Food as Medicine!

Good Morning and hello from the farm,

“Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.”

This famous quote is often attributed to Hippocrates. But, as research by Diana Cardenas in 2013 shows, this quote can not be found anywhere in Hippocrates' writings. Diana Cardenas discovered that the quote started to emerge from 1926 onward, and really started to get popular in the 1970's.

There are good reasons for the quote to go round, though. 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.

So, here is my personnel testimony regarding diet & health.

Until about 2010 when we started moving the farm toward regenerative practices vs. conventional practices I was working for corporate America at a job that required a lot of travel - much of that oversees. That meant I was eating whatever - whenever! And, when at home we pretty much ate anything labeled as food. A good portion came from the middle aisles of the grocery store - i.e. processed foods!

While I don't have a health reference to refer back to I can say that I was 25-30 pounds heavier than I am now.

The more we learned about the benefits of regenerative farming for our soils, animals, and environment we were also learning about the health advantages from consuming pasture-raised livestock. Beth has been instrumental in leading the charge in changing our diet. Today, I would say that 85% plus of what we eat comes from our farm. This would include meat, eggs, vegetables, and some fruit. Here I must confess, we do like to eat out occasionally (it costs at least 3-times more to eat out than a home cooked meal)! And, I do enjoy a Coke occasionally as well as ice cream (chocolate). I think the key is it is occasionally and not regularly.

So, my point is, last Monday I had my checkup with my health care provider to review what they learned from the eight vials of blood collected two weeks before.

Results: All test came back "In Range". LIPID Panel she drew me a happy face for excellent results. Insulin Resistance Score was 23, well below the optimal - another excellent! Blood pressure was 118/78; Pulse 55; Weight 185. She closed by saying i was her poster child of health!

Learning and making the changes needed has been a journey.

In another text by Hippocrates, “De Alimento”, there's another statement about food, which reads: “In food excellent medicine can be found, in food bad medicine can be found; good and bad are relative.”

With some imagination this can be read as: some foods can cure you, other foods can make you sicker; the effect can vary case by case.

Hippocrates did not see food and medicine as one and the same thing. But it's obvious from Hippocrates' writings, that diet and lifestyle regime were at the center of his thoughts about the responsibilities of a doctor and the tools for treatment that a doctor can use.

Let me encourage you to take charge of your health & diet. Nobody cares more about your health than YOU. For many folks like us there was a lot of low hanging fruit (easy stuff) to change. That's where you start.

There's an old saying that goes something like this: "people are resourceful, if it is important to them they will find a way."

I hope this encourages you to make your health a priority.

M. Wade recently left this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Google Review:

"Very good product. Easy to purchase and pickup was a breeze. Will order again and have already recommended them to others. Also liked the packaging. I purchased hamburger meat , but will be trying other products."