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" Principle 5:
It is worth repeating that chronic diseases take several years to develop. As we saw in chapter three, cancer that is already initiated and growing in experimental animals can be slowed, halted or even reversed by
good nutrition. Luckily for us, the same good nutrition maximizes health
at every stage of a disease. In humans, we have seen research findings
showing that a whole foods, plant-based diet reverses advanced heart
disease, helps obese people lose weight and helps diabetics get off their
medication and return to a more normal, pre-diabetes life. Research has
also shown that advanced melanoma, the deadly form of skin cancer,
might be attenuated or reversed by lifestyle change.
I believe that an ounce of prevention does equal a pound of cure, and
the earlier in life good foods are eaten, the better one's health will be.
But for those who already face the burden of disease, we must not forget l that nutrition still can playa vital role. "
― T. Colin Campbell
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" CHART 11.2: NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF PLANT AND ANIMAL-BASED FOODS (PER 500 CALORIES OF ENERGY) Nutrient Plant-Based Foods* Animal-Based Foods** Cholesterol (mg) — 137 Fat (g) 4 36 Protein (g) 33 34 Beta-carotene (mcg) 29,919 17 Dietary Fiber (g) 31 — Vitamin C (mg) 293 4 Folate (mcg) 1168 19 Vitamin E (mg_ATE) 11 0.5 Iron (mg) 20 2 Magnesium (mg) 548 51 Calcium (mg) 545 252 * Equal parts of tomatoes, spinach, lima beans, peas, potatoes ** Equal parts of beef, pork, chicken, whole milk As you can see, plant foods have dramatically more antioxidants, "
― T. Colin Campbell , The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-term Health
175
" Good nutrition and regular exercise combine to offer more health per person than the sum of each part alone.
We also know that physical activity has an effect on emotional and mental well-being. Much has been said about the effect physical activity has on various chemicals in our bodies, which in tum affect our moods
and our concentration. And experiencing the rewards of feeling better emotionally and being more mentally alert provides the confidence and motivation to treat ourselves to optimal nutrition, which reinforces the
entire cycle. Those who feel good about themselves are more likely to
respect their health by practicing good nutrition. John Robbins has done more than any other person to bring this issue to the front of American consciousness, and I strongly
recommend reading his most recent book, The Food Revolution. Our food choices have an incredible impact not only on our metabolism,
but also on the initiation, promotion and even reversal of disease, on our energy; on our physical activity, on our emotional and mental
well-being and on our world environment. All of these seemingly separate spheres are intimately interconnected. I have mentioned the wisdom of nature at various points in this
book, and I have come to see the power of the workings of the natural
world. It is a wondrous web of health, from molecules, to people, to other animals, to forests, to oceans, to the air we breathe. This is nature at work, from the microscopic to the macroscopic. "
― T. Colin Campbell , The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-term Health
176
" Chart 4.4: Disease Groupings Observed in Rural China Disease of Affluence (Nutritional extravagance) Cancer (colon, lung, breast, leukemia, childhood brain, stomach, liver), diabetes, coronary heart disease Disease of Poverty (Nutritional inadequacy and poor sanitation) Pneumonia, intestinal obstruction, peptic ulcer, digestive disease, pulmonary tuberculosis, parasitic disease, rheumatic heart disease, metabolic and endocrine disease other than diabetes, diseases of pregnancy, and many others Disease associations of this "
― T. Colin Campbell , The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-term Health