Food as Medicine – I love food. It can taste good, bring pleasure, create connection with others and offers an opportunity to learn about other cultures and cuisines. And yet food is so much more than that!  Food plays an important role in determining our overall health, something the pharmaceutical companies don’t want you to know. Consider this: If a “food as medicine” diet could eliminate the need for some (or all) medications, it could also eliminate corporate profits from large drug companies. No wonder the benefits of “real” food are not widely advertised.

There are more and more functional medicine doctors promoting the health benefits of whole foods such as Dr. Mark Hyman, author of more than two dozen books addressing how food can drive our health. According to Dr. Hyman, depending on what we eat, we can enjoy vibrant health or our diet choices can lead to numerous diseases. Another physician worth following is Dr. William Li, author of Eat to Beat Disease, and Eat to Beat Your Diet. Both of these health leaders focus on finding the root cause of all disease and have made it their mission to help change the health care system in our country, starting with the role that food plays in our everyday health.

Dr. Hyman’s work captures powerful examples of patients who have reversed disease, improved their overall health and even gotten off of medications simply by eating healthier foods. How can you learn from these success stories? By just avoiding and replacing some of the most problematic foods, you, too, can boost your health and well-being. The list below is a great place to start!

Sugar: The average American now consumes almost 26 teaspoons of sugar a day, found in sugary drinks, cookies, candy and snack foods but also in healthy sounding items like tomato sauce and soup.  Sugar laden foods have been shown to increase the likelihood of diabetes, heart disease, inflammation, cellular aging, and weight gain just to name a few. And unfortunately, sugar can be addictive… the more we eat, the more we want.

Oils: Another culprit contributing to our declining health can be found in vegetable oils that are dominating shelves and packaged/ processed food in large part because they are so cheap. It’s best to avoid vegetable oils like canola, sunflower, safflower, corn, and instead use olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil or ghee.

Processed Foods: It is estimated that today, processed foods make up 60% of the average American diet. Processed foods are typically made with chemicals and additives that our bodies don’t know how to digest or use. As with excess sugar consumption, processed foods can lead to a variety of health issues including high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain and heart disease.

If you want to age well and live well consider making some healthy swaps to your daily food choices. A great way to start is to read labels. If a food comes in a package with a bar code, there is a good chance it is filled with ingredients your body doesn’t love. Check for added sugars, unhealthy oils, chemicals, preservatives and artificial colors. The more of these ingredients you can avoid, the more your body will thrive!

Would you like to remove the excess sugar in your diet?  Click here for a free tip sheet and some encouragement to help you on your way.