Healthy food as prevention

Hi everybody!

Have you heard about this new treatment? They say it’s revolutionary! That it could prevent many illnesses! You have to read about it! It is called: healthy food!!! Yeah, a good nutrition is the best start for a healthy life. How can it be so simple? Check this out.

« That your food is your only medicine ». This sentence is attributed to Hippocrate. Even if there are some controversy about what he really said, it’s something we have to think about. Of course healthy food cannot replace some medicine but: What if your nutrition could prevent disease? And could help to stay fit? Would you give it a try?

One of the most pertinent example is the elderly people of Okinawa who have a high rate of centennials. While the US life expectancy is around 78 years. Japan life expectancy is around 84 years old. It is even more obvious in Okinawa, which is a Japanese archipelago. That was linked to their diet mainly made of vegetables and whole grains. This diet is low in fat and calories, and rich in fiber and anti-oxydants.

And it’s not the only diet that had been proven to be good for health. Think about Mediterranean diet, DASH diet,…

Already in 2005, WHO wrote (World Health Organization. Preventing chronic diseases : a vital investment : WHO global report. Geneva: Who Press; 2005.) that 80 percent of coronary heart disease and type-2 diabetes mellitus as well as 40 percent of cancers, could be prevented by improving three healthy/unhealthy behaviors: eating habits, physical activity, and tobacco use.

But what is “good nutrition”? Healthy food? You can find as many different diets as the number of dishes in a restaurant. But which one should you choose? Which one is best for you? Is it the same as your neighbor? Which one is well-balanced? How can you find your path in that jungle of (mis)information? That’s my job to inform you in the more accurate way.