While in college studying nutrition, my friend heard from an educator that it's easier for an individual to vary their religion than to vary their eating habits.
But necessity is that the mother of invention. When my dad got sick and was hospitalized for cancer, I started researching to find out the way to protect ourselves and heal from cancer. While watching "A Delicate Balance," on Vimeo I heard nutritional researcher T. Colin Campbell describe the results from the most important study ever done on nutrition and cancer as detailed in his book, the "The China Study."
A friend had given me the book years before but it had been a deal-breaker since it advocated a vegan diet, which meant abandoning all animal foods including vegetarian food like cheese and eggs. But within the fight for my dad's life, I used to be willing to try to do what it took so I read the book and couldn't put it down. My first thought upon finishing it had been "knowledge is power."
The premise of the book is that animal protein causes cancer cells to multiply while plant protein causes cancer cells to shrink. This research is backed by empirical scientific evidence and published in scholarly journals. it's detailed in Chapter 3 of the book and would be a compelling place to start your research. But the research is silenced by lobbyists for the food industry who don't need this type of data available.
After reading the China Study and realizing what percentage of ailments are caused by the "Standard American Diet" or SAD, I vowed to travel vegan. Turning vegan appeared like a simple option to protect my health from the dreaded cancer menace.
Although a seasoned vegetarian, I lacked skill in making tasty vegan food without cheese and eggs. Committed to the health benefits of a vegan diet, I enrolled in a vegan chef school and trained for 3 weeks with a master vegan chef.
Throughout chef school I lived exclusively on vegan food. the primary thing you notice is that the amazing energy gained from eating fresh wholesome food. Antioxidants color the fruits and vegetables which fortify our systems.
When people inevitability ask where our protein comes from one expert responds, "I get my protein from an equivalent place your protein gets its protein." Leafy greens, grains, nuts, legumes, beans, seeds are some "whole-food plant-based" sources of protein.
And the neatest thing is that the food tastes magnificent. Cashew cheese, almond milk, and coconut butter are staples. Toss tofu cubes with nutritional yeast, tamari, and vegetable oil then bake for savory nuggets. Steam tempeh cubes for 20 minutes - mix with vegan mayonnaise, garlic, onion, basil, and parsley. Place in a pita for a "mock" salad sandwich
