 stresses the importance of the community.  British
scientist T imothy Lenton provides evidence that evolution is more
dependent on the interaction among species than it is on the interaction
of individuals within a species. Evolution becomes a matter of the
survival of the fittest gr oups  rather than the survival of the fittest
individuals. In a 1998 article in Natur e,  Lenton wrote that rather than
focusing on individuals and their role in evolution “we must consider the
totality of or ganisms and their material environment to fully understand
which traits come to persist and dominate.” (Lenton 1998)
Lenton subscribes to James Lovelock’ s Gaia hypothesis that holds that
the Earth and all of its species constitute one interactive, living or ganism.
Those who endorse this hypothesis ar gue that tampering with the balance
of the superor ganism called Gaia, whether it be by destroying the
rainforest, depleting the ozone layer, or altering or ganisms through
genetic engineering, can threaten its survival and consequently ours.
Recent studies funded by Britain’ s Natural Environment Research
Council provide support for those concerns. (Thomas, et al, 2004;
Stevens, et al, 2004) While there have been five mass extinctions in the
history of our planet, they are all presumed to have been caused by
extraterrestrial events, such as a comet smashing to earth. One of the newstudies concludes that the “natural world is experiencing the sixth, major
extinction event in its history.” (Lovell 2004) This time though, the cause
of the extinction is not extraterrestrial. According to one of the study’ s
authors, Jeremy Thomas, “As far as we can tell this one is caused by one
animal or ganism—man.”
W a l k i n g  t h e  T a l k  o f  C e l l s
In my years of teaching in medical school, I had come to realize that
medical students in an academic setting are more competitive and
backbiting than a truckload of lawyers. They live out the Darwinian
struggle in their quest to be one of the “fittest” who stagger to graduation
after four grueling years in medical school. The single-minded pursuit of
stellar medical school grades, without regard for the students
surrounding you, no doubt follows a Darwinian model, but it always
seemed to me an ironic pursuit for those who are striving to become
compassionate healers.
But my stereotypes about medical students toppled during my stay on
the island. After my call to arms, my class of misfits stopped acting like
conventional medical students; they dropped their survival of the fittest
mentality and amalgamated into a single force, a team that helped them
survive the semester. The stronger students helped the weaker and, in so
doing, all became stronger. Their harmony was both surprising and
beautiful to observe.
In the end, there was a bonus: a happy Hollywood ending. For their
final exam, I gave my students exactly the same test the students in
W isconsin had to pass. There was virtually no dif ference in the
performance of these “rejects” and their “elitist” counterparts in the
States. Many students later reported that when they went home and met
with their peers who attended American medical schools, they proudly
found themselves more proficient in their understanding of the principles
governing the life of cells and or ganisms.
I was of course thrilled that my students had pulled of f an academic
miracle. But it was years before I understood how  they were able to do it.
At the time, I thought the format of the course was key, and I still believe
that overlapping human and cell biology is a better way to present the
course material. But now that I’ve ventured into what I told you wouldbe considered by some as wacky Dr. Dolittle territory, I think a good part
of the reason for my students’ success was that they eschewed the
behavior of their counterparts in the United States. Instead of mirroring
smart American medical students, they mirrored the behavior of smart
cells, banding together to become even smarter. I didn’ t tell my students
to pattern their lives after the lives of the cells, because I was still
steeped in traditional, scientific training. But I like to think that they
went in that direction intuitively after listening to my praise of cells’
ability to group together cooperatively to form more complex and highly
successful or ganisms.
I didn’ t know it at the time but I now believe that another reason for
my students’ success was that I did not stop at praising cells. I praised
the students as well. They needed to hear they were first-rate students in
order to believe that they could perform as first-rate students. As I will
detail in future chapters, so many of us are leading limited lives not
because we have to but because we think  we have to. But I’m getting
ahead of myself. Suf fice it to say that after four months in paradise,
teaching in a way that clarified my thinking about cells and the lessons
they provide to humans, I was well on my way to an understanding of
the New Biology, which leaves in the dust the defeatism of genetic and
parental programming as well as survival-of-the-fittest Darwinism.C H A P T E R  2
I T ’ S  T H E  E N V I R O N M E N T,  S T U P I D
I  will never for get a piece of wisdom I received in 1967, on the first day
I learned to clone stem cells in graduate school. It took me decades to
realize how profound this seemingly simple piece of wisdom was for my
work and my life. My professor, mentor, and consummate scientist Irv
Konigsber g was one of the first cell biologists to master the art of
cloning stem cells. He told me that when the cultured cells you are
studying are ailing, you look first to the cell’ s environment, not to the
cell itself, for the cause.
My professor wasn’ t as blunt as Bill Clinton’ s campaign manager,
James Carville, who decreed, “It’ s the economy, stupid,” to be the
mantra for the 1992 presidential election. But cell biologists would have
done well to post, “It’ s the environment, stupid,” over our desks, just as
the “It’ s the economy, stupid” sign was posted at Clinton headquarters.
Though it wasn’ t apparent at the time, I eventually realized that this
advice was a key insight into understanding the nature of life. Over and
over I learned the wisdom of Irv’ s advice. When I provided a healthy
environment for my cells, they thrived; when the environment was less
than optimal, the cells faltered. When I adjusted the environment, these
“sick” cells revitalized.
But most cell biologists knew nothing of this wisdom of tissue culture
techniques. And scientists moved sharply away from considering
environmental influences after W atson and Crick’ s revelation of DNA ’ s
genetic code. Even Charles Darwin conceded, near the end of his life,
that his evolutionary theory had shortchanged the role of the
environment. In an 1876 letter to Moritz W agner he wrote: “In my
opinion, the greatest error which I have committed has been not allowing
suf ficient weight to the direct action of the environments, i.e., food,
climate, etc., independently of natural selection … When I wrote theOrigin,  and for some years afterwards, I could find little good evidence
of the direct action of the environment; now there is a lar ge body of
evidence.” (Darwin, F 1888)
Scientists who follow Darwin continue to make the same error. The
problem with this underemphasis on the environment is that it led to an
overemphasis on “nature” in the form of genetic determinism—the belief
that genes “control” biology. This belief has not only led to a
misallocation of research dollars, as I will ar gue in a later chapter, but,
more importantly, it has changed the way we think about our lives. When
you are convinced that genes control your life and you know that you
had no say in which genes you were saddled with at conception, you
have a good excuse to consider yourself a victim of heredity. “Don’ t
blame me for my work habits—it’ s not my fault that I’ve been
procrastinating on my deadline … It’ s genetic!”
Since the dawning of the Age of Genetics, we have been programmed
to accept that we are subservient to the power of our genes. The world is
filled with people who live in constant fear that, on some unsuspecting
day, their genes are going to turn on them. Consider the masses of people
who think they are ticking time bombs; they wait for cancer to explode
in their lives as it exploded in the life of their mother or brother or sister
or aunt or uncle. Millions of others attribute their failing health not to a
combination of mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual causes but
simply to the inadequacies of their body’ s biochemical mechanics. Are
your kids unruly? Increasingly the first choice is to medicate these
children to correct their “chemical imbalances” rather than fully
grappling with what is going


BREAKFAST:
Fresh juice and Fresh Applesauce *
A FOUR-WEEK EXAMPLE OF THE FITNESS LIFE-STYLE • 217 LUNCH:
Fresh fruit or carrot juice (optional)
Cuke-a-tillas (see page 170), or Avotillas (see page 201), or Romaine
Roll-ups (see page 208)
DINNER:
Fresh Vegetable Juice Cocktail, if desired (see page 152)
Harvest Soup (see page 167), or Old-fashioned Lentil Soup*
Honey Corn Bread, * or Pita Toasts *
Grandma's Coleslaw (see page 197)
FRESH APPLESAUCE 5 Min.
This is a wonderful breakfast alternative, and an ideal children's food.
Vi cup fresh apple juice or Vi cup water
2 large apples, peeled and quartered
Vz teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg, or lA teaspoon of each
1 fresh or frozen banana or Vi papaya or 2 ripe persimmons (very soft)
(optional)
Place all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Raw or uncooked
applesauce is the only applesauce that is beneficial in our systems.
Cooked applesauce is acid and does far more harm than good. Make sure
this is only eaten on an empty stomach. Serves 1-2.
OLD-FASHIONED LENTIL SOUP 1 Hr. 15 Min.
IVi cups water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large white onion, chopped
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1Vz cups lentils
1 vegetable bouillon or I tablespoon red miso
Vz teaspoon dried thyme
218 • FIT FOR LIFE 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
Vz teaspoon Spike (optional)
Vi teaspoon sea salt (optional)
1 cup fresh or frozen com (optional)
In soup kettle, bring water to a boil. Add garlic, onion, carrots, celery,
lentils, and bouillon or miso. Return to boil. Add seasonings. Mix well.
Simmer, covered, over low heat for 60 minutes. If you want a creamier
consistency, you can puree Vi the soup in blender or food processor.
Return to heat and add corn, if desired. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in
parsley. Serves 3 as a main course.
HONEY CORN BREAD 35 Min. to 1 Hr.
1 cup yellow cornmeal, or *A cup yellow cornmeal and lA cup bran
1 cup whole-wheat flour
Vz teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
lA cup raw honey
1 beaten egg or 1 teaspoon egg replacer whipped in 1 tablespoon
water
l7/s cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon butter
2 cups fresh or frozen com (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in liquid
ingredients. Stir in corn. Do not overmix! Corn bread batter must be a
little lumpy. Pour batter into well-buttered 8-by-8-inch pan. Bake for Vi
hour without corn or 55 minutes with corn until toothpick inserted in
center comes out clean. Cool slightly and cut into 2-inch squares.
NOTE: The batter for this corn bread can be prepared hours in advance
and refrigerated (covered) in the baking pan until Vi hour before baking.
A FOUR-WEEK EXAMPLE OF THE FITNESS LIFE-STYLE • 219 PITA TOASTS 10 Min.
