Why are so many diseases - cancer, allergies, depression - on the rise?
Some thoughts generated by Dr Carole Hungerford's book: "Good Health In The 21st Century - A Family Doctor's Unconventional Guide to Good Health.
Some thoughts that have been generated by my reading of Dr Carole Hungerford's book: "Good Health In The 21st Century - A Family Doctor's Unconventional Guide to Good Health."
In the preface to her book Dr Carole Hungerford refers to some questions that her patients asked, for example:
• Why is a good diet not good enough?
• Why are so many diseases - cancer, allergies, depression - on the rise?
• Why do I need medication to stay healthy?
• Why are there so many new diseases such as autism, SARS and AIDS?
All of these questions are very hot topics at the present time. Would you agree?
Dr Carole's book is fairly thick, all of 500 pages or so. But it is written in an easy to understand and readable style that explains very clearly in layman's language. It is a well researched, authoritative and well documented handbook. The expert Medical or Health practitioner or John Citizen, who wants to know some answers to these pressing questions about their health, will find invaluable information contained within the book.
Dr Carole clearly explains the true causes of the ever increasing number of people diagnosed with the Western World's diseases.
She combines well referenced detail on the importance of macro and micro nutrients. Her contention that Diet and Lifestyle is all-important in the positive outcome of many diseases.
She poses the question, Why are the problems of an ageing population a cause for worry for many Western nations? There is a frightening prediction that we are producing a generation which may not outlive their parents. This is due to disturbing health trends, particularly in the younger generations.
There is an explosion in the incidence (childhood) obesity, asthma, depression, and the younger diagnoses of many cancers throughout the Western world. In her book she questions the current Health (Sickness - my italics) Industry based on a model of 'curing disease.'
Dr Carole combines sound knowledge and understanding of biochemistry and nutrition, with the latest medical research to provide a radically different way to establish and maintain the well-being of the population.
She has rejected the routine cocktail of medication, as suggested by the Pharmaceutical Companies, mainly due to their complicated interactions and side-effects of the various drugs that are currently prescribed to try and improve the general health of the population. These cocktails of medication are plainly not working.
Dr Hungerford draws on anthropology, agriculture and other ecosystems to show how minerals, vitamins and essential fatty acids can do their health giving work when given the chance. She encourages her readers to go back to the basics of good health. It is through good nutrition and other simple remedies, that she gives us some of the answers to the problems modern society is facing.
I, for one, have learned so much by this initial comment on Dr Hungerford's book and look forward to the next article that I will be writing and sharing with you.
Darryl Thompson
Ex South African now Australian. Have been in Australia since January 1996. Australia is now home to Lesley and I. Have two married sons. We live in outer north western Sydney at Bligh Park. Lesley and I celebrated our 31st anniversary 2 April 2008. Very passionate about Family Health Nutrition and how all three are inter-related.
