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Press Release
Contact Name: Cyd Notter FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Phone: (815) 351-5662 (PDF Version)
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cydnotter.com
Does God Care What You Eat?
New book offers a fresh perspective on the growing interest in
plant-based nutrition – and why Christians should be paying more attention
(WILMINGTON, IL, May 2019) —Despite all the diet plans available and the trillions of dollars spent annually on health care, the U.S. ranks as the heaviest (and one of the sickest) nations on the planet. In her new book, The “Plan A” Diet: Combining Whole Food, Plant-Based Nutrition with the Timeless Wisdom of Scripture, Nutrition Educator and Author Cyd Notter says the answer to our increasing weight and health struggles is a simple, achievable plan that’s within our control—the three to five pounds of food we ingest each day.
“Poor food choices are the major factor in up to 90% of our ailments, and are a much greater determinant of our health outcomes than our genetics,” says Notter, whose book offers a rather unique blend of both scientific research and biblical principles. “We have far more control over our health than we ever thought possible thanks to the power of plant-based nutrition, which can prevent, halt, or completely reverse our top leading killers—including our #1 killer, heart disease.” That alone, according to Notter, should be worthy of our attention.
The public is catching on to the benefits of a plant-based nutrition program. Awareness has grown rapidly in recent years, with the number of Americans who follow a vegan, vegetarian, or vegetarian-inclined diet now totaling over 31 million people—34% of whom identify as Christians. Notter strives to increase that awareness among the Christian community by demonstrating how today’s dietary research correlates with the teachings of scripture.
“Because health is a great equalizer, this book will help anyone—regardless of their spiritual beliefs,” she explains. “But believers have a deeper responsibility because scripture compels us to be good managers of our bodies and take ownership of our behaviors. Sadly, today’s Christians fare no better than the general population when it comes to suffering from obesity and diet-related illnesses, both of which hinder our ability to function and limit the abundant life God desires for us. This book was written to hopefully change that.”
The book also provides advice to church leadership on how to cultivate health-promoting atmospheres within their congregations. “Churches have the power to be an instrument of change in society’s ever-growing obesity and health crisis,” says Notter, “which would not only serve to bless their congregants, but could be a valuable resource to their local communities as well.”
Motivations for the book stem not only from Notter’s desire to help those suffering with weight and health issues, but to educate those who are confused by the widespread availability of conflicting nutritional information. “One day coffee is good, the next day it’s bad. Grains are healthy versus grains should be avoided. Carbs are necessary versus carbs are evil. It’s easy to see why the public is confused,” she states, “so I’ve included seven pointers to help people evaluate everything they hear and read.”
“As a cardiologist specializing in disease reversal, I plan on having my patients use this tool to improve health through better nutrition.”
—James L. Marcum, MD, FACC, ACLM, Chattanooga Heart Institute, Director of Heartwise Ministries
“This plan will give you the principles of how to eat and cook, and a 7-day meal plan to jumpstart the therapeutic impact which will clearly outstrip the costly efforts of pills and procedures.”
—Hans Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, FACN, Clinical Professor of Preventive Medicine, Loma Linda University, Founder of the CHIP Program
Notter assures her readers that a plant-based diet is not about eating twigs, tree bark, or rabbit foods; nor is it ever too late to benefit from dietary change. By switching to a diet which features plant-based versions of sloppy joes, burritos, lasagna, and burgers, she asserts that people will enjoy the optimal benefits that result from living in harmony with their design.
The “Plan A” Diet is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever books are sold. Signed copies are available at www.cydnotter.com. (Release Date October 1, 2019; Morgan James Publishing, New York, ISBN: 978-1642793703)
Cyd Notter is a graduate of the Center for Nutrition Studies and a certified instructor for several dietary therapy courses. She offers a variety of classes, both locally and online, and has worked with school district and fitness center employees. Her column titled “The Nutrition Coach” ran in local newspapers for seven years, and several of her articles have been published in a Florida on-line magazine. Cyd and her husband live in Illinois, where they enjoy outdoor activities, classic movies, and old Volkswagens.
