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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Food Fix summary
How to Save Our Health, Our Economy, Our Communities, and Our Planet – One Bite at a Time
26 mins
Brief summary
Food Fix by Mark Hyman is a comprehensive guide that exposes the problems with the food industry and offers solutions for creating a healthier, sustainable food system. Hyman shows how changing our food policies can improve our health, the environment, and the economy.
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Food Fix
Summary of 8 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 8
The gravest problems we face as a species can be linked to one thing: our food.
Sometimes it feels like the world is coming to an end. Scroll through any news feed, and you’ll be confronted with emerging crises, rising death rates, and new conflicts. There’s a new famine. Cancer deaths are increasing. The polar ice caps are melting. Bees are dying out.
If you were asked why there seems to be so much alarming news, “food” probably wouldn’t be the first thing that comes to mind. And yet, food is at the heart of it all.
The key message here is: The gravest problems we face as a species can be linked to one thing: our food.
Let’s consider some of the most severe crises facing us and the planet.
First, our health. Shockingly, our diet is the main cause of death, disability, and suffering in the world. Over the last 40 years, our eating habits have changed beyond recognition. We eat more and more ultra-processed and sugary foods, and these have contributed to a rapid increase in heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. These diseases now kill nearly 50 million people a year. They are more than twice as deadly as infections. This health crisis was entirely preventable, but it has already cost us trillions of dollars.
Second: inequality. Children raised on ultra-processed and sugary foods suffer from malnutrition. This stunts their intellectual development, and thus they may grow up underachieving, driven into poverty, homelessness, and crime. Bad food makes the whole cycle of inequality exponentially worse.
Third, let’s look at communities in the developing world. They suffer disruption from big agribusinesses and from corporations that the author labels Big Food. These behemoths drive people from their land and destroy their homes and traditions, all the while encouraging harmful dietary and farming habits.
Last but not least, the way we produce food is endangering the planet. Big agribusiness is the single biggest contributor to climate change. It clears precious CO2-absorbing habitat and destroys healthy soils. It does more damage to the climate than all of our fossil fuel companies combined. Intensive farming methods also soak the earth in dangerous fertilizers and pesticides, killing vast amounts of our wildlife and creating huge “dead zones” in the oceans.
Traditionally, we have considered these problems separately, putting “bad diet” in one box and “climate change” in another. But they all have one focal point: food. So to solve them, we need to take a broad, holistic approach. Before we define it, let’s consider these problems in more detail.
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What is Food Fix about?
Food Fix (2020) shows us how the world's gravest problems, like chronic disease, inequality, and climate collapse, can all be traced back to our food and the way we produce it. Here, American physician Mark Hyman describes what we should do next, setting out the path to healthy eating and regenerative farming.
Food Fix Review
Food Fix (2020) is a thought-provoking book that explores the connection between our current food system and various global issues such as climate change and healthcare. Here's why you should give this book a read:
- It offers eye-opening insights and practical solutions to help individuals and communities take charge of their health and contribute to a sustainable future.
- By delving into scientific research, personal stories, and expert interviews, it presents a compelling case for transforming our food system.
- The book's impactful arguments, actionable steps, and empowering approach make it an engaging and accessible read, ensuring that it's definitely not boring.
Best quote from Food Fix
It should be whole food, real food, recognisable from field to fork.
—Mark Hyman
Who should read Food Fix?
- Anyone interested in eating and living well
- Environmentalists and climate activists
- Farmers looking to transition to sustainable agriculture
Categories with Food Fix
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Food Fix FAQs
What is the main message of Food Fix?
The main message of Food Fix is that our broken food system is contributing to global problems and we have the power to fix it.
How long does it take to read Food Fix?
The reading time for Food Fix varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Food Fix a good book? Is it worth reading?
Food Fix is worth reading as it provides insight into our food system and empowers us to make positive changes for our health and the planet.
Who is the author of Food Fix?
The author of Food Fix is Mark Hyman.
What to read after Food Fix?
If you're wondering what to read next after Food Fix, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Pegan Diet by Mark Hyman
- Young Forever by Mark Hyman
- This Is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo
- The Great Cholesterol Myth by Jonny Bowden and Stephen T. Sinatra
- Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss
- Do Breathe by Michael Townsend Williams
- Superagency by Reid Hoffman
- The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma
- Savor by Thich Nhat Hanh and Lilian Cheung
- How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes