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Foreword by Dr. Campbell (an excerpt)

Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of “The China Study”

Most of us live apart from Nature, within artificially constructed environments that bear little resemblance to the mountains, meadows, forests and streams experienced by our ancestors. And living apart from Nature, we too often forget that we are part of an interconnected whole.

No matter how hard we try however; we cannot escape this fact forever.  We can construct our material world and engage in individualistic pursuits but eventually must face the fact that we do not live on islands. We are connected to one another and to the larger, natural world of which we are still a part.

There may be no better illustration of this truth than the way we eat. The decision of what to put at the end of our fork is a private decision and one that seems to have no relevance beyond the edges of our dinner plate. But the truth is this: the effects of what we eat ripple round and round the world, and this is the story of Healthy Eating, Healthy World.

J. Morris Hicks and his son have put together an interesting tale that will enlighten you while also giving you great hope. The message of plant-based nutrition already has transformed many lives, including the life of this management consultant and former senior corporate executive. Not only has he put himself and his family on a path to optimal health, he has also become so passionate about the idea that he has launched a new career to share this good news with others. That new career features a blend of speaking, blogging, consulting and writing – all beginning with this powerful book that you hold in your hands.

–T. Colin Campbell, PhD, and Nelson Campbell

Dr. Campbell of Cornell University is the author of “The China Study” and is the world’s foremost science expert in the field of plant-based nutrition.

Introduction (an excerpt)

Millions of creatures have evolved throughout the ages on our planet and, until recently, they have all lived in harmony with nature. But during the past few hundred years—a mere blink of the eye in history—one of those species has unknowingly thrown the natural scheme out of balance. That species is us—the human race.  While meaning no harm for ourselves, for the planet or for the other creatures, we have drifted far away from the natural diet for our species. We have started eating the wrong food—in great quantities.  That evolving dietary choice has set in motion a series of chain reactions that has negatively impacted the planet in many ways.

Only recently has our craving for the rich western diet accelerated to the point whereby we have almost totally abandoned the type of fuel that nature intended for us to burn.  Whereas animals in the wild with DNA’s closest to ours consume almost 100% raw plants, the humans of the western world of today are consuming virtually none.  We now consume generous portions of meat, dairy, or eggs three meals a day and are deriving far less than 10% of our calories from whole plant foods. And much of the plants that we do eat are French fries, which derive over 40% of their calories from the fat in the oil in which they are prepared.  This love affair with a very unhealthy diet has begun taking its toll—in myriad ways—both within our bodies and without, affecting the entire world….

…In a nutshell, this book is all about the single most powerful move that we humans can make to promote our own health, reduce obesity, lower the cost of health care, nurture our fragile environment, conserve our energy resources, feed the world’s steadily growing population and greatly reduce the suffering of animals in factory farms all over the world.  Like a blinding flash of the obvious, the single most viable solution to all these issues is an aggressive move in the direction of consuming much more whole, plant-based foods—not necessarily becoming a vegetarian or a vegan…

…My primary objective in writing this book was to outline in simple everyday terms the extent of the problems we face along with an explanation of how this all happened— and what each of us can do to make things better.  Fortunately, despite the incredible complexity of our current dilemma, the solution is refreshingly simple.  All we have to do is educate ourselves, start making better choices in what we eat — then share all that we have learned with everyone that we care about.  I am convinced that there has never been anything more important in the history of the world.

A Return to Harmony (final chapter excerpt)

The world’s scientists have recorded over 50,000 vertebrate species on planet Earth, including some 15,000 species of mammals. Other vertebrates include fish, reptiles, birds, and amphibians.  Beyond the vertebrates are about one million named species of insects, and scientists estimate that millions more have yet to be discovered.  For eons, all of those species lived in harmony with each other and their natural environment—until recently.  Over the past century, the human species has distinguished itself as the only one that is not living in harmony with the rest of the planet…

…In the final analysis, your decision is a simple matter of health, hope and harmony.  As each of us begins to take charge of our own health, we simultaneously plant the seeds of hope—accelerating the pace with which the human race can return to its rightful place of living in harmony with nature.  Since we consider ourselves smarter than all the other creatures, we should be able to figure out how to make our world a better place.  The time for that action is now.

You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing, there will be no result.

—Mahatma Gandhi

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

Book Organization

The complete book contains about 50,000 words in an easy-to-read-and-comprehend 200 pages.

Part One — You Are What You Eat

The first three chapters focus on our own health and the power of whole, plant-based foods to promote optimal health. The third chapter specifically addresses the arguments against such a diet.