A reason to change

---

In times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.

- Chadwick Boseman

(T'Challa, Black Panther)

As I read that quote, it fills me with a sense of pride and responsibility. I feel responsible to use my scientific knowledge and understanding to offer professional help to anyone who wants to improve their diet and lifestyle. Diet here does not mean a temporary change in food habits. Diet for me means food. Just like a lion has an all meat diet, a cow has a grass diet, humans too have a diet. And it's true for all humans, just like a lion's diet is true for all lions around the world. But every person expects an explanation to the way and methods I intend to teach. Look at this blog as my small justification on why you might need to change the way you look at nutrition. Let this be your reason to change.

Starting with some statistics to put things into perspective, as it builds the base for my argument. I know statistics can be boring to read so I'll keep it concise and straight forward.

Statistics:

In a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2019 (linked here), it was found that there has been a rise in COPD (inflammation of lungs), stroke and diabetes. All 3 linked and aggravated via a condition called Insulin Resistance which presents itself in early stage visually as gaining excess fat followed by overweight, obese and type 2 diabetes.

In a 26 year long study done in India (linked here) the number of people with diabetes in India increased from 26.0 million in 1990 to 65.0 million in 2016. Back then, only 5.5% adults 20 years or older were diabetic which increased to 7.7% in 2016. In 1990, around 9% of our population was obese which increased to 20.4% in 2016. For every 100 overweight adults aged 20 years or older in India, there were 38 adults (34–42) with diabetes, compared with the global average of 19 adults (17–21) in 2016.

The massive rise in overweight population, obesity, ischemic heart disease and stroke proves that there has been a much greater increase in insulin resistance among people. A condition which could be totally prevented and cured by eating the right food.

Now that you have a birds eye view of our country's current health status, read further to understand a scientific, evolutionary and logical perspective of why there is a need to change.

Scientific aspect:

Based on the statistics above, majority of those health disorders can be prevented and cured simply by improving what we feed our body.

Ischemic heart disease, COPD, stroke, diarrheal disease, lower respiratory tract infection, tuberculosis, diabetes and falls being the major causes of death and disability are all preventable. These are also the leading causes of disability in adults. One of my core values is Freedom and I believe that everyone should be able to live their life without having to depend on the food and health care industry. All these disorders take away our freedom and increase dependence on the dysfunctional food industry for telling us what we should eat and on the pharmaceutical industry for prescribing drugs. It's ironic that despite having such powerful system in place, there has been a huge increase in ischemic heart disease (40.8%), stroke (28.4%), Diabetes (54.2%), cirrhosis (14.2%) and falls (35.1%). More people are falling, breaking bones, damaging their brains and spine due to strokes, blood clots and nerve disorders.

All these disorders have one thing in common - Insulin Resistance, a resistance to the hormone insulin, resulting in increasing blood sugar. It's the only cause of weight gain. You deal with the causes of insulin resistance, you prevent all the above issues. Simple

Incase you're not completely convinced by the numbers, or wondering that the numbers going up is a result of increase in population, let's look at the evolutionary aspect of how our diets have changed.

Evolutionary aspect:

Humans have an evolutionary history of ~2 million years (starting from Homo Erectus) as hunter gatherers. 'Older versions' of the food we eat nowadays can be tracked back to a maximum 15-12,000 years old. In fact, majority of the foods that form a major part of our diets did not exist until 100 years back. Take a moment and try to list what you are able to eat now v/s what you got to eat as a 5 year old. The quality, the content, the variety. The kind of nutrients we evolved consuming lost their place in our modern diets. It's not a coincidence that all the health issues mentioned above have only gone up so much in the last couple centuries. All mentioned disorders were non existent when we were hunter gatherers. I can say that because there are indigenous tribes and populations in the world like the Masai, Samburu, Inuit, San Bushmen, Loba Nomads, etc who still live and eat the way their ancestors did and are unaware of these lifestyle diseases.

Humans being 'the smartest' animals on earth while also being the sickest population is good enough reason to consider the fact that something shifted in the past couple centuries. A shift that contributed to a loss of health. A shift that changed what we eat.

If evolution doesn't seem to be a good enough reason to consider a healthy lifestyle, logic definitely will.

Logical aspect:

Diet and weight loss have grown to be a $71 billion industry. If it wants to help us improve our health, how has there been such a huge increase in lifestyle disorders? Everyone around us knows what to eat in order to stay lean and prevent diseases. Because we put all our faith in health authorities and we follow their advice because we want to live our healthiest life possible. How did the disorders which can be prevented with a better diet and lifestyle increase after we follow their supposedly correct advice? We have seen our loved ones, our neighbors suffer from these health issues and we don't wish to live through the pain. So we did what they recommended and still have landed here.

All this leads me to only one logical explanation. Maybe, whatever they have been telling us, whatever the conventional wisdom talks about nutrition and health is WRONG.

Within the past century, our lifestyle changed and took a 180° turn in the opposite direction. Our diets changed, our stress level changed, our physical activity reduced and these have led to where we are right now. Thus, we need another shift, a shift that allows us to thrive in this modern world, while following a lifestyle that coincides with our ancestors.

We need a change. And this is where the above quote becomes more meaningful. If you are struggling with your weight or if you see someone trying their best to lose weight, lend a helping hand, console them and tell them "This is no your fault. It was the diet industry that misled you". Don't shame them. After all, they are struggling to attain health. Motivate them. Share this blog with them to give some perspective. We are building a bridge to optimal health and each one of you is an essential pillar. I have just laid the foundation.

And if you are someone who is wants to lose weight and heal insulin resistance, check out the Freedom 90 program and become immune to lifestyle disorders.

Eat Good, Stay Strong, Live Free!

Cheers,

Sushil Dhokne