China Study- Part I

I have been told by several people about the book The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health.  I'd heard enough about it to intrigue me, so I decided to start reading it on my own.  One word... WOW.  This book has stirred up some major questions about my own nutrition and I knew I was being called to share this with people.
The book is broken down into 4 parts.  I've had my hi-lighter in hand while reading and am amazed by what I am learning.  It is very scientific, and that has helped me digest everything the author found in this study.  If he didn't have statistics to back up what he's found I would have closed the book a long time ago.  But, everything he suggests has multiple experiments and scientific explanations to back his claims.  Therefore, I am left questioning what small changes I can make in my life.
Below I've included some of the points in Part I of the book that were "hi-lighter" worthy.

• We spend far more, per capita, on health care than any other society in the world, and yet 2/3 of Americans are overweight, and over 15 million Americans have diabetes, a number that has been rising rapidly.
• Dietary protein proved to be so powerful in its effect that we could turn on and off cancer growth simply by changing the level consumed.
• What protein consistently & strongly promoted cancer?  Casein, which makes up 87% of cow's milk protein, promoted all stages of the cancer process.
• People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease.  People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease.
• If you are a male in the USA, the American Cancer Society says you have a 47% chance of getting cancer.  If you are female, you have a 38% chance.  
• The percentage of obese people has nearly doubled in the last 30 years.
• Heart disease will kill one out of every three Americans.  It can be prevented, even reversed, by a healthy diet.
• The answer to the American health crisis is the food that each of us chooses to put in our mouths each day.  Simple as that.
• If we are exposed in the past to a carcinogen that initiates a bit of cancer that remains dormant, this cancer can still be "reawakened" by bad nutrition some time later.  
• Cow's milk protein is an exceptionally potent cancer promoter in rats dosed with aflatoxin.
• Research showed that increasing intakes of casein (protein in cow's milk) promoted the development of breast cancer.
• Nutrients from animal-based foods increased tumor development while nutrients from plant-based foods decreased tumor development.

So, what have I done with some of this info?  First thing I did was replace my skim milk with soy and almond milk.  I actually really like almond milk!  I've tried to decrease the other foods I eat that are made from cow's milk- cheese, coffee creamer, etc.  If I go "all or none" I'll never stick to this, even if it is better for me.  So, I'm taking baby steps.  I remind myself that I'm not doing this to lose weight, I'm doing this for my health.  I choose almond milk because it decreases my chances of getting cancer and other major diseases.
The quote "If you know better, you do better" is perfect for the ideas presented in the China Study.  If I KNOW something is really going to hurt me, I stay away from it.  I don't smoke, I don't use tanning beds, I wear my seat belt, etc... you get the point.  I told myself to make a few small changes and it just may be what prevents myself from getting a disease that so many people suffer from.  I'm willing to take a chance on eating healthier to decrease my chances.
If you'd like to read the The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health click on the link below.