I'm not much of a book reader. It's hard for me- if I DO read, I often end up falling asleep because it's so relaxing. When I do want to read I skip out because it takes up so much time and I feel like I could be doing something more productive. It's really the same reason I don't watch much TV anymore too. I RARELY watch TV. I only like doing things that are teaching me something or helping me be a better person in some way or get to know a friend better. So I have not read the book I am about to talk about. But I feel like I HAVE because my mom has told me so much about it!
The China Study is on my mind tonight because my kids are sick. Again. Landen has been battling a small cold this past week, but Joselyn was doing fine until tonight. Fever and barking cough. Ugh. I feel so sorry for the little girl. So I started looking up phrases on Google like "why do my kids get sick so much?" and was amazed at the responses. I thought I was going to hear "You take them to daycare" or "pre-school". But instead a lot of people had mentioned Dairy products. Apparently, dairy products affect your immune system and can make you get sick more often. I don't have any sources to quote except for many many testimonies by frustrated mommies who heard about it from other mommies and took their kids off dairy. Results? Their kids weren't getting sick as much! This is what reminded me of the China Study and the reason Adam and I have resolved to take dairy out of our kids diets as much as we can. Another drastic move on my part, right? Landen loves his milk- but the other day I gave him almond milk instead and he couldn't tell the difference! It's amazing to me how much we eat determines how healthy we feel and are.
The China Study basically is a book containing studies about how what we eat is directly linked to diseases such as cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The study found the people who ate more animal products tend to have more cases of the diseases while those who ate a more plant based diet saw a significant less instance of the diseases. Interesting, huh? This book is one of the reasons I have changed my diet to what it is. (yes, even though I haven't read it)
So just in case you're curious, here is a summary of the book from the China Study website. It's kind of long, but worth the read.
The science is clear. The results are unmistakable.
Change your diet and dramatically reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
Respected nutrition and health researcher, Dr. T. Colin Campbell reveals the truth behind special interest groups, government entities and scientists that have taken Americans down a deadly path
Even today, as the low-carb craze sweeps the nation, two-thirds of adults are still obese and children are being diagnosed with Type II diabetes, typically an "adult" disease, at an alarming rate. If we're eating healthier, why are Americans stricken with heart disease as much as we were 30 years ago?
Drawing on the project findings in rural China, but going far beyond those findings, The China Study details the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The report also examines the source of nutritional confusion produced by powerful lobbies, government entities, and opportunistic scientists. The New York Times has recognized the study (China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project) as the "Grand Prix of epidemiology" and the "most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease."
"After a long career in research and policy-making, I have decided to step 'out of the system'. I have decided to disclose why Americans are so confused," said Dr. Campbell. "As a taxpayer who foots the bill for research and health policy in America, you deserve to know that many of the common notions you have been told about food, health and disease are wrong."
"I propose to do nothing less than redefine what we think of as good nutrition. You need to know the truth about food, and why eating the right way can save your life."
Early in his career as a researcher with MIT and Virginia Tech, Dr. Campbell worked to promote better health by eating more meat, milk and eggs -- "high-quality animal protein ... It was an obvious sequel to my own life on the farm and I was happy to believe that the American diet was the best in the world."
He later was a researcher on a project in the Philippines working with malnourished children. The project became an investigation for Dr. Campbell, as to why so many Filipino children were being diagnosed with liver cancer, predominately an adult disease. The primary goal of the project was to ensure that the children were getting as much protein as possible.
"In this project, however, I uncovered a dark secret. Children who ate the highest protein diets were the ones most likely to get liver cancer..." He began to review other reports from around the world that reflected the findings of his research in the Philippines.
Although it was "heretical to say that protein wasn't healthy," he started an in-depth study into the role of nutrition, especially protein, in the cause of cancer.
The research project culminated in a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, a survey of diseases and lifestyle factors in rural China and Taiwan. More commonly known as the China Study, "this project eventually produced more than 8000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease."
The findings? "People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease ... People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease. These results could not be ignored," said Dr. Campbell.
In The China Study, Dr. Campbell details the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and also its ability to reduce or reverse the risk or effects of these deadly illnesses. The China Study also examines the source of nutritional confusion produced by powerful lobbies, government entities, and irresponsible scientists.
The China Study is not a diet book. Consumers are bombarded with conflicting messages regarding health and nutrition; the market is flooded with popular titles like The Atkins Diet and The South Beach Diet. The China Study cuts through the haze of misinformation and delivers an insightful message to anyone living with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and those concerned with the effects of aging. Additionally, he challenges the validity of these low-carb fad diets and issues a startling warning to their followers.
Oh yeah. And tonight Adam and I decided I can't really call myself a Vegan. More like a very avid Word of Wisdom follower. It makes more sense to me since I'm following it loosely. I'm MOSTLY vegan, but occasionally some vegans might call me a cheater when Thanksgiving comes around.
