Food as Medicine

Have you ever considered that your dinner plate could be your most powerful prescription?

Think of food as medicine. This means choosing meals that are beneficial for health and well-being rather than just satisfying hunger.

Adopting the mindset that every bite we take can heal or harm us encourages us to make smarter food choices.

Foods high in antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats can protect against chronic diseases, boost mental health, and improve physical performance.

This mental shift has transformed my approach to eating.

Instead of feeling like I am sacrificing or “giving up” highly processed foods, I think about my privilege and blessings. I get to choose nutrient-rich foods over empty calories. Not everybody has that luxury.

But once you have the paradigm shift, how do you actually make the change? There are a number of helpful resources, some of which I’ll link in the comments below.

Personally, I’m a huge fan of following recipes in cookbooks so I don’t have to overthink my meal prep, and the Blue Zones Kitchen cookbook has become a staple in my household, helping me evolve the richness and flavors of my cooking even as my dishes become healthier.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term “Blue Zones”, it’s the world’s longest-lived areas. People in these areas of the world have a way of eating that “could actually increase your life expectancy by up to 10 years and in some cases reverse disease” (Blue Zones American Kitchen, pg 18).

I recently got the Blue Zones Kitchen “Americas” cookbook, and I’ve really been enjoying the “16 Bean Soup” and the “Pasta-less Veggie Puttanesca Lasagna”.

If you started to treat your fridge like your medicine cabinet, how would that change your daily experience of eating? How would that change your life?

To your vitality,
Lizanne