The 8 principles for good health listed in this article are based on the book “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., and Thomas M. Campbell, MD. This best-selling book examines the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other diseases of affluence.
The China Study is hailed as one of the most important books about diet and health ever written. This book is based on extensive research on humans and their diet and nutrition and not just on laboratory mice. There is even a course on nutrition at Cornell university based on this research and book.
Listed below are the 8 principles for good health
Principle #1: Whole is greater than some of its parts
Our bodies and the biochemical reactions that go on within them are very complex. Instead of focusing on individual nutrients in the diet – If you consuming enough vitamin C? Are you taking in the required quantity of minerals? Are you consuming enough proteins? Instead of asking these questions, the focus should be on the diet as a whole. When we eat a meal we combine various things together and generally don’t eat one vitamin or mineral by itself.
Principle #2: Vitamin supplement is not a panacea for good health
The word “panacea” means a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases. Vitamin Supplements cannot substitute whole foods. If you are eating right you would be able to get all the nutrition from your diet.
“Diet plans” which provide short-term gains usually have adverse long-term effects like constipation, fatigue, nervousness, and more. Some fad diet plans itself recommend taking nutritional supplements as they are nutritionally deficient in one or more nutrients.
Principle #3: There are no nutrients in animal foods that are not provided by plant-based foods
According to the book any nutrients which are available in animal foods are also present in plant-based foods whereas vice-versa isn’t true.
Plant-based foods provide antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber which are almost non-existent in animal foods. Animal foods just have a little more protein. The fat and protein of seeds and nuts are better as they also contain antioxidants that are not present in animal foods. Animal foods have cholesterol which is absent in plant-based foods. Our body needs cholesterol and it is capable of producing it on its own. Hence we need not consume cholesterol through food the food we eat.
Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin not available to us from plant-based foods these days. The reason is that our produce is grown in lifeless soil. If the plants were grown in organic soil we would be getting Vitamin B12 from plant-based foods. Hence the book recommends taking a vitamin B12 supplement.
Principle #4: Genes do not control diseases they need to be activated by Nutrition
Most Genes are not activated or expressed at all times, they stay dormant. Diet and environment are the factors causing the genes to be activated. Like a seed that needs the right environment like sunlight, water, and soil to germinate, our diet and nutrition is the environmental factor for the Genes to express.
Principle #5: Adverse effects of chemicals can be controlled by Nutrition
We are exposed to toxic substances every day through our environment and through the food we eat. Our bodies are able to neutralize these toxic substances most of the time if we are “eating right”.
Principle #6: Nutrition which can prevent disease can also help in disease reversal
The foods used to prevent disease can also help in slowing it down and also help in its reversal. The recommendation from the book is to include all the different parts of the plant including – root, stem, leaves, fruit, and seed in our diet.
Principle #7: Nutrition that is beneficial to one chronic disease will support others as well
A diet that helps one disease is likely to work for another disease as well. It’s not that it will promote one disease and solve the other. Follow one simple diet across the board.
Principle #8: All parts are interconnected
“Our food becomes our body”. Food is the most intimate experience we have with this world. Other experiences which contribute to our health are physical activity and emotional and mental well-being. Every aspect of our body is interconnected, it’s not possible to work on one aspect and ignore the other. Working on health in its entirety is Holistic Health!
These 8 principles for good health are based on eating right. Eating right also helps one to deal with obesity and lose weight.
Our book “Eat Everything Yet Lose Weight” helps one incorporate principles for good health to move from struggling to lose weight to mastering weight loss. Achieving weight loss by changing mini habits and making them a part of your lifestyle makes you free from weight cycling or yo-yo weight loss leading to a HEALTHIER YOU! If you need, personalized help with losing weight you can book a consultation with us.