Food Is Medicine

Food is so important. It is our fuel. Not only does it taste good, but it also sends signals to our body (activating enzymes/hormones/cascades). Centuries ago, Hippocrates said "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." Dr. Mark Hyman, one of my favorite functional medicine physicians, is famous for coining the term - "Food is Medicine."

My sister is a veterinarian, and we always laugh that vets have studied nutrition and diet extensively for years for animals and their performance. (I think I got about an hour in medical school, although, thank heavens, this is changing.)

The big picture is what we put in our mouth matters as much as how much we put in our mouth. We must learn to enhance and optimize our health by what we eat. Simple, fresh, nutritious, and delicious foods are what we should eat. I often tell my patients that if their great-grandmother wouldn't recognize it, don't eat it. "Farm to Table" is the modern term. Eat non-processed, whole foods. If there are words on the label that you don't recognize or can't pronounce, are in Latin, or sound like a science fair project, then put it back on the shelf. A jar of artichokes, a can of green beans, a bottle of white wine vinegar - they are examples of real food.

I can't say I am always perfect at this. Truth be told, when I have a stressful day in the ER, I have been known to eat a donut... or three (I know my nurses will keep me honest on this number...). Overall, I really try to live by the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the time, I eat real, whole foods, and the other 20 percent, I give myself a pass (90/10 if I am trying to lose a few pounds). Be patient with yourself; none of us will get this perfectly!