Prevention

A SHORT GUIDE to a LONG LIFE by David B. Agus, MD and FOOD RULES by Michael Pollan are very short reads.  If you are one that feels ready to make a few changes in habits, you might find one or both of these beneficial.  Both are all about the power of prevention.  Dr. Agus is often faced with the reality of sitting with patients that he has not much to offer.  And yet a large number of the patients he treats could have chosen different habits possibly preventing their diseases. Prevention is not something we want to think much about when sitting in front of tempting foods that taste buds are calling for or on a comfortable couch trading in exercise time for TV time.  Dr. Augus writes that "we all want to live however we choose today and pay our dues later".  Does every passing year bring us closer to pay day?  I hope not, but probably.  Michael Pollan compares our western diet to western diseases. His quote that I love "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." is the foundation for his writing. With both we are reminded that western diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, etc. are sometimes, not always, preventable.