Book review
In Proof Positive: How to Reliably Combat Disease & Achieve Optimal Health Through Nutrition & Lifestyle Neil Nedley, M.D. we learn that “The World Health Organization states that a program is needed of ‘primordial’ prevention; that is, do something about it before the epidemic occurs. It is possible to reduce coronary heart disease risk by 90% and cancer risk by as much as 80%. Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in lifestyle. Everything depends on the right action of the will. Through the use of the information presented here in making proper choices, disease can not only be prevented, but many also will be able to regain health that they have lost.”
PROOF POSITIVE
HOW TO RELIABLY COMBAT DISEASE AND ACHIEVE OPTIMAL HEALTH THROUGH NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE
NEIL NEDLEY, M.D.
Note
Information provided below is taken from the CD-ROM version of the book. Purchasers of the CD-ROM version have the right – and are encouraged – to use all the material for teaching purposes. What follows is just a few snippets.
Responsible Medicine
Recent research has given us new tools that help us stay healthy and live life to the fullest. Serious illness such as heart disease and cancer are dramatically influenced by the food and lifestyle choices we make each day. This book addresses the universal problem of personal health and disease and speaks to any person who wishes to attain (or maintain) good health and freedom from disease by natural means, minimizing the use of prescription drugs, food supplements, and diet fads.
Purpose
To demonstrate the impact of nutrition and other lifestyle factors on overall health
To show how certain common (and sometimes uncommon) diseases can often be completely prevented or helped by certain lifestyle changes without prescription drugs and their accompanying side effects
To enhance the reader’s satisfaction and enjoyment of life by providing motivation and guidance for adopting rewarding lifestyle changes that are in agreement with timeless biblical principles and those of modern science
To present scientific documentation of the thrust of this book, taking it out of the realm of opinion or fad and into the realm of solid, reliable fact
To provide a reliable, well documented source book with useful, up-to-date information for health professionals, assisting them in educating the public.
To make all of the figures in this book available in transparency, slide, or computer presentation form to health educators and others for their use in presentations to other health professionals or to the general public through the CD-ROM version.
Principles for Optimal Health
An overwhelming amount of scientific research clearly demonstrates that our daily choices affect our likelihood of living a long and healthy life. For the vast majority of us, our health is primarily dependent upon two factors: what we put into our bodies; and what we do with our bodies. A simple word that encapsulates both of these concepts is ‘lifestyle’.
The nine leading causes of death are largely related to lifestyle choices
We recognize the necessity of proper care to get the longest life and best performance out of our automobiles. When will we realize that proper care also gives our bodies the longest life and best performance? The nine leading causes of death are largely related to lifestyle choices; the root causes of death are largely unhealthy lifestyles. Many deaths due to infectious diseases are caused by an immune system that is weakened by a poor lifestyle.
Prevention is the key
A wealth of scientific research has confirmed that most of the leading causes of death are preventable. The first Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition and Health in 1988 stated ‘dietary excess and imbalance contributed to eight of the leading killer diseases.’
Seven lifestyle factors influence how long people live
sleep 7 to 8 hours
no eating between meals
eat breakfast regularly
maintain proper weight
regular exercise
moderate use of alcohol
no smoking
Life expectancy and health age
A 50-year-old who embraces enough health and lifestyle factors may have the same health or physiologic age as the average 35-year-old. If you follow 2 of the 7 health habits your health age is 40 + 19.4 = 59, indicating a dramatic shortening of your life expectancy. If you follow 7 of the habits your health age is 40- 12.9 or 27. The concept of health age illustrates how much our lifestyle can either hasten or slow the aging process.
Cancer can be prevented
A diagnosis of cancer is not always a death sentence. Cancer is currently the #2 killer in the US after heart disease. Unless we as a nation make positive lifestyle changes, soon after the year 2000 it could be the #1 cause of death. The degree of risk of an individual to develop cancer is largely a matter of lifestyle decisions. The total number of cancer deaths in America have risen steadily from about 150,000 in 1940 to about 560,000 in 1997. The rate of rise is dramatic, doubling in the last 30 years. Most cancer victims could have prevented their illness had they paid attention to some simple lifestyle factors.
