Food is Medicine
The term ‘Food as Medicine’ is not new, you will have heard it before or read it on the cover of a book or blog (just like this one). The metaphor is becoming a tangible reality in health promotion and chronic disease prevention as we learn more about the mechanisms of certain foods on our cellular health and functionality.
In recent decades our understanding of food has grown exponentially. We understand more about the biology and production of food, our gut microbiome, the gut-brain connection, the mechanism of certain nutrients on specific tissues and organs, and even the impact of certain food items on our brain function and mind! We even have knowledge about unique and specific nutrition requirements through different phases of our life span.
When we have access to evidence-based knowledge and information (I’m talking peer-reviewed, published systematic reviews not social media stories!) and are fortunate to be able to afford healthy food sources, we can strongly influence our health by the food choices we make. The evidence is so strong, that it is becoming more common to receive nutritional advice and guidance in our community health clinics, as GPs and other health practitioners embrace the emerging and compelling outcomes seen in Lifestyle Medicine.
The role of food in chronic disease management
When faced with specific health risks or problems, using food as medicine is a powerful tool. Everything we consume has the potential to either promote health or contribute to disease. Diabetes is a good example; we know that Type II Diabetes is often caused by a high consumption of ultra-processed food, obesity and / or a decline in insulin sensitivity. Not only do our food choices contribute to the development of diabetes, the management of diabetes and avoidance of life-threatening complications is managed with targeted and intentional nutrition.
Similar strategies of targeted nutrition are fundamental in successfully reducing menopause weight gain, improving midlife body composition and our overall health and wellness. By understanding the power of food, we reduce our risk of chronic diseases and potentially unlock surmountable health and wellness benefits.
The targeted application of food as medicine can yield remarkable outcomes in a range of diseases and high-risk health events. It is now possible to reverse Type 2 diabetes and improve the symptoms of auto-immune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis through targeted nutrition.
This approach addresses not just symptoms but the underlying factors contributing to chronic diseases. As a midlife woman at risk of deteriorating bone health, cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance (purely because I am post-menopausal), I want to understand the health currency of the food I consume. I benefit from knowing how I can get more bang for my buck and can make informed choices to consume food that is a good investment with beneficial returns.
A client with high cholesterol
Consider this encouraging story of a client I worked with earlier this year who is a regular gym goer, a committed and strong cross-fit athlete (prior to an injury) and was already eating a healthy balanced diet. When we started working together, she was nursing an injury that led her to stop cross-fit and heavy strength training. She wanted to create a realistic holistic health plan to maintain her health and functional fitness for the future.
A particularly important note for this post, is that a primary concern was a recently discovered elevated total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol level. Her GP had talked to her about starting medications and this was something she wanted to avoid so she sought an alternative approach and turned to personalised coaching with me. Lucky for me!
Her priority was to make a concerted effort at getting her cholesterol down through a lifestyle approach. Rather than go with the conventional medicine option, we took a deep dive into using food as medicine to a) improve her cholesterol levels if possible, b) reduce the risk of future cardiovascular disease and c) maintain and enhance her overall holistic health and well-being. This client had a high level of motivation and state of readiness to do the hard work, critical factors for success.
Cholesterol and Oestrogen
It would be remiss of me not to mention here that many women see an increase in cholesterol as they transition through menopause. In fact, high cholesterol is more common in adult men than women under aged 50yrs, but after 50yrs it swings the other way with more women having high total / LDL cholesterol than men. This is because oestrogen supports our liver to function well (which is where we make cholesterol) and oestrogen has a protective effect on our blood vessels. The significant decline in circulating oestrogen during the menopause transition, results in many women developing elevated cholesterol levels in midlife.
It’s also important to note that we make cholesterol in our liver (our body requires it), but only about 20% of the cholesterol in our bloodstream comes from our diet. When focusing on cholesterol, we therefore need to consider a holistic approach to improving our cardiovascular health and not focus on nutrition alone.
Holistic Health & Wellness Program
So back to my amazing client. She embarked on her personal 12-week Holistic Health and Wellness Program, tailored to her unique health goals. With a comprehensive curriculum we explored menopause and health, midlife nutrition, exercise essentials and explored the research and evidence of targeted nutrition to improve cholesterol. We created a sustainable, holistic health and wellness plan integrating personalised nutrition, exercise and emotional balance. This not only addressed her immediate health concerns but most importantly laid the foundation for sustained health and wellness.
The data
I love data, it never fails to tell a story! If you have a health issue that can be measured by data such as markers in your blood (like cholesterol) or your waist circumference (to support weight loss), it can be a real motivator and help us to see results. Today my client went back to see her GP to get her much anticipated blood tests results after 6 months. I received this message from her and it honestly made me so happy ….
The outcomes of her hard work and a personalised approach were remarkable.
Her total cholesterol dropped from 8.3 – 5.7
Her LDL cholesterol dropped from 5.3 – 3.1
Empowering and Prioritising Midlife Health
Through personalised health coaching and a focus on food as medicine, my client achieved these amazing improvements without the need for medication, affirming the benefits of lifestyle interventions in managing health and preventing disease. In her own words, she ‘fine-tuned what she was doing with targeting cholesterol lowering food sources on a consistent basis. While embarking on the journey to health in midlife may seem daunting, and we may not know where to start, the rewards are tangible and enduring.
Food really is medicine. The right foods nurture our bodies and reduce our risk of chronic disease. Through personalised coaching and targeted approaches, we have the power to not only manage health risks but thrive in the face of chronic disease and reverse negative outcomes. I’m currently doing the same, with a targeted personal nutrition plan to drive down chronic inflammation and my clients result has 100% inspired me to stick to my personalised and targeted nutrition plan.
‘Ms Client’ is a testament to the profound impact of lifestyle interventions and targeted nutrition in shaping our health and well-being in midlife and for years to come. What an enormous privilege that I can share in the celebration of her wonderful, life-changing and life-giving results.
If you are interested in a personalised health and wellbeing plan to target your unique health goals, please get in touch. I’d love to hear from you.
Yours in Health,
Claire x
