Eating for Health
Eating For Health
Does it really matter what we eat? Well, the good news is, we have tremendous power over our health destiny and longevity. The majority of premature death and disability is preventable, with a healthy enough diet. It’s…the…food.
What we eat is the number one determinant of how long we live. What we eat is what determines most whether we’ll die prematurely. What we eat is what determines most whether we become disabled or not.
According to a recent review, the sum total of evidence suggests that “mortality from all cause[s]” put together, and many of our dreaded diseases—”ischemic heart disease, and circulatory and cerebrovascular diseases,” like stroke—were significantly lower in those eating more plant-based diets, in addition to less cancer and diabetes.
The foods to emphasize in one’s diet are unprocessed, unrefined, plant-derived foods, which in general lack disease-promoting components like cholesterol and transfats, and contain, not only the essential vitamins and minerals, but also hundreds of naturally-occurring phytonutrients that may protect against cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and other chronic health conditions.
So, people eating more plant-based tend to end up eating a more nutrient-dense dietary pattern, closer to the current dietary recommendations. And, the more plant-based we get, apparently, the better.
