Let food be thy medicine – outdated quote or ageless wisdom?

Let food be thy medicine – outdated quote or ageless wisdom?

Let food be thy medicine – outdated quote or ageless wisdom?

It has long been recognised that what we eat has an impact on our bodies both physically and mentally.[1] Therefore, do we not all have a responsibility to choose wisely, not only the food that we put into our body, but also the amount that we choose to eat?

When we go to see our doctor and are prescribed medicine we are given precise instructions about how to take the medicine for optimum effect; for example before or with food and how much to take and how long to continue taking it for.

What if we were to view eating food in the same way?

By feeling into what food would be most sustaining for our body at any particular time, for example a hearty soup on a cold day or a light snack if our body is feeling overloaded, we bring a greater level of care, awareness and responsibility to how and why we eat.

Instead, for many in the Western world, our diet has increasingly consisted of the vast array of low fat/ high sugar, salty, fast-food and convenience snacks that have led to an obesity and diabetes crisis with all the attendant medical implications.

With over 80% of life-threatening diseases in Western countries being attributable to lifestyle choices and thus preventable (WHO),[2] is it not time that we took the same care with the food that we consume as we do with prescription medications?

Listen to this short audio below about conscious presence which explains how connection with your body in what you do (or the lack of it) affects the way we make choices. Absolute gold that reminds us how precious and amazing we are and how treating the body as separate to the mind results in many of our so called harmful ‘lifestyle choices’ and how to change all that by allowing the body to communicate loudly with us!

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Connection to self through conscious presence

Connecting and listening to yourself and your body in every moment brings a perfect rhythm to everything you do.

References:

  • [1]

    Mind Body Green 8.2.2013; The Power of Healing Yourself with Food Jodi Weisberg: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7638/the-power-of-healing-yourself-with-food.html Retrieved 24.12.2017

  • [2]

    World Health Organisation. Media Centre Facts Sheets: The top 10 causes of death. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/index2.html

Filed under

Healthy dietMedicineNutritionLifestyle diseasesHealthy living

  • By Helen Elliott, Mental health support

    Mental health support worker, teacher, woman, mother and friend to many. Enjoying life in my elder years, exploring how to work with purpose whilst reconnecting to my innate playfulness.

  • Illustration: Hemma Kearney