Let food be thy medicine … protect the liver, feed the gut
Let food be thy medicine
and
medicine be thy food
Hippocrates … maybe … there is some conflicting information.
There are good reasons for the quote. Hippocrates considered nutrition one of the main tools that a doctor can use. More than that, dietary measures play a lead part in the original oath of Hippocrates. In modern translations of the oath, the central importance of diet is often somewhat hidden. English Wikipedia for example turns it into: “I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but never with a view to injury and wrong-doing.”
But the original Greek oath, literally translated, says: “I will apply dietetic and lifestyle measures to help the sick to my best ability and judgment; I will protect them from harm and injustice.”
“Let food be thy medicine”- Hippocrates? | Dr Goodfood
So … Hippocrates who lived 460 BC – 370 BC and whose words are the basis for the Hippocratic oath that physicians take … ascribed to “diet and lifestyle measures to help the sick”.
I have done a lot of reading and research in the past years on what foods do what in the human body as well as in cats and dogs. Because I do absolutely believe that food … the “right” food can be curative or more importantly, preventative. But it is difficult to wade through all of the information, much of which is conflicting.
Two or so weeks ago, a work colleague shared a video with our work group … 5 of us: coders, technical support … information technology professionals. The video was a University of California TV video: “Sugar, The bitter truth”. It was originally posted to YouTube in 2009 and has had over 16 million views. We all watched at least some of it and as a group were absolutely astounded. There is a link at the end of this post, but the 2009 video is 90 minutes and there are some recent videos of shorter duration and perhaps more watchable … two that I particularly liked are also linked at the end.
The video presenter is Dr. Robert Lustig. His credentials are more than I want to write in this post. The short story is that he practiced as a pediatric neuroendocrinologist (child hormone issues), devolved to research and education … based on his clinical experience as well as peer research became an iconoclastic voice in regard to processed food and the food industry AND how physicians are trained. I cannot begin to give justice to all that he has done in his career: clinic work, writing, teaching, research …
Currently, there are many, many YouTube videos of Dr. Lustig being interviewed. His latest book: Amazon.com: Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine eBook : Lustig, Robert H.: Books
A primary mantra from Dr. Lustig: “Protect the liver, feed the gut”. Dr. Lustig writes and speaks of the biochemistry that puts forth the evidence that sugar (in excess) causes insulin resistance which causes metabolic disruption. An eye opener: sugar contributes to obesity, not from calories, but from its causation of insulin resistance and damage to the liver … akin to the damage caused by excessive alcohol, hence “protect the liver, feed the gut”.
There is no way that I can write in this blog post the information that Dr. Lustig shares based on 40 years of clinical and research experience. I do hope, though, that I can motivate any readers of this post to listen to what Dr. Lustig has to say.
More nuggets for me … over the years, so much conflicting info on food. One of the takeaways for me, from the scientific discussions in the videos (and also the book): correlation vs causation. WOW!
So many food/nutrition headlines are actually based on correlation. For example: say you have 20 women over 65 … and say you are looking at how many have wrinkly skin on their face. And the data shows that of the 95% who have facial skin wrinkles, 80% of them drank 3 cups of coffee every day. So, there is a correlation between coffee drinking and skin wrinkles. But does that mean that 3 cups of coffee every day “CAUSES” skin wrinkles. Unknown!!
BUT! The “headline” snippets regarding “good” and “bad” food and/or the correlation between a food and some outcome is presented as causation when the reality is that it is a correlation that might or might not be an element of causation.
Whoohh! Color me a whole light enlightened about nutritional news! AND, no wonder we are a bit jaded about “good food/bad food”.
Regarding the videos and the book: there is biochemistry discussed and written about. And while I am very accustomed to reading technical documents regarding programming languages, I am NOT a medical professional! Still, I was able to follow Dr. Lustig’s speaking and written biochemistry information. He is very adept at explaining complex biochemistry information in a way that I could understand … or at least grasp enough to feel comfortable.
