The BIG PICTURE — for making things right; my “Top 5 List”

Posted on 07/03/2011 by J. Morris Hicks

During this holiday weekend, my primary task is the final proof-read of our Healthy Eating – Healthy World manuscript. And as I read through all of that powerful information one more time, I am feeling the need to summarize — so that people everywhere can grasp the “big picture” quickly.

The Mystic, CT, Starbucks at sunrise — where I normally start my day and the site where a large portion of my book and my blog was created

Lying in bed this morning, I was thinking that maybe a top-ten list would be in order; but then decided that it would be too long for most audiences to grasp quickly; so I decided to cut it in half. It’s now 6:47 AM and I am sitting in my favorite chair at the Mystic Starbucks ready to create that “Letterman-style” Top Five List of reasons why humankind must return to the natural diet for our species — as quickly as we can.

By way of definition, that natural diet-style is one that consists primarily of whole plant foods; not necessarily vegan or vegetarian. In our own 4-Leaf Program, we encourage people to strive for the consumption of over 80% of their daily calories from these most nutritious foods.

If you’ve spent a few hours or more on this blog site, you already know about the many problems that our diet-style has created. You also know about what we should be eating and you know that that there are many “authoritative but contradictory voices” out there who will continue to make it difficult for us to change the system.

That’s exactly why the only answer is a grassroots revolution led by people like you and me — people that know, beyond a doubt, that we are on the right track. Here are my TOP FIVE reasons why you might want to join that revolution:

#5 — Taking Charge of Our Own Health. We can enjoy vibrant health now, reduce or eliminate our medications, reverse our coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes that we might have now (but may not know it), enjoy effortless weight-loss, save money and reduce our chances of of ever having to spend a single day in a nursing home.

#4 — Promoting the health of our planet. We’re talking land, water, climate and biodiversity here. Almost everyone claims to “care” about the environment, yet our generation (in just the last 50 years) has done more damage to the fragile harmony of nature than all previous generations of humans for the past 200,000 years. And much of that damage is directly related to how we have chosen to eat in the Western world — a harmful, wasteful and grossly unsustainable diet-style that (per calorie) requires 20 times more land, 20 times more fossil fuel energy, and way over 20 times as much water — than does the natural diet for our species — whole plant foods.

#3 — Feeding the world’s hungry. With roughly 8 billion acres of arable land and 7 billion people, there is just over one acre per person today; soon there will be less than one acre as the population grows and more land is eroded away. So what’s the big deal about one acre per person? The big deal is that it requires over three acres for one person to eat our typical Western diet. You get the picture now?

#2 — Ending the madness of animal suffering in factory farms. Since almost everyone says they love animals, this has always been a case of out-of-sight, out-of-mind; but once you know about what’s happening, what are you going to do about it? To feed less than 2 billion of the world’s wealthiest people, we are now raising 60 billion animals in horrid conditions — a process that we all support with every piece of meat, dairy and eggs we put in our mouth. If everyone in the world ate like we do, even with no population growth, we would need to kill 200 billion animals. When does this madness end?

#1 — For our children, their children and all future generations. This really is the bottom line. We have screwed things up royally on our watch; and time is running out for us to make things right for our descendants. Now that you know all of the above; what would you say to your adult grandchild on your 90th birthday if she asked you, “Grandfather, if you knew about all of the problems of our harmful, wasteful, and unsustainable diet-style way back in 2011, why didn’t you change what you were eating and why didn’t you make sure that my mother learned the truth, back when the truth was not very popular?

In case you missed it…here is my recent post on “the children.”

Children — NOTHING is more important than what they eat!

*********************

J. Morris Hicks, the "big picture" guy

J. Morris Hicks, the “big picture” guy when it comes to healthy eating

What’s it going to take for the smartest people in the Western world to lead the way towards making things right? As I said in the Introduction to our book, “I am convinced that there has never been anything more important in the history of the world.”

If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list. Also, for help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4-Leaf page. From the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

If you’d like to order our book on Amazon,  visit our BookStore now.

—J. Morris Hicks…blogging daily at HealthyEatingHealthyWorld.com

PS: Occasionally an unauthorized ad may appear beneath a blog post. It is controlled by WordPress (a totally free hosting service). I do not approve or personally benefit whatsoever from any ad that might ever appear on this site. I apologize and urge you to please disregard. 

