Nueva Vista - Food as Medicine

At Psynergy, we know that medication does its job better within the framework of a functioning, healthy body.   Food is a major component of that.  Literally, we are what we eat.  The old idea of “Food for Thought” is a simple way of saying that quality fuel aids in brain function. But food is more than just vitamins and minerals, nutrients and fiber.  Food is a critical part of life.  It is part of being at home, and living at home. It includes the dining experience, and eating in community with others.  Carefully chosen, properly prepared, and thoughtfully presented, food has the power to make us feel better.  This is how we think about food at Psynergy Programs.

We know that food has the power to comfort.  Even unhealthy food can do that. The Standard American Diet most people consume is top-heavy with prepared foods that appeal to taste buds, but compromise nutrition. While 17,000 new food products are introduced each year, two-thirds of our calories come from just four foods: corn, soy, wheat, and rice. Because most of these foods’ natural nutrients are removed in the refining process, we need to get them elsewhere.

At Psynergy, our goal is to transition the powerful emotional comfort of food to a fresh, healthy and delicious diet that can literally rebuild a person from the inside out.  Ninety percent of our produce is ripened on the vine, and grown less than 60 miles away.  When eaten, the nutrients are still present in the food.  Creatively prepared in proper portions, the bounty of the California central coast forms the basis for highly varied meals that can actually promote increasing physical and mental health, and in many cases, reduce the amount of medication that clients require.

The University of Minnesota defines the concept of Food as Medicine on their website. We are indebted to them for the following short description of how food choices act on overall health, and encourage you to explore their site to learn more.

The food we eat gives our bodies the "information" and materials they need to function properly. If we don't get the right information, our metabolic processes suffer and our health declines.

If we get too much food, or food that gives our bodies the wrong instructions, we can become overweight, undernourished, and at risk for the development of diseases and conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.

In short, what we eat is central to our health.

Consider that in light of Webster's definition of medicine: "The science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease." Food acts as medicine, to maintain, prevent, and treat disease.