I am working on the Last Page of My New Book, Here is a look.

The Diet-Driven Downfall: A Last Take on Modern Eating Habits and Health

In today's world, we never seem to stop eating—an average of 15.5 to 18 hours a day. Unsurprisingly, our system gets backed up with old, festering debris. Our gut biome, starved of essential fiber, barely survives on one-third of the minimal required intake and up to 1/10 of our recent ancestors crude-fiber intake.  This dire situation contributes to colon cancer, the third leading cause of cancer death, which is largely avoidable with a whole-food, plant-based diet (WFPBD) that provides around 50 grams of fiber daily, compared to the 15 grams most people get.

As you have seen,  genetic code is designed for acute sensitivity, pushing us in and out of autophagy—our body's housekeeping mode. "Feasting" triggers metabolic cues, with protein intake, increasing growth hormone, repair rates, metabolism, and new cell production. This process also boosts fertility and fat storage, preparing for future famines. Modern society, however, has been in a perpetual "feast" for the last century, eating five meals a day (yes that true) and doubling caloric intake.

Conversely, "fasting" lowers caloric and protein intake, signalling survival mode. Fertility drops, metabolism slows, blood sugar and growth hormone decrease, and autophagy increases. Humans can survive with minimal food for up to forty days, a stark contrast to our current overfed state that is detrimental to our planet.

The resources used to produce high-protein, high-fat diets from nutrient-depleted soils create a perfect storm for chronic inflammatory diseases. The beef, sheep, poultry, and dairy industries dominate our farmlands, deforesting over three-quarters of the planet, depleting our air supply, climate control systems, and soil’s carbon recycling ability  . Industry, focused solely on profit, employs non-biological methods to push soil productivity to feed livestock, not humans.

A century ago, soils were rich with biomes, 10 to 20 centimetres deep, acting as the planet's carbon recycling machine. Now, monocropping soy, wheat, and corn has left us with just a few centimetres of topsoil. Like an autoimmune patient overmedicated with antibiotics, our soil is returning to a salty, dusty existence. Experts warn we may have only sixty harvests left at the current rate of soil degradation.

However, you have the power to change this with your dietary choices. Switching to a whole-food, plant-based diet aligns with our ancestral blueprint and turns on protective genes. Economically, this shift will force industries to grow food for direct human consumption, improving soil health, sequestering carbon, and increasing nutrient density in our food . We are getting 60% fewer vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients than a century ago, and our bodies are crying out for them.

Your legacy can slow, reverse, and even cure our leading causes of death and disability. Embrace a plant-based diet today, where forks triumph over scalpels, saving lives, and farmers who directly feed people save the planet!

References:

1. NutritionFacts.org. "Fiber Intake Recommendations." Retrieved from [NutritionFacts.org](https://nutritionfacts.org)

2. American Cancer Society. "Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures 2020-2022." Retrieved from [cancer.org](https://www.cancer.org)

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Trends in Caloric Intake Among Adults." Retrieved from [cdc.gov](https://www.cdc.gov)

4. Longo, V. D., & Mattson, M. P. (2014). "Fasting: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Applications." Cell Metabolism, 19(2), 181-192.

5. National Institutes of Health. "The Science of Fasting." Retrieved from [nih.gov](https://www.nih.gov)

6. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. "Deforestation and Climate Change." Retrieved from [fao.org](https://www.fao.org)

7. World Wildlife Fund. "The Impact of Meat Production on the Environment." Retrieved from [worldwildlife.org](https://www.worldwildlife.org)

8. United Nations Environment Programme. "Global Environment Outlook." Retrieved from [unep.org](https://www.unep.org)

9. EAT-Lancet Commission. "Food, Planet, Health: Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems." Retrieved from [eatforum.org](https://www.eatforum.org)

10. Davis, D. R., et al. (2004). "Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999." Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 23(6), 669-682.