2 whole-wheat pita breads, separated into halves
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 small clove garlic
Vi teaspoon dried thyme
Vi teaspoon dried summer savory
Use garlic press to crush garlic and blend it into butter. Add herbs and
mix well with fork. Spread butter on pita halves. Place under broiler for 5
minutes or until toasted. Serves 4.
Freeze 2~2'/2 bananas for tomorrow's shake before going to bed.
DAY TWENTY-EIGHT—SUNDAY
BREAKFAST:
Fresh juice, Smoothie (see pages 189 and 201), or Breakfast Fruit
Platter,4 if desired
LUNCH:
Leftover Lentil Soup and Grandma's Coleslaw from yesterday, or The
Properly Combined Sandwich (see page 150), or Banana Shake*
DINNER.
Fresh Vegetable Juice Cocktail, if desired (see page 152)
New York Goodwich (see page 159)
Crusty Roasteds*
Leftover Grandma's Coleslaw, or Summer Greens with Creamy Avocado
Dressing *
BREAKFAST FRUIT PLATTER 15 Min.
1 cantaloupe or Persian melon, cut into bite-size cubes
3 cups watermelon balls
4 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
220 • FIT FOR LIFE 1 large or 2 small papaya, peeled and sliced
2 cups seedless green grapes
6 small bunches grapes
1 large Bosc pear, peeled and cut into spears
On large round platter, combine melons, kiwi fruit, papaya, and grapes.
Arrange bunches of grapes around edges of platter, alternating with pear
spears.
Serve with Fruit Dip of your choice (see page 170). Serves 6.
BANANA SHAKE 3 Min.
1 cup Fresh Almond Milk (see page 195)
2—21/2 frozen bananas (depending on size and desired thickness of
shake)
Nutmeg
In blender, combine Fresh Almond Milk, bananas, and nutmeg to taste.
Blend until creamy. Serves I.
CRUSTY ROASTEDS 35 Min.
These are a delicious alternative to french fries, and you'll love them if
potatoes are one of your addictions. You'll find them to be a really terrific
"non-fried potato treat." Although they are wonderful, overeating them
will halt your progress. Take it easy! Don't stuff yourself. Look at this as a
treat and not a binge so you can enjoy these roasteds in your new life-style
repertoire.
5 new potatoes
1-2 tablespoons butter, melted
Dash of Spike, Herbit, or seasoning of your choice
Place potatoes in vegetable steamer, covered, over boiling water for 20
minutes or until they test tender when pierced with tip of sharp knife. Do
not allow them to get too soft. Cool potatoes and cut into '/t-inch slices.
Place on cookie sheet, and brush evenly with butter. Sprinkle with sea
soning, and place as close as possible to heat of broiler until crusty and
golden, approximately 10 minutes. It is not necessary to turn them.
Serves 2-3.
A FOUR-WEEK EXAMPLE OF THE FITNESS LIFESTYLE • 221 SUMMER GREENS WITH CREAMY
AVOCADO DRESSING IS Min.
An assortment of lettuce—several leaves each of butter, romaine,
salad bowl, and red leaf
2 cups spinach
1 cup arugula (optional)
1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced, or 2 pickling cukes, peeled and
sliced
2 cups sprouts—alfalfa, buckwheat, or sunflower
Vi cup olives (optional) or 1 cup enoki mushrooms
Prepare the salad.
Wash and thoroughly dry lettuce and break into bite-size pieces, discard
ing center rib. Break spinach into bite-size pieces. Combine lettuce and
spinach in large bowl. Add arugula, if desired, cucumber, and sprouts.
CREAMY A VOCADO DRESSING:
1 avocado
1 small clove garlic, minced
'A cup water
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
Vi teaspoon honey
'/: teaspoon sea salt, seasoned salt, or salt-free seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Prepare the dressing.
Cut avocado in half. Peel, remove pit, and cut into large cubes. Place all
ingredients in food processor or blender. Process until creamy and
smooth. Use as dressing for Summer Greens, as dip for raw or steamed
vegetables, or as topping on sandwiches. Makes 2 cups.
Assemble the salad.
Pour xh cup of dressing over greens. Toss well. Add a few tablespoons
additional dressing, if desired. Add olives or enoki mushrooms, if desired.
Toss lightly. Serves 2.
222 • FIT FOR LIFE ^
IN CONCLUSION
A J. \- tremendous effort has gone into
perfecting this system over the last fifteen years. Obviously it is not a "hit-
and-run," on-again off-again approach. Its purpose is to put you in har
mony with your physiological needs and your natural body cycles and to
show you how to eat to optimize both. With this information you will
always have control over your energy and your weight.
If you are not yet the weight you wish to be, be assured that you will
arrive there if you continue to eat properly combined, high-water-content
meals and nothing but fruit in the morning, just proceed! You are still in
the process of acquiring your LIFEIIME ENERGY LIFE-STYLE. If you con
tinue to do what has been outlined, the weight will continue to come off,
and it will be gone for good


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