The Decision to Switch to Rich and Make a Nutrition Transition

Nutrient Rich — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:16:36 +0000

You can’t always change the world, but you can certainly change yourself!

The "Nutrition Transition (in the wrong direction)" is a term used to describe the shift in dietary patterns away from a plant-based, whole foods pattern to that of increased meat, increased processed foods and “toward the higher fat and higher refined carbohydrate Western diet.”[i] In addition, these shifts are getting faster and faster.¹ And, as a result, the level of obesity in increasing across the globe. No one “likes” obesity—no one “likes” the feeling of not being able to move, simply not feeling well, or feeling unable to do the things you’d like to be able to do. But, many people all across the world are feeling the effects of obesity. And, obesity is not just a matter of too much weight—it is linked to all sorts of chronic diseases including diabetes,[ii] heart disease,[iii]^,[iv] children’s diseases[v] and others.

Dr Joel Fuhrman discusses in his book, Eat for Health, some myths about obesity—two of these widely held myths are:

Genetics is your destiny—in other words, if your genetics is “bad” and your parents were obese, you are destined to be obese. Well, this is not true—your genetics may predispose you towards obesity, but it doesn’t determine all of it. Epigenetics is a new and emerging field in science and medicine—and the main point of it is that we CAN influence the way our genes express themselves—by what we eat, what we do and how we live.
Eat small meals frequently and you can lose weight more easily. This is not true either—it turns out that those who try this approach tend to get more calories than those who have fewer meals. One reason is that the body needs some time to digest, absorb and utilize the food—and if too much is eaten at any one time, the body’s response is to store it until it needs it—and, how does your body store energy—that’s right, as fat!

Only you can be the one to decide to change how you eat. Going back to the way our ancestors ate—and eating a 90% or More Plant Based Diet will lower your risks of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Is that for you? Are you ready to make a Nutrition Transition in the right direction, to eat a plant-based diet and regain your health? You decide!

[i] Popkin, BM., The Nutrition Transition and Obesity in the Developing World, Journal of Nutrition. 2001;131:871S-873S.

[ii] Karpe F, Dickmann JR, Frayn KN. Fatty acids, obesity, and insulin resistance: time for a reevaluation.Diabetes. 2011 Oct;60(10):2441-9.

[iii] Mathai ML, Chen N, Cornall L, Weisinger RSThe role of Angiotensin in obesity and metabolic disease.Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2011 Sep 1;11(3):198-205.

[iv] Pulakat L, DeMarco VG, Ardhanari S, Chockalingam A, Gul R, Whaley-Connell A, Sowers JR.

Adaptive mechanisms to compensate for overnutrition-induced cardiovascular abnormalities.Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2011 Oct;301(4):R885-95.

[v] Pacifico L, Nobili V, Anania C, Verdecchia P, Chiesa C. Pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk.

World J Gastroenterol. 2011 Jul 14;17(26):3082-91

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The Decision to Switch to Rich and Make a Nutrition Transition