Posted in Big Picture | 1 Comment

T. Colin Campbell — Ready to play “hardball” with health authorities

Posted on 07/02/2011 by J. Morris Hicks

Dr. Campbell, his many colleagues around the world, and his foundation staff are ready to play some “hardball” when it comes to bringing the establishment on board regarding the health-promoting power of plant-based nutrition. His manifesto that follows begins with this mission statement:

The time has come to petition health authorities to take seriously the impressive ability of nutrition to maintain health and prevent, suspend and/or reverse nutrition related diseases.

As a graduate of his eCornell course, Plant-Based Nutrition, I was one of the first to receive the following NEW manifesto from Dr. Campbell. I present it to you here in its entirety. His new definition of nutrition is mentioned below, but deserves to be mentioned up front as well: “Nutrition is the biologically wholistic process by which elements of food and water are brought into the body to optimize health”

Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Professor of Nutritional Bio-chemisty at Cornell and author of The China Study, “It’s time to tell the truth about nutrition.”

MANIFESTO: Tell the Truth About Nutrition — by T. Colin Campbell

The time has come to petition health authorities to take seriously the impressive ability of nutrition to maintain health and prevent, suspend and/or reverse nutrition related diseases.

A serious problem exists in the U.S. and similarly affluent societies in recent years in the alarming rise of nutrition-controlled diseases and their attendant health care costs. These diseases are often referred to as “Western Diseases” or “Diseases of Affluence” (cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, certain autoimmune diseases), although less serious ailments (colds flu, acne, headaches, aches and pains) should also be included because of their high costs attributed to lost work time. The nutrition and health benefits of choosing the right kind of food are exceptionally broad, including greatly improved personal health, substantial reductions in health care costs, substantial decreases in environmental degradation and less violence against sentient beings (including humans).

My colleagues and I believe that these exceptional health benefits of proper nutrition are provided by a whole food, plant-based diet, without the addition of supplemental fat/oil, salt and sugar. I believe it is time to mount, through social media programs, a grassroots dialogue to promote this idea within all segments of society. It must be grassroots because, until now, powerful corporate and hierarchical institutions have controlled the dissemination of public nutrition information.

I have had extensive first hand experience in several of these segments (experimental research, teaching, policy making) to know that the current health care system is in near chaos and is excessively costly. Further, the most important missing element of this system is the very discipline that has the most to offer: nutrition.

The campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD — where not a single one of the 27 institutes is devoted to nutrition. Imagine the billions of tax dollars that are spent without ever telling us exactly what we need to do to be healthy.

Virtually every medical school in the U.S. fails to teach the subject or does it very superficially. Of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (the NIH is the premium medical research agency in the world), not a single institute is solely devoted to nutrition! My definition of nutrition is as follows:

“Nutrition is the biologically wholistic process by which elements of food and water are brought into the body to optimize health”

This focus on whole food stands in contrast to the so-called “nutrition” that is derived from single elements (i.e., nutrients), as with supplements of isolated nutrients. When prescribed in the manner of whole, plant-based foods, nutrition is capable of achieving exceptional health benefits. It is now possible to reverse advanced heart diseases and type II diabetes, minimize common ailments, and control the progression of autoimmune diseases and some cancers. These effects are so substantial that as much as 75-80% of total health care costs can be eliminated. Also, unlike drugs that merely treat symptoms, this nutritional strategy virtually eliminates adverse side effects.

We hope that this social media dialogue will be serious and professional. Personally, I welcome critical and challenging commentary to this type of dietary lifestyle but only if such comments are based on serious science, not on personal and negative polemic. I would urge that those having a contrary opinion to the health value of a whole food plant-based dietary lifestyle (WFPBD)  will provide appropriate peer-reviewed references, among other considerations, to defend their views. In particular, for the critics of a WFPBD I would ask that they be required to produce evidence that their alternative diet similarly causes disease reversal, among similar kinds of evidence.

From the scientific and clinical standpoint, this great book has educated millions of people about what we should be eating.

