So, why aren't we being told about a whole food plant based diet that has been proven repeatedly to prevent all kinds of diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer? Dr. T. Colin Campbell, (from Cornell), the author of The China Study, puts it this way:
- Despite thirty years of the massively funded War on Cancer, we have made little progress. Contrary to what many believe, cancer is not a natural event.
- Adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle can prevent the majority of cancers in the United States. Old age can and should be graceful and peaceful.
- Caesin, the protein in cow's milk and all dairy products, may be the most relevant cancer-causing substances we consume.
- There is enough evidence now that the US government should be discussing the idea that the toxicity of our diet is the single biggest cause of cancer.
- There is enough evidence now that the doctors should be discussing the option of pursuing dietary change as a potential path to cancer prevention and treatment.
- Our institutions and information providers are failing us. Even cancer organizations, at the national as well as local levels, are reluctant to discuss or even believe this evidence.
- Food as a key to health represents a powerful challenge to conventional medicine, which is fundamentally built on drugs and surgery.
At least the "system" now realizes that the large scale screening (for most cancers) is not getting the job done when it comes to the prevention of cancer. But the information is out there if you are willing to look for it. So many people have been diagnosed with some form of cancer, started doing research on their own, and found the best "treatment" was to eliminate all processed foods, meat and dairy, and starting eating loads of vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole-grains.
Unfortunately, our "system" NEVER fully explains to us what we should be eating to give ourselves the best possible chance for avoiding all chronic diseases, including cancer. Our current health care system relies heavily on drugs...this is where all the MONEY goes when it comes to research and development. This is not working...we don't need more drugs....what we NEED is PREVENTION.
The most powerful form of prevention is YOUR DIET! What you EAT, researchers have proven, has EVERYTHING to do with your HEALTH. Making the right food choice is probably the MOST IMPORTANT decision you will make in the course of your day. I don't think people realize they have CONTROL over their destiny....remember, doctors are taught to diagnose disease and prescribe a pill to "treat" it. Doctors are NOT TAUGHT about the power of nutrition...unfortunately, most doctors get their information from the same place the rest of society gets theirs...from the media that is getting their information from people that will make a profit on promoting their products...i.e., the meat and dairy industries.
Congress has tried to MANDATE nutritional education in medical school....however, it has not been a "top priority". REALLY?? It's not a top priority because if people can take control of their health, really take control and stay healthy, what will happen to the pharmaceutical companies that are pumping out the drugs, making billions?
Pharmaceutical companies have way to much to lose to let that happen......
So, if you want to take control of YOUR health, a Whole Food Plant Based diet is the BEST "diet" you can give yourself. It's really not a "diet" because you are not limiting yourself when you eat vegetables, fruits, beans, etc. Eat as many colorful vegetables as you can along with fruits, and for protein, get in at least one cup of beans, (chickpeas, red beans, white beans, navy beans, northern beans, black beans, kidney beans, etc.) a day...beans are a powerhouse of protein.
Again, there are hundreds of recipes out there using just plant based foods...all you have to do is look for them. Start by eliminating all processed and artificial foods, (foods that come in cans, packages, and boxes with ingredient lists a mile long), then start eliminating meats, (beef, chicken, pork, fish, processed meats such as salami, bologna, pepperoni, hot dogs...the worst thing you can put in your body!!) and lastly, and what I found to be the most difficult, is eliminating dairy. But, once you have avoided these foods for about 3 weeks to a month, your cravings will absolutely disappear, you will no longer "miss" them, you will FEEL so much better, your energy will soar, and as a bonus, the numbers on the scale will drop!!
This really isn't about a "weight loss program", it's about a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.....it just so happens that the side effect from eating this way is weight loss.....and who doesn't want that side effect??