The Good News... Or the Bad?

So, which do you want first??

If you are intrigued with the benefits of the China Study and want to give it a try, what does the diet consist of?  That was my first question!

Right!  So, do you want the Good News first or the Bad?  {And truly, it's all Good News!}

Dr. Campbell's research was clear and unmistakable... a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet was the key to less disease and better health.

But back to the details... What exactly is a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet?

To make it easy, Dr. Campbell drew up a large graph (page 237!) and here it is... in a nutshell...

Eat All You Want of Any Whole, Unrefined, Plant-Based Food (while making sure to get lots of variety!)

The wonderful variety of foods that make the list are:

Fruits:  Orange, okra, kiwi, red pepper, apple, cucumber, tomato, avocado, zucchini, blueberries, strawberries, green pepper, raspberries, butternut squash, pumpkin, blackberries, mangoes, eggplant, pear, watermelon, cranberries, acorn squash, papaya, grapefruit, peach

Vegetables:

Flowers - broccoli, cauliflower

Stems and Leaves - spinach, artichokes, kale, lettuce (all varieties), cabbage, Swiss chard, collard greens, celery, asparagus, mustard greens, brussel sprouts, turnip greens, beet greens, bok choi, arugula, belgian endive, basil, cilantro, parsley, rhubarb, seaweed

Roots - potatoes (all varieties), beets, carrots, turnips, onions, garlic, ginger, leeks, pinto beans, white beans

Legumes - green beans, soybeans, peas, peanuts, adzuki beans, black beans black-eye peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, white beans

Mushrooms - white button, baby bella, cremini, portobello, shiitake, oyster

Nuts - walnuts, almonds, macadamia, pecans, cashew, hazelnut, pistachio

Whole Grains (in breads, pastas, etc) - wheat, rice, corn, millet, sorghum, rye, oats, barley, teff, buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, kamut, spelt

And that's the good news... pick any, and actually many, from the above list... in any combination, in all the glorious varieties and fill up with all the amazing goodness!

No counting calories, points or servings, no portion controls, or eating specific amounts of certain foods at specific intervals.  No fancy tools, nor complicated mathematical ratios... just wholesome, healthy plant-based foods!

The simplicity of this "diet" is absolutely revolutionary.  And it works.  The testimonies are undeniable.

Can't wait to start sharing some of the amazing recipes that have won me over to the Dark (leafy, green) Side!

Tomorrow we round out the "diet" with food groups/items that we should minimize.  Trust me, it's a much shorter list (albeit, the tougher one).  Sharing ways to maximize our health is the core of this study, even if it means minimizing some of our beloved food groups...

Hang in there... nothing good ever comes easy.  And preventing, even reversing cancer is worth all the hard work of putting these principles into practice!