there is only one disease

I'm reading a really mind-blowing book called "Never Be Sick Again."
It somehow manages to confirm everything I ever suspected about the origins of disease, the shortfall of modern medicine, the destructiveness of the American lifestyle, and the resilience of the human body, as well as the possibilities of becoming completely well, despite what we've been told about chronic illness.
Unfortunately, it's going to involve giving up junk food and eating a lot of vegetables. I'm already doing that, but it's going to involve even more changes than I've already made. I already knew that sugar, nutrasweet (and other artificial sweeteners), dairy, white flour (and for me, all wheat), meat were off the list for me and for the most part I've made peace with all that.
But rice cakes? wow, it never even occurred to me that rice cakes were unhealthy. Oh well.

But back to the bottom line of this book: there is only one disease, and that disease is (drumroll); cellular malfunction.
And there are only 2 causes of this one disease: nutritional deficiency and toxicity.
There are 6 pathways back to health: nutrition, toxicity (lack thereof), psychological (a powerful one), physical, genetic (advice here is mostly to avoid harming your DNA), medical (the advice on this one being avoid medical intervention as much as possible).

We blame so much on genetics. But we are not pre-programmed to self-destruct. The good news is (now that we've heard the bad news: most of what we eat and love is bad for us, much of it having a net negative nutritional effect on our cells)--- we can make changes and positively, even drastically affect our health and no longer live in fear of getting sick and old and incapacitated and dependent on others, including a heartless soulless medical system that inflicts as much harm as it does help. OK I may be adding a little of my own opinion in here along with the synopsis, but not much...

There is so much confusing information out there about health and diet. This one book cuts through all the BS. It is incredible to hear about the isolated cultures who are free from processed foods and are so healthy they live to 120 and beyond, doing vigorous folk dances and fathering children to the day they die, which happens peacefully in their sleep. They are so healthy they don't even have words for things like dementia. They don't even get colds. Until the paved roads come in, and along with them the processed foods.

In general, when he's asked to give advice for one dietary change, he tells most people to cut out dairy. I mean really, what other species would walk up to another animal of a completely different species and start drinking its milk? Cows are kinda gross when you think about it. And for those of us with autoimmune issues, cutting out all gluten products. We've heard that one before, haven't we? I've been gluten free for a year and a half, off the diet soda for 2 years and 95% meat and dairy free for about 6 months. I am mostly sugar-free as well. It does help. I've even dropped a size in clothing. I refuse to step on the scale, because I don't want to make this about weight and vanity; this is about health and a permanent lifestyle change, the pursuit of health, vitality, freedom, reaching my true potential, being energized, feeling great. Looking great is an awesome bonus.

The subtitle is Health is a Choice. Learn How to Choose It.

Empowering. Promising. I'm about halfway through, still reading, but I'm sold on this one.