Brenda Davis, RD lecture – Food as Medicine Philly 2019

[Dr Robyn]

Four things that cause unhealth in humans related to diet:

Inflammation
Oxidative Stress
Lipotoxicity (fat stored in cells other than fat cells)
Dysbiosis (Microbial imbalance or maladaptation)

Every cell in your body is impacted by what you eat.

In talking about a case study, a family said to a patient, “Whatever diet you’re doing, we are doing with you because we want to eat as a family.” The whole family switched to plant-based. (Dr Robyn note: This was very powerful to me because so many of our clients struggle with making multiple meals. One plant-based for themselves and a SAD one for other members of their family. It is interested how the power dynamic plays out in who eats what in different families.)

In discussing doctors not telling their patients about plant-based eating: Everyone has the right to know and choose if they want to change their diet to live and be healthy. To not tell them about lifestyle medicine (i.e. the ability to change your lifestyle to create better health) is wrong.

Seven Steps for Good Health
1. Make plant foods the foundation

2. Be picky about carbs = no refined carbs

3. Choose plant proteins instead of meat

4. Replace harmful fat with healthy fat
a. 16g of fat a day is the MAX you should take in. Two ounces of cheddar cheese exceeds that.
b. Avoid damaged fats (cooking in oil. If it smokes it is breaking down)
c. Store shelled nuts and seeds in the fridge to keep the fats from breaking down

5. Max out on antioxidants
a. Eat a variety of foods and different color foods
b. More colors are better (not artificial obviously)
c. Raw or closer to raw is often better
d. Chop and hold before cooking
e. Eat spouts, herbs and spices

6. Reduce agro-chemicals
a. Eat low on the food chain
b. Avoid fried foods and processed foods
c. Avoid blackened foods

7. Meet all your nutrient needs without overeating
a. Sugar has zero nutrients
b. Four grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon

We have to stop making food the lowest priority in our lives

In health there is freedom

[Author]

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