Plants Empower Us

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Plants Empower Us

Hi! My name is Melissa Symolon.

I'm a vegan plant based nutrition and health coach helping others to live life more in line with their values, while boosting their health and longevity.

10/24/2025

I love listening to uplifting podcasts that highlight real life miracle stories like Ruby’s. So often, people just accept the fate that the medical industry lays out for them: “take this medication for that problem,” “add another for this one.”

But these meds don’t solve the issue… they just mask the symptoms.

Thankfully Ruby refused to rely on medication for the rest of her life. She researched like her life depended on it and chose a different path, one that addressed the root causes of her illness naturally.

I hear so many stories of people reclaiming their health through the healing power of a plant-based lifestyle. Just the other day, I heard about someone who reversed heart disease and improved their cardiovascular function 4x through a whole food, plant-based diet! ❤️ 🥳

🌿 People doubt the power of foods that grow from the earth, but they truly are nature’s medicine cabinet. When you fill your plate with them, and crowd out the processed junk (that our society calls “food” ) your body’s ability to heal is truly incredible. ✨

If you have time, give this podcast a listen. It’s such an inspiring story!

(And honestly, I still can’t believe her doctor wasn’t thrilled about her being cancer-free! Maybe he just couldn’t believe it and was too shocked to react? IDK 🤷‍♀️)

10/03/2025

Leaning into different cultures’ food is one of the best ways to experiment with plant-based cooking. 🤗 So many cultures naturally build their meals around legumes, whole grains, and vegetables instead of relying so heavily on meat and dairy.

Think about it…

🇬🇷 Mediterranean cuisine brings you lentil soups, chickpea stews, fresh tabbouleh, and roasted veggie platters drizzled with olive oil and lemon.

🇮🇳 Indian cooking gives us endless varieties of dals (lentil dishes), chickpea curries, and fragrant rice pilafs.

🇲🇽 Mexican traditions highlight corn, beans, rice, avocado, and salsas full of flavor.

🇪🇹 Ethiopian food features injera (a fermented teff bread) served with lentil, chickpea, and vegetable stews.

🇯🇵 Japanese meals often center around rice, miso, seaweed, vegetables, beans and soy-based proteins.

Exploring these foods not only makes plant-based eating exciting and flavorful, but it also connects us with traditions that have nourished people for centuries. 💚

👉 What’s your favorite culture to pull plant-based inspiration from?

10/01/2025

Would you stop eating meat if it meant lowering your risk of cancer? 🤔

A brand-new study suggests just that.

Published in August 2025 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers followed more than 80,000 people in the Adventist Health Study-2 and found that:

- Vegetarians had a 12% lower risk of developing cancer compared to meat eaters.

- Among all the dietary patterns, vegans showed the greatest protection with a 24% lower overall cancer risk. 🙌

- Younger vegans saw especially striking results: a 43% lower risk of prostate cancer and a 31% lower risk of breast cancer.

So why did the vegetarians tend to have better outcomes than omnivores? And why do vegans fare even better?

Here’s what the science indicates:

1️⃣ Less carcinogenic exposure from animal products

Processed meats and high intakes of red meat are strongly linked to colorectal and other cancers. Cooking meat in high heat produces compounds (such as HCAs, PAHs) that damage DNA. Other animal products like dairy and eggs can also contribute to hormone-related risks (like IGF-1 stimulation).

2️⃣ More fiber = healthier microbiome = protective short-chain fatty acids

Plants supply fibers that gut bacteria convert into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate. SCFAs feed colon cells, strengthen the gut barrier, reduce local inflammation, and help regulate cell growth. Vegans, who rely exclusively on plant foods, tend to consume the highest fiber intake and therefore see the most benefit.

3️⃣ Phytochemicals and antioxidants that protect DNA and modulate growth

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are rich in polyphenols, carotenoids, and other phytochemicals that neutralize free radicals, reduce DNA damage, and influence pathways that control cell division and death. These protective compounds are abundant in plant-based diets but sparser in diets that indulge in a lot of animal products.

Science continued in comments 👇

09/22/2025

Some colorful inspiration for your week 🙌

We had another successful in-person meal prep yesterday 🤗

The theme was Indian 🇮🇳 - so we made…

Healing Kitchari
Tandoori Tofu
Green Curry Soup
Golden Tahini Dressing
Colorful salads with tart pomegranate and pumpkin seeds

The spices made these meals perfect for transitioning into fall. And it’s so much easier to eat healthy when meals are this easy to grab and eat.

I’m thinking about starting to host weekly meal preps over Zoom, could you let me know if you’d be interested? 📺 🤔

Let me know what kinds of foods you’d like to make in the comments. We’ve been playing around with Thai, Italian, American, Mexican, Mediterranean…

I’m of course excited about a Japanese 🇯🇵 🌸 themed week 😁

09/16/2025

I love seeing the receipts that prove your mindset truly creates your reality. 🙌

✔️ Breaking free from food addiction to sugar and processed foods

✔️ Crowding out old habits with healthier, energizing habits

✔️ Learning to use plant-based nutrition to your advantage to better fuel both your body and mind

✔️ A major mindset shift seeing food and movement as necessary tools to accomplish what you want out of life (not to be put on the back burner.)

It’s not easy to overcome food addiction or workout when it’s the last thing you feel like doing. But these kinds of changes are proof that your mindset shapes your decisions, and your decisions make your reality. 🫶

09/15/2025

Try bean spreads! A delicious alternative to deli meats which are classified as a Class 1 Carcinogen ☠️

I wish I could find this 🧅 French Onion Hummus at my grocery store! It’s my on repeat lunch til I run out and have to recreate it on my own. 😭

It’s packed with carmelized onion flavor and goes nicely with some lettuce greens and roasted red peppers.

09/10/2025

This is what I ate in a day visiting my sister and her family in their new home near Charlotte, NC 🫶

When I was new to being plant-based I used to get nervous about traveling away from home. What would I eat and would I get enough protein? 😬

But I’ve come to realize I had nothing to fear, I’ve always found plenty to eat because most of the foods I eat are staples in everyone’s homes I visit.

I don’t plan ahead and pack a can of beans or travel with tofu (like I used to 😆) I have fun improvising and I love having a chance to cook for others and share some of my favorite plant-plant based recipes.

Address

Avon, NC
27915

Website

https://www.plantsempower.us/

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