Have you ever wondered what determines your meal?
The film The Game Changers can probably give you some inspiration. It was executively produced by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan, unfolding a journey that uncovers diet myths and explores our perceptions of the relationship between diet, nutrition and health.
The story begins with James Wilks, an elite Special Forces trainer. He was accidentally injured during training, so he had to stop everything in his life and rest for at least half a year to recover. To quickly restore physical function, he began to do extensive research.
Then he learned from archaeological studies of ancient Roman gladiators that most gladiators were on a plant-based diet (with very high bone density). It was unbelievable to him—where did they get the nutrition without consuming meat?
Myth No. 1: Meat = Nutrition?
Back in the 19th century, the German chemist J. von Liebig proposed a hypothesis that 'animal protein is the source of energy, which was widely spread for a time. Later, the scientific community found out that, in fact, the fuel for our body mainly comes from carbohydrates. If carbohydrate intake is inadequate, people will lack endurance and quickly tire during exercise.
Protein is also an essential nutrient; all proteins are derived from plants. Animal protein also comes from plant protein. Also, plants are rich in antioxidants and vitamins that can promote immunity and accelerate recovery.
James also visited athletes on plant-based diets around the world: Australia's 400-meter gold medallist Morgan Mitchell showed excellent endurance and explosive power; eight-time US National cycling champion Dotsie Bausch became the most senior cyclist to retire from the Olympic Games; Professional strongman Patrik Baboumian was former Germany's Strongest Man with multiple world records…
All of these top athletes attribute their success to the same factor—a plant-based diet. They decided Liebig'sheir opponents were unwilling to, and they achieved results that their opponents could not.
Myth No. 2: Meat = Healthy?
Have you ever wondered what determines your meal? As James was recovering from his injury, his father was diagnosed with heart disease. "I always thought I was healthy." James' father said in shock. The doctor replied, "No need to be surprised. Coronary heart disease is prevalent now. It's a result of our diet." Experiments on blood have shown that after a meat eater consumes just one vegetarian meal, the plasma separated from the blood is significantly more precise than before, meaning that the blood lipids are on a healthier level.
Schwarzenegger said that TV commercials often claim that eating meat makes us strong. Yet that is not the truth but the livestock sector's marketing propaganda.
For decades, cigarette brands were the number one sponsors of major sports competitions. There were media adverts and even scientific research justifying the harmlessness of cigarettes. And now, in replacement of the tobacco companies, fast-food giants are advertising all over the place…
Regarding health, different people may have different opinions and experiences. It is our understanding that determines our choices and affects our feelings.
We often use our customary impressions and perception to interpret the world. For things we don't know well, we tend to show a sceptical or even rejective attitude, and resultantly, we miss the opportunities to go beyond ourselves.
It is a process—there's no making without breaking. Breaking old perceptions requires knowledge; knowledge comes from wisdom, discernment and an open mind to explore. Making fundamental changes requires courage; courage comes from internal power, which can be activated by truth and conscience.
The first step is to understand.
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