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Media Kit
Welcome and thank you for visiting!
I look forward to the possibility of scheduling an interview, speaking to your group, offering a cooking demo, or collaborating at an event. After scrolling through the information provided, please contact me at [email protected] with the details of your request. Thanks again!
Book Cover and Description
No food restriction, calorie counting, or willpower required.
Finally, a gimmick-free plan for those who are nutritionally confused, suffer with declining health, or continually flit from one failed diet plan to another.
Combining her decades-long study of both nutrition and scripture, Cyd Notter founded The “Plan A” Diet to illustrate the correlations between biblical principles and healthy eating, and to encourage Christians to take an active role in their health. She demonstrates that a whole food, plant-based diet can not only heal our most chronic ailments, it’s the only diet proven to reverse our number one killer: heart disease. Readers are provided with effective strategies to regain their health and permanently lose weight, as well as:
• Useful insights for dealing with resistance to change
• Delicious remakes of comfort foods, such as pasta, burgers, and brownies
• A 7-day meal plan, plus an optional 5-week Transition Plan
• Tips for evaluating the conflicting information you hear or read
• Prayer, scripture, and biblical encouragement
• Discussion questions for personal reflection or group study
Today’s unbiased research continues to confirm that God’s first prescribed diet for mankind—His “Plan A” Diet—remains the ideal food to this day. By choosing the right foods for health reasons, you’ll reap the incredible benefits that come from living in harmony with your design – permanent weight loss, improved mobility, and clearer thinking, just to name a few.
Signed copies are available on my website. Books and eBooks are also available online and in retail stores wherever books are sold, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.) (Publisher: Morgan James Publishing, New York, NY; ISBN-13: 978-1642793703)
Bio and Author Photo
Cyd Notter
Nutrition Educator/Coach/Author
Nutshell and Detailed Bio available here.
Sample Interview Questions
Sound like a pro (without having read the book). Sample questions available here.
Press Release
Click here for The "Plan A" Diet Press Release
Book Trailer
Click here for the Book Trailer
The Story Behind the Book
Click here for the Story Behind the Book
Experience with Speaking and Presentations
Rip Esselstyn LIVE- 4 Tips to Stay Motivated with PlantStrong Eating - November 2023
Rip Esselstyn Podcast - Common Barriers to Making Change - July 2023
Be Green with Amy LIVE - The 6 Big Disconnects Between Diet and Health - July 2023
Featured as the Spotlight Member in the 2023 Spring Edition of Health Science Magazine.
Live on Be Green With Amy: 4 Tips to Stay Motivated with Healthy Eating - April 2023
Live on Chef AJ: Plant-Based Eating with a Faith-Based Perspective - February 2023
Live on Be Green With Amy: Inflammation & Your Diet, January 18, 2023
Interview on Tim Kaufman's Fat Man Rants Membership Platform. - November 2022
Interview on Plant Your Seed, Fred Ferris' podcast: Plant-based eating and biblical principles - November 2022
Live on Chef AJ: The Biggest Barriers to Change, and Instant Pot Pineapple Chili - September 2022
Interview on Maya Acosta's podcast, Healthy Lifestyle Solutions, May 2022
Live on Chef AJ: Inflammatory Foods -3o minute presentation, February 2022
Live on Chef AJ: Inflammatory Foods Slide Presentation & Cooking Demo! April 20, 2021
Presentation: The 12 Barriers to Change, on Ask Dr. Sal, Medical Director of CHIP/Lifstyle Medicine Institute - (Scroll to the episode on January 20, 2021)
Myself, Kathy Davis, and Chuck Carroll - a 3-person panel discussion/Interview on The Modern Nerd Podcast with Theresa "Sam" Houghton - released Nov. 4, 2020
Live Cooking Demo on Chef AJ's YouTube Channel - recording released August 19, 2020
Speaker or cooking demonstrator at the following Florida-based Veg Fests in the spring of 2020: Fort Myers, Naples, SWFL Veg Fest, and Charlotte County Veg Fest. Also a speaker at nine Veg Fests during the 2021-2022 season.
