Kunwarjit Singh Duggal, MD

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in the U.S. alone, chronic diseases such as  cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory diseases and cancer, contribute to almost two thirds of all deaths, and account for nearly 75 percent of the aggregate healthcare spending. More than 1.7 million Americans die from these diseases each year. 610,000 die of heart disease alone, making it the number 1 killer. 

Though genetics may play a role in the development of these diseases, they are mostly diseases of lifestyle.

Noted physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, acclaimed author and international speaker, Dr Kunwarjit Singh Duggal, talks about how if we choose the right way to eat and the right way to move, we can prevent the development and progression of chronic diseases. Furthermore, a plant-based diet can facilitate and enhance the innate healing ability of the human body.

An interview with Dr. Duggal was featured in Natural Awakenings prior to his address at Veggie Fest 2019 in the Chicago area. A selection is excerpted:

What role does food play in medicine?

In the USA, the number one killer is cardiovascular disease, and there’s no question that it’s brought on by food. Genetics plays a part, no doubt, but the food we eat makes a considerable impact on our health. If you look at some of the most common chronic diseases facing Americans, they are high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol—which all stem from eating the wrong kinds of food.

 High cholesterol causes blockages in the heart, which can result in a heart attack; blockages in the brain, which can result in a stroke; and blockages in the legs or arms. Basically, these are all the same thing, and they’re coming from the food that we’re eating.

What can people do on an everyday basis?

The question about health is this: Are we making—as a society—the right choices? Most of our chronic diseases are diseases of lifestyle. The first question we need to ask ourselves is what kind of fuel are we putting into our body. If we are putting poor-quality nutrition into our body, we can’t expect our body to do a lot. We need to reevaluate our food choices and move toward real, whole food, rather than processed food.

 The second aspect is activity. We are a sedentary society. We sit a lot, so we need to move and be physically active. Sitting is the new smoking. It’s easier to prevent problems in our physical body than it is to fix them afterwards. If we choose the right way to eat and the right way to move, we are fending off about 90 percent of the physical problems we could be having.

For the full article, see here.