How To Manage A Healthy Diet

Note: this post has been updated in January 2022.

Healthy diet vs. Health Industries

These days, everyone is trying to be healthier and eat a diet that includes all the nutrients and vitamins for a healthy body. The problem lies in confusion over certain things. One look at television commercials, and it's easy to see why everyone is confused about it.

Before we get too deep into science, let's review some of the basics we learned in high school. If we put everything through the same process, it is much easier to understand it and how it works. At this point in the discussion, you would accept or reject the hypothesis, report our findings, and see how the end turns out.

The real scientific method in research

Realistic View of the scientific method

The research graphic above was from Dr. Colin Campbell's research showing the realistic view of research in today's universities. This accurate and new view differs from the perceived view of the public thinks or what we learned in school. Note the differences! This difference is more true today than ever. Just follow the money!

The realistic view of the research process that people outside the industry don't get to see. Consumers may not even realize that the industry is involved in research. But it is there in every step of the scientific method. The covered sectors are food, drugs, health supplements, and medical practices here.

Additional research by Dr. Colin Campbell's findings shows three aspects of the research findings we read and see. The first is funding, the second is publishing, and the third is dissemination. Dissemination consists of policy development and public information.

It is essential to keep in mind; about 2/3 of the funding comes from the National Institutes of Health {NIH} funded by US taxpayers, among 27 institutes. Not one of these institutes has any connection with nutrition. Less than 15 percent of the proposals are funded, and most of these proposals come from academic (Universities) or research institutions.

All proposals must undergo a rigorous review process by highly qualified peer experts. After the research is carried out and completed, the researchers attempt to get their findings published, and less than 1 percent get published by the best-known journals.

The review process has many benefits, such that the research is professionally reviewed, the results are publicly documented, and the authors are held accountable. As far as dissemination is concerned a huge amount of information is published and most is never read again.

Sometimes during dissemination, the media comes in and selects and publicizes a bit of information that they think is newsworthy. If the research is well known, it is more marketable, and as Dr. Campbell mentioned, the more reductionist the study, the more there is potential for profit.

The problem is industry influence and intrusion. Again, the industries that we are talking about comprise the food, drugs, supplements, and medical practice industries. These industries get involved at the research level because they are interested in selling products and need to influence decision-makers so there can be saleable products. Read 95% of Committee Members Advising on U.S. Dietary Guidelines Had Ties to Big Pharma, Big Food.

Of course, money does influence. Consumers are also at fault because we want and demand these products. We want a pill or simple fix for every problem, so companies will market these magic pills to cure every ailment to make a sale. The research process's public policy and information level are where the research model is challenged and perhaps compromised because our research model is not designed for making people healthy; the system is set up to identify marketable findings and sell products.

1. The meat industry wants people to buy lots of meat.
2. The dairy industry wants people to buy lots of dairy.
3. The egg industry wants people to buy lots of eggs.
4. The drug companies want people to buy lots of drugs.
5. The health industry wants people to do lots of surgical procedures.

We are led to believe that these things are good for us. As Americans:

• we consume 42% animal products, 
• we consume 51% oils and refined carbohydrates.  
• we consume only about 5% fruits and vegetables.
• In other word the American diet is 95 % of things that we should not be eating.

The standard American diet we choose to eat is not that healthy. Every day we are bombarded with information about food that is incorrect. Different industries have told us other things, and now we don’t know what to believe. We eat the way we do with all the wrong information we receive from various sources. Doctors tell us to get rid of the fat, buy this type of milk, take this supplement, avoid certain foods, and read this or that diet book by their favorite author.

Getting Back to Health

The real problem to be conquered is all the advertising that tells people that they need to super-size their meals and that eating gigantic portions of food is the way to be healthy. McDonald’s created a Happy Meal to keep children happy while the parents enjoyed their meal. It is neither healthy nor good for you; it is a pacifier. Heavy food cooked in grease is not how we intended to eat.

Check out these great sources:

Plant-Based Nutrition, 2E (Idiot’s Guides),

Nutrition Facts: The Truth About Food and

The Forks Over Knives Plan

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