Interview with Rekishia McMillin, Rock Your World Naturally - released Oct. 28, 2019
Interview on The Corinne Nijjer Podcast - released Oct. 1, 2019
BlogTalkRadio Interview with Christian Authors on Tour, released September 6, 2019
Podcast Interview by Dr. John Westerdahl, released August 23, 2019.
Podcast Interview with N.D. Cole (the ND500 podcast), released 8/11/2019 (Note: Tempo of recording condensed)
Podcast Interview with Heather Randall (A Musing Podcast), released 7/19/19
Podcast interview with Karl Forehand (Karl's Coaching), released 4/25/19
Book Presentation & Cooking Demo for teachers and staff at Carl Sandberg H.S., Orland Park, IL
Book Presentation for the Joliet Rotary, Joliet, IL
CHIP Group (Complete Health Improvement Program) in Fort Myers, FL (The "Plan A" Diet presentation)
Three Rivers Church, Plainfield, IL (a series of health and cooking classes)
The Children's Garden in Elwood (cooking demos)
Coal City H.S., Coal City, IL (a series of health and cooking classes)
Riverside Health Fitness Center, Bourbonnais, IL (a series of health and cooking classes)
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Groups in Naperville and Shorewood, IL (weight loss presentations)
Retired Teachers Local 604, Joliet, IL (a series of health classes with food sampling)
Women of the Moose, Wilmington, IL (health/nutrition presentation)
Innerpeace Natural Healthcare, Joliet, IL (health/nutrition presentations with food sampling)
Leeza's Care Connection, Joliet, IL (health/nutrition presentation)
On-site classes, Wilmington, IL (several years of in-home health/nutrition and cooking classes)
Workshop Titles
For educational forums/groups
The "Plan A" Diet Overview
Jumpstart to Healthier Habits
10 Common Myths about Healthy Eating
Inflammation and Your Diet
The Best Foods for Your Brain
Building Better Bones
Intro to Safe, Permanent Weight Loss
Nutritionally Confused? Let's Sort it Out
Basic Label Reading Tips
Dairy - Friend or Foe
Recipe for Real Health (a one-day workshop)
Change Your Diet, Change Your Health
A Variety of Cooking Demos
For churches
Any of the above classes (with applicable scripture included)
Plant-based Eating with a Faith-based Perspective
How to Manage a Temple
Sowing and Reaping - Both a Natural and Spiritual Law
Freedom from Food Bondage
Note: The information dispensed during classes or on this website is intended as general dietary information, and is not intended as personal medical advice. Please consult with your physician if you have any medical concerns prior to adjusting your diet.
Book Endorsements/Testimonials
Foreword by Dr. Hans Diehl, Founder of the CHIP Program and Clinical Professor of Preventive Medicine at Loma Linda University.
Endorsements:
“I am a devout Christian and a staunch advocate of a whole-food, plant-based diet. I have read many great books on faith and Christianity. I have also read many great books on how and why to eat a whole-food, plant-based diet. The “Plan A” Diet” is one of the rare books that combines both subjects, and does so seamlessly and beautifully. Regardless of your religious background, you will learn a lot from reading this book, but especially for the millions of Christians out there who see their faith and their diet as two completely separate spheres, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! I am certain that doing so will transform you for the better.”
~Anthony Lim, MD, JD
Medical Director, The McDougall Program
“The “Plan A” Diet by Cyd Notter is a valuable resource for those wanting to learn more about nutrition. As a cardiologist specializing in disease reversal, I plan on having my patients use this as a tool to improve health through better nutrition.”