Prevention of cancer
The number of cancer deaths per capita in the US peaked in 1999 and has started to decline. Cancer prevention and not cancer treatment emerges as the cause for this good news. A national commitment to the prevention of cancer, largely replacing reliance on hopes for universal cures is now the way to go.
Recognizing cancer’s symptoms
A change in bowel or bladder habits
A sore that does not heal
Unusual bleeding or discharge
Thickening of a lump in the breast or elsewhere
Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
Obvious change in a wart or mole
Nagging cough or hoarseness
Avoid factors that favor cancer development
Alcohol and its breakdown products have cancer-causing potential and undermine the immune system. Environmental factors refer to any factors apart from our internal body processes and inherited tendencies that affect us – air, water, food, exercise, sexual habits, social relationships, etc. The vast majority of cancers can be prevented if we pay attention to the things we put into our bodies, the things we allow our bodies to come in contact with, and the things we do with our bodies.
Education
We need to bolster educational efforts to encourage changes in lifestyle, diet, and other natural factors that might suppress the process of causing cancer. The plea is for each one of us to learn how our own lifestyle affects our risk of cancer and make changes accordingly.
The immune system
The immune system has one mission: to identify and destroy foreign invaders before significant harm is done to our bodies. Our singular duty to the immune system is to develop a lifestyle that will support its constant defense work on our behalf. How we live day by day determines whether our immune system works at peak levels or is inhibited by our neglect and even abuse. Three of the important ways to help our immune system are diet, exercise and stress control.
Elements of a cancer-protective lifestyle
Proper diet: fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts
Maintain proper weight
Regular meals with no snacks
Regular aerobic exercise
Sunlight in moderation
Stress control
Cancer-protective fruits and vegetables
Blueberries; strawberries; plums; oranges; grapes; citrus fruits; apricots; grapefruit; orange juice; kiwi fruit; raspberries; blackberries; bananas; kale; spinach; lettuce; collard greens; Brussels sprouts; cabbage; broccoli, cauliflower; carrots; beets; potatoes; watercress; mustard greens; garlic; onions; leeks; turnips/turnip greens; tomatoes; yams; sweet potatoes; mixed vegetables; pumpkin; cantaloupe; water melons; bell peppers.
High level carotene (vitamin A) foods
Food Serving size % RDA*
Orange yams, peeled after baking 1 cup 436%
Carrots, cooked 1 385
Carrots, raw 1 309
Pumpkin, cooked ½ 271
Sweet potato, peeled after baking 1 med 249
Sweet red bell peppers 1 each 135
Cantaloupe ½ 86
Mixed vegetables, frozen 1 cup 78
Spinach, cooked ½ 74
Kale, cooked ½ 48
Turnip greens, cooked ½ 40
Apricots, whole 3 each 28
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 22
Water melons, slice 1×10 inch 1 serving 18
Collard greens, cooked ½ cup 18
Lettuce 5 leaves 10
* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance
Foods rich in vitamin C
Food Serving size Mg
Sweet red bell peppers, raw 1 med 141
Orange juice, fresh 1 cup 124
Brussels sprouts, boiled 1 cup 98
Pink/red grapefruit 1 each 94
Strawberries 1 cup 82
Kiwi fruit 1 each 75
Oranges 1 med 70
Sweet green bell peppers 1 med 61
Broccoli, pieces, raw ½ cup 41
Raspberries 1 cup 31
Blackberries 1 cup 30
Sweet potato, baked 1 med 28
Kale, boiled ½ cup 27
Tomato, raw 1 each 24
Cabbage, raw 1 cup 29
Baked potato 1 med 16
Banana 1 med 10
High sources of vitamin E
Food Serving size % RDA*
(For males)
Wheat germ oil 1 tbs 83.0
Sunflower oil 1 tbs 42.4
Sunflower seeds, oil roasted 1 tbs 42.4
Almond butter 1 tbs 31.6
Canola oil 1 tbs 30.3
Almonds 10 each 27.2
Soybean oil 1 tbs 23.5
Margarine, tub 1 tbs 18.2
Sunflower oil 1 tbs 16.2
Olive oil 1 tbs 15.6
Blueberries 1 cup 14.5
Mustard beans ½ cup 14.1
Soy beans, green, boiled ½ cup 12.6
Spinach, cooked ½ cup 11.7
Wheat germ 1 tbs 11.2
The anti oxidant top ten fruits and vegetables
1. strawberry; garlic
2. plum; kale
3. orange; spinach
4. red grapes; Brussels sprouts
5. kiwi fruit; alfalfa sprouts
6. grapefruit, pink; broccoli
7. white grapes; beets
8. bananas; red bell peppers
9. apple; onion
10. tomato; corn
A personal cancer-protective lifestyle in a nutshell
Avoid carcinogens; kick the tobacco habit; a smoke-free, tobacco-free society to eliminate 2nd hand smoke.
