Continuing with our list of the six n0t-so-healthy foods in our book, this blog is devoted to the most ubiquitous food of our generation — CHEESE. As you probably know, most s0-called vegetarians even eat cheese as they, like almost everyone else, truly believe that it is a healthy product with lots of calcium and protein. Plus, no animal has to die for you to eat your cheese. So what’s the problem? Here’s what we had to say in Chapter 10 of our book:

Cheese, one of America’s all-time favorite foods

Cheese is the most universally accepted animal product by persons who consider themselves vegetarian.  But cheese is not a vegetable and shares many more characteristics with meat than it does with spinach.

As reported by Dr. Fuhrman in “Eat to Live,” its consumption per capita in the USA increased 140 percent between 1970 and 1996 to become the primary source of saturated fat in our diet.   It is touted as being a healthy product and a good source of protein and calcium.

Sadly it has also become an integral part of every kids menu. Cheese is not good for you and it’s not good for your children—too much fat, too much cholesterol and too much animal protein.

“Cheese for the Children” — the pathway to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

The saddest part of our obsession with this deadly product is that it is prominently featured on every single “kids menu” in the Western world. Cheeseburger, Mac & Cheese, Grilled Cheese, Fried Cheese, Cheese & Crackers, Cheese Pizza, Chuck E. Cheese and on and on. (More on feeding the children)

As with cigarettes and alcohol, someday it will be illegal to sell harmful products like cheese to our children. But for now, cheese (along with nuggets, fries & burgers) constitute the “four major food groups” on every kids menu in America. Is there any wonder why we have such an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes among our nation’s young people? It would not surprise me if the single biggest driver of those two deadly trends can be explained in one word — CHEESE.

Cheese is not recommended in our 4-Leaf Program

Do yourself and your family a favor; get the cheese out of your house and never buy it again. Learn to like healthy plant-based foods like hummus, vegetable pate’, couscous, tapenade, salsa, and many other tasty food items that can be a routine part of your4-Leaf meals of the future. Next post in the series…

Yogurt; not a health food…5th in a series of 6

Handy 5-piece take-charge-of-your-health kit—from Amazon.com

• The movie that’s changing the lives of millions: Forks Over Knives DVD 
• Healthy Eating, Healthy World, The “big picture” about food (our book)
• An essential scientific resource: The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell
• Dr. McDougall’s new book, The Starch Solution, with lots of great recipes.
• Dr. Campbell’s new book: WHOLE, Rethinking the Science of Nutrition

Why should we be eating mostly plants? The “big picture” in 4 minutes.

Want to find out how healthy your family is eating? Take our free 4Leaf Survey. It takes less than five minutes and you can score it yourself. After taking the survey, please give me your feedback as it will be helpful in the development of our future 4Leaf app for smartphones. Send feedback to jmorrishicks@me.com

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J. Morris Hicks, working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

To order more of my favorite books—visit our online BookStore now

For help in your own quest to take charge of your health, visit our 4Leaf page and also enjoy some great recipes from Lisa’s 4Leaf Kitchen.

Got a question? Let me hear from you at jmorrishicks@me.com. Or give me a call on my cell at 917-399-9700.

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—J. Morris Hicks, board member, T. Colin Campbell Foundation