How I Used Food as Medicine Diet to Improve My Health 

I am sharing all my tips on how I used food as medicine diet to improve my health.

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Health Disclaimer: It is important to know that food does not replace pharmaceutical drugs. The information on how I used food as medicine is only for entertainment purposes only. Always consult your physician or nutritionist for medical advice.

You would think, well you’re a nurse you know how to heal people, you are one of those health professionals, and eat healthily…right?

 In my case, I never really cared where my food came from…to be honest I didn’t even think about it. Even when I started nursing school, I still didn’t give it a single thought. 

Table Contents Food as Medicine Diet

This was when I didn’t care about the quality of my food..& the calm before the storm.

However, when my first semester of nursing school was almost over there was one night I woke up in excruciating pain.

To this day that night hunts me since it felt like a monster was twisting my insides and all I could do was yell in pain.

Here I was only 26 years old and going in to get a Colonoscopy. Then receiving the diagnosis of Irritable bowel syndrome known as IBS.

So now what? Well to your surprise, I did nothing.

My doctor gave me medication…but I didn’t take it. I still had poor nutrition, and ate fast food, and all types of unhealthy foods. 

I was a full-time nursing student, working part-time for the Air National Guard, which had me travel to another state when I had to work.

At home, I was also with my husband raising twin girls. I was busy, tired, and I never thought to take care of myself.

Homelife, nursing school, and the military job…you can tell I was tired.

So you ask, what did I take to change my unhealthy ways?

After graduating from nursing school and fast-forwarding to 4 years later, my family was faced with life-changing mental health issues. 

This was my breaking point and by now I was done feeling bad. 

So I turned to books.

I found books that changed the way I thought about food and taught me about the critical roles a healthy diet plays in decreasing chronic health conditions ad chronic diseases. 

The only way to have a healthy lifestyle and make healthy lifestyle changes is if you’re ready to make a change.

The books that helped me put the pieces together and gave me the motivation to take the steps to good health and ditch my poor food choices are linked below.

Food Fix: How to Save Our Health, Our Economy, Our Communities, and Our Planet–One Bite at a Time

The Genius Life: Heal Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body, and Become Extraordinary 

Both books go in-depth on the medicinal effects of food, and they explain how the current food system isn’t helping us by using multiple bad food additives.

Each book taught me that a poor diet is a leading contributor to insulin resistance, cancer risk, chronic inflammation, kidney disease, high blood pressure, heart disease ad many other chronic conditions.

My hope is If you can get one thing out of reading this post, it is giving these books a chance. 

The Food Fix book is by one of the well-known healthcare providers out there (Dr.Mark Hyman) that focuses on good dietary choices that help with disease prevention and does not practice conventional medicine. 

These books gave me the best nutrition education, provided healthcare research and they changed my relationship with food forever. 

Another amazing resource I used & still do today: FlavCity’s YouTube Channel

& The Doctor’s Pharmacy Podcast with Dr. Mark Hyman is worth seeing and hearing. 

How I Used Food as Medicine Diet to Improve My Health

After I knew the importance of my gut microbiome, I did four big things that saved my mind and body.

First, I gave my pantry a makeover

I got rid of all processed foods and read every ingredient before I bought something at a grocery store. 

My post How to stock a healthy pantry is a step-by-step guide on how I did this step successfully.

I also have a video sharing all my tips on creating a healthy pantry.

Your pantry is an important place in your kitchen so if you store nutrient-dense foods like olive oil, and whole grains in your pantry.

Redoing you will make more healthy meals and promote healthy eating in your home.

If you want better health and better health outcomes you need to buy whole foods.

Second, I started a vegetable garden

My husband started the idea of growing our food, and we started a vegetable garden. 

No matter how small or big of a space you may have, you should grow some vegetables that will in turn lead you to a healthier diet. 

Growing a kitchen garden gives you the unique opportunity to plant foods you eat, harvest your own leafy greens, and fresh fruit, and overall provide you with nutritious foods. 

A mostly plant-based diet and a Mediterranean diet are both known is decrease your chances of getting diet-related diseases like diabetes and help you eat a healthier diet. 

Growing & eating this Bok Choy was just one of the many past gifts I got from growing my own food.

Even if you can grow only one thing…do it!

Not only did we now eat more vegetables, but it was also a huge step in helping with mental health issues. 

But if anyone knows what it’s like to live with or be around mental health issues in their family, it’s more of a marathon than a sprint to heal.

This is my little one trying to reach our sunflowers from our small garden when I use to live in Washington State.

I lived in a small townhome with not a lot of room to grow a garden, but I made it happen and I grew a lot of food there.

If you want to start a garden and don’t know where to start, my Gardening 101 page is a great start to browse through and learn something new.

Even if you are a seasoned gardener, there is something for everyone in the gardening community.

With the changes in my lifestyle, my family was also living healthy lives by falling in love with nature, growing food, and learning to eat Intentionally.

On my Youtube channel I share my gardening journey in Central Florida and sharing a lot of gardening tips you can use in your own garden.

Below is one of my recent garden tours in Central Florida!

Third, I started to cook from scratch every day!

 From making bread, tortillas, many dinner dishes, and even condiments like my avocado oil mayo, and berry jelly. Cooking from scratch wasn’t easy at first, but I got better at it and now have full control over the food I eat.

 I also started to find ways to make desserts healthier, by baking from scratch and using quality ingredients with no refined sugar. 

This is just some of the amazing food I harvest from my garden before cooking.

Cooking from scratch can feel intimidating at first but the overall experience of making food from scratch is priceless and taste better too. 

After a couple of years of eating a healthier diet and living a healthier lifestyle, I was able to add foods that I used to eat slowly back into my diet in moderation. 

On my Youtube Channel, I teach how to cook from scratch and show recipes that are easy, quick, and can be done by any cook even if there is a beginner.

Below is my video on How to Cook Once a Week!  Meal ideas for family dinners in one video.

Fourth, I ate Gut-Friendly Food

I made sure to stick with basic gut-friendly foods when I stock my pantry, grow food, or when I cook from scratch.

Some gut-friendly food I eat:

• Kombucha
• Probiotic plain yogurt
• Sauerkraut & a lot of fermented foods
• Legumes
• I cook with Garlic & onions almost every day
• oats…there is so much more here.

Now I’m at a place where my IBS is controlled, I feel amazing and healthy, and I continue to heal my body with food.

Currently, I will also be moving to my home state of Florida to build a homestead and farm from scratch.

The goal of growing at least 70-80% of my food one day.

I’m not saying you have to go and build a farm, but by just taking baby steps you can be on your way to healing your body naturally.

Pay attention to what you put in your body, start growing some food, and cook more at home. 

To get healthier & use food as medicine, you have to pay attention to what your body is telling you.

I hope you got something out of my post on How I Used Food as Medicine Diet to Improve My Health.

Have you done any of these things to heal your body? Let me know in the comments if you use food as medicine diet.

​Below are more great posts on healthy living!

Simple 25 Clean Living Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

Workplace Wellness Tips to Improve Your Health at Work

7 Easy homeopathic immune system boost

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