Health, Taken Seriously

I finally got to see the documentary Forks Over Knives that has been out for months.  The film is about how diet can stop and even reverse some diseases, and about the dangers of animal products.  I read The China Study, by Colin Campbell Ph.D. (who is featured in the film), almost 3 years ago.  Since then, our family has eaten much less animal products–we only eat meat about once a month and we cut way back on dairy.  But the film featured other doctors (Caldwell Esselstyn, John McDougall, and Pam Popper) as well as plenty of anecdotal evidence from individuals who changed their diet to treat cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.  It was highly motivating and I found it really enjoyable.

The film had a good balance of scientific research and anecdotal evidence.  I will mention a bit of the most impressive research.

• Dr. Esselstyn, a heart surgeon, was struck early in his career about this study, and I have to say it floored me too–in the 1920′s and 1930′s in Norway, heart disease was on the rise.  During WWII, Germany invaded and confiscated all the livestock to feed themselves, leaving Norweigans to eat plant-based foods.  The number of deaths from heart disease plummeted, only to rise again when the occupation ended.  Very interesting!
• Dr. Campbell duplicates Indian research showing that when rats are expossed to the carcinogen Aflotoxin, the growth of their tumors can be controlled by the minipulation of their diet.  Rats fed 20% casein (dairy protein) had rapid tumor growth, while rats fed 5% had none.  Rats on the 20% diet switched to the 5% diet saw their tumors shrink.  Notable is that the group with no tumor growth did not have no casein at all, but 5%.  Perhaps a strict avoidance of dairy is not necessary and considerable reduction is sufficient?
• Dr.  Esselstyn takes a group of heart disease patients who have had multiple heart attacks and are basically knocking on death’s door.  He puts them on a plant based diet.  A few drop out over the years, but after two decades, 18 are still in the group and all are alive.  Eleven of them have stopped their heart disease progression and four have reversed it.
• Dr. McDougall notes that in Hawaii, the immigrants from Asia are trim and healthy.  Their children, born on the island, tend to eat more fast food and animal products, and are “fat and sick.” Continue reading

My father and a couple other people I know are trying to reduce their intake of animal products (in light of the documentary Forks Over Knives and books like The China Study).  The China Study points out the problems of consuming a lot of dairy.  But dairy is so hard to cut out of the diet, and alternatives (soy cheese anyone?) leave much to be desired.  However, there is one company that makes several products that I find absolutely delicious and actually prefer to dairy:  Turtle Mountain.

I especially like Turtle Mountain’s coconut milk products, like their ice cream sandwiches, ice cream bars, and yogurt.  While the cultured coconut milk is nothing like yogurt made from cow’s milk (the lack of protein means a very different consistency), it is tasty and my children enjoy it.  I also think their soy-based Purely Decadent “ice creams” are delicious.  The Mocha Almond Fudge is one of my favorites.  It’s not really ice cream season, but just know that if you’re avoiding dairy, there are many good alternatives out there.