Food as Medicine
An In-Depth Look at how Better Health may be in Your Food Pantry
Hippocrates once said "let your food be your medicine, and let your medicine be your food." However, in today's world of chemicals and synthetic medication, it's more likely for us to run to the giant ibuprofen bottle in our medicine cabinet than to increase our intake of fruits and vegetables.
Most of us know that a daily diet of fried chicken is detrimental to our health, but did you know that's not only because of the high caloric content? Fried foods are one of the primary sources of free radicals, harmful oxidants that can increase our risk of disease. The choices we make about what we put into our bodies can carry profound consequences in our life - your diet can literally mean the difference between life and death.
Let's explore the variables that impact our health from a dietary standpoint.
What are Calories?
A calorie is basically a measure of energy - a high-caloric diet typically can lead to weight gain. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' website further explains that caloric needs are different for everyone, based on everything from gender and current weight to activity levels.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol gets a bad rap, but in reality our bodies need cholesterol to function. However, too much cholesterol can lead to severe health consequences, including high blood pressure and heart disease. Our bodies create cholesterol naturally as well as absorb it from the foods we eat, but experts warn that our bodies should produce all of the cholesterol we need. Any outside source only lends to the buildup in our blood and arteries.
What are Antioxidants?
EatRight.org, the official website of the American Dietetic Association, explains that antioxidants are your body's defense to free radicals. They include:
- beta-carotene
- lutein
- lycopene
- selenium
- vitamins A, C and E
Antioxidants protect your body from oxidative damage, and sometimes can even reverse said damage.
A good way to picture this is to think of the inside of your body as an apple. When you cut an apple open, it begins to brown as it's exposed to the air around it. However, if you dip the apple in orange juice, the browning stops due to the vitamin C.
What are Free Radicals?
As mentioned above with antioxidants, free radicals are the enemy. Free radicals are produced naturally by your body as it breaks down the food you eat, and can also be introduced by environmental sources such as car pollution. Research has shown that free radicals can play a role in the rapid aging of cells, leading to heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
What are Flavonoids?
Naturally found in a variety of foods and drinks, the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University explains that flavonoids have been shown to have several anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities.
What are Phytochemicals?
Found in plants, phytochemicals consist of three categories of plant sterols, flavonoids and sulfur-containing compounds. According to the American Heart Association, preliminary research shows that the phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables could be a direct correlation to low cholesterol.
"Phytochemicals" and "free radicals" may sound like complicated expressions, but food doesn't have to be complicated. Knowing the various chemical components of food is half of the battle.
Daily Diet can Impact Health and Wellness
There are many components of our daily diets that make up our overall health and wellness. Daily caloric intake is one of the more basic indicators of a healthy (or unhealthy) diet, while eating antioxidant-rich foods can combat free radicals, which may lead to a variety of diseases including cancer and diabetes.
To pack your diet with as much nutrient-rich foods as possible, the American Heart Association recommends eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
Sources:
The American Heart Association
Oregon State University
American Dietetic Association
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
A diet high in vegetables can thwart disease.
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A diet high in vegetables can thwart disease.
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