When we think of medicine, we usually think of pills or various drugs; however, one everyday necessity can be the solution--our food.
Using food as medicine was a foreign concept to me until this year, but it really does make sense if you think about it. Food has a variety of nutrients and ingredients that can either be good, or bad, for our bodies.
As someone who suffers from asthma and allergies, I would rather change my diet to help myself than rely on synthetic drugs. This way it's more natural and, therefore, probably less harmful.
In fact, Albuterol, a common drug used to treat my asthma symptoms, has many side effects according to Everyday Health:
- Nervousness
- Shaking
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Cough
- Irritation in the throat
- Muscle, bone, or back pain
- Chest pain
- Rash, hives, or itching
- Fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
- Swelling
- Difficulty swallowing
- Worsened breathing
- Hoarseness
A pretty comprehensive list if you ask me.
Personally, the risk of experiencing those side effects isn’t worth it to me, but I really had no choice--or so I thought. When I heard someone say, “food is medicine,” a new door opened for me. A more natural option--food--wouldn’t have these unwanted side effects or some negative long term effect on my body. However, I would find that trying to improve my health conditions through food would take dedication, consistency, and discipline.
The first step in beginning to use food as medicine is to evaluate your current relationship with and use of food in order to see where adjustments need to be made. Doing this will allow you to tailor a plan that’ll work for you because everyone is different--your body won’t react the same as how mine or every other person's might.
The University of Minnesota says, “the food we eat gives our bodies the ‘information’ and materials they need to function properly.” So, if it “gives our bodies the wrong instructions, we can become overweight, undernourished, and at risk for the development of diseases and conditions.” This may be something a bit scary to know, but it’s something I wish I had known sooner.
I grew up in a household that didn’t really practice “healthy eating,” so, when I finally began eating healthier, it made a world of difference. For me, simply cutting down on processed, fatty foods or foods high in carbs had a positive effect. Furthermore, once I began increasing my intake of fruits and vegetables, I had much more energy and just felt better overall. It was a step in the right direction--a step away from brainless eating and a step toward mindful eating.
According to HelpGuide, mindful eating “is maintaining an in-the-moment awareness of the food and drink you put into your body, observing rather than judging how the food makes you feel and the signals your body sends about taste, satisfaction, and fullness. . . —and can extend to the process of buying, preparing, and serving your food as well as consuming it.”
Once I noticed how certain foods made me feel, I adjusted my grocery list and began cooking more. I still struggle with only eating when I’m hungry because I snacked whenever bored for as long as I can remember, but I’ve come a long way simply through baby steps and not giving up.
Keep in mind, this didn’t happen all at once but overtime. All these little changes helped me immensely, but it might take a little more for someone else to see the similar changes. For instance, someone who is already a healthy eater can discover what food practices can benefit them through researching and learning about what helpful foods are out there.Through research, anyone can identify what foods would help improve their body and what foods wouldn’t. You could even enlist the help of a nutritionist.
Let’s pose an example to see how food might be used as medicine. Suppose you have been having stomach issues and have crummy gut health. According to Wellnessaurus, prebiotics and probiotics are a way you can ensure your gut gets what it needs.
Healthline says prebiotics “come from types of carbs (mostly fiber) that humans can't digest. The beneficial bacteria in your gut eat this fiber.” Prebiotics come from food like bananas, oats, berries, asparagus, garlic, leeks, and onions. They say probiotics are “are live bacteria found in certain foods or supplements.” Probiotic foods include sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha tea, and pickled vegetables.
“Giving your body good bacteria and supplying that bacteria with fiber to eat will help strengthen your digestive tract,” claims Wellnessaurus. “Prebiotics and probiotics paired together will help drown out the bad bacteria that can harm your body and make you sick or weak. This helps to build your immune system and keep inflammation under control.” Thus, by eating certain food, you can improve one aspect of your health.
There are many places that provide education about using food as medicine and other nutrition-related topics. The Food as Medicine Institute is just one organization of many that aims to encourage this principle. Their entire mission is to help communities be “free of chronic disease and nourished through healthy, whole foods” and enhance other’s understanding of food as medicine. They provide a variety of resources to help people learn about nutrition and develop healthy relationships with food such as workshops, recipes, podcasts, a blog, and a book.
I hope this inspires you to take charge of your health and turn to food as a way to better it.