HOST (IN TAGALOG): Blessed viewers， welcome to today's Healthy Living featuring the Dr. Tam Vegan Association of the Philippines (ＤＴＶＡＰ)， a non-profit organization with ５，０００ members throughout the Philippines that promotes the vegan diet as the path to a healthy and productive life.

Dr Tam (m): I prefer to go back to basics， to eat more fruits and vegetables. I'm very thankful and glad because our body is a unique system that can create quality blood and in three months' time when we are eating vegetables and fruits， we can create new blood. And in six months' time to one year's time， we can have brand new organs.

HOST: Dr. Tagumpay Mateo， known as Dr. Tam， is the group's founder and the Philippines' first naturopathic doctor or a doctor who uses only natural remedies to treat health conditions. Among his many endeavors， he operates a naturopathic center three vegan restaurants in Metro Manila and is the chief executive officer of Living Food Philippines.

For years he has inspired many of his fellow citizens to follow God's plan of a natural， compassionate， plant-based diet. Today we'll visit with Dr. Tam and other members of ＤＴＶＡＰ and learn how eating right is the key to maintaining optimum mental and physical health.

Eileen Baylon(f) : I am Eileen Baylon and I'm one of the consultants here at the Dr. Tam Naturopathic Center， and I'm also one of the co-founders of the Dr. Tam Vegan Association of the Philippines.

The Dr. Tam Vegan Association of the Philippines is of course founded by the first Filipino naturopathic doctor， Dr. Tam Mateo， and we've been giving health aid through the leadership of Dr. Tam for more than １５ years. And as we continue doing that， a lot of people have recognized and appreciated the work of naturopathic procedures.

With that a lot of illnesses have been survived such as cancer， diabetes， and hypertension. Families also have changed their diet from being carnivores to being vegetarians.

HOST: ＤＴＶＡＰ holds seminars to inform people about plant-based wellness and nutrition.

Eileen Baylon(f): The prime motivation for Filipinos is， especially with the way with the food situation in our country is， first， most of the people who come here are sick. So we explain to them the basic causes of disease and， of course， I give a lot of food advice in our regular health seminars.

When I give them the seminars， what can you get， why people are suffering from illnesses; breast cancer or viruses and ovarian disease， cancer， and thyroid problems. When they understand these things， abruptly they say， 『Okay， I'm convinced to become a vegetarian.』 With the diet and the procedure that we are giving them， I can challenge them that after a year's time， after being a vegan and taking a lot of greens in their diet， １００％ they would have good quality bones. Being a vegan would １００％ free you from all synthetic medication， and it gives you a good， longer， healthy life.

HOST: A plant-based diet changes our attitude and outlook on life for the better. We feel happier and feel peace in our hearts.

Eileen Baylon(f): Just look at the animals. Okay， caribou， they are tame， okay. Look at the alligator， crocodile， the tiger， and the wolf. See， they are voracious eaters Most of the food that we are eating doesn't really give what you call a full stimulation.

Because if you're going to eat a lot of meat， your blood is always stimulated， and then you have hot blood so the tendency is you don't have a relaxed brain， you don't have relaxed muscles. So if you're vegan， definitely you become more relaxed. And of course you would have a good sleep for those people who are insomniacs.

HOST: What initially prompted Dr. Tam and his wife to both shift to a vegan diet and become strong advocates for this vibrant lifestyle？

Dr Tam (m): During our thirties， my wife and I developed many health problems， especially my wife， a breast tumor. And by just changing our lifestyle into vegetarian， we realized that it gives us a lot of support and help， especially to our own people here， especially the Philippines.

Mrs. Tam (f): When I got sick with breast cancer， I changed our lifestyles. Our lifestyle is totally different. We are very strict in our diet， in what we eat; most of it is raw food and it's really strictly vegan， so no animal byproducts at all. Everything is plant-based.

HOST: Aida Mateo's recovery from cancer led the couple to spread the good news about how animal-free foods can heal and prevent disease.

Mrs. Tam (f): I got well， rejuvenated and (went into cancer) remission. So we promised the Lord， because of what happened to us， that we're going to share it with others， because it's a blessing for us.

Dr Tam (m): Look in our modern environment now. Cancer is a very ordinary disease， which includes diabetes. Is it normal to our people？ No way！ I've been a vegetarian for the last ２０ years， and I never even experienced visiting a hospital. I believe that this kind of work， especially educating about the right diet， should be the number one priority in our world today.

