The Journal for the San Fransisco Medical Society Talks FOOD

I truly like my primary care doctor. He is thorough, patient and takes the time to explain what is going on in my body, in layman's terms, when I am sick and how things should be working when working properly. He has taken the time to discuss diet with me, but always within a conversation about my blood cholesterol levels. Beyond discussing how to reduce cholesterol, I can't really think of any other food conversations. I never really thought too much about that until I saw the dramatic change in my health since seeking the guidance of a nutritionist.

As the months have passed I have become increasingly curious about the lack of nutritional advice from my current primary care doctor, and all those before him, as well as any other medical specialists I have seeked out. Then I learned, not too long ago, that Nutrition is actually a minor part of the education program leading to a medical degree. However, as super-bugs are on the rise and human resistance to the effectiveness of many of the go-to drugs on the market has some in the medical field rethinking this current state of affairs.

The November 2010 issue of San Fransisco Medicine, the Journal for the San Fransisco Medical Society, was dedicated to the topic of food. Each of the articles is written to doctors, for doctors, in order to get the discussion of food back into the doctor's office, just as Hippocrates always thought it should be!

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" ~Hippocrates

I know, personally, food has been one of the most effective "medicines" I have used in the past two years of treatment of my rare disease. The journal addresses issues as what nutritional advice a primary care doctor should be imparting, nutrition and cancer, sugar politics and health, an introduction to nutrigenetics, and even an article on how doctors can take action in agriculture policy (just to name a few of the articles). 

I hope to have the opportunity to read a number of these articles and post about them here in the near future, however, I am sure this week is about to get even more "holiday-hectic" than the week I just finished, so bare with me if it takes a little longer than normal!

I hope you are remembering to think their way to healthy during this season!! (I have to keep reminding myself, but I am squeezing it in!) Stay Well!!

Question for YOU: Does your primary care doctor give you nutritional advice?