For those who may not know my views, I recommend their reading, The China Study, along with other well known books like those of Drs. Caldwell Esselstyn (Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease), John McDougall (at least 10 since 1984, some national best sellers), Neal Barnard (also 6-8 since about 1990), Joel Fuhrman (Eat to Live, among others) and John Robbins (Diet for a New America and Food Revolution, among others).

For too long the dissemination of nutrition information has been left up to the biased parties who are only interested in selling products that do nothing to promote human health. The time has come for we, the public, to take into our own hands the nutrition information we bring into our own homes.

—T. Colin Campbell, PhD

Dr. Campbell hit the nail on the head with exactly what is preventing the adoption of health-promoting plant-based nutrition by the mainstream system. Once again I am reminded of the note that I recently received from Frances on the Isle of Wight:

“I follow your blog because it helps reinforce my conviction that I am on the right track. I do wish you success, but you have got a very big mountain to climb; there are so many authoritative but contradictory voices.”

A “very big mountain to climb” indeed; but with enough grassroots action, we will prevail — and all future generations will benefit greatly. We all owe Dr. Campbell our sincere thanks, admiration and support as he takes the lead on what is surely to become known as the single most important transformation of the 21st century — the life saving and planet-saving return by the human race to the natural diet for our species.

As you may know, our 4-Leaf Program was built on the wisdom of this great man. We reviewed the concept in his kitchen back in 2009 and he loved it. Then, in 2010, he agreed to write (with his son Nelson) the foreword to our book. And, after reading that foreword, four out the five MD’s mentioned above have endorsed our book as well. You can see a preview to that book (with an excerpt from the Campbell’s foreword) by clicking here.

J. Morris Hicks, trying my best to help you and your family take charge of your health

If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list. Also, for help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4-Leaf page. From the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

If you’d like to order our book on Amazon,  visit our BookStore now.

—J. Morris Hicks…blogging daily at HealthyEatingHealthyWorld.com

PS: Occasionally an unauthorized ad may appear beneath a blog post. It is controlled by WordPress (a totally free hosting service). I do not approve or personally benefit whatsoever from any ad that might ever appear on this site. I apologize and urge you to please disregard. 

Posted in Academic Freedom, Scientific Integrity | 1 Comment

Children — NOTHING is more important than what they eat!

Posted on 07/01/2011 by J. Morris Hicks

This may be my most important post ever…

Burgers and dogs on the grill -- sadly, they have become an American tradition on the 4th of July.

Happy 4th of July weekend! America’s Holiday — when over 90% of our nation’s children will be eating hot dogs and hamburgers from the backyard grill. This warm family scene illustrates the saddest part of our dietary knowledge conundrum in the western world — the innocent children —  those who are learning to eat the most toxic diet in the history of humankind.

Now, I am convinced that ALL parents truly want the best for their children, BUT — how can we expect them to know what they should feed them? Since they are very unlikely to hear about a truly “health promoting” diet-style from their physician, the media, our government or the food companies; how are they going to learn the not-so-well-known complete truth about nutrition?

Even Dr. Spock learned the truth before he died -- and he wrote about it in the final edition of his famous baby book. See the fifth link below.

They’re going to learn the same way Bill Clinton learned — by listening to some enlightened scientists and physicians like T. Colin Campbell, Dean Ornish and Caldwell Esselstyn. Soon, they will be able to learn from reading our book — endorsed by all three of these great men. But, in the final analysis, they will have to proceed according to their own convictions — hopefully trusting the integrity of the brave professionals who helped our former president take charge of his health.

On that note; just last week, a reader from the Isle of Wight in the U.K. wrote, ” I follow your blog because it helps reinforce my conviction that I am on the right track. I do wish you success, but you have got a very big mountain to climb; there are so many authoritative but contradictory voices.” And Frances is so right about those “many authoritative but contradictory voices.”

For the past five years, my “go-to” gift for new parents has been a copy of my friend Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Disease Proof Your Child. Without proselytizing, it has been my way of at least giving them a chance to learn the truth about this crucial topic — while those precious children are very young. My gift hasn’t always worked; either they haven’t read the book or they simply could not accept the message because of all those “authoritative but contradictory voices” out there.

4 or my 5 grandchildren hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire last week. The two oldest boys will be staying with me for a week in Stonington -- while taking sailing lessons at Camp GranBuddy.