Alcohol
Regarding alcohol, the data is all in. We need to stop using alcohol.
Choice of foods
Choose foods that will work for our benefit and eliminate the foods that are working against us. Societies that regularly consume meat, high fat dairy products, and saturated fats associated with them, have the highest rates of cancer. Changing our diet by cutting down on red meat and eating more chicken, turkey or fish which contain many toxins, viruses and other potentially dangerous substances is no gain as it still has many of the original hazards. Only by changing from the typical American animal-based diet will we achieve the results we want.
The most healthful diet in the world
Eating freely of fruits, grains, vegetables, and nuts in moderation, prepared in a variety of ways, offers us the most healthful diet in the world. It eliminates a host of cancer-causing substances, is ideal for maintaining proper weight, it boosts the immune system by making use of vitamins A, C, and E and other very important protective phytochemicals and fiber. Coupling this diet with regular aerobic exercise will boost the immune system even further. Rounding out the program with adequate stress control, moderate sunlight, weight control, and decreasing snacks and meal frequency will maximize the preventive potential.
The magic cancer pill
The magic cancer pill has been found as we have up to 90% effective ‘cure’ for cancer in the form of a comprehensive cancer-preventive lifestyle. The #2 killer in America could soon be relegated to the bottom of the 10 leading causes of death.
Plant Foods containing Omega-3 (Linolenic Acid)
Flax seed/linseed oil; walnuts, English; walnuts, black; Canola oil; wheat germ oil; soybean oil (Crisco/Wierson); green soybeans; spinach, canned; almonds; Californian avocado; turnips; sunflower oil; sweet potatoes; banana; medium apple with peel; roasted potatoes; cucumber slices with peel; whole wheat bread.
Switching grain consumption from livestock to people
Livestock consumes 630m tons of grain worldwide. Reducing meat-eating by 10% would reduce grain consumption by 63m tons. If this reduction in consumption would be made available for direct human consumption, it would feed the growth in world population for 2+ years.
Conclusion
It seems that we are standing on the verge of a major conceptual breakthrough. Just as the majority of Americans recognize that smoking habits have both personal and societal effects, so many are beginning to realize that eating habits have effects far beyond their impact on personal health. Indeed, it is amazing to realize the large extent that our dietary choices influence not only our health, not only the health of our children, but also the health and well being of the entire world. It is no exaggeration to say that in some respects our seemingly small daily individual choices ultimately affect the destiny of life on our planet. And perhaps no choice impacts global destiny as much as one decision that is among our most basic and personal choices – what we put on our plate.
Beyond the Leading Causes of Death
The founders of the preventive medicine center called the Weimar Institute were convinced that the path to health rested on 8 relatively simple health concepts popularized by Ellen White in the 1905 health classic The Ministry of Healing, embodied in the acronym NEWSTART standing for Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunshine, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust in God.
Newstart Element #1: Nutrition
In this era of medical consciousness, Dr Synove Knutsen has published some fascinating data on the benefits of the vegetarian diet (Knutsen, S. F. Lifestyle and the Use of Health Services American Journal of Clinical Nutrition May 1994) finding 15% less chronic diseases among vegetarians when compared to non-vegetarians. Athletes were fed different diets for 3 days and their endurance tested to exhaustion.
