Food As Medicine Conference & Whole Food Plant Based Diet

WARNING :) this is a long post.  But, feel free to only read parts of it.  I tried to organize it so that you can just read the the headings to get the gist.  Hope you like it and are motivated to eat well to live well!

Food As Medicine Conference & Whole Food Plant Based Diet

I went to an inspiring conference yesterday called, Food As Medicine, with my IDOL, Thomas Colin Campbell, a Cornell biochemist who studies the effects of nutrition on long-term health.  He did the China study.  This study included 367 variables, 65 counties in China, and 6,500 adults that found over 8,000 statistically significant associations between lifestyle, diet, and disease variables.  It is called the, "grand pix of epidemiology."  Meaning it is AMAZING and the research is very reliable!  

But, before I get into the research, I want to define what a Whole Food, Plant-Based (WFPB) diet is.  Again, I do not love the word diet; this is a lifestyle change.  Next, I am going to try to summarize the research (including the china study) behind the diet.  I will give bullet points and then more info if you are interested.  Then I will give some tips I learned from the conference.  Last, I will show you how Mike and I are going to make simple changes towards a WFPB lifestyle and I will share some websites and instagram people to follow if you are interested.

What is a Whole Food, Plant-Based (WFPB) diet lifestyle :)?

This eating lifestyle is made of whole, unrefined plants.  This means no animal protein.  No meat, fish, eggs or diary.  This sounds like a Vegan diet, right?  Close, but the diet also cuts out added sugars, oils, and any processed foods.  But, let's focus on what we can eat… all vegetables, fruit, beans and legumes, whole grains, nuts and nut butters, unsweetened dairy free milks and yogurts, and chia and flax seeds.  

I know this lifestyle seems hard, but even making little changes will help your health.  So, I am hoping after showing you the research and giving you some tips, we can embark on this change together :)

Why a WFBP lifestyle- the research

1. Animal protein promotes cancer growth.

I thought it most appropriate to start with Dr. Campbell's research.  During the China Study, they found a connection between aflatoxin and liver cancer.  When he explored this connection more with an experimental study, he found that animal protein or casein promoted cancer growth more than the aflatoxin.  Since then he and other PhDs have tried to find a mechanism of action (this a medical term we use for "how" it happens).  Sorry, this next part is going to have medical jargon, but I will summarize it all at the end :)

The research shows animal protein increases the influx of carcinogens into a cell, increases the creation of an enzyme MFO, MFO then causes DNA mutations, decreases DNA repair, and decreases NK cells to stop the hyper proliferation cells.  

Summary: Animal protein causes gene mutations that allows cells to grow extra fast.  Animal protein also decreases the cell's ability to fix the gene mutation and decreases the ability of other cells in your body to kill the cancer cells.  Even the World Health Organization has labeled processed meats as a carcinogen.

Here is a great 2 minute youtube video by Dr. Campbell on his caesin research.  https://nutritionstudies.org/provocations-dairy-protein-causes-cancer/.  

Now, I have looked into the research and there is definitely a connection between the growth of cancer and animal protein.  So, it makes sense that a low animal protein, but sufficient plant protein diet can decrease your risk of cancer.  What is a sufficient protein intake?  About .8 g per kg a day.  So for a 140 lb person it is ~ 50 grams, which is WAYYYY less than Americans usually eat.  Our country is in a protein craze lately (but, that's a different story).  Everything has some protein.  If you eat whole foods, you will meet your protein requirements.

The next research I am excited to see come out is by Dr. Campbell's son, Dr. Thomas Campbell on nutrition as a prevention and treatment of breast cancer.  

My last point before I move on is, I believe in medical and nutrition science.  That means this diet is in conjunction with medical therapy.  Never would I recommend this diet over medications (even though the research is showing it is better in many instances, like heart disease), but instead try this diet in addition to traditional medical therapies.

