Our food is our first medicine
Like personalities such as David Servan-Schreiber (1) or Guy Corneau (2) , the Canadian Richard Béliveau (3) has several skills to his credit: scientific director of the molecular medicine laboratory, doctor and professor in biochemistry, director of the chair in Montreal in cancer treatment and co-author with Denis Gingras of “anti-aging food”.
Recently interviewed by La Vie (4) , the Doctor recalls that it is never too late to change your diet . We report here some of his remarks, originally collected by Sophie Bartczak (4) .
This doctor has specialized, for 30 years, in the anti-cancer properties of foods to combat the diseases of civilization such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer’s.
The observation of Doctor Béliveau
Diseases can be reduced and avoided by modifying our diet. Doctor Béliveau explores food molecules with his team in order to discover their anti-cancer properties.
The Doctor relates certain observations which explain the fact that the majority of research on food comes from the United States or Canada.
He explains, for example, the fact that in the United States, depending on the region, there are sometimes impressive obesity rates ( Editor’s note: in his Interview the Doctor takes the example of Mississippi, a state where there are more ‘1/3 obese (5) ). Still in his interview, he also indicates that Canada devotes half of its budget to health ( Editor’s note: some provinces of Canada in reality (6) ).
The American housewife now very often buys her pastries in supermarkets. “Junk food” is not only across the Atlantic, recalls Doctor Béliveau: it extends throughout Europe and even in Crete. “Fast-food” is invading the island even though this region was THE world reference food model (4.7) .
Recalling that the diseases of civilization have as a common denominator a chronic inflammation of our tissues , he adds that our diet is far too loaded with omega 6, which is mainly found in corn oil used by manufacturers. On the other hand, omega 3s are neglected. This inflammatory surplus allows pathologies to express themselves. Obesity, cholesterol and hypertension increase the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s disease by more than 500%.
” May your meat be your only medecine “
Thus spoke, more than 2,500 years ago , Hippocrates, and since then, the transmission of culinary knowledge between mothers and daughters has declined. Indeed, currently, less than eight cooking recipes are remembered by young girls in the United States according to the Doctor. However, there is indeed a cohort of foods likely to reduce the risk of contracting one of these diseases of civilization: broccoli, flax seeds, cabbage, but also green tea, red wine, apples, dark chocolate, citrus fruits such as lemon, orange and grapefruit, onions, red fruits… Taking even just one of these foods reverses, in the space of two months, certain health parameters according to the Doctor.
Both collective and individual care
Certainly each of us is responsible for his own health. However, it is a collective achievement that is required of us. All these current evils are not only the result of our environment, the pollution we create, genetics and lack of luck. We must bring our stone to the building by thinking of future generations, our way of eating , our way of life and consumption.
You should know that eating well is not reserved for wealthy people. On the contrary, eating a balanced diet already means eating less by agreeing to reduce the quantities absorbed. A bit of everything (vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates) at each meal and you’re good to go.
The ideal is to take a benchmark to quantify the meals: a large bowl (or a small salad bowl) is perfect. Imagine your entire meal… it must be entirely contained in this bowl!
The reality is this…we eat far more than we eliminate and age doesn’t make it easy to lose calories.
So, it is necessary to develop a critical sense as well as useful information. Knowing how to read and understand the labeling on the packaging, reviewing your eating habits and acquiring new ones… this is the difficult battle we must fight.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.