Food Is Medicine

“Food is medicine." This is a quote from Hippocrates. What was true hundreds of years ago is still true today, but our culture has seemingly forgotten this basic principle.

Many of our medical problems are brought on or at least exacerbated by our diet. The standard American diet (SAD) is sad! Everyone knows that obesity and diabetes are becoming a bigger problem (pardon the pun) for our society. The cost of treating these preventable problems is in the billions of dollars and this does not even account for the individual suffering. The dramatic rise in diabetes and obesity can be directly linked to our poor dietary choices.

Dr. Mark Hyman coined the term diabesity. There is a direct link to obesity and diabetes. He has written a book on this called The Blood Sugar Solution. I highly recommend this book for everyone to read.

There is a genetic link to diabetes and obesity, and many of us are born with a genetic loaded gun. Our family history is full of problems, including diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, hypercholesterolemia, and dementia, to name a few.

Just because you are born with a genetic loaded gun does not mean you have to pull the trigger. The trigger is the nutritional choices you make.

The standard American diet is what pulls the trigger to your genetic loaded gun. A diet full of high glycemic carbohydrates will exacerbate many medical problems. High glycemic carbs that are common in the SAD are breads, potatoes, rice, pasta, and sugar. These foods can trigger genetic responses that either cause or exacerbate many medical conditions.

Begin your journey to an amazing life by considering your nutrition. Try to eliminate these food groups as much as is reasonable. Life is too short not to celebrate and enjoy these on occasion, but try to decrease the amount of high glycemic carbs that you consume on a regular basis. Remember: food is medicine.

Enjoy the journey to an amazing life.