Revisiting-Food is Medicine
This morning, I wanted to revisit one of the most important tenets of health...
Food is so important. It is our fuel and sends signals to our genes and body (activating enzymes/hormones/cascades). It is not just calories you eat: it is also a source of information for the body. 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." Nutrigenomics, a science that studies the impact of food choices on gene expression, is proving that we truly are what we eat. The key is making an effort to choose nutrient-rich foods that send healthy signals to the body for positive gene expression and optimal health.
The western diet, often called the Standard American Diet (with the acronym appropriately - "SAD"), has so many nutritional gaps. Unfortunately, we are also importing our diet to other countries. It is so important to equip yourself with knowledge as to what really is a healthy diet.
The big picture is what we put in our mouth matters as much as how much we put it in our mouth. We must learn to enhance and optimize our health through what we eat. Simple, fresh, nutritious, and delicious foods are what we should eat. Focus on whole foods, not processed. Make sure you get adequate protein, eat a variety of fruit and vegetables, and eat healthy fats. Remember, those macronutrients, micronutrients, and phytonutrients are what nourish and energize your body. Look over my past posts on this, I tried to dig deep.
All material was gathered and researched through my amazing fellowship program, The Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
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