29 Feb Food is Medicine: How What You Eat Transforms Your Health

The Healing Power of Food 

Food Is Medicine

What if I told you that the most potent medicine doesn’t come from a pharmacy but from high-quality, nourishing whole foods? 

That you can dramatically improve symptoms like fatigue, pain, poor sleep, weight gain, autoimmunity issues, skin conditions, and mood disorders through simple dietary changes?

It may sound too good to be true. But as both patient and practitioner, I’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible healing power of food. Time and again, I’ve seen people reverse chronic health conditions by making their plate the new prescription.

So why is food so potent? Let’s dig into the science-backed reasons why it deserves to be called medicine.

 

Why Food is Medicine

 

Hippocrates famously said:

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” 

This wisdom is just as relevant today as it was centuries ago. 

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From a functional health perspective, food provides much more than calories or energy. The foods you choose to eat impact almost every process in your body and have profound effects on your:

• • • • • Nutrition Status
        • Gut Health 
        • Inflammation Levels
        • Hormonal Balance
        • Immune Function
        • Cellular Energy
        • Circadian Rhythm 
        • Brain Health
        • And so much more

 

At its essence, food provides the basic building blocks for every system and function in your body. It delivers essential macro- and micronutrients, feeds your microbiome, regulates inflammation levels, and supplies critical molecules that communicate with your hormones and gene expression.  

Food lays the foundation for health at a foundational cellular level. It supports energy production in the mitochondria, your cells’ batteries. It provides antioxidants to protect delicate cell structures and DNA from damage by free radicals. It nourishes the trillions of beneficial bacteria lining your digestive tract that influence everything from immunity to neurotransmitters.

Without proper nutrition at a cellular level, nothing works quite right. But with a diet rich in whole, anti-inflammatory foods, your body hums along like a well-oiled machine. 

 

So, when it comes to preventing and reversing chronic disease, food is truly one of the most powerful tools we have. But why?

 

Diet and Chronic Disease 

Many chronic diseases begin decades before symptoms ever appear. The development and progression of chronic conditions like autoimmunity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are closely tied to lifestyle factors – especially your diet.

Study after study demonstrates that consuming more processed, sugary, and inflammatory foods increases your risk for chronic diseases. 

On the other hand, incorporating a diet that is abundant in whole, fiber-rich plant foods, healthy fats, and high-quality grass-fed meats has been consistently supported by numerous studies as a means to significantly reduce the likelihood of developing chronic diseases such as autoimmunity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

As rates of chronic illnesses continue to rise, the research shows that nutrition interventions are critical for both prevention and management. 

The food choices you make each day can literally alter how your genes are expressed and change your likelihood of developing a chronic disease. When it comes to your health, food is indeed medicine.

Nourish your body and soul; remember that food is medicine!

 

Food Fuels Cellular Energy 

The macronutrients in whole foods are broken down into ATP molecules that provide fuel for all cellular activities. High-quality whole foods offer abundant cellular energy substrates to power optimal functioning. 

Meanwhile, heavily processed foods can actually damage mitochondria over time and impair energy production. When mitochondria are damaged, this accelerates aging and disease processes.  

Harness the therapeutic potential of your meals; food is medicine!

 

Food Nourishes the Brain

The brain requires up to 20% of the body’s energy needs to perform its constant work. It relies on essential nutrients like omega-3s from foods like fatty fish, B vitamins from leafy greens, antioxidants from berries and extra virgin olive oil, and prebiotics from onions, garlic, and asparagus. 

These compounds nourish brain cells, boost cognition, lift mood, improve memory, heighten focus, and delay cognitive decline.

Nourish Your Neurons: Food is Medicine!

 

Food Aligns Circadian Rhythms 

The timing and frequency of your meals have a significant impact on signaling the time of day to every cell in your body. Consequently, this influences hormone equilibrium, sleep-wake patterns, immune system functionality, digestion, and metabolism.

Eating within a consistent 12-hour window aligned with daylight and allowing for a longer overnight fast supports healthy circadian rhythms for reduced disease risk.

Respect your body’s innate wisdom by aligning meal timing and frequency with the solar day!

 

Now, let’s explore some of the most common chronic symptoms that can improve with dietary changes.

 

10 Chronic Symptoms That Improve with Food as Medicine

Embrace the healing power of your diet; food is medicine.

 1. Fatigue and Low Energy

Constantly feeling tired, even after a full night’s sleep, can severely impact quality of life. But the foods you eat provide raw materials needed to produce energy that can give you steady stamina. 

By increasing the consumption of nutrient-rich, unprocessed foods and reducing your intake of sugar, refined carbohydrates, and processed products, you can naturally enhance and sustain your energy levels.

2. Brain Fog 

Difficulty concentrating and that “fuzzy” brain feeling hampers productivity and life enjoyment. Unhealthy diets high in sugar and refined grains contribute.

Consuming more wild-caught salmon, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised eggs, avocados, nuts, seeds, and leafy greens nourishes the brain and nervous system to lift brain fog.

3. Weight Gain and High Blood Sugar

Despite efforts in diet and exercise, many individuals face challenges with weight gain and high blood sugar levels. However, incorporating healthy fats, such as those found in avocados and nuts, along with lean grass-fed meats, can aid in maintaining a healthy metabolism and weight. Additionally, choosing fiber- and nutrient-rich whole plant foods over processed items can naturally help regulate blood sugar levels.

