Let thy food be thy medicine

Only the most distracted of observers could ignore the multitude of “lifestyle” ailments besetting people in industrialized worlds today, with America ranking high on the health calamity list.   As wonder drugs bring dangerous side effects, new drugs are created to moderate new symptoms.  Meanwhile, words from thousands of years ago are echoing across oceans  . . .

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” said Hippocrates (460 B.C. – 377 B.C.), the Father of Medicine.

Perhaps the wry chronicle below shows more truth than jest!

  • 2000 B.C. – Here, eat this root.
  • 1000 A.D. – That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.
  • 1850 A.D. – That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.
  • 1940 A.D. – That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.
  • 1985 A.D. – That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.
  • 2000 A.D. – That antibiotic is unhealthy. Here, eat this root.
  • ~Author unknown but saluted

Indeed, merely growing older is a precursor to various and sundry health concerns.  The alternative is dying young, so perhaps we would be well advised to nourish, protect and preserve our bodies and our health!

The tens of millions of Baby Boomers of the world are leading the quest for safe and effective anti-aging approaches  . . .  demanding ways to maintain health and youthful good looks, to solve current problems and to prevent failing health from intruding on their lifestyles.  They are on a quest for healthy food.

Thanks to the Internet and some growing grass roots movement around the world, millions are realizing that food, proper and wholesome food, might truly be the best medicine of all for sustaining or restoring health. Even the mainstream media has propelled this movement.

In late 2004, Dr. Nicholas Perricone appeared on The Oprah Winfrey show to promote his book “The Perricone Promise: Look Younger-Live Longer in Three Easy Steps” in which he lists the Ten Super Foods to Rejuvenate the Body. He rated the Açai Berry as #1, calling it one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world.  It was the only fruit that made his list – worthy of note in light of the flurry of single-fruit health juices that have appeared in recent years.

Also in 2004, NBC Today’s Matt Lauer hosted a road show from the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, reporting that locals now call the legendary Açai Berry the “Viagra of the Amazon.”

The path taking us back to the realization that food has much to do with our health, has not come easily.  Identified trends of the past show a very slow march toward where we are today in the 21st Century.

  • Pre-1970: Correcting malnutrition and infections
  • 1970′s: Decade of vitamins and minerals and cardiovascular disease.
  • 1980′s: Decade of anti-oxidants
  • 1990′s: Decade of herbs and genes.
  • 2000′s: Decade of phytonutrients and inflammation.

Phytonutrients and Inflamation

Two of today’s wellness experts zero in on inflammation:

“At best chronic debilitating diseases (heart disease, cancer, arthritis, obesity, diabetes, asthma, Alzheimer’s, and allergies) destroy our quality of life; at worst they are painful, debilitating, and fatal … It is clear, the root cause of diseases is unbridled inflammation.”

~Chilton FH. Inflammation Nation. (2005)

“Inflammation affects us all – especially today, when so many of us are grappling with the health implications of aging plus an explosion of inflammation-related health problems such as obesity and asthma.  Shouldn’t inflammation control be a major part of your overall personal health plan?”

~Meggs, WJ. The Inflammation Cure. (2004)

“The most powerful concept in disease prevention and treatment today is inflammation. Inflammation may well turn out to be the elusive Holy Grail of medicine – the single phenomenon that holds the key to sickness and health.”

~Meggs, WJ. The Inflammation Cure. (2004)

The Wellness Revolution is gaining more traction by the day, fueled by the Boomers (10,000 per day reaching the Big 50).  From the cereal aisle to the butter bin at the supermarket, manufacturers are rolling out designer foods aimed at specific health concerns.  Medical and scientific experts the world over now concur that inflammation is at the core of essentially all the chronic, debilitating diseases that modern man suffers.  Healthy food is the answer!

Feel free to re-publish this article, as long as you include a link back to my website in the publication.

For additional articles on Health Issues go to: http://www.dennisfwatson.com

 

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