According to Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a London-based cardiologist and adviser to the National Obesity Forum,

Nuts, olive oil and vegetables are the best heart medicine…It may be hard to believe but poor diet now contributes to more disease and death than physical inactivity, smoking and alcohol combined, according to The Lancet…The combined costs of type 2 diabetes and obesity to the NHS and UK economy exceed 20 billion GBP.

Dr. Malhotra’s recommendations:
1. Adopt a Mediterranean diet —after a heart attack, it is a more powerful lifesaving tool than aspirin, statins or stents.
2. Eat daily four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil,
3. a handful of nuts,
4. lots of vegetables, and
5. quit sugar

His article in The Times, states that Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director of NHS England, has pointed out that one in seven NHS treatments (including operations) should never have been carried out and according to medical research conducted by Peter Gøtzsche, prescription drugs are the third most common cause of death across the world after heart disease and cancer. If all GP practices in England adopted GP David Unwin’s prescription of no sugar nor refined carbohydrates to his patients, the savings are estimated at 423 million GBP.

Think about the value for patients, society and national healthcare systems throughout the Nordic Region.

Listen to the Big Fat Fix on BBC Radio