The high protein and high fat diet (high in meat) gave 57 minutes
A mixed diet (lower meat, fat and protein) gave 1 hour 54 minutes
A vegetarian diet (high carbo-hydrate) gave 2 hours 47 minutes
Vegetarian elephants can run at 25mph for 10-12 hours while meat-eating big cats such as cheetahs and tigers have good initial speed but fatigue within a short time. Harvard researchers showed that a total vegetarian diet was fully adequate for protein. As pointed out in Chapter 7, ‘The Great Meat and Protein Myth,’ organically grown spinach is very rich in vitamin B12.”
Food supplements
Some patients are not content with my message of eating more fruits, whole grains, and vegetables and feel that an easier solution is to take supplements. Unfortunately taking extra doses of vitamins can cause problems. Surprisingly, you can cause a vitamin or mineral deficiency by taking large doses of supplements, because of the interactions between vitamins and minerals; taking excessive amounts of one results in an unbalancing of the uptake and utilization of other vitamins and minerals. A study by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion stated ‘We found no evidence of increased longevity among vitamin and mineral supplement users in the United States.’
Newstart Element #2: Exercise
Great benefit is obtained from exercising as little as 750 calories expended per week, with the greatest benefit for those expending more than 3,500 calories. Moderate exercise to expend 150 calories per day are: volleyball 45 minutes; brisk walking 30; raking leaves or active gardening 30; swimming 20; basket ball 15-20; running (1.5 miles) 15. Exercise is important to boost levels of the good cholesterol, HDL. The more you exercise the higher your HDL level.
Newstart Element #3: Water
One measurement that, in part, determines blood-thickness is called hematocrit. If a person is not drinking enough water, hematocrit rises, increasing risk of heart attacks and strokes. Lack of water causes dehydration of the red blood cells, making them less flexible, and they have a greater tendency to clot.
Newstart Element #4: Sunshine
Excessive ultraviolet light from sunshine can increase the risk of skin cancer and cataracts, but judicious amounts can be extremely beneficial.
Newstart Element #5: Temperance
Temperance in the context of this book means ‘total abstinence from substances that are harmful and moderate use of substances that are helpful.’ The World Health Organization advocates ‘no alcohol’ as the standard. It is best to stay clear of caffeine use.
Newstart Element #6: Air
High quality fresh air is electrified. The life-giving oxygen molecule is positively charged or ‘negatively ionized,’ giving rise to a number of benefits.
Newstart Element #7: Rest
Rest comes in daily rest or sleep 7-8 hours; weekly rest – 1 day of rest; recreation; meditation and prayer – at least on a daily basis. I have found meditation and prayer to be a vital part of a balanced lifestyle program. Faith in God favors good health.
Newstart Element #8: Trust in Divine Help
Throughout this book I have demonstrated how research is showing that spirituality and trust in divine power have a role in dealing with many common diseases. We have looked at the role of faith in heart disease, the relationship of spirituality to the AIDS epidemic, and the link between religion and cancer. Later in the chapter the stress-religion-arthritis connection will be covered. One study found that religiosity significantly enhanced physical health among centenarians.
Ellen White
Ellen White wrote volumes on topics related to health and lifestyle; Ministry of Healing; Counsels on Diet and Foods; Medical Ministry; Counsels on Health; Steps to Christ (a life changing masterpiece). Bible prophets are regarded as spokesmen for God and their writings contain much information that could not otherwise be known by man. Conflict of the Ages series traces the history of the conflict between good and evil from its origins. Desire of Ages provides insights as to the motivations of Jesus. Christ’s Object Lessons draws lessons from the parables of Christ. Patriarchs and Prophets draws spiritual lessons from the exodus experience. Education states that true education embodies the development of all four aspects of our being – mental, physical, social, and spiritual. Learning is a life long experience. Each event in our lives holds a lesson that, rightly interpreted, will guide us into the more abundant life that God intended for us. The Great Controversy draws lessons from the history of man and his relationship to God. Books available from Pacific Press and Review and Herald. Proof Positive $99. Call 580-223-5980 or 888-778-4445