Telluride First: Dr. T. Colin at Wellness Summit

Telluride First: Dr. T. Colin at Wellness Summit

Telluride First Foundation’s inaugural conference in Mountain Village features Dr. Deepak Chopra as keynote speaker. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, co-author of “The China Study,” the largest investigation of nutrition every conducted, and ultra-athlete, Rich Roll, also a plant-based food advocate, among top-tier presenters.

The Integrative Wellness Summit takes place Friday, September 11 – Sunday, September 13.

Full schedule here. 

Tickets/passes here.

Please scroll down to the bottom of this story to listen to my interview with Dr. Campbell.

telluride-first-eblast-2-660x1020

Dr, T. Colin Campbell, Ultraman Rich Roll and his wife, Julie Piatt, a plant-based chef and spiritual guide sing in harmony about the cascading benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet to achieve optimal health.

The idea of food as medicine is not unicorn dust.

There is hardcore evidence on the table, so to speak – Dr. Campbell’s 40+ years of research and Rich’s track record alone as one of the strongest and fittest men on earth are a strong endorsements – in support of such beliefs and practices.

At Telluride First’s Integrative Wellness Summit, Dr. Campbell opens the discussion  Saturday morning, September 12, 2015, 9 a.m., with a talk about how far off-track the scientific reductionism of the nutrition orthodoxy has gotten. As an antidote, he then plans to reveal some of the wonders of holistic nutrition from a cellular level to our entire operating system.

(On Sunday, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Rich Roll talks about his journey from overweight, alcohol-addicted entertainment attorney to feats of plant-powered ultra-endurance. At 2 p.m. at The Peaks, Rich and Julie offer a cooking workshop based on their book “The PlantPower Way.”)

You say ok, maybe. But don’t we have the teeth of a carnivore? And isn’t protein (rhymes with meat) good for us? When did meat and dairy fall off the top of the pyramid? And when and why did our dietary dogma change?

Dr. T. Colin Campbell, one of top nutrition experts in the world, presents at Telluride Frist’s Integrative Wellness Summit.

Dr. T. Colin Campbell, one of top nutrition experts in the world, presents at Telluride Frist’s Integrative Wellness Summit.

Super-size this fact: The U.S. arguably has the most advanced medical technology in the world, but we are sicker than ever by nearly every measure.

According to the website for the groundbreaking documentary “Fork Over Knives,” which features the findings of Dr. Campbell, his associate, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn of the Cleveland Clinic, and a number of other highly regarded medical practitioners and individuals:

“Two out of every three of us are overweight. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially among our younger population. About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug. Major medical operations have become routine, helping to drive healthcare costs to astronomical levels. Heart disease, cancer and stroke of the country’s three leading causes of death, even though billions are spent each year to “battle” these conditions. Millions suffer from a host of other degenerative diseases.”

Dr. Campbell believes there is a single, straightforward, comprehensive solution to all of these challenges. Most, if not all, degenerative diseases afflicting us today can be controlled, even reversed, by rejecting a menu of animal-based and processed food.

And like-minded associates such as his son Nelson Campbell agree. A new documentary, directed by Nleson Campbell (and produced by John Corry), “PlantPure Nation,” 2015, featuring his renowned dad, explores the topical issues of the small family farmer, food deserts, modern medicine, and the challenges of getting plant-based nutrition included in the political process.

Yes, the Campbells believe dietary policy in the U.S. and worldwide might have to change from the top down. Though it might be easier to shift gears at the grassroots level, one person, one family, one farmer at a time.

Now a Professor Emeritus of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University, Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s name became synonymous with plant-based nutrition with the publication in 2005  of “The China Study,” the book the encapsulated the most comprehensive (40-year) study of health and nutrition ever conducted, co-authored with Colin Campbell’s son, Dr. Thomas Campbell.

The book focuses on knowledge gained from the China Study, a decades-long partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine that shows that the high consumption of animal-based foods is associated with an increase in chronic diseases, while a primarily plant-based diet correlates with better health.

President Clinton cited the book when asked to explain how he lost 24 pounds.

“The most important book on health, diet and nutrition ever written. Its impact will only grow over time and it will ultimately improve the health and longevity of tens of millions of people around the world,” John Mackey, CEO, Whole Foods

More about Dr. Campbell:

t-colin-campbell-lake

In addition to his long and outstanding career as an author, scientific researcher, and Cornell professor, Dr. Campbell is featured in several documentaries.

He is the founder of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and the online internationally-recognized Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate offered by the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies in partnership with eCornell. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board.

Dr. Campbell’s expertise and scientific interests encompass relationships between diet and diseases, particularly the causation of cancer. He has focused on nutritional status and long-term health.

Surprisingly, Campbell started his life on a dairy farm, but became widely-known for researching links between animal-based protein diets and disease.

Campbell has conducted original research both in laboratory experiments and in large-scale human studies; received over 70 grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding (mostly with NIH), has served on several grant review panels of multiple funding agencies, and has authored over 300 research papers.

Campbell has served on many national and international expert committees with mandates to develop food and health policy positions and is the recipient of several awards, both in research and in citizenship.

He was trained at Cornell University (M.S., Ph.D.) and MIT (Research Associate) in nutrition, biochemistry and toxicology. T. Colin Campbell spent 10 years on the faculty of Virginia Tech’s Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition before returning to Cornell in 1975, where he presently holds his Endowed Chair as the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry in the Division of Nutritional Sciences.

Since the publication of The China Study in 2005, Dr. Campbell has given more than 600 lectures in the U.S. and abroad. More recently, Campbell published Whole (May 2013), as well as The Low-Carb Fraud (Feb 2014). The second edition of The China Study is scheduled to be released in 2015.

He was featured in the very successful 2011 documentary, “Forks Over Knives” and 2015 documentary, now in theaters, “PlantPure Nation.”

Through his ground-breaking scientific research and his on-going efforts to educate the public concerning the benefits of the whole food plant-based lifestyle, Dr. Campbell has positively impacted the lives of thousands of people including health professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, etc.), community advocates, caregivers, parents, health coaches, lifestyle counselors, massage therapists, policy makers, athletes, coaches, chefs, vegetarians, vegans, and others who value long-term health.

To learn more about Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s journey from a dairy farm to plant-based nutrition advocate click the play button and listen to our conversation.

No Comments

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.