Throughout the ages we were told to use food as medicine.
Hippocrates in ancient times said: "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food".
Maimonides, a physician in the Middle Ages, reminded again: "No disease that can be treated by diet should be treated by any other means.
" In the twentieth century, Thomas Edison predicted: "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and the cause and prevention of disease.
" These men knew of the body's innate healing powers when given proper tools.
The only tool your body functions best with is food, whole and unadulterated.
The sayings of prudent men are still quoted, but why are they not heeded? The future Thomas Edison spoke of is here, but his predictions have not come true quite to the contrary.
Our health is compromised because we are eating man-made, highly processed foods that the body does not recognize as sustenance.
We have become a very sick nation due to technology, the manipulation of seeds and soil, clever advertising and the convenience these methods promise and seemingly provide.
Hippocrates and his advice should be taken to heart more so now than ever before.
A client called me the other day, recently diagnosed with a life changing illness.
She asked what her diet should be given her situation.
I wondered why she did not come to me earlier with that question.
Like many people, her illness drove her desire to make changes instead of choosing food to avoid illness.
People pass through diverse phases of eating before they realize that there must be another way to achieve and maintain health.
These phases are filled with foods high in sugar or artificial sweeteners, simple carbohydrates with an unhealthy combination of sugar and fat and very large quantities of foods to satisfy many different types of hunger.
Sometimes these foods are chosen for reasons other than nourishment.
They are eaten to satisfy cravings, to cover up emotional issues like loneliness and depression.
They are chosen without thinking how they would affect the body's delicate mechanism, not caring about oneself or not having enough time.
The quick-fix foods offer quick energy, but do not sustain.
Vegetables are rarely seen under these circumstances unless one considers French fries or fried onion rings in that category.
This way of eating is typical until extreme weight gain or a sickness brings about an awakening.
A phone call to a diet company providing prepared meals together with promises of desired weight loss, more energy and better health is often one of the steps taken.
The meals provide some fresh vegetables, but again are processed and do not teach a proper way of eating or meal preparation.
Weight is lost at the end, but not for long.
The cycle repeats itself, without fail, depending on the cost of a program.
Another way frequently taken to restore balance is to make a run for a super food to incorporate into a plan and just as quickly to discard again for another heavily promoted food.
Remember Acai and Goji or simple old kale? Kale was suddenly elevated to a super food when we should have been eating it all along.
The reality is, plant-based foods should be incorporated into daily life so the daily diet can help prevent illness.
There is no need to embrace the latest trend in super foods or have a diet company cook for you.
By simply incorporating varieties of plant foods and eliminating processed food, our immune system will function at its best, health will improve and weight gain will not present again.
Take a step now to prevent the fate of my client.
Don't wait to become sick to make these changes.
There are so many factors that influence our state of health, but food is the only one we have control over.
We should remember at all times to think of food, whole foods, as medicine by preparing meals ourselves and not rely on restaurants or fast food places.
Look in your kitchen cabinets and refrigerator.
Do they store green, yellow, orange, purple and white vegetables, yes white like potatoes, mushrooms, Jerusalem artichoke, as well as plenty of onions, garlic and green herbs and fruits like berries, apples and more? Are there any spices like turmeric and cinnamon? Is there fermented food like yogurt, miso and sauerkraut? If so, GREAT! Local, basic fruits and vegetables are packed with disease fighting nutrients.
Each meal should consist of two-thirds of plant-based food, which isn't easy for most people, so don't set yourself up for failure.
Set yourself up for success by starting with the goal of including at least one of these items on your plate then slowly adding to it often until your body and palate adjust.
To eat this way and to prepare your own meals is life changing.
It eventually becomes a way of life, not a diet, you could not imagine ever having been without.
Research recipes and experiment to include variety of colors and flavors.
Don't eat the same day in and day out just because it is more convenient this way.
Personal nourishment is ongoing.
Change to organically grown foods, grass-fed animal products, large varieties of different fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts.
Adjust what you eat according to how you feel.
If your energy is low, eat more animal products.
If you feel like detoxing, eat more vegetables raw as well as cooked.
Remember the body is a self-cleaning mechanism not in need of products if it has the proper tools, which is whole, real food.
Real food is the only fuel absolutely necessary for the body to renew, repair and to keep its immune system on par with viral or bacterial attackers.