Food/Wellness/Health

The Undisputable Link Between Diseases And Nutrition

What you eat and drink does have an impact on your health, including your body’s immune health to fend off diseases.

There is a popular saying that you are what you eat. And I know why people say that. It is because it is a lot easier to see the result of a good diet in anyone, apart from good and vibrant skin, the cognitive function is sound too. The problem is that when we see these in people, we are apt to allocate them to a gene or family heritage, but nevertheless, there is not anyone with a bad diet that has all those attributes.

The Disease-fighting Benefits Of A Good Diet

There is much research that has shown that there are some foods that can prevent diseases. A good one is how probiotic-friendly foods help the gut bacteria to ward off diseases and thereby strengthen immunity.

A diet rich in anti-oxidants for instance found mostly in leafy green vegetables, fruits like berries, and oily fish like salmon and mackerel is good for heart health.

I do not want to go into how common the disease of cancer is everywhere now. PubMed says that only 30% of what happens to us during the disease is uncontrollable, the other 70% can be controlled by our diet. This is really an eye-opener for those of us who are concerned.

‘’Cancer continues to be a worldwide killer, despite the enormous amount of research and rapid developments seen during the past decade. According to recent statistics, cancer accounts for about 23% of the total deaths in the USA and is the second most common cause of death after heart disease’’

Good Cells Die And Renew Themselves Normally

The body is composed of numerous cells that die off after their full cycle. In a normal healthy body, these cells renew themselves via a process known as cell division. This simple process is disrupted in a diseased body.

If a disease riddles the body, the cells go ‘haywire’ and the diseased cells continue to multiply and lumped together(known as tumours). Tumours can either be cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign).

In a very serious and bad disease, malignant tumours will spread or infect other healthy tissues and sometimes travel to other cells to infect them. Not all cancer cells can be detected by biopsy, however, this does not make them less dangerous.

Foods To Avoid That Promote Diseases

Processed Meat — like bacon, ham, salamis, hot dogs, frankfurts, chorizo and devon is not ideal for the gut because of the additives and preservatives they contain.

Reduce Red Meat — Try not to eat more than two portions of red meat a week. Rather substitute fish, eggs or plant protein in your meal.

Take Alcohol In Moderation — Not more than one unit (10 ml) a day for women, and two units for men.

Cut down — or eliminate salt, sugar and bad oil.

Foods That Aid Good Health

Eat as naturally as possible — especially organic fruits and vegetables are best in their season, and eat raw, if possible.

Healthy fats — like olive oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, and others rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are recommended.

Natural Herbs — like curcumin (found in turmeric), ginger, garlic, coriander, mint and cinnamon.

Fibres — The cancer research organisation, says fibres in whole grains like brown rice, oats and quinoa help in preventing the growth of tumours.

The Takeaways

• ‘’In fact, estimates suggest that less than 30% of a person’s lifetime risk of getting cancer results from uncontrollable factors. The rest you have the power to change, including your diet.’’ Harvard Health
• Everyone should be aware that what we eat has a tremendous effect on our health, so we must choose healthy alternatives all the time.
• Eating a wide variety of food in a healthy proportion ensures one has a balanced plate, rather than a restrictive one.
• Taking in fluids, at least eight ounces a day, especially water is an important part of health.