Let Food Be Thy Medicine

Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” He understood that the body should be looked at as a whole and not just a series of parts. He believed in the natural healing process of rest, a good diet, fresh air, and cleanliness.

How have we strayed so far from this idea?

We are a society of overworked, overstressed people who don’t have time for ourselves. We eat things that come in pre-wrapped packages while we are running from one place to another. We use sugar, caffeine, and alcohol to soothe ourselves so we don’t have to look at how exhausted, stressed, and unhappy we are. We look to professionals to help make us feel better when really we are the ones that hold the answers.

I have had autoimmune issues for most of my adult life. I didn’t always know what was wrong with me but what I did know was that an endless supply of sugar and caffeine was necessary to help get me through my days. By the time I hit my early 30’s my body was crying for help. I just didn’t know how to listen. What I did know was that I was in constant digestive distress, I couldn’t remember anything to save my life, I constantly had pain in my joints, I had frequent headaches, and no matter how much I slept I never felt rested. Some days I would literally cry trying to figure out how I was going to get through my day, the fatigue was that bad.

I started seeing a naturopath who helped me to figure out what was going on with my body. She treated my body as a whole and not just a series of parts. She was able to look at all the different systems in my body and help me understand how to heal them. I eliminated sugar, dairy, and gluten from my diet. My body began to detox and I began to feel better. 

This inspired me to really dive into the healing power of food. I have been a vegetarian for a long time so eating vegetables was nothing new to me. What was new was understanding what vegetables, fruits, and whole grains my body needed to help it heal. I learned more about spices and how to use them the right way. I also learned more about supplementing my body to support it as it became whole again. As I continued to feel better my sleep improved and I craved even more time in nature. Realizing the power of food was the catalyst that led me to living my best life. 

I have been working with my autoimmune issues for well over 10 years now. When I eat well, get plenty of rest, and do my daily mind body practices, I feel good. When I don’t, my body and mind quickly remind me that I need to get back on track. Fortunately, or unfortunately, my body gives me immediate feedback that what I put into it affects it either positively or negatively. It took a major health issue for me to slow down enough to see what Hippocrates saw so many years ago. I needed something to literally stop me in my tracks so I could return to a simpler life, one where food was the cornerstone of my healthy habits. 

This pandemic has allowed a lot of people to see how crazy their lives have gotten. It has forced many people to start cooking their own meals instead of eating out, it has helped people to get outside more as it is the only alternative to remaining in their homes, it has helped people to rest more since they don’t have anywhere to go. Hopefully, we will use this time to push a reset button on our lives. Keep cooking your meals, keep getting plenty of rest, and keep getting out into nature. Allow these habits to take root now so as life morphs again you can remain a new and improved version of yourself.