hope for the future: hope for better treatments and ultimately a cure.

How does the “Challenge” work?

We are all connected in some way to kidney disease. Whether you have a personal story to share or not, everyone can participate by . . . 1. Posting a photo of yourself holding up six fingers on Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook with the hashtag #SixDegreeChallenge 2. Nominating six friends to do the same by tagging them in the photo caption 3. Donating at: SixDegreeChallenge.com

As your local “Challenger”, I have not experienced kidney disease myself. However, I have had friends and acquaintances with kidney disease — some able to treat and maintain the disease through diet and medications, others needing dialysis, and some who are kidney transplant recipients.

The person who taught me so much about kidney disease is Cristina Howorun.

You may remember her as CTV Windsor’s political affairs specialist reporter from 2009 through 2012 before she moved up the highway to CTV London. Since 2015, she has been back in her hometown of Toronto working with CityNews. Currently, she is seconded to its documentary unit.

Howorun tells us: “In March of 2018, I was diagnosed with end-stage Alport’s Syndrome with a kidney function between 6 and 8 percent. Most females with this condition are carriers of kidney disease, but some (like me), express the actual disease.”

Facing a scary diagnosis, Howorun courageously and selflessly decided to share her journey from diagnosis — to dialysis — to kidney transplant recipient with a series of documentary features on CityNews.

I encourage everyone to learn more about her story — and from her story — at: Toronto.CityNews.ca/topic/kidney-disease.

Finally, a few important facts regarding kidney health and kidney disease . . . 1 in 10 Canadians — nearly four million — have kidney disease and the numbers are on the rise. Kidney disease is often called an invisible or silent disease. A person can lose 50% of their kidney function and have no symptoms. 45% of new kidney disease patients are under 65. Kidneys are vital organs that are responsible for keeping your body going. There is no cure for kidney disease. End-stage kidney disease is treated with dialysis or a kidney transplant. 77% of Canadians on the organ transplant waiting list are waiting for a kidney. The two leading causes of kidney disease are diabetes and hypertension.

Learn more about kidney health and organ donation at: Kidney.ca.

In closing, I hope all our Biz X readers will spend time learning more about kidney disease by participating in the 2021 “Six Degree Challenge”!

Cristina Howorun – CityNewsToronto reporter and kidney transplant recipient. Photo courtesy of CityNews Toronto.