2. Following a WFPB lifestyle can reverse coronary artery disease (CAD) and prevent heart attacks. 

The research behind this is spot on!  Dr. Essylstyn et al, followed 198 patients with CAD and a major cardiac event (like a heart attack).  They were given a WFBP diet education and 98% of people followed the diet.  Of the 98% only 0.6% (one person) had another major cardiac event.  Versus, the other 2% who did not follow the diet, 63% of them had another major cardiac event.  And all of the people were on heart medications as well!!

Here is a link to the article.  Other articles to look into if you are interested is the CARDIA study by Mediema et al. (link here) and the research article, Association of Animal and Plant Protein Intake With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality, by Song et al. (link here)

3.  Animal protein contributes to diabetes.  

This is best seen by the ADVENTIST health study 2 (link here).  It showed a vegetarian diet decreased all cause mortality but also diabetes!  As a dietitian and in medical school we learned sugar is the cause of diabetes.  But, when you look at this research it is really processed meats that cause insulin resistance not sugar!  Mind blowing!  Now, I feel I can finally tell someone with diabetes eat your whole piece of fruit over a burger any day! (LOVE IT)

4. A WFPB diet improves gut flora and decreases inflammation

As a crohn's patient this was the most interesting to me!  The only thing is my intestines cannot always handle a lot of fiber and with this diet there is ALOT of fiber.  But, for the rest of the you with working intestines, fiber and fermented products (like sauerkraut and kombucha) are called prebiotics and are great for feeding your gut flora (also called microiomes).  A 2016 microbiome study (link here) showed increasing your fruits and vegetables increases the diversity of your gut microbiomes.  This is important because much of your immune system is connected to your gut microbiome.  Another study in Nature Magazine (link here) showed switching to a plant based diet significantly decreased colon inflammation. 

Okay, enough research!   

Tips for following a WFPB eating lifestyle.

So, I cannot take credit for these, they were presented at the conference.  But, I think they will be helpful for you and me :) 

The 3 F's or the rules when thinking about a WFBP lifestyle and gut health.  This is from Dr. Shilpa Ravella, a GI doctor at Columbia. 

Fiber- the more fiber the better

Fresh- the fresher the better

Fermented - these foods act as prebiotics that help feed and diversify your gut flora.

The 4 S's to help you think of foods to eat on a WFPB lifestyle.  This is from Lauren DeYenno, a certified plant-based nutritionist and coach.

Smoothies

Soup

Salad

Steamed Veggies

How Mike & I are transitioning toward a WFPB lifestyle.

To be honest, I am closer to this diet than Mike.  I do not eat much red meat or processed meats, maybe every two weeks to a month.  I do not eat diary.  However, I do bake, eat fish and chicken and use olive oil.

Mike eats and loves red meat.  He followed a Paleo diet for long time.  But, after watching Forks Over Knives a few months ago, he has substituted his usual bacon and eggs breakfast with smoothies!  When I came home this weekend and excitedly showed him the research and what I learned, he agreed to try a more WFPB lifestyle.  (He's the best!)

So, our first step is to cut out the cow (this statement was made by Dr. Duffy at the conference and the one liner stuck with me).  So, we are going to cut out all red meat and dairy.  Mike agreed to this part.  When I mentioned the olive oil, he was not thrilled.  So, for now we will keep it.  Hopefully, as I make more WFPB recipes we will be able to make another step toward a WFPB lifestyle. 

And, I know it will not be easy so here are so resources to help!

Websites:

• nutritionfacts.org
• plantbaseddoc.com (this will help you find a doctor that is knowledgeable and supports a WFPB lifestyle)
• forksoverknives.com

Instagrams

• rawissexy
• FAMphilly
• theveggiemd

I am so sorry this was so long.  But, there is so much good information :).  Contact me if you have any questions at all and keep me posted on your transition to a WFPB lifestyle!

Thank you to these amazing speakers and their ability
to impart knowledge and motivation to us all.