Let food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.
– Hippocrates
We have learned so much in the last several decades about the power of food to heal our bodies and minds. The Food as Medicine movement has been gaining national attention in the US and around the world. Many doctors are increasingly looking to nutrition as a way to both treat and prevent a wide variety of chronic and acute health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, congestive heart failure, chronic fatigue, migraines, celiac disease and much more.
The diet is part of a growing trend in medicine: prescribing certain foods — or telling patients to eliminate them — to improve health. By eating more organic, plant-based whole foods high in fiber, vitamins and minerals and limiting processed foods, sugar and carbohydrates we can actually prevent or reverse many health problems.
Did you know?
- Six of the top 10 causes of death in the US are caused by poor nutrition. (Fiber Fueled by Will Bulsiewicz, p. 58)
- The single biggest predictor of a healthy gut microbiome is the diversity of plants in one’s diet. (Fiber Fueled by Will Bulsiewicz, p. 74)
- According to the Center for Disease Control, 96 million Americans have insulin resistance, and 78 million of them don’t know it. (Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind by Georgia Ede, MD, p. 122)
- 80% of those with Alzheimer’s have insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes equates to a 2 to 4-fold increased risk in developing Alzheimer’s. 40% of Alzheimer’s may be attributable to insulin resistance (Genius Foods by Max Lugavere, p. 103)
- One quarter of all of the food that you eat and the oxygen you breathe is being used as fuel for your brain.
- The rate of obesity in the US has more than quadrupled since the adoption of low fat dietary guidelines in 1976. (The End of Alzheimer’s Program, Dale Bredesen, MD, p. 78)
- Diet has profound effects on mental health and the brain. All symptoms of mental health disorders can be tied directly to metabolism, or more specifically, mitochondria, which are the master regulators of metabolism. (Brain Energy, Christopher Palmer, MD, p. 79)
- A modified Mediterranean ketogenic diet has been shown to positively alter biological pathways associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Switching to this diet could help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, particularly for those at the most risk.
- Low carbohydrate diets may help reduce age related changes in the brain that begin in our 40’s.
- A gluten-free diet can reduce symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
- Prebiotic fiber, which is naturally found in plant-based foods, plays a pivotal role in nurturing beneficial gut bacteria. A recent study in the scientific journal Gut has found consuming high amounts of prebiotics can decrease the brain’s craving and reward center’s response to high calorie foods and help with weight loss.
Pixie Dust Gourmet is happy to work with your healthcare team to create the best meal plan to meet your health needs. I have worked closely with nutritionists, dieticians, functional neurologists, renal nurses, health coaches, naturopaths and osteopaths to create totally customized meal plans that reduce symptoms, improve health and help to treat underlying disease.
I have experience working with clients who are using food to help heal the damage caused by autoimmune diseases and other health conditions including: depression, anxiety, Hashimoto’s, mast cell activation syndrome, mastocytosis, toxic mold poisoning, Lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, leaky gut syndrome, diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, renal failure, high blood pressure, obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome and polycystic kidney disease. I also have created healthy eating plans that focus on anti-inflammatory foods for multiple clients undergoing treatment for cancer.
If you already have a particular approach in mind that uses food as medicine and would like help turning the diet plan into fabulous tasting, nutritious meals, give me a call! I have experience creating delicious and flavorful food using the following diet protocols: Whole30, Paleo, autoimmune protocol (AIP), Always Hungry, low histamine, low FODMAP, vegan, whole food plant-based, low sodium, dialysis and end-stage kidney diets, keto, Mediterranean keto, Slow Carb and low-carb. I also have experience in creating diets that are free from a wide variety of common allergens including: gluten, dairy, nuts, seeds, grains, soy, corn, alcohol and added sugars.
I love learning about new approaches to healing with food – so if your plan is not listed above I am happy to do my homework and add it to Pixie Dust Gourmet’s cooking repertoire!
Contact me today to learn more!