The First Forgotten Basic

A perspective on eating healthy

"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." - Jim Rohn.

You might think I already knew that; Jim just said it pretty. Well, then, why do 805,000 people in the U.S. have a heart attack every year? That’s the population of San Francisco gone. Why is it that 1 in 3 people in the U.S. are overweight?

We are not taking care of our bodies; it’s because we have varying degrees of control over habits, our desire for convenience, addiction, system inequity, information overload, and misinformation, to name a few barriers.

One underrated way to care for our bodies is to eat healthy. In Dr. Greger’s How Not Die book, he states, “Most deaths in the U.S. are preventable…our diet is the number one cause of premature death and…disability.” So, we must prioritize eating healthy; prioritization is within our control.

Now, if someone were to ask - “what is the best diet?” we would face the challenge of information overload and misinformation. It’s also not a great question because the appropriate follow-up would be, “For whom?” There is no one-size-fits-all diet. As a result of this challenge, everyone throws their hands up and continues eating their french fries.

If someone were to force an answer, though, based on current studies, if your goal is to lead a long, healthy life, most people should eat mostly local organic whole-food plant-based food, taking into consideration macro (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) breakdown and deficiencies, their doctor’s and nutritionist’s recommendations, socio-economic status, food sensitivities, and behavior sustainability (i.e., adherence to a way of eating).

This perspective is centered on reviewing Blue Zone (places with the highest concentration of healthy centurions) food guidelines, Eat Forum’s planetary health diet, Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen, and the National Institute of Health’s article: Defining a Healthy Diet: Evidence for the Role of Contemporary Dietary Patterns in Health and Disease. All these independent, scientifically validated sources have the shared thematic point - ensure at least 50% or more of our plates consist of whole fruits and vegetables.

Eating in this way looks colorful, like a rainbow. The benefits are immense: when the bulk of our diet is fresh fruits and vegetables, it protects you against heart disease, lung disease, brain disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers, and more. Let me ask you something: Do you know someone who has died or has one of these ailments? The answer is yes. Prioritizing eating healthy is not a nice thing; it’s imperative. Otherwise, we are killing ourselves.

In the U.S., we have the highest death rate for avoidable or treatable conditions, and eating healthy can solve many of these problems. Yes, we can do many other things, but eating healthy is, without a doubt, the most vital thing we can do to sustain a healthy body.

So hop on to nutritionalfacts.org, read about the Blue Zones, restock your fridge and pantry with healthier options, and get a decent cookbook (Plants Over Processed has some tasty options). We eat a lot; what we consume is what we become, so grab an apple instead of those chips; your body will thank you.