Are you thinking about your animal products? Many of us grew up on a "meat and potato" kind of diet, and over time some of us have learned to add more vegetables and use meat or animal products more as a condiment. "Meatless Mondays" is a thing, and grass fed animal products can now be found on grocery shelves. Those concerned with the environment (as we all should be) sometimes choose to eat less or no animal products due to the effects on the environment. And of course there's the cruelty and slaughter of animals.
I once had an opportunity to hear a lecture by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, the author of the famous China Study. He’s had a long career and has conducted a tremendous amount of research specifically about the effects of animal products as food. He talked about a general misunderstanding of nutrition in our country. It has to do with political and policy corruption and inappropriate research, and as a result we are degrading the environment and slaughtering animals in what he called mass murder, for our own “nutritional needs”. He said that we have not listened to Hippocrates' main message which of course is "let food be our medicine, and medicine be our food."
In the Philippines, he noticed anecdotally that families who ate more protein had a higher rate of childhood liver cancer. We know that what we put in and around our environment influence our gene expression. He also discussed a study that took place over 50 years ago (1968) showing that rats who ate more animal protein got cancer at higher rates than those without animal products. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) study in 1974 also confirmed this finding.
If we are concerned about our health, and quality of life, then what should we be eating? There's no debate about eating lots of fruits and vegetables for good health, in fact there is scientific proof of the tremendous benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. Healthy fats from nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, is also a no brainer based on the science. After that, there is a lot of debate about grains, soy, dairy, meat, and even fish. So what are we supposed to eat?
As a health coach, I don't prescribe a particular diet to my clients, I just inform and educate based on the science. Here are my suggestions:
- Eat more plants (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans) to have a lower impact on our environment, and our health. Check out recipes on my website.
- Use grass fed, organic, pastured, sustainably raised, local (whenever possible) animal products in small amounts, like a condiment, as a protein source for meals.
- Avoid processed food with more than five ingredients on the label. Processed food contains chemicals, food dyes, stabilizers, harmful processed oils, added sugars, and added sodium, all proven to be harmful to our health. Seriously, this manufactured "Phood" leads to all kinds of health issues including obesity, high blood pressure, certain cancers, ADHD, diabetes, and heart disease, to name a few.
What are your thoughts? Have you changed the way you eat for good health? I'd love to hear from you.