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nation of medical dependents, visiting physicians and taking drugs in a futile attempt to combat the effects of our disease-producing modern diet.
    Instead of feeding ourselves in such a manner as to cause our deterioration, I recommend eating primarily unrefined plant foods. This means eliminating or de-emphasizing meat, chicken, fish, and dairy products; and avoiding processed foods, fried foods, fats, and sweets. If these rich foods are to be consumed at all, my patients are encouraged to limit their use to special occasions (once weekly or less) or to use animal-based foods only as condiments, in very small quantity, to flavor a soup or vegetable dish.
    Even though these recommendations may be abhorrent to certain individuals and to the animal agriculture community, it can not be denied that vegetarian populations live longer and healthier lives than meat-eating populations. Not only does the epidemiologic evidence from around the globe point to this, but also the studies on healthy vegetarian populations show that there is a significant survival advantage when animal foods are eliminated from the diet.1,2
    Meat and dairy products, which have traditionally been our primary source of protein, have high fat and cholesterol content, minimal fiber, and are deficient in the cancer-preventing antioxidant nutrients. This nutritional profile of animal foods is the precise combination associated with an increased risk of coronary artery (heart) disease, most cancers, diabetes, and obesity.
    Plant foods have substantial amounts of fiber, little fat, and moderate amounts of protein. Much modern research has linked not only fats to cancer and degenerative illnesses but also the proteins in animal products.3 These foods were thought in the past to be appropriate for our species, but now it is clear that animal-based foods, because of their link to so many of our ills, are poorly adapted to humans when used in significant quantities.
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    As a species we are closely related to the great apes, who are primarily plant eaters. Clearly, the diet for which our species is best adapted is one consisting predominantly of natural, unrefined, plant-based foods with little if any foods of animal origin.
    We're Winning the Race to an Early Death with Our Knives and Forks
    Our population is nutritionally miseducated. Outdated nutritional concepts encourage us to feed our children a diet that promotes premature growth and rapid maturity. Nutritionists have suggested humans need to consume high-protein animal foods such as eggs, meat, and fowl because these foods have been noted to promote more rapid growth in rats and other rodents. This is a tremendous error, as now we have learned that growth acceleration promotes aging.
    Over the years researchers noted that the rodents that matured and grew the quickest died the earliest. This Nvas tested again and again with all animal species: the faster an animal grows and matures, the younger it dies.4 This is now an established fact in humans as well; for example, early puberty increases our risk of certain cancers, especially breast and prostate cancer.5
    It was also noted that if we restrict the calories an animal can eat, by underfeeding it or periodically fasting it, we can significantly prolong its life. In fact, periodically fasting animals can double their natural life span.6,7
    Utilizing the traditional four food groups as a guide, modern society consumes a diet with a severe excess of fat, cholesterol, and protein, and that is also significantly deficient in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Almost any menu that uses these outdated guidelines would have us consume between 30 and 45
    percent of calories from fat. This is more than double the amount consumed in countries that do not have the high rates of heart attack and cancer that we see in our country today. Our fiber intake hovers around 10 to 20 grams per day, less than a fourth of what it should be.
    The modern way of eating sets the stage for our