"Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food."

This quote is often attributed to Hippocrates though I've yet to find it in his writings anywhere, nevertheless it makes a great point and makes a lot of sense. For thousands of years humans relied on natural remedies, food in its natural state and physical exercise often work-related to sustain healthy living. 

How we went from from wellness and plants to petroleum based medications

The beginnings of medicine were steeped in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) which involved homeopathy and botanicals. A major shift in medical education and training came after the issuance of the Flexner Report, a report commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation that sought to standardize and improve medical education by instituting rigorous scientific methods.

Within 15 years of the issuance of the Flexner Report, 89 of the 155 White medical schools closed and 5 of the 7 Black medical schools closed due to their inability to implement the standards imposed by the report. This also spelled the demise of CAM including homeopathy and the use of botanicals and in their place the burgeoning petroleum based pharmaceuticals which stood to make Carnegie and other massive fortunes.

How to get back to wellness and plants from the profits of pharmaceuticals

The emergence of Blue Zones shows the impact that lifestyle has on health and longevity. It is normal for those living in Blue Zones to live beyond the age of 100! They tend to eat little, if any meat, are active physically, and have a social network. The only Blue Zone in the United States is located in Loma Linda, California, a city that lies about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. Loma Linda is unique because it is an enclave of Seventh-Day Adventists whose dietary habits range from meat eaters to vegans. This make them an ideal group to explore for health and longevity. The Adventist Health Study II, a study of more than 96,000 Adventists the largest of its kind, in one aspect of the study researchers sought to determine whether a plant-based diet was protective against diabetes. They noted as much as a 78% lower prevalence of diabetes among those eating a strictly plant-based diet. This protective factor increased as the amount of meat consumed decreased. Conversely, as the amount of meat, eggs, and dairy increased, the protective factor decreased.

The traditional Okinawan diet is virtually, but not totally free of fish, meat, dairy and eggs. Okinawans’ have a long life expectancy with the average Okinawan man reaching 80 years, and women 86 due in part to their highly anti-inflammatory diet which is 96% plant-based. Adventist in California, with a 100% meat-free diet, enjoy an even higher life expectancy of 87 for men and nearly 90 for women when they abstain from smoking and exercise regularly. This is 10 to 14 years longer than the life expectancy of the general population.

Aside from the natural problems that flow from the use of meat as a food, animals that are used for food today suffer from a wide variety of diseases ranging from Mad Cow disease to tuberculosis. The documentaries below shine a light on the deleterios effects of the current mainstreaam dietary habitsAs a consequence, if there ever was a time to eliminate meat and animal products from the diet that time is surely now. My book below details many of the health issues surrounding the use of milk - Available on Amazon.com, TEACHservices.com, Barnesandnoble.com, booksamillion.com, and more!!!