My hope is that before mainstream media and/or Big Food reduces this original “God gift” or lifegiving modality to a marketing label (like “vegan”) or the next “flavor of the month”, I thought I’d do my very best to get a head of them by sharing the facts.

Food as medicine is the cornerstone of human health sitting at the epicenter of nutrition and health care in the reduction, treatment and prevention of disease. Food as medicine (or food is medicine) is the intentional consumption of whole plant foods as a lifestyle to help reverse, optimize, maintain, and improve human health and well-being. Food as medicine works best when we drink plenty of water (at least half our body weight in ounces) and engage in physical activity 3 to 4 times per week for 30-45 minutes (or every day for 20 – 30 minutes).

Food as medicine is not a new concept, philosophy, or therapy. In fact, it has been around since the beginning of time and there are mountains of evidenced based studies to back up and support what we’ve known all along, and that is, eating from the unadulterated earth, drinking water, and moving our bodies helps us to lead high quality, healthy, and long lives. (Like many of our non-western global neighbors who daily demonstrates a consistent love and respect for the environment).

I firmly believe that when we love our planet and waterways, they will love us back by giving us everything we need to thrive. This love for our planet can also be called regenerative agriculture, which by its original intent is organic, sustainable, and respectful of people, animals, and the collective environment.

So, I bet you are wondering about some examples of whole plant foods. Don’t worry, I got you covered.

In short, whole plant foods include whole vegetables, whole grains, whole fruit, herbs (dried or fresh), spices, and legumes, seeds, and beans are the cornerstone of food as medicine. These foods are typically prepared in the home, without oil using the dry sauté method as one example (we’ll talk more about healthy oils in an upcoming blog & podcast).

In true food as medicine form, one would ideally choose organic whole plant foods. Okay, before some of you shout “expensive!” I’ll let you in on a little secret to eating organic without the high price tag. Join a CSA from a certified organic farm (we’ll discuss more in an upcoming blog & podcast).

What new or additional whole plant food can you prepare at home (if possible) and incorporate into at least one prepared meal or snack per day? Let me know on Facebook what you choose and how it’s going with applying food as medicine to your everyday life.