Chronic diseases and diet

Ms Revathy,

Dietitian, MVH

Chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardio vascular disease , cancer, dental disease, and osteoporosis are long-term diseases that are not contagious and largely preventable. More than 95% of all chronic diseases are related to one’s diet - food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies, and to a lack of physical exercise.

Health conscious people eat good and healthy food - fruits, vegetables and whole grains. However, if these foods are grown in depleted soils or contaminated soils, they can cause more harm than good. Depleted soils produce crops that have a low concentration of nutrients .Chemical fertilizers and pesticides produce crops that can cause health problems. So choose your food carefully.

Good health habits

• Walk daily
• Eat organic where possible
• Reduce stress, be happy
• Enjoy life                                                                                                            
• No steroids,  or other body building supplements
• No diet pills, stimulants or fat burning pills
• No fad dieting (no starving, quick weight loss diets)
• Avoid medicines as much as you can. Don’t buy them without a doctor’s prescription.

Stay away from…     

• Hydrogenated oils ( at risk for heart disease)
• High-fructose corn syrup / sugar / sucrose (  at risk for obesity and other related conditions such as diabetes )
• Homogenized milk fats (at risk for heart disease and cardiovascular disorders)
• Soft drinks, junk foods, snack foods or fast foods
• Processed and ready to serve foods .
• Fried foods and refined flour

Achieving good health is not complicated. Just provide your body with good nourishing food so that it has the building materials it needs to heal. Avoid foods and food ingredients that cause disease.