Food is Medicine
If you believe the quote, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” you probably know that Hippocrates was onto something. You may also be familiar with the saying, “Abs are made in the kitchen.”
As whole-body practitioners, we take into account the entirety of someone’s lifestyle and habits, with nutrition near the top of the list of priorities. What you eat, (and, perhaps, even more importantly, what you DO NOT eat), is a tremendously important factor in determining your body’s ability to heal and overcome health challenges in the moment, as well as enjoy a long and vibrant life. Overall health and appearance are inextricably linked to the foods and drinks we consume on a regular basis, so make sure you are fueling your body with the good stuff!
With so many nutrition programs out there, it may be overwhelming trying to decide which one to follow. While there are incredible benefits to be had with Ketogenic, Carnivore, Paleo, Mediterranean, Low-Carb (and many more!), it is important to understand that there are also pit-falls to each of these as well. If your starting point is consuming the Standard American Diet, you would likely see great results with any of these plans. However, if you have significantly cleaned up your nutrition habits, the nuances of these different plans start to matter more and more.
Where keto may be great for someone with neurological issues, is can make it difficult if you are trying to lose those last 10 pounds. While carnivore will clean up cardiovascular health quickly, the high acidity may be not be best for someone with a condition sensitive to pH. The idea of consuming only what you can hunt and gather is great for many, but certain veggies in a paleo plan may trigger autoimmune symptoms. Someone who is lactose intolerant may struggle with a Mediterranean diet. And while low-carb can help you shed weight and inflammation, those with hormonal imbalance may need a few extra carbs to keep going throughout the day.
If you are looking for a place to start, without getting lost in the weeds of a specific program, here are our top tips for where to begin.
1. No Ingredient List
The best rule of thumb is to buy buy food items with no label or ingredient list at all. This means buying meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, vegetables, fruits, and grains that have not been processed or messed with.
2. Organic, Non-GMO, etc.
Next, pay attention to how the food item was produced or grown, focusing on simplicity, again. Organic, non-GMO foods without pesticides, dyes, preservatives, or other toxic chemicals are best. Animals that are free to live and eat what God intended are also best (grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, wild-caught fish, etc).
3. Eliminate & Replace the Bad for the Good
If you are focusing on consuming the high-quality foods mentioned above, you won’t have much room left for the bad stuff, but it’s important to know what to eliminate, too. The biggest culprits in chronic health conditions are rancid oils, (canola, corn, cottonseed, peanut, safflower, soy, sunflower, vegetable oils and margarine), and processed sugar, (corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fructose, granulated sugar, and zero-calorie chemical sweeteners), so those need to go ASAP.
Replace rancid oils with butter, ghee, or avocado oil. Sadly, even the kitchen staple, extra virgin olive oil, has been mixed with other rancid oils (without being labeled on the bottle), so this is also one to be cautious with.
When you are sweetening an item, stick to coconut sugar, honey, and maple syrup… but remember healthier sugars are still sugar, so limit their use.
If you are buying real, whole, foods that have been produced and grown safely, you are off to a great start! After you cut out rancid oils and refined sugar, your body will surely thank you.
Once you have seen the progress that these basic steps create for you, you may be ready to start a specific program or modified program. If you need help figuring out which program is best for your needs, or tailoring a program to provide the most benefit possible, our team is here to help!
— Dr. Erin Greiner
Drs. Nick & Erin Greiner
Functional Medicine Doctors who care about restoring your health. We use a personalized whole-body approach to healing & uncovering the root cause of your health problems and utilize the best strategies and therapies available for healing naturally.
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