When it comes to the health of both sexes, neither women, nor men are spared today when it comes to dealing with weight and disease issues. The statistics show that generally both men and women are equally targeted by the top three chronic conditions of heart disease, cancer and diabetes type 2.
However, we also know today that those three, and most other chronic conditions are directly influenced by our lifestyles, most specifically our diets. Even conditions like arthritis, gout, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and even hormonal imbalances have shown to be directly impacted by the quality of our diet, and other lifestyle choices. Whole, natural, plant foods positively impact all of these conditions, while refined, processed and most animal foods negatively impact all of these conditions. In total, research has found that we can reduce our risk of most diseases by a whopping 80% by engaging in 4 specific lifestyle habits. These are: eating high quality nutrition, exercising, not smoking and avoiding being overweight.
Given that we know so much today about the power of nutrition, it may seem obvious to use this knowledge to our benefit and make better choices so that we do not have to suffer. Yet the truth is that many people today still do not take advantage of the power of their food to heal and prevent disease conditions. Why is that? Numerous reasons exist, from lack of awareness amongst the general public, to hectic lives, to addictive qualities of processed foods, and the list goes on! The truth is that our society has not made it easy for the majority to switch from poor eating habits, and embrace optimal nutrition. Fast, processed foods that aim to satisfy you are advertised around every corner, while pharmaceuticals lure us with promises of taking our health problems away. In the end, both are causing us greater harm than good, and in fact are part of the very problems they are trying to solve.
To help us get empowered and raise awareness about how nutrition can be our best preventative measure against debilitating ailments, I had the pleasure of joining Dr. Tony again on his radio show Where Your Health Matters, out of Oakville, Ontario.
You can download/listen to the audio show, by clicking on the link below:
Preventative Nutrition for Women and Men (MP3 audio)
Specific topics that we covered in the show, in sequence, include:
What is meant by preventative nutrition (3:50)
What does it mean to be healthy (4:50)
What is meant by optimal health (7:40)
What is everything in moderation (8:40)
Why everything in moderation does not work for optimal health (9:35)
How our bodies communicate with us in accordance with what we eat (11:40)
Is it enough to to make resolutions to remove bad eating habits (13:00)
What challenge is most common for people when it comes to our diet (14:55)
What are the top key and simple foods we should all be eating daily (16:00)
What makes organic foods taste different (18:25)
Are there different nutritional needs for men versus women (21:00)
Understanding the differences between various vegetable types (23:00)
Why do people ignore what they know about healthy eating and continue to eat poorly (24:00)
Why do women tend to be healthier eaters (26:30)
Why do men lose weight more easily than women (28:00)
What are the most common health concerns for women and why (30:00)
Why heart disease risk is pretty even for men and women today (31:30)
Specific dietary and lifestyle advice for women’s optimal health (33:40)
Specific dietary and lifestyle advice for men’s optimal health (36:35)
Where can each person start with preventative nutrition (38:25)
What hope is there for healing various chronic conditions (39:15)
What exactly does “natural” mean (40:50)
What are supplements and how can they be useful for us (42:40)
How to make sense of supplement brands, and pick the best ones (44:30)
How can we make the most of cleansing and detoxification for preventative care (48:10)
Other “Where Your Health Matters Shows” featuring Evita Ochel:
Back to Basics Nutrition and Health Tips - Original Air Date: April 8, 2012