I bought the lastest book: Amazon.com: Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine eBook : Lustig, Robert H.: Books
I am halfway through the book … through the biochemistry and into the “fix it”. The biochemistry of the book, like Dr. Lustig’s talks is comprehensible to the non-medical person … me.
Based on the youTube videos, I took a look at my own eating. As a scratch cook and baker, I do not have processed food in my cupboards … BUT, I was drinking a glass or two of wine daily, a glass or two of my own ginger soda, and some licorice snacks. I regrouped.
For the past week … no wine, no ginger syrup … those will be “reward” items like a special dessert. Licorice is done and I will not be replenishing. The only thing I really missed was the ginger soda. But I was rewarded by a 7 pound weight loss and a 3/4 inch waist reduction.
So.
I do not expect the weight and/or waist reduction to continue at the same level for long, but I do hope … for my health and well-being that there is a slow, steady progression to a healthier “size”. Whatever, I feel so much better … partly, the idea that I have a bit of control and understand the why.
Onward!!
The original 90 minute: Sugar, the bitter truth
My personal favorite, below…
And for the “young-ish”:
4 Responses to “Let food be thy medicine … protect the liver, feed the gut”
FYI..
Check out Chef Michael Symon’s new book… https://smile.amazon.com/Fix-Food-Delicious-Autoimmune-Inflammation/dp/0593233107/ref=sr_1_1?crid=303VHMWGF8SSB&keywords=chef+michael+symon&qid=1644720477&s=books&sprefix=chef+mich%2Cstripbooks%2C575&sr=1-1
Saw him on TV this week speaking about changing his diet to aid his immune system..he has several physical problems that have gotten worse as he’s aged. The new cookbook addresses the issue and appears that most anyone could benefit from implementing some of the changes.
Thank you, Sue! I did look at the book on Amazon and it is on my “list”. I like the approach of a “reset” 10 days and then add back to see what foods might be causing issues.
That’s very interesting. I think I’m lucky that as a child we were never allowed to drink ‘fizzy’ drinks – I think what you call soda – and I don’t have a very sweet tooth. I have never liked those drinks (Coca Cola etc.) but I do drink a glass of wine a few times a week! And I love licorice but it’s not available in Greece. The Greeks eat tons of sugary sweets like Baklava and so on but I rarely eat any. I have seen a documentary about sugar, can’t remember but think it was BBC, but I’ll watch your linked ones, too, later.
Side note; we’ve been to Kos on holiday a few times. That’s where the tree of Hippocrates is and also the Aesclepion, an ancient healing centre. You can buy a copy of the Hippocratic oath in Ancient Greek there.
Fortunately, as a child, I was allowed minimal of the soda or pop in my region :) … and there was minimal processed food as my mother and grandmothers cooked mostly without. Even as a young adult, I tended toward non processed food, but I was in my current house, so within 15 years, I remember looking at the ingredient list on a box of Nabisco saltines and it included “high fructose corn syrup”! Nabisco might have changed, I don’t know … some things did change when “high fructose corn syrup” was “exposed”. I know Worcestershire sauce underwent a change to the original formula (no high fructose corn syrup) in response.
In the 90 minute lecture, from 7/2009, there was high fructose corn syrup in some baby formula!!
At any rate, the fizzy drinks/soda/pop and cereals and many other processed foods are the target of bad things. Another of Dr. Lustig’s mantras is that it is not the food, but what has been done to the food. And I think that is a horrific issue in U.S. processed food.
But for me, the issue is one of awareness and mindfullness regarding my own eating/drinking. I realized that I was fooling myself with regards to my personal wine/sugary drink/sugary snack habits. My 1-2 glasses of wine were often “just a bit more” into 2-3-4 glasses. My “I made it from scratch” ginger syrup … WITH sugar … and when I thought about my sugar purchase amounts … :( and similarly, the licorice: 1-2 pieces for a treat ok, but I was again doing “just another 1-2”, etc. Kind of crazy since I am very disciplined about my bread consumption even though I LOVE my homemade bread.
Bottomline, It is all about what I know about myself and my ability to be sensible about quantity of wine, ginger drink, candy.
Thank you for the Kos info – fascinating!!
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