The Greek physician and philosopher Hippocrates once said, “Let food be your medicine”. This well known quote has been circulating in the health industry for centuries. Despite the widespread familiarity with his words, it is not clear to many people how to exactly interpret them, let alone apply it to everyday life.

Many Scientists will question all complementary and alternative treatment methods. These practices have predated modern medicine for centuries, but many scientists and doctors have been so trained to think of drugs and prescriptions, that diet-based therapies seem to be a pipedream. The main reason why we don’t integrate healthy diet and lifestyle changes enough in the therapeutic process is because these are not marketed as much as drugs are. Big pharma pays their sales team millions of dollars to market their drugs to doctors. There are no sales representatives dropping off samples of healthy foods to your doctor’s office.

The research on the benefits of a wholesome nutritional diet is overwhelming. After all, it has been the traditional practice for centuries. However, in modern times, we do not have enough research to prove that a wholesome diet and lifestyle changes can be the primary mode of fighting disease and preventing illness.

Most modern health conditions are linked to nutrition deficiencies and toxicity from poor diets. Illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer show evidence to prove the statement. Since it is known that most illnesses are influenced by eating and lifestyle choices, our focus should be on improvement of our daily choices. That can be the first substantial step we can make to improve our overall health.

It has been argued that natural foods dense with nutrients are known to help protect against, mitigate, and sometimes even cure many chronic diseases and can even slow the effects of aging. It is obvious that the renewed interest in the medical benefits of nutrition will not replace the well established forms of healthcare, many people would agree that prevention is better than a cure. If you can prevent situations from happening, you would be much better off than looking for a cure after being sick.