FRESH VEGAN Issue 4

eading very weighty scientific
papers and journals that proved
the science behind plant-based
diets and their benefits.
From my encounters with sufferers
of chronic disease, I learned that
most did not want to tackle scientific
journals themselves, and that my
divulging the research I had read
was not always compelling enough
(I am not a medical doctor).
I felt an urgent need to compile
the latest research from the most
esteemed experts of plant-based
health and nutrition, and to give the
benefit of their knowledge to the
general public. I wrote RETHINK
FOOD with interested and
intelligent lay(wo)men in mind, so
it’s both easy to read and strongly
science-based.
Since the book covers so many
different topics, my hope is that
vegans and non-vegans alike can
refer to it as a complete reference
guide, and in fact it has already
been called the new ‘epic read on
nutrition’.
Q. Are there any health
Which areas of health
does the book cover?
issues you found which were
surprisingly related to diet?
RETHINK FOOD includes a lot
of information and in great depth.
It covers cardiovascular and
heart disease, obesity, diabetes
- the diseases that many people
associate with eating animal
products.
There is a whole chapter on cancer,
which includes contributions from
over 15 cancer specialists, all of
whom describe the relationship
between various cancers and diet.
They discuss the link between
meat and dairy
122
and cancer, and how plant nutrition
can put the same disease into full
remission.
RETHINK FOOD covers cancers
of the breast, ovaries, colon,
prostate, lung, and more. There
is a For Men Only chapter, and a
For Women Only chapter, and a
paediatric chapter discussing both
the benefits of plant-based nutrition
and the dangers of animal products,
especially milk, for children.
The chapter on inflammation
describes how meat and dairy are
causally linked to inflammation,
which in turn is shown to be the
genesis of virtually every chronic
disease. RETHINK FOOD also
discusses erectile dysfunction,
fatigue, fibroids, eye health, and
Alzheimer’s, all of which are again,
shown to be strongly linked to meat
and dairy intake.
We also wanted to disprove the
health myths that circulate about
the vegan diet, so RETHINK
FOOD sets the record straight
about several much-debated
topics, including protein, calcium,
and iron.
A lot of people mistakenly think that
these nutrients are lacking in vegan
diets, but our doctors show that this
is completely false! They also cover
many of the benefits of plant foods.
For example, they discuss the
effects of various phytonutrients:
amazing compounds which act as
antioxidants, calm inflammation,
and boost DNA repair and
immunity.
My personal favourite chapter is
“The Dangers of Dairy”, in which
our vegan doctors, Justine Butler,
Kerrie Saunders, Gilbert Manso,
Fresh Vegan readers are offered a
25% discount on the book with the
promotional code ‘KP3Z2DXF’
Visit the RETHINK FOOD store
www.createspace.com/4700521
and David Ryde, show exactly
why the milk of other species
does not belong to humans.
They describe the inflammatory
and bone dissolving effects of
dairy, and how it directly causes
osteoporosis; they also highlight
how the natural growth hormones
contained in cows’ milk can cause
severe damage in growing human
children.
I also love the chapter called “Strong
Bones, Power Joints”, which was
written by a number of orthopaedic
surgeons who are, again, emphatic
about the dangers of dairy to bone
health, and the bone-building
benefits of exclusively plant-based
nutrition. !
Q. RETHINK FOOD. Does
I know you also have
some athletes in
the same go for them - do they
find that plants help and animal
products harm?
Absolutely. We have stories
from world class vegan athletes,
including John Salley (All-Star NBA
champion), Steph Davis (famous
rock climber and base jumper),
Christine Vardaros (a super pro
cyclist), Andy Lally (a renowned
NASCAR driver), and Fiona Oaks
(a champion marathon runner).
Right across this broad spectrum
of sports, all of these athletes have
reaped the benefits of a plantbased
diet, as they explain in the
book. They credit their energy
levels, performance, and recovery
times to their nutrientpacked
plant based diets, and have really
amazing stories to share.
Q. based’; they will, for
Some people advocate
eating ‘mostly plant
example, eat only plants in the
week but add meat or dairy in at
the weekend. Can people still be
healthy doing this?
In a word, no. Firstly, there’s the
ethical side to it. There’s a horrible
violence inherent in confining and
killing a living being, and I don’t
think it’s healthy to encourage this.
Then, there’s the nutritional
argument. All the evidence suggests
that even in very small amounts,
animal foods cause very serious
damage to our system. Even a single
meal of animal products stimulates
an inflammatory reaction, rapidly
altering our intestinal flora, and
hardening our arteries. After such