Health news can be pretty daunting. Virtually every day, we hear discouraging news about heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. But it’s not all gloom and doom. Let’s take a look at the following three recent reports and focus on ways that we can stay healthy:

●    According to Yale University researchers, cold weather, high humidity, and daily temperature swings may raise one’s risk for a stroke. This likely wasn’t what you wanted to hear if you were already suffering from the winter blues, but before you crawl back under the covers, consider this: Studies show that people who eat vegan foods, which are naturally cholesterol-free and generally low in saturated fat, are much less likely to have arterial blockages that can cause strokes and heart attacks.

Vegans tend to have considerably lower blood pressure than meat-eaters do, too, which makes them far less susceptible to strokes. And the average vegan is 18 percent leaner than his or her meat-eating counterpart, which is significant, considering that obese people are much more likely to suffer from strokes. So no matter what the temperature is, you can reduce your risk for a stroke just by eating healthy vegan foods.

●    Researchers suspect that high cholesterol may increase a person’s risk for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Like heart disease and strokes, Alzheimer’s is linked to the saturated fat, cholesterol, and toxins in animal-based foods. Research shows that people who avoid “bad fats”—the kind found in meat, eggs, and dairy products—cut their risk of Alzheimer’s disease by about two-thirds.

But bad fats are only part of the problem. Meat is often high in metals—such as iron, copper, and zinc—which can also “trigger” Alzheimer’s disease. While we need traces of these metals for good health and can get them from vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, meat tends to supply an overdose. Eating healthy plant foods, rather than animal-based ones, helps boost our intake of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other brain-beneficial substances that can lower our risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

In Power Foods for the Brain, Dr. Neal Barnard explains how eating plant-based foods can reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s by as much as 70 percent.

●    The Chicago-Sun Times  recently published a health-advice column urging arthritis sufferers to eat healthy vegan foods with anti-inflammatory properties.

According to Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz, a vegan diet that’s rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables as well as supplements such as algal oil DHA omega-3 can help ease arthritis pain and prevent other inflammatory conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease.

There’s no reason to dwell on “scary” health reports when you can take control of your health—and prevent debilitating illnesses—just by being active and eating a wholesome plant-based diet.