~James L. Marcum, MD, FACC, ACLM, Chattanooga Heart Institute. Speaker/Director of Heartwise Ministries, Author of The Ultimate Prescription, Medicines that Kill, and Biblical Prescriptions for Life
“Cyd Notter combines sound nutritional principles with a faith-based approach to healthy living and the result is a great blueprint for changing your life, and helping others to change theirs. This book provides food for the body and for the soul.”
~Pamela A. Popper, Ph.D., N.D. Founder and President of Wellness Forum Health. Author of Food Over Medicine and Solving America’s Healthcare Crisis
“The “Plan A” Diet is your ticket to a disease-free life! Cyd Notter gets right to the heart of the obesity and chronic disease epidemic currently sweeping our planet. This book will show you how to adopt a diet and lifestyle plan that actually works. Trade in your monthly trips to the pharmacy for a daily dose of delicious, mouthwatering food aimed to rid your body of debilitating, chronic disease(s) and those unwanted pounds. Read The “Plan A” Diet to find out how!”
~Dustin Rudolph, PharmD, BCPS, Author of The Empty Medicine Cabinet
“What a wonderful way to bring our faith and the healing power of food together! God is interested in all parts of our lives. When we are sick and unhealthy, it hinders our ability to participate with God in the work He has for us. I am excited that The “Plan A” Diet is a book that focuses on a Christian audience and can help guide the people of faith to regain their health and purpose.”
~Terri Edwards, EatPlant-Based.com. Licensed Food for Life Instructor, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
“Let Cyd open your eyes with this compelling manuscript expounding on the deeper importance of why seeking the best health possible has present day as well as eternal consequences. She has covered many ideas not yet explored in most Whole Food Plant-Based exposés. In 3 John 1 we are told: ‘I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospers.’”
~Kathy Reynaert-Randall, CHIP Facilitator, Trainer & Area Developer.
“As someone who has experienced firsthand the pitfalls of the standard American diet AND trendier high-protein diets, I can tell you they don’t lead down a path of wholistic health. There IS a better way… God’s way… the way He planned for us from the very beginning. This book perfectly communicates Cyd’s wealth of knowledge and experience and boils down complex science and Scripture into easy-to-understand action steps. This book is incredibly thorough, yet completely practical. Read this book and change your life!”
~Amber Lauren, Fix Your Eyes on Him Biblical Health & Wholeness, Author of The Biblical Self-Care Workbook
Easy Instant Pot Risotto
For a printable download, click here.
Easy Instant Pot Risotto
1 onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz sliced mushrooms (portabellas work great)
5 cups veggie broth
2 cups arborio rice
¾ tsp thyme
1 cup peas (canned, or frozen)
¼ cup plant-based parmesan cheese (see below)
2-3 handfuls of chopped spinach (optional)
Combine the onion, garlic, and ¼ cup of the broth in an Instant Pot; cook on the
SAUTE setting for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and stir until they’re
tender. Add the broth, rice, and thyme. Select the High-Pressure setting and cook for
6 minutes, after which time do a ‘quick release’ of the pressure. Stir in the peas,
plant-based parmesan, and spinach (if using). Add salt/pepper to taste if desired.
Plant-Based Parmesan:
½ cup cashews, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, salt (or salt-free seasoning) to taste. Pulse
all in a blender until powdery. Use caution not to over blend or it will be ‘pasty.’
You can also try garlic powder or other spices if desired.
For a lower fat version, switch out the ½ cup cashews for ¼ cup cashews and ¼ cup
rolled oats. OR, you can use all rolled oats instead of the cashews.
How Oils and Inflammation Harm the Heart
Did you know that common oils are one of the most highly inflammatory "foods" we can eat?
And when it comes to heart disease, oils and inflammation seem to go hand-in-hand.
I know this may be surprising to many of you, since oils are often touted as health foods by savvy marketers and even some health professionals.
I'm always reluctant to call oil a FOOD, because oils are simply the pure fat which has been extracted or pressed from olives, seeds, corn, coconuts, vegetables, nuts, or fish. As described in my article here, all oils are 100% pure liquid fat that contribute to many health issues, including inflammation.
