Crash course in nutrition

[Vegetarian4Life]

Being well read in the area of nutrition, I would like to emphasize how beneficial a vegetarian diet is, especially in controlling anxiety and depression. I enjoyed reading this chapter because I agree with it on many levels, however, even though it would seem drastic to many, I wish this program would cover vegetarianism. I, myself, am pretty much vegan. That means that I never consume dairy, eggs, or meat and rarely will I consume fish (because although it is hailed for its benefits on depression, it is high in toxins and also quite high saturated fat). Prior to my change in food choices, I never believed what I ate would really make a difference in how I felt. If you've cut out caffeine and sugar, chances are you're seeing a difference, but you won't believe how amazing you will feel if you try not eating meat (and dairy, for added improvement) for at least one month. From then on, your tastes change and you should no longer have cravings for those foods.

My friend became vegetarian a couple of years ago and he is no longer considered high risk in regard to his cholesterol. In fact, his cholesterol dropped over 100 mg/dL! This genuinely is the healthy way to go. There are so many myths about nutrition, and America's current beliefs are killing us. I love this vegetarian lifestyle because what I eat makes me feel good, and I have satisfaction in the fact that nothing I eat will cause damage to my body over time.

I appreciated the program's approval of carbohydrates, because this is an area of much controversy. Not all carbohydrates are created equal. You want to cut out all of your simple carbohydrates, such as white breads, white pastas and white rice and white refined sugar. However, you do want to consume grains (whole wheat grains) because those are good for you. When you consume whole wheat bread, wheat pasta and brown rice, you're consuming many nutrients, minerals and fiber. Don't run from these. Without these, you're consuming simple carbohydrates (the white stuff), which have been stripped of most of their nutritional content and fiber, and therefore they enter the blood stream quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar levels, adrenaline levels, and so on.
Many people don't know that foods such as tomatoes and apples are "high in carbs." Vegetables, for example, are complex carbohydrates, and necessary in order for the body to maintain its healthy weight, energy, overall function, and a ton of other benefits.

Meat contains no fiber at all. Meat consumption is directly related to an increased risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. In fact, a quarter pound of meat raises insulin levels in diabetics as much as a quarter pound of straight sugar. Dairy is also a problem, and is the number one reason for osteoporosis. Animal protein has a high sulfur content. When people eat animal products, acid forms in their bodies that must be neutralized in order to maintain its proper pH balance. In order to do this, the body borrows calcium from our bones, which eventually leaves our bones brittle. Often we hear of the recommendation to cut down on red meat and to eat more fruits and vegetables, but recommendations are not as strict as they should be because many of these organizations, such as the American Dietetic Association, are sponsored by the meat and dairy industries, who provide informational materials, dinners and convention meetings. According to "Breaking the Food Seduction," by Neal Barnard, MD, when the American Medical Association held its "videoclinic" on what doctors need to know about cholesterol, its proud sponsors were none other than the National Livestock and Meat Board, Beef Board, and Pork Board. That's what you would call a conflict of interest. Not only that, less than half of all US medical schools have a single course in nutrition. In fact, my own doctor didn't know much about a vegetarian diet.

A vegetarian diet may still seem quite drastic to many of you, although probably not as drastic as being vegan. I know, I felt the same way. I gave it a try and I am still amazed at how much better I continue to feel. It's fantastic!

I wanted to share this with you because I would like for all of you to feel better. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions and I would be happy to help offer some guidance. All the best to you.

[Vegetarian4Life]

If you're interested, here's some more info on nutrition. This is an article that was published in a magazine.


Can Your Diet Prevent Cancer?

“To know is science. To believe one knows is ignorance.” —Hippocrates


Dr. T. Colin Campbell is the leading scientist and director of The China Study, which was an extensive and in depth study on the people of China over the course of two decades, beginning in 1980. It was a study that closely investigated the correlation between diet and disease for the entire country. The conclusions derived from this research are remarkable; the project eventually produced over 8,000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease.

Growing up on a farm in northern Virginia, Dr. Campbell decided his career path was to promote better health by advocating the consumption of more meat, eggs and milk. Much of his Ph.D research at Cornell was devoted to finding better ways to make cows and sheep grow faster. He spent a lot of time working with two of the most toxic chemicals ever discovered, dioxin and aflatoxin. One study had very provocative findings. Researchers studied two groups of rats, administering to each group the same amount of toxic, cancer-causing aflatoxin. One group was fed a diet of 20 percent protein, an amount similar to what many of us consume in the West. The other group was fed a diet of 5 percent protein. The results were 100 to zero. Every single rat on the 20 percent protein diet developed cancer and not a single rat on the 5 percent protein diet developed cancer. In response to these results, researchers increased the aflatoxin in rats on the 5 percent protein diet and the results were the same—not a single case of cancer. Researchers then switched the diets. Rats that had no cancer on the 5 percent protein diet started developing cancer and the cancer in the rats from the other group stopped progressing. In fact, dietary protein proved to be so powerful in its effect that they could turn on and turn off cancer growth simply by changing the level of protein consumed, regardless of the levels of aflatoxin consumed. However, they found that not all proteins had that effect. Casein, which makes up 87 percent of cow’s milk protein, promoted all stages of the cancer process. The safe proteins were from plants, including wheat and soy. Gluten, the protein of wheat, did not produce the same result as casein, even when fed at the same 20 percent level. They also examined soy. Rats fed 20 percent soy protein diets did not form cancer, just like the 20 percent wheat protein diets. This information is astonishing because it indicates that nutrition trumps chemical carcinogens, even very potent ones, in controlling cancer.