4. Digestive Troubles

Up to 70 million Americans are affected by issues like reflux, bloating, IBS, and constipation. Dietary and other lifestyle changes can often improve or resolve these. Always keep in mind that food is medicine for our well-being.

5. Hormonal Imbalances  

Infertility, menopausal symptoms in women, low testosterone in men, and adrenal dysfunction come down to hormonal issues that food can influence. Nutrient deficiencies, blood sugar swings, body composition, and gut health all hugely impact endocrine health.

6. Poor Sleep  

Diet affects both sleep duration and quality. Consuming more magnesium-rich foods before bed while limiting alcohol and avoiding sweets during evening hours sets the stage for sound slumber. 

 7. Low Mood and Depression

Mental health issues like depression and anxiety have been clearly linked to diet quality. Consuming more anti-inflammatory, whole foods delivers nutrients vital for producing feel-good neurotransmitters and protects mental health.

8. Autoimmune Flares

For those with autoimmunity, symptom flares can be debilitating, and food is often a culprit. But, an anti-inflammatory whole foods diet free of gluten, dairy, certain oils, and other common triggers calms or prevents autoimmune reactions.

9. Skin Conditions  

Issues like acne, rosacea, eczema, and accelerated skin aging often signal inflammation or nutrient shortfalls. Identifying and removing dietary triggers while upping antioxidant and omega-3-rich whole foods intake can improve these skin problems.

10. Chronic Pain and Inflammation

Inflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines, and nerve pain severely undermine quality of life. Anti-inflammatory foods like wild salmon, walnuts, colorful produce, turmeric, ginger, and green tea can provide relief where other treatments fail.

This list just scratches the surface of symptoms and conditions that dietary improvement can help reverse or manage better. When tailored to your unique needs, nutrition truly has the power to transform your health and change your life.

Remember Food is Medicine!

 

Now what? How do you implement the power of nutrition to become well? 

 

Start Using Food as Medicine – One Step at a Time

Transitioning to a whole foods diet to reduce inflammation and nourish your body with protective compounds can sound overwhelming. I get it! Many of my patients felt precisely the same way initially.  

 

The key is taking it step-by-step:

**Start with the basics** – Hydrate well with filtered water, load up on organic vegetables and fruits, remove any processed foods from your pantry, and take a deep breath before you eat!

**Identify symptom triggers** – keep a food journal and track symptoms to spot problem foods like dairy, gluten, corn, eggs, or sugar that worsen issues. Then, eliminate them. 

**Choose high-quality animal foods** – meat, eggs, and dairy from pasture-raised animals ensure you get inflammation-fighting omega-3s and other nutrients without the antibiotics and hormones found in conventionally-raised options.

**Reduce inflammatory oils** – swap vegetable, corn, and canola oils for extra virgin olive, avocado, and coconut oils to cut the intake of pro-inflammatory omega-6s

**Nourish cells** – emphasize antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods like deeply-colored produce, herbs, spices, tea, wild-caught salmon, nuts, seeds, and even a little dark chocolate to supply cells with protective, healing compounds.  

**Time meals for circadian alignment** – aim to finish dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime and avoid late-night snacking to allow digestion to rest overnight. 

**Personalize your nutrition plan** – Meet with a Functional Health Coach to tailor your diet to your unique health status, needs, sensitivities, and goals. 

 

Remember, perfection is NOT the goal. Simply taking steps in the right direction matters. Progress over perfection, always. 

 

Conclusion:

Imagine a world where your plate is your prescription, where each meal is a step towards vibrant health. 

Can you see it?

This is not a distant dream but a reality within your reach.

Transform your health with every bite; food is medicine. 

 

 

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***Food is not just fuel. It’s a language, a form of communication with our bodies. It’s a tool, a medicine, a source of joy. It’s a commitment to self-care, a testament to our resilience. It’s a journey, a lifelong exploration of flavors, nutrients, and health benefits.*** 

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Are you ready to embark on this journey? Are you ready to harness the power of food as medicine? What’s one small step you can take today? It could be swapping out a processed snack for a piece of fresh fruit, or it’s trying a new recipe with whole, healing foods. 

Remember, every step, no matter how small, is progress. Every healthy choice is a victory. Every meal is an opportunity to nourish your body and mind. 

 

**Call to Action**

Are you ready to transform your health and harness the power of food as medicine? 

As a Functional Health Practitioner, I’ve seen firsthand how dietary changes can dramatically improve symptoms like fatigue, pain, poor sleep, weight gain, autoimmunity issues, skin conditions, mood disorders, chronic illness, and more.

Are you ready to harness the incredible healing power of food? Transform your health and tap into food’s potential as medicine by booking a Breakthrough Nutrition Session with me. At Jennifer Markman Coaching

Together, we’ll explore how the proper diet can fuel cellular regeneration, revitalize your body, and support your journey to wellness.

My integrative approach addresses root causes through personalized dietary changes tailored to your unique genes, metabolism, and health goals. Together, you’ll identify symptom triggers, reduce inflammation, nourish cells, realign circadian rhythms, and more using the latest scientific advances.

Transform your health with every bite; Food is Medicine.

 

Don’t wait to start your journey towards wellness. Sign up for a Breakthrough Health Session, and let’s make your plate the new prescription!

Jennifer Markman Coaching

 

 Powered by nutrition, fueled with resilience – your body,   unstoppable and strong!