Taiwan Adventist Hospital – A Vegetarian Hospital with a Caring Mission, Part 3 of 3

Today, we introduce TAH’s healthy lifestyle project called NEWSTART. This wellness initiative was created by the Weimar Institute in California, USA, an entity that was also founded by Adventists. NEWSTART is an acronym for Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust (in Divine Power). To correspond with the hospital’s mission to maintain public health, TAH established the Sanyu Health Education Center as a NEWSTART program site, with the Weimar Institute’s support and guidance. The Sanyu Health Education Center, located in Nantou, Taiwan (Formosa), was founded to improve the public’s well-being by teaching disease prevention strategies and providing services related to physical and mental wellness promotion. We were honored to interview Dr. James Wu, the center’s chief executive officer who kindly shared his insights on how NEWSTART keeps program participants healthy and enhances lives. As a vegan, he advocates a diet of “4 Noes and 1 High,” with meals served at the Sanyu Health Education Center following these guidelines. Dr. Wu explains. “‘Four Noes and One High.’ This means no refined oil, no refined sugar, no eggs, and no milk, and a diet high in fiber. That means a vegan diet. Veganism was mentioned in the [Holy] Bible, in the Book of Genesis, which was written several thousand years ago. Records from 4,000 years ago say that we humans were herbivores originally. The evidence is in our dental structure, the wavy lining and length of our intestines, and the folds of our large intestine. Humans have a biological structure that is suitable for the vegan diet. Cows, sheep, horses, camels, and elephants are all vegetarians. They are physically strong and live very long lives. Their body structure is that of vegetarians. We humans, by nature, are vegetarians. In the [Holy] Bible, Genesis, Chapter 1, it is said that all fruits, vegetables, and plants are food for us. So, recently the plant-based diet has become a trend.” Our health is reflective of our daily lifestyle. An inappropriate diet and undesirable habits are the main causes of many chronic illnesses. The NEWSTART program provides a solution by helping nurture practices that are beneficial to one’s health, including mental wellness. A result of NEWSTART’s focus is an overall reduced need for medical treatment by people completing the program, thus lowering their healthcare costs. We are very grateful to Dr. Wu for sharing his knowledge and providing us with a useful background on the NEWSTART program. Let’s all make a new start, embracing the wholesome plant-based lifestyle, which brings peace and wellness to all beings.