But, it did work in two cases. It worked for the father of those four beautiful children shown here and for the mother of my one “southern” grandchild. I would be speaking of my own two children — Jason (37), of Holden, MA, and Diana (31), of Roswell, GA.

Maybe you know of some parents who might benefit from the information on this blog. This is my seventh post dedicated primarily to the children. The first few lines of the previous six are shown below — They all come up instantly if you click on the “Children” category in the drop-down list of Categories in the right column. Or you just click on the links below.

Please send this along to someone you love. The evidence is growing, even Dr. Spock learned the truth before he died and shifted to a “meat-and-dairy-free” diet in his early nineties — and wrote about his late-life revelation in the last edition of his famous book — second only in all-time, world-wide sales to the Holy Bible. See the fifth link below.

Want to come back to these six blogs later?  Then scroll on down, I don’t want you to miss the closing remarks of my most important post ever…

1.  Michelle, it’s time to tell the world about “meat & dairy.” Dear Michelle, I love what you’re trying to do regarding the health of the children. I am just wondering when you think you might be ready to tell the world the truth about the “low-fat dairy” and “healthier meats” that … Continue reading →

2.  Food allergies rising among children — says study  Big Story On the NBC Evening News AND in USA Today How can we expect to not have food allergies when 95% of Americans are eating nowhere near the natural diet for our species? So it comes as no great … Continue reading →

3.  Childhood Obesity — A “4-Leaf” school-teacher sounds off  At home, at school, at the soccer game, in the restaurants — the wrong food for our species is ubiquitous. We know from overwhelming scientific and clinical evidence that the natural diet for our species is whole plants — in … Continue reading →

4.  Early puberty — a realtime update from a reader  After blogging on this subject last week,one of my readers shared it with her daughter — whose six-year old was showing some early puberty signs. Just received an email from this young mother (a school psychologist) on Monday… Hi Jim, … Continue reading →

5.  No cow’s milk for humans at any age…even Dr. Spock agrees  Last week, I posted a blog on the topic of early puberty and the problems involved. In that blog, Dr. McDougall and Dr. Fuhrman stated vehemently that they do in fact know the cause of early puberty — Dr. McDougall … Continue reading →

6.  Extremely early puberty…Would you believe 6 years old?  A front page article on this topic appeared in the USA Today on April 11, 2011. The complete headline reads: PUBERTY TOO SOON…Girls are maturing faster than ever, and doctors are not sure why. By Liz Szabo — USA Today … Continue reading →

Although I didn't learn the truth about nutrition until I was 58, I have tried my best to instill that knowledge in my family. Maybe you can share that knowledge with yours. Sincerely, J. Morris Hicks.

My closing remarks on this crucial topic

As I said in the title; there is NOTHING more important than what you feed your children. In so doing, you are affecting the health of all generations that follow. Your kids will teach their kids whatever you teach them. And the earlier you get them on the right track, the better.

Finally, you have it within your power to virtually ensure that none of your children will ever suffer from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and a host of other maladies.

Don’t take that responsibility lightly. Read all six of those blogs, buy Joel Fuhrman’s book, and maybe — just maybe — you will muster the courage to overcome all those “authoritative but contradictory voices” that you will continue to hear for many years to come — long after your children have established their life-long eating habits.

For the Children. Karen Campbell influenced her husband, Colin. to write this great book, saying, "You must tell your story...for the children of the world." This book has changed millions of lives, including mine. And the great Dr. Campbell and his son Nelson wrote the foreword to our book.

One more thing, if you family doesn’t have a copy of this book, you should order one from Amazon today. As you can see from the caption beneath the cover, it was written “for the children of the world.” A must read for all of us trying to “climb that very big mountain” of changing how we perceive our food in the western world.

If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list. Also, for help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4-Leaf page. From the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

If you’d like to order our book on Amazon,  visit our BookStore now.

—J. Morris Hicks…blogging daily at HealthyEatingHealthyWorld.com

PS: Occasionally an unauthorized ad may appear beneath a blog post. It is controlled by WordPress (a totally free hosting service). I do not approve or personally benefit whatsoever from any ad that might ever appear on this site. I apologize and urge you to please disregard. 

Posted in Children | 2 Comments