Chapter 5
The Good News: Chronic Disease is
Preventable and ReversibleAccording to the WHO, there is ample evidence that we are tak-
ing part in...
“... a global shift in diet toward increased intake of energy-dense
foods that are high in fat and sugars, but low in vitamins, min-
erals, and other micronutrients; and a trend towards decreased
physical activity due to increasingly sedentary nature of many
forms of work, changing modes of transportation and increasing
urbanization.”^1The state of global health would change immediately for the
better if we were to follow the above reworded “health-positive”
statement:
We are choosing a global shift in diet toward increased intake
of nutrient-dense foods that are low in fat and sugars and high
in vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients; and a trend to-
ward increased physical activity due to the convenience of many
workout facilities in urban environments and work settings,
along with employee incentives. Urbanization provides easier
access to a variety of whole, nutrient-dense plant foods, such as
vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and greater op-
portunities for exercise.Good health is about applying very simple principles on a con-
sistent and daily basis. Fortunately for us, such a transition is not
dependent upon new scientific breakthroughs or the creation of
brand new social models. All we must do is look to successfully ag-