By Dr. Greg Quinn, founder of MedChefs
Everyone seems to have an opinion about how you should eat. Admittedly, the medical profession has not given us much guidance on preventing disease through healthy nutrition. From that void, a plethora of diet books and supplement companies have sprung up, all claiming to outsmart your body, super charge your metabolism, and produce quick and dramatic results: The carnivore diet, the juice diet, an endless array of “must-take“ supplements, the keto diet, the paleo diet, do-it-yourself biology, etc.
Beware of non-evidence-based “biohacking” claims or anyone who tells you they can outsmart the beautiful harmony in our body.
What so many of these plans have in common is someone thinks they have figured out a way to trick your biology into producing a desired long-term effect. Frequently, these ideas come from people without scientific training. If you are not an auto mechanic, it would be ill-advised to tinker with the engine of your $300,000 Ferrari with the goal of increasing its performance. The only difference is our bodies are infinitely more complex than a car and we don’t even have a user’s manual. Think about it… you can heal a wound, fight an infection, digest your meal, transform oxygen and fuel from food into usable energy, coordinate muscular movement, all while thinking thoughts, playing the piano and having a conversation. This complex biochemistry and physiology is truly awe-inspiring! Beware of non-evidence- based “biohacking” claims or just anyone who tells you they can outsmart the beautiful harmony in our body.
By providing the optimal fuel, the intelligence that governs all our bodily functions takes over.
What cannot be debated is people live longer, disease-free lives, when the body receives the optimal fuel. That fuel is a diet abundant in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and fiber (and don’t worry, there is still room for lean meats and fish in moderation). It’s really that simple. By providing the optimal fuel, the intelligence that governs all our bodily functions takes over. Life over three billion years of tinkering has already figured it out. Our body strives to be healthy but all too often we get in the way with poor dietary habits. We then look for a quick fix… often with unintended consequences.
So, maintain a sense of awe. Be skeptical of wild claims. Don’t battle with your food experience. Simply, enjoy a whole foods, plant-based way of life. Your body will rejoice and you will reap the benefits.
Related articles in MedChefs Resources:
Resilience and Innate Health
The Magical World of Epigenetics