Food Isn’t Medicine

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Emma was one of the study participants. “I would open up these boxes and it was things that I hadn’t eaten in a long time or things that I just didn’t think were an option,” she says. Instead of a burger for breakfast, she started eating fruit; instead of chips, she had nuts and seeds. So if those factors, and the other privileges I have give me the ability to influence, then I'm pleased to do that." The development of chronic diseases continues to be complex and may be attributed to non-diet-related causes, including genetic risk, exposure to environmental toxins, or autoimmune conditions.

Advocates believe better targeted, supported and funded prescriptive approaches are needed and that’s where the idea of food as medicine comes in. Wu and colleagues recently conducted a study involving 50 people with type 2 diabetes who were finding it hard to afford enough food. The group were “prescribed” a free box of fresh fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, lean meats and dairy – delivered to their home every week. They also had regular access to a dietician and were given recipes and advice on how to prepare healthy food using the ingredients. Wu wants to see food as medicine become an intrinsic part of healthcare, in prevention and treatment of disease. It is not to suggest one can eat themselves out of terminal illness but food can have a powerful effect on health and some disease. If you have ever considered intermittent fasting, avoided artificial sweeteners, dairy or carbs for 'health' reasons, or struggled through diet after diet wondering why nothing seems to work, this book will be a powerful wake-up call. However, it can also be a source of misinformation and sharing of unverifiable information, especially where “food as medicine” or alternative medicinal therapies are concerned. All of this disproves the notion that eating a certain way, or a certain food, can eliminate the need for health care and medicine. The fact that disease can (and almost certainly will) occur no matter what you do might be a tough pill to swallow. But Johnson explains that it can also bring relief in that you can stop blaming yourself for your health problems or micromanaging your eating habits in the name of disease prevention. Nutrition Is Just One Tool

For instance, an increase in dietary fiber supports lower blood sugar levels in persons with pre-diabetes or diabetes, reducing the occurrence of nerve and blood vessel damage associated with high blood sugar levels.

These include a variety of herbs and spices, legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables. Decades of scientific findings support the integral role of diet in health management, which should not be understated. As an NHS doctor with personal experience of how damaging diets can be, he believes every one of us deserves to have a happy, healthy relationship with food and with our bodies. His message is clear: we need to fight weight stigma, call out the lies of diet culture and give ourselves permission to eat all foods. There's some good scientific breakdowns on here and the author explains how The Press confuse the scientific facts. The author is also honest and upfront about their own struggles with their weight. The reason why we use food as medicine is because healthcare needs to shift,” he says. “Within healthcare itself, healthy food and honestly just healthy physical activity does not get anywhere near enough attention it should get.”

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However, there is some unconscious bias that slips through that muddies the waters. Most conclusions are from the view that no diet can ever work in the long run but there is very little about the importance making long term lifestyle changes. Nearly all of the discussions are about "weight loss" without distinguishing "fat loss" as a different thing. The “food as medicine” approach to health management challenges the construct of conventional medicine, which relies primarily on technological medical advancements to manage health and disease with pharmaceutical drugs. Furthermore, research also shows that carotenoids — antioxidants naturally found in some vegetables and fruits — in the diet can improve the blood metabolites of people with liver disease.