Food as powerful medicine

 In today’s world, where there seems to be a quick fix for every ailment, many people may have lost sight of the fact that food can be a powerful tool in supporting health and well-being. 

Nutrition provides energy for interacting and builds the foundation for how we look, feel move and handle stress. Yet, nutrition is rarely discussed in the context of conventional medicine, if at all.

Why might so many people get sick?

And why do so many young people suffer from chronic fatigue, IBS, anxiety, stress, depression, weight issues and TATT (tired all the time syndrome), for instance?

We only need to look back to our elders to understand that people of the not-so-distant past looked and felt healthier. For example, heart disease was uncommon in the 50s and 60s, as was diabetes, anxiety, weight issues and many other ails.

Is this a sign of the times?

Our elders were deemed healthier and more robust because they ate better, more natural foods comprising of fish, lean meat, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, etc. They avoided processed foods and alcohol was a special treat, not a weekend necessity. Additionally, before the 1960s, ‘turbo’ agriculture had not taken over and depleted the soil of health-giving nutrients.

Why are we neglecting our diets?

There are many reasons for not eating well including: fixed ideas, family habits, stress, low energy, misinformation, addictions (including food addiction) and a lack of time. 

In the early 1900s, the dentist Western Price set about travelling the globe to find out what other civilisations' dental health was like. He found it was a very different story in areas untouched by civilisation and their whole health – including dental health – was radically better.

Their diets were nutrient-rich and contained at least 10 times the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) that many Westerners have. Such nutrients are found in animal foods: butter, fish, eggs, shellfish and organ meats. 

Dr Price also discovered that when natives switched their diets to industrialised, convenience ones (composed of refined flour, refined sugar and vegetable oils), their health nosedived. They developed the modern health issues we know so well today, including decaying, overcrowded teeth, heart disease, diabetes, and many other chronic conditions.

It was in the 1970s that doctors Linus Pauling and Abraham Hoffer stated that "pharmaceutical medicines would become unnecessary if nutritional medicine became the new way forward." Whilst conventional medicine is, of course, necessary, nutrition can play a vital role in supporting our overall health and well-being.

The government's ‘Eat Well Guide’ says to base meals on potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, and other starchy carbohydrates. I believe this low-fat, high-carb diet (loved by supermarkets and advertising companies!) is a metabolic disaster. People can gain weight by eating processed foods and sugars, not fats.

The recommended daily quota of fruits and vegetables is 5-7, but I feel this should be higher. Fruits and vegetables are not created equal and are not interchangeable. The amount of vegetables eaten should be four times that of fruits.

Nutrition as powerful medicine 

There is a strong message here – if you want quality of life, chasing your grandchildren, you should consider breaking away from the addictive standard Western diet. Instead, look to start eating a natural, unprocessed and unpolluted one.

You may need to learn a few basic cooking skills and recipes but here is why it will pay off:

• Food is information for your cells on a molecular level and real food will deliver high energy.
• It does not cost more to eat this way. It costs more to live on convenience and takeaway foods.
• Many people are not eating enough proteins, good fats and vegetables. Instead, they are eating too many grains, confectionery, sugars and alcohol. As a consequence, they are often deficient in vital nutrients.
• Use labour and time-saving devices, such as a blender, slow cooker and air fryer which will cut food preparation massively whilst using natural ingredients too.
• Different coloured fruits and vegetables have specific dominant vitamins. This is where ‘eat a rainbow’ and a colourful plate comes from.
• Aim to source local and seasonal produce. Diversity and rotation help build a strong microbiome and immune system.
• Where possible, eat organic foods and try to understand which fruits and vegetables are the most greatly sprayed. This can be found by looking up the environmental working group’s ’dirty dozen'.

Knowledge is power. The more you learn about food and health, the more responsibility and control you can exert on your choices.