Recommended Books
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II
This is an amazing book on nutrition. Referred to as the "Grand Prix of epidemiology" by
The New York Times, this study examines more than 350 variables of health and nutrition
with surveys from 6,500 adults in 65 counties, representing 2,500 counties across
rural China and Taiwan. What makes this really compelling is not just the scale, but the fact
that a really high percentage of the people studied never leave the county they were born in.
This makes the study even more valuable since it nearly removes environment as a factor in
the study. The authors do a good job of citing myriad references, and this book pretty
much seals the deal on whether or not there is a connection between the food we put into
our bodies and its relation to cancer and heart disease. The author has put out an article entitled
Why China Holds the Key to Your Health
that does a good job summarizing the study. If you don't read the book, at least read the article.
Dr. Fuhrman writes with such confidence in the ability to address multiple diseases through
diet alone that this book is a valuable resource for those even without children. One highlight
is the great commentary on the
amount of protein we actually need in our diets.
This is the book that started it all for Kathy and Scott. The section on slaughterhouses
is a bit overdone and he drags out a few other topics as well. However, what is
presented in this book made us wonder why we ever ate meat.
Fasting and eating for health: a medical doctor's program for conquering disease by Joel Fuhrman
This was a recommendation from our sister-in-law, Dalva. There are some pretty radical
ideas in this book, but it makes for interesting reading. The general thinking is that
when you are sick, fasting can help. The human body dedicates a lot of energy to digesting
food and distributing the resources throughout the body. By eliminating that temporarily
(but
never giving up drinking water), the theory is that the body can rededicate its
resources to fighting whatever ails it. There is a fascinating story in this book about a man
with clogged arteries who goes on a fast. By monitoring his bloodwork, it can be seen that his
blood cholesterol actually rises even though he is fasting. The theory here was that
his body began to attack the diseased tissue within it -- the linings of his arteries.
Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat by Howard F. Lyman
This is a captivating book told in a very straight-forward manner. Mr. Lyman is a former
cattle rancher who had a scare when he had a tumor on his spinal column. He swore off all
animal food products and wrote an incredibly well-researched story. He made waves when he
relayed his story on Oprah Winfrey's show after which she swore off hamburgers forever. He
puts a good monthly e-newsletter as well.
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by
Michael Pollan
We're fans of Michael Pollan's essays, but this book blew the socks off of Kathy when she read it.
Scott found it to be a bit slow and drawn-out.
The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter by Peter Singer and Jim Mason
