When it comes to leading a long and healthy life free from chronic disease, knowledge is our most powerful ally. There is an abundance of cutting edge science on the power of nutrition to prevent and reverse chronic diseases. It is time for this life-saving information to become mainstream knowledge in every household. Through educating ourselves we can stop the epidemic of chronic diseases that are caused by poor diet and lifestyle choices. It is up to you to educate yourself on the diseases caused by food, the flaws of modern medicine and how food is medicine.

At Proactive Health & Safety Solutions, we aim to inspire you by planting seeds of knowledge in your mind which motivate you to make diet and lifestyle changes. Great resources to learn more on health and nutrition include books by Dietician Brenda Davis, Dr. Colin Campbell, Dr. Michael Greger, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. John McDougall and Dr. Max Gerson. Informative documentaries include Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy, Plant Pure Nation and Earthlings.

Epigenetics proves that we can take control of our health by using food, exercise and lifestyle as our medicine to prevent and reverse disease. Research on Epigenetics shows that our diet and lifestyle choices change the way genes are expressed, leading to either the prevention or progression disease. It is a powerful motivator to know that “every time you eat or drink you are either feeding disease or fighting it”. ^{1, 2, 3}

The U.S. Center for Disease Control & Prevention, World Health Organization and Canadian Cancer Society have identified some alarming statistics:

• 25% of adults have 2 or more chronic health conditions ⁴
• 7/10 top causes of death are chronic diseases ⁴
• 86% of health care spending is on chronic disease management ⁴
• Almost half of the chronic disease deaths are under the age of 70yrs ⁵
• Almost 50% of Canadians have a lifetime probability of developing cancer ⁶
• The top causes of death in Canada in 2011 were Cancer and Heart Disease ⁶

The World Health Organization (WHO) published a document called The Power of Prevention. The WHO states that 80% of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer would be prevented if the main risk factors were eliminated ⁷. By eliminating the risk factors including inactivity, poor nutrition, tobacco and alcohol, we can prevent the great majority of chronic diseases. These alarming statistics should urge the public to adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle in order to live a long and healthy life.

Stay tuned as we continue to empower you with the scientific research and tools you need to change your life and take control of your health to prevent and reverse disease.

References

1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3771139/
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1392256/
3. http://discovermagazine.com/2006/nov/cover
4. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/
5. http://www.smartglobalhealth.org/issues/entry/chronic-diseases
6. http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-101/canadian-cancer-statistics-publication/?region=on
7. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/2009-Power-of-Prevention.pdf

By Dana Garcia