You have probably heard on many occasions the phrase, "food is medicine". But, what does this really mean? It is not just a cute phrase to encourage people to eat healthier foods. In fact, food really is medicine.
The more I've learned about nutrition and lifestyle and how powerful these tools are for creating and maintaining health, the more I've become aware of an unfortunate fact. Despite the benefits of nutrition and lifestyle, prescription drugs are still the go-to answer for most things relating to both health and disease in our society.
There is one point of logic that has totally escaped me. Why, among all the things that we are required to learn in school, is nutrition not one of them. I can't think of any other topic that is so critical for people to understand at a deep level. Nutrition is not only at the core of our health and well-being, it is also a topic that will be relevant to us every day for the rest of our lives. It is more relevant than many of the specifics of history, mathematics, and many of the other topics we learn in school; especially if the topic is not related to work we will continue as an adult. Of course, these other topics are important to learn and help develop the brain, and should be learned, but likely will still be less useful than understanding how to feed the body to maintain health and prevent and heal disease. I am not advocating that we shouldn't learn these other topics, but that nutrition must absolutely be a core topic taught throughout school.
When it comes to weight loss, people want the weight off - and FAST! This is understandable. Extra weight can be uncomfortable, lower confidence, and cause worry over its health implications.
When people are trying to lose weight, one of the first things I talk to them about is the role that carbs, sugar (actually a type of carbohydrate), and insulin have on the body's ability to use fat as an energy source.
One of the goals of anyone passionate about nutrition is to get people to incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables into their daily food routine. This is because fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that help our body perform at an optimal level; starting at the cellular level and radiating out to how our organs and body function as a whole.
There are two main types of foods:
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AuthorA physician who discovered the power of nutrition and lifestyle for health and healing. Archives
January 2017
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