The health of the human species is on a rapid decline. This comes as no surprise. Right now, over two-thirds of adults are either overweight or obese, according to the National Institute of Diabetes. But underneath this terrifying weight gain lays a more urgent problem: disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims that a whopping 70 percent of deaths and morbidity are lifestyle-related — which means death and disease is preventable.
The Health Care System Isn’t Always the Solution
The health care system in America is often seen as the most expensive and worst performing of all. In fact, America doesn’t even have the universal health care system that more than 30 other countries do, including Germany, France and Denmark, to name a few. Lack of a high-functioning health care system does not matter. Universal or non-universal, the health care system as a whole is designed to cure or relieve symptoms of disease — not to prevent. We have the solution, and it is not in our health care system.
While it’s convenient to view death and disease as inevitable, the poignant truth must be realized: our daily actions can prevent death and disease. Yet, many diseases seem inescapable, even during our youthful years. In fact, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the majority of kids by the age of 10 have fatty streaks in their arteries.
Start Healthy Eating Habits Early
The signs of heart disease and overall health issues are caused by behavior extremely early on. The prevention and treatment towards this epidemic seems far and out of reach. But it is right in front of us. Eat a healthy diet. This is not prevention; this is reversal. The causes of heart disease are obvious: obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history of the disease and more. But having a family history does not entail a manifestation of the disease.
It is time to take responsibility for our own health. Disease is not a matter of time; it is in our hands. The solution is so obvious, yet so un-utilized. Our genetics do not control our health, we do. It may be shocking, it may be uncomfortable, but it is not controversial. The truth is undeniable, yet continues to be denied day-by-day.
It’s Time to Change Our Eating Style
Processed food is designed to keep you addicted. Food is business. But evolution tells it all. Eating is not for enjoyment. Eating is for survival. Yet, food companies and restaurants keep you coming back for more. Food is medicine. The role of food is to sustain survival, keep blood sugar stable, prevent disease, etc. Sound familiar? The roles of food and medicine are identical, yet only one of them prevents the disease before it happens.
In order to slow down the decline of health, we must start changing our daily life choices. While it might be easy to make a change and go to the gym 5 days a week, stopping a food addiction proves itself much harder. But if we continue on this path, the consequences are too harmful to fathom. The CDC claims that by 2050, 1 in 3 Americans will have diabetes.
The Answer Is Simple
The answer is not easy, but it is simple. Change our diet. Indulge in unrefined plant foods. Vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, legumes and many more provide nutrients. These are not numbers on food labels; they provide purpose, as well as growth, to our long-term health.
It’s time to choose: eat healthy and resist the temptations of processed food, or take blood pressure medication from a young age in order to function each day for the rest of your life. The answer seems simple: lengthen your lifespan — eat healthy.