HOST: There are many excellent reasons to avoid dairy products. One is the fact they contain ＩＧＦ-１ or Insulin Growth Factor-１， a hormone that facilitates cancer growth.

Eileen Baylon(f): Humans reaching the age of two can no longer produce the rennet enzyme， which is to digest the protein from milk. Our body can no longer use the milk we drink. So that would become fermented， especially if it's coming from animals. And if you do that， the more you drink milk， the more you are releasing a lot of calcium in your body.

HOST: A mother who consumes mercury-contaminated fish or other seafood puts their fetus at high risk of birth defects including mental retardation， cerebral palsy， blindness and deafness. In adults， mercury poisoning from seafood can cause memory loss， tremors， vision loss， heart disease， and death.

Dr Tam (m): I believe that fish should be considered not good for our body. First of all， the water is not really clean enough， especially the mercury， the dioxins， the PCBs， the lead， and metal and so on that even the leading professionals and scientists are testifying that there is no clean water anymore in our modern world today.

HOST: Now let's hear from a patient of Dr. Tam's named Marylie Pel， who experienced wondrous healing through naturopathic treatment and adopting a vegan diet.

Marylie (f): I am Marylie Pel， ４０ years old， working as an ＯＦＷ. (Overseas Filipino Worker) My employer sent me home for treatment. One issue was high blood pressure and then a tumor in my throat. I went to the hospital but my illness was not cured. First of all is my high blood pressure; before it was always ２００， １８０. Now I can maintain １２０， sometimes １３０.

My throat before， in my neck， there were many lumps. Then the doctor checked me last week; he said all the lumps are gone. And I feel light， my body has grown thin. Not like before， I weighed １７６ pounds [８０ kilograms]; now it is １４０ pounds [６３ kilograms] only. For all of you， this is what I can say to maintain good health， we need to eat the right food like vegetables and fruits that our body needs. That is the biggest help to our body， our health.

HOST: Dr. Tam's two beautiful daughters have been vegans all their lives and their superb health is yet another example of the power of a plant-based lifestyle.

Tammy(f): Tammy. Seven years old.

Ayah(f): My name is Ayah and I'm sixteen years old.

Supreme Master TV(f): Since when you've been vegetarian？

Tammy(f): Since birth.

Ayah (f): The same， since birth.

HOST: We asked Ayah about her classmates' reaction when she tells them about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Supreme Master TV(f): So， what do you tell them？ How do you convince them that vegetarian diet is good？

Ayah(f): I tell them that it's good for the health.

Ayah (f): They also want to be a vegetarian too. They also join me as we eat at the table.

HOST: Dr. Tam believes that each of us needs to take responsibility for our well-being.

Dr Tam(m): We have only one life， we have only one health that no one else could claim. You own it， it was given by God as a gift. You don't buy it， you don't make it for yourself， somebody else (didn't) hand it to you for free， and I believe you are sinning against God if you abuse it， because we can call it 『killing me softly.』 In Tagalog 『pagpapakamatay ng hulugan.』When you are not eating good food， especially the food with ＭＳＧ， the food with toxins， the artificial sweeteners， those are killing.

That's why when you are eating junk food， it's loaded with ＭＳＧ， loaded with preservatives， loaded with artificial sweetener， loaded with so many chemicals. Is that the kind of food we are giving to our children？ No way！ Let's go back to nature， eat lots of papaya， pineapple， bananas， grapes， so many fruits that you can buy， or if you can plant your own， the better.

HOST: Here are some final words from members of the Dr. Tam Vegan Association of the Philippines.

Eileen Baylon(f): Try becoming a vegan， because as you try becoming a vegan you would slowly start and experience yourself， 『I can become healthy， I have enough protein， and I have enough calcium.』 Your body can tell you， 『Yes，』 you have provided yourself with a good quality of food so you can live a healthy life.

Dr Tam (m): Thank you very much. Bless the people， help the people， and our world， and our environment.

Mrs Tam ans Eya？(f): Be Veg， Go Green， ２ Save the Planet！

HOST: Our thanks go to the Dr. Tam Vegan Association of the Philippines for informing the marvelous people of this splendid Southeast Asian nation about the plant-based way of life. Through their generous sharing and continuous efforts， the ill are regaining their health， young children are growing up stronger， and people are living longer. We look forward to a global vegan society soon in coming in which all humans and animals enjoy happy， fit lives.

For more details on the Dr. Tam Vegan Association of the Philippines， please visit www.DrTam.org