I recently read Undo It! How Simple Lifestyle Changes
Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases by Dean and Anne Ornish (2019).
Few
researchers on the topic of nutrition are better known or more respected than Dr. Dean Ornish. In this book, he and his
wife, Anne, make a compelling and comprehensive argument that, with rare
exceptions, our health and wellbeing (physical, mental, emotional-spiritual) is
in OUR OWN hands and can be adeptly optimized through the lifestyle choices we
make.
The four
Ornish health pillars: eat well, move
more, stress less, love more. In this
book, DO/AO provide concrete strategies and advice for accomplishing all four.
Some of my
biggest takeaways:
> In the
U.S., 5% of the patients account for 50-80% of all healthcare costs.
> Our
health is a holistic construct, and can only be optimized through a holistic
approach.
> The
Ornishes advocate for a whole-food, plant-based diet.
> Us
humans are really mostly microbes, having over 100 trillion non-human organisms growing inside our bodies.
> Over
50% of the current U.S. population either has Type 2 diabetes or are
pre-diabetic.
My favorite
quotes:
“By
analogy, if you have a rock in your shoe, don’t blame the stone, use
painkillers or surgery to cut the affected nerves, or wear thicker socks — just
take out the rock!.” (p. 19)
When diet
is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.
—Ayurvedic proverb
“…our
natural state is to be in a state of ease; when we disturb this, we become
dis-eased.” (p. 243)
If you care
about your own health, and that of your family and employees, this book is a
most worthy read.
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