One reason these extracted fats are so inflammatory is because of their high Omega-6 content. Omega-6 is a polyunsaturated fat that, once consumed, metabolizes into another form of Omega-6 called LA (linoleic acid). It's linoleic acid that produces prostaglandins and other fatty molecules that contribute to inflammation.
A study was released in 2018 by the researchers in the Department of Preventive Cardiology at St. Luke's Mid-America Heart Institute which took a look at Omega-6 vegetable oils as a driver of coronary heart disease (CHD). The findings revealed that the linoleic acid found in oils is indeed concerning. Here are just a few of their findings:
- Linoleic acid metabolites promote cardiac arrhythmias, cell death, organ failure and cardiac arrest.
- Linoleic acid is the most abundant fat found in atherosclerotic plaques, and this has been known since at least the 1960's.
- An excess dietary intake of linoleic acid causes greater endothelial activation compared with an excess of saturated fat (a critical step for inducing atherosclerosis).
- A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in humans found that when saturated fat plus trans-fat is replaced with omega-6 fat (high in linoleic acid), there is an increase in all-cause mortality, ischemic heart disease mortality and cardiovascular mortality.
- Linoleic acid is inflammatory to the vascular endothelium.
Here's how the researchers summed it up:
In summary, numerous lines of evidence show that the omega-6 polyunsaturated fat linoleic acid promotes oxidative stress, oxidised LDL, chronic low-grade inflammation and atherosclerosis, and is likely a major dietary culprit for causing CHD, especially when consumed in the form of industrial seed oils commonly referred to as ‘vegetable oils’
Take another look at that last bullet point: Linoleic Acid is inflammatory to the vascular endothelium. The endothelium refers to the thin, single layer of endothelial cells that line the inside of our arteries. These protective endothelial cells produce nitric oxide which keeps our vessels open and allows for proper blood flow. But once the endothelial lining gets damaged, fats and cholesterol enter the artery wall and pave the way for plaque formation.
Chronic inflammation then results because our bodies recognize plaques as a threat and go on the defense by sending immune cells to that area to begin the healing process. That's what chronic inflammation is. The body's way of protecting us against something lurking in the body that shouldn't be there. The immune system goes on high-alert because it's senses some type of threat, and dispatches immune cells to counteract the threat and begin the needed repairs.
However, when immune cells remain activated and overstay their welcome, persistent, chronic, low-grade levels of inflammation result - and our arteries are one of the most likely sites for this to occur. There are no nerve endings in our arteries, which is why we don't feel excruciating pain when all of this is going on.
To make matters worse, some of those hovering immune cells will decide to switch teams! They go from being protective cells to damaging cells, and when those damaging immune cells combine with fats and cholesterol, they actually contribute to plaque formation and lead to even more inflammation.
Another study which was released in 2018 took a look at the role of those damaging immune cells. The study, conducted by the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, showed that a diet high in fat and cholesterol depletes the ranks of artery-protecting immune cells by turning them into promoters of inflammation which worsens the plaque buildup that occurs in cardiovascular disease.
The researchers reported that inflammation is a key factor to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries, known as atherosclerosis. The lead researcher was quoted as saying:
"People think atherosclerosis is just about cholesterol, diet, and exercise, but it's actually an immune disease. The blockage of arteries is very much due to the immune system reacting to excess cholesterol and lipids in the walls of the blood vessels." He goes on to say "With a western diet, protective cells change to damaging cells, causing more inflammation."
It's not unusual for Americans to add oil to their skillets, their salad dressings, and their baked goods. Plus restaurant meals, fried food, and processed junk foods are typically loaded with it. Eliminating these health-damaging extracted oils from your diet is one of the best decisions you can make!
If you found this article helpful, check out our online course "Inflammation & Your Diet"
Watch this video: How to Saute, Roast, and Bake without Oils
Take a 1-question quiz about oils here.
Click here to get a free copy of "10 Simple Dessert Smoothies"