The next major advance in health will be determined by what people are willing to do for themselves. However, willingness is only part of the equation—the other is knowing what to do. In my book Never Be Sick Again, I outlined a new model of health based on the revolutionary concept of one disease. As varied and complex as "diseases" appear to be, all disease is the result of malfunctioning cells. Cellular malfunction is then the one disease. Modern medicine believes there are thousands of diseases, but viewing all diseases as one presents a profound opportunity—the opportunity to take the mystery out of disease and to gain power over it.

The enormous pandemic of chronic and degenerative disease sweeping the world today is characterized by complex neuro-immuno-hormonal-gastrointestinal dysfunction. Complexity aside, all disease occurs at the molecular and cellular level, and we now know that virtually all disease has common causes and common solutions.

There is only one disease and there are only two causes of disease: deficiency and toxicity. Cells lacking what they need or exposed to something harmful will malfunction. Unless cells malfunction, there can be no disease. The thousands of different diseases we experience are merely the effects of thousands of combinations of deficiencies and toxicities acting through a combination of inherited genes, the environment, and our beliefs, thoughts, and emotions. Preventing or reversing disease is about preventing and reversing cellular malfunction.

The amount of disease in America today is astonishing. More than three out of four Americans have a diagnosable chronic disease. This is happening because almost all Americans are in toxic overload and are chronically deficient in one or more nutrients. Our unprecedented exposure to toxic chemicals is impairing cellular machinery, causing cellular malfunction and disease. Chronic deficiency of even one nutrient will decrease the efficiency of all the others, causing cellular malfunction and disease.

As the amount of deficiency and toxicity in our society continues to increase, illnesses that used to affect only the elderly are now epidemic in younger people. Children are born with defective brains and immune systems. Historically, cancer affected only 0.1 percent of the population. A century ago it was 3 percent. Today, half our population will get cancer in their lifetime. Unless we get this chronic disease epidemic under control, the economic and social effects on our nation will be catastrophic.

Fortunately, we have the knowledge to end this epidemic. By addressing how to prevent and reverse the two causes of cellular malfunction, we can prevent and reverse almost all disease. But first we must educate—prevention being our most important tool. Let us examine some of the cellular malfunctions that are common denominators of disease and explore how we can prevent and reverse them. First, let's examine the sodium/potassium ratio in the cell.

Sodium and potassium are minerals critical to cell function, but they must be in balance. Modern dietary practices create serious imbalances. Our ancestors consumed low sodium, high-potassium diets. Their sodium/potassium ratio was a healthy 1:4, the result of eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Our current ratio is reversed to an unhealthy 4:1, the result of too much salt (especially in processed foods) and too few fresh fruits and vegetables. Cells function as little batteries. They have an electrical charge created by the difference in the amount of potassium inside the cell and the amount of sodium outside. By changing the sodium/potassium ratio in our diet, and consequently inside each cell, we damage the "battery of life" and interfere seriously with the body's self-regulation and repair functions. For example, increasing the dietary sodium of laboratory animals will accelerate cancer metastasis. Preventing and reversing this common cause of disease is simple: eat less salt and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. That's how easy it is to achieve power over disease!

Another common denominator of disease is abnormal cellular pH. Normal cellular pH is 7.4; maintaining it is critical. If your cells become too acidic or too alkaline, certain functions are inhibited and others enhanced. This causes cellular malfunction and disease—cancer is commonly a disease of too much acidity. Where is this acidity coming from? It's coming from a diet rich in acid-forming foods such as sugar, white flour, milk products, and cola drinks. Colas combine sugar with phosphoric acid producing a powerful acidic effect. Cutting acid-forming foods from your diet, while eating a diet rich in alkaline foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and supplementing with minerals will work to balance pH and to prevent and reverse disease. It's that easy!

Improperly constructed cell membranes are another common cause of disease. Each cell has a wall called the cell membrane. Everything that goes in or out of the cell has to pass through the membrane, a "gatekeeper" making sure only the right things go in and out. Improperly constructed cell membranes cause cellular malfunction and disease. To prevent and reverse disease, the billions of new cells we create every day must be constructed with the proper building materials. The vegetable and hydrogenated oils common to our diet are the wrong building materials. Historically the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 oils in our diet was a healthy 1:1. Today it is an unhealthy 20:1. Fish and flaxseed oils are the preferred building materials. Cut out all processed oils and supplement with healthy oils. How easy it is!