According to Dr. Campbell, “the in depth and consistency of findings within the rat study strongly suggest that they are relevant for humans. First, rats and humans have an almost identical need for protein. Second, protein operates in humans virtually the same way it does in rats. Third, the level of protein intake causing tumor growth is the same level that humans consume. And fourth, in both rodents and humans, the initiation stage of cancer is far less important than the promotion stage of cancer. This is because we are likely dosed with a certain amount of carcinogens in our daily lives but whether they lead to full tumors depends on their promotion through nutrition, or lack thereof . . . Nutrients from animal-based foods increased tumor development, while nutrients from plant based foods decreased tumor development.” As this picture came into view, Dr. Campbell’s most cherished assumptions about animal products began to shatter. Dr. Campbell and his colleagues wanted to take to the next level all of the principles that they were beginning to uncover in the lab. Given the opportunity to study the role of nutrition, lifestyle and disease in the most comprehensive manner ever undertaken in the history of medicine, they were on to the China Study.

The China Study looked at the death rates for twelve different kinds of cancer for more than 2,400 Chinese counties and 880 million, or 96 percent, of their citizens. It was the most ambitious biomedical research project ever done, and involved 650,000 workers. Cancer being largely due to environmental and lifestyle factors was a conclusion that a few scientists had already reached. Sir Richard Doll and Sir Richard Peto of the University of Oxford wrote a major review on diet and cancer for the U.S. Congress in 1981. They estimated that genetics only determine about 2-3 percent of total cancer risk. People tend to adopt the same eating habits as their families. The China Study concluded that diseases were confined to specific areas of the country. As people adopted Western diets, blood cholesterol levels rose, as well as their rates of obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. “The average total blood cholesterol levels of the Chinese people are 127 mg/dl, which is almost 100 points lower than the American average (215 mg/dl) . . . Most Americans know that if you have high cholesterol, you should worry about your heart, but they don’t know that you might want to worry about cancer as well . . . Certain parts of China had cancer rates 100 times (10,000 percent) higher than other parts.”

Another conclusion derived from the China Study is that “there are at least four important breast cancer risk factors that are affected by nutrition: an early age of menarche (first menstruation), a late age of menopause, high levels of female hormones in the blood, and high blood cholesterol . . . Lifetime exposure to estrogen is at least 2.5 – 3 times higher among Western women when compared with rural Chinese women. Estrogen directly participates in the cancer process . . . Increased levels of estrogen and related hormones are a result of the consumption of typical Western diets, high in fat and animal protein and low in dietary fiber . . . The difference in estrogen levels between rural Chinese women and Western women is all the more remarkable, because a previous report found that a mere 17 percent decrease in estrogen levels could account for a huge difference in breast cancer rates when comparing different countries. Imagine, then, what 26-63 percent lower blood estrogen levels and eight to nine fewer reproductive years of blood estrogen exposure could mean,” as they found in the China Study. The sad truth is that most women simply are not aware that breast cancer is preventable if we eat foods that will keep estrogen levels under control. Less than 3 percent of all breast cancer cases can be attributed to family history.

Plant foods are incredible. “One of the more obvious characteristics of plants is their wide range of bright colors . . . The link between nicely colored plant foods and their exceptional health benefits has often been noted . . . The colors are derived from a variety of chemicals called antioxidants. These chemicals are almost exclusively found in plants. They are only present in animal-based foods because animals eat them and store a small amount in their tissues.” Plants take energy from the sun and transform it into life through photosynthesis. “This complex process is driven by the exchange of electrons between molecules . . . The electrons zooming around in the plant that are changing the sunlight into chemical energy must be managed carefully. If they stray from their rightful places, they may create free radicals, which can wreak havoc in the plant.” The plant manages these reactions and protects itself by putting up “a shield around dangerous reactions that sponges up these substances. The shield is made up of antioxidants that intercept and scavenge electrons that might stray from their course . . . What makes this relevant for us is that we produce low levels of free radicals throughout our lifetime . . . Being exposed to the sun’s rays, to industrial pollutants and improperly balanced nutrient intakes creates a background of unwanted free radical damage . . . Free radicals are nasty . . . We do not naturally build shields to protect ourselves against free radicals . . . Fortunately the antioxidants in plants work in our bodies the same way they work in plants.” The China Study found that “when levels of vitamin C in the blood were low, these families were more likely to have a high incidence of cancer. Low vitamin C was prominently associated with higher risk for leukemia and cancers of the nasopharynx, esophagus, breast, stomach, liver, rectum, colon and lung.” In addition, “90-95 percent of exposure to harmful chemicals comes from consuming animal products.”

So, what about protein? “According to the recommended daily allowance for protein consumption, humans should be getting about 10 percent of our energy from protein, which is considerably more than the amount required . . . The average American consumes 15-16 percent protein.” The animal studies hint that this places us at risk for getting cancer. How much should we consume? “Ten percent dietary protein is the equivalent of 50–60 grams of protein per day (in comparison to 100 grams or more), depending on body weight and total calorie intake.”

I strongly recommend reading The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D and Thomas M. Campbell II. There’s no way to cover the immense amount of invaluable information contained in this book. It will save your life. Many of us have lost a loved one due to cancer or have witnessed someone’s battle, and most of us live in fear of developing the disease ourselves. Now, after having done extensive research in the area of nutrition, I am not as concerned about buying organic products as I am about being vegetarian. The true testament is how you feel when you’ve changed your diet. That alone speaks volumes. Consuming organic food is a great improvement, but the problem is that many of the crops labeled organic are owned and operated by farmers using conventional methods. Agribusinesses are no stranger to the wide array of marketing ploys, and they, too, have jumped on the “organic” bandwagon. The only way to know for sure what you’re consuming is to buy local. But, as we have just seen, not only do we produce carcinogens on our own, we are exposed to them daily, and the only true hope for the fight against cancer is to change our diets, and move away from animal products.


Information contained in this article is from The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II.