Jamie Canfield, BAE, CHE
Fountain Hills Health Council
Hippocrates was right!
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
Hippocrates sure did know what he was talking about thousands of years ago. So what happened? How did we, as Americans, get so far removed from this concept? Why are millions of Americans eating “food like foods” instead of natural “whole foods”?
And most importantly, how do we get back to the healthful eating, which is our natural medicine, to help prevent diseases such as type II diabetes, heart disease, inflammation and more?
Let’s take a trip back to the ‘80s when leg warmers and Jane Fonda were in full bloom. Everywhere you turned there seemed to be new health trends encouraging Americans to eat this and don’t eat that. The food industry took notice and starting producing convenient foods for the busy families that honed in on their will to be healthy. Alas! The processed foods boom was in full swing!
Fast forward 30 years and let’s take a look at the health of Americans. The rate of obesity, Type II diabetes, heart disease and other chronic disease is on the rise and continues to rise every day. Our children’s generation is the first generation within hundreds of years that are not expected to outlive their parents. Studies are now showing a correlation between these diseases and processed foods. We need to get back to the basics. We need to instill in our children, our future generation, how to properly feed ourselves and how to decrease the risk of disease.
To achieve a healthy diet, your daily meals must consist of:
* Whole grains such as quinoa.
* Fresh fruits and vegetables.
* Bean, legumes, seeds, nuts and protein.
Make sure to include the whole family on the decision to limit the intake of processed foods within your household. Create quality family time by working together to explore new foods and recipes. And remember, next time your grocery cart is full of packaged and boxed foods, ask yourself, what would Hippocrates have to say about this?
The Fountain Hills Health Council strives to enrich families with resources to improve the overall mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing by educating, mentoring, and encouraging the community. For more information, contact Jamie Canfield at 480-882-4982 or jcanfield@shc.org.
