By Dr. Jane Guttman
Hippocrates, Father of Medicine, gave us the timeless legacy that food is medicine. His words, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food”, have lived on long past his earthly presence. What does this mean for you? To consider that each meal, each snack, each encounter with food be one in which you are mindful of the relationship between food and your well-being. In the past decades, many physicians have embraced this premise, that food is truly medicine. I recall many years ago, listening to Dr. John MacDougall, M.D. who used a food-based practice to bring wellness for his patients. He shared that he had to develop other ways of practicing medicine, meaning teaching, seminars, books, since he no longer could make a living seeing sick patients. They all got well! Two decades later, holistic and integrative physicians and practitioners, have deepened their awareness of the role of food in our wellness program. Here is a basic practice. Look at your dinner plate. Fill it with 70% of vegetables. That’s a great place to start. Smaller portions of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates on your plate will hasten a return of health. Choose organic when you can. Start slowly. Add vegetables day by day, meal by meal, until you fill your plate. One recommendation from holistic physicians is to use a fist sized portion of the protein part of your meal. Our bodies appreciate gradual shifts. Reach for carrots and celery for snacks. Dip them in a nut butter or seed butter. Remember these names. Nathan Pritican. John Robbins. Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Dr. Dean Ornish. The late doctors Price and Pottinger. Guides on the path to nutrition as medicine. Meet and greet each meal with the knowledge that you are giving your body temple the ingredients to heal and repair, and to allow a gentle path back to wellness.
All guidance is educational and not given as medical advice or treatment., nor is it meant to take the place of qualified medical professionals. Please check with your physician for all medical concerns.