Food as Medicine : We ARE What We Eat!
“You are what you eat” is a phrase we hear time and again in wellness rhetoric. But did you know that this is literally a true statement? The food we consume builds the cells that build us, so we have an immense power to nurture, fuel, and even heal our body with what we consume. If we think about food as a powerful way to prevent illness, we will save ourselves from health complications small — and sometimes big — in the future. On top of the immense functional benefits, whole foods, plants, and herbs energize us to stay active, help us build muscle, keep our skin, hair, and nails strong, and can even help our mental health and sleep.
Trade your processed food for real, wholesome foods
Research points to diets low in processed food and abundant in plant foods strengthen our health a lot. Eating healthy fats, whole grains, fruits and vegetables is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, neurodegenerative conditions, diabetes, certain cancers, and obesity. People who eat a whole food based diet often self-report a higher quality of life and lower rates of depression than typical Western diets. And it may even help you live longer!
Not only do whole- and plant-based diets protect against disease — these eating patterns have been shown to reverse certain conditions. Plant-based diets, for example, have been found to reverse coronary artery disease . How insanely cool is that?!
There is no “magic pill ” alternative to eating whole foods
Digesting real, nutritious foods works synergistically within our bodies to create an effect that just cannot be replicated by taking a supplement. You’ve heard that certain processed foods have carcinogens that can trigger pesky, negative — even chronic — health conditions. The opposite is true when it comes to the healing powers of whole, beautiful foods and herbs! At a molecular level, these nutrient-rich foods can promote immunity, healthy heart function, and more.
When it comes to plant-forward eating, you do not have to be fully vegan or vegetarian to reap the benefits! There are lots of ways to incorporate more plants-based foods into your diet while still enjoying other things you like. However, plant-based diets offer basically all the necessary protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals for optimal health, and are often higher in fiber and phytonutrients.
Naturally give your body what it needs
Although we only need small amounts of vitamins and minerals, they’re vital to our health. The more processed your foods, the more deficient in vitamins and minerals. These deficiencies can sneakily and substantially increase your risk of disease. For example, lack of vitamin C may hurt your heart, lack of vitamin D may mess up your immune function, and lack of folate may increase risk of certain cancers. When consumed intentionally, whole foods can give us all the vitamins we need.
Trust (and feed) your gut!
Let’s be honest, we all like to be … regular. Fiber is essential to gut health and digestion, and high-fiber foods like beans, grains, fruits, and vegetables can help protect against disease, decrease inflammation, and boost your immune system. Fiber deficient eating, on the other hand, have been associated with increased risk of illnesses like colon cancer and stroke.
Herbal medicine: An ancient way to wellness
When it comes to using herbs as medicine, this practice has been around for tens of thousands of years, and many prescription drugs like aspirin have a basis as herbal remedies. The World Health Organization estimates that about 80 percent of the population of some Asian and African countries presently use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. Many spices and herbs are reported to aid metabolism, stress, sleep, nausea, and inflammation.
The bottom line? The easiest and simplest way to reap the magnificent medicinal benefits of food is to eat real, whole food — preferably from plants. Replace those highly processed foods with ones that will help fuel you and protect you in certain ways we will never even know. Your body, mind, and spirit will all thank you.
