Wholism VS Reductionism

Today, I watched an interesting presentation by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Nelson Campbell from PlantPure Communities. The title was “Confronting Reductionism, Past and Present".

They discussed the concepts of wholism and reductionism. Wholism refers to the idea of thinking about the body as a complex system. This view would treat the whole body to make it healthier. On the other hand, reductionism focuses on each part of the body is a separate entity. This view would treat the one part of the body that is malfunctioning, much like a mechanic fixing a car.

Our society has favoured reductionism over wholism. Reductionism is more profitable. For example, you can patent medications and machines. Generating profit with research about how good a vegetable is difficult! Expertise is needed for reductionism. This boosts people’s ego by becoming the authority on a subject. You do not need a university degree to choose whole-foods that you find growing in your garden. A child can tell you the rainbow of colours on your plate and identify the difference between animal and vegetable products.

Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Nelson Campbell also mentioned that there is no evidence for the S.O.S Diet. This is a diet that avoids sugar, oil or salt. They stated that fats that are naturally found in nuts and seeds are healthy. Thus, avocados, coconut, and nuts are fine in moderation. This goes against the views of some other leaders in the plant-based movement. They did advise against the consumption of refined oils that are used in cooking, such as palm oil, coconut oil, and olive oil.

This a brief review of the one hour presentation. It is challenge to include all the ideas that were shared. I would encourage you to watch it. I found listening to it while I washed dishes helped break the monotony of this chore! Feel free to ask me questions about these concepts!