The phrase “you are what you eat” is getting a reboot as research continues to draw a connection between nutrition and health outcomes. The phrase’s evolution comes courtesy of an approach to chronic diseases called Food Is Medicine (FIM). “Patients are tired of taking medicines (and) it’s costly,” says Dr. David Dungan, an internal medicine physician on the American College of Culinary Medicine’s advisory board. “What we eat is actually the No. 1 driver of poor health in the U.S.,” says Devon Klatell, vice president of food at The Rockefeller Foundation, which leads initiatives on nutrition, food and agriculture. “When patients make the choice for healthy lifestyle (and) healthy eating, the results can be dramatic,” Dungan say.
Dramatic resultsResearch shows that tailored meals can help patients manage stroke, hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes. Chronic diet-related diseases, like those and others, impact more than one-third of the U.S. population and cost $1.1 trillion per year.The good news, according to the experts, is that FIM can save billions. $32 billion could be saved in the first year alone, according to a study from Health Affairs, which also reported a 23 percent decrease in hospitalizations and a 13 percent reduction in emergency department visits. Currently, 14 states cover FIM in their Medicaid programs. “We’re hoping that, as the evidence grows and continues to be promising and positive, we’ll just have it as a reimbursable medical benefit the same way X-rays are reimbursed,” Klatell says. “We’re on the path to that.” What to ask your doctorSo, how do you know if FIM programs are for you? Start by asking some important questions: Are there solutions to my medical condition that don’t involve pills?If your doctor says you need a prescription, bring up nutritional intervention, Dungan says. If your doctor responds by saying, “don’t eat fast food,” press for specifics and, specifically ask about FIM programs. Can I try a hybrid approach?If your doctor insists on medication, ask about pills and nutritional changes. Dungan follows this approach often. “If the patient continues to be successful on the food part, then that medicine part, I can start peeling back,” he says. I need to understand more about FIM. Can you or someone else help me?If you sense your physician is feeling rushed, offer to make another appointment, in-person or virtual, if you can, or ask if there’s a dietitian or a nutritionist they can recommend, Dungan suggests. Request a handout for your specific condition — for example, the DASH diet for those with high blood pressure or how to avoid added sugar for those with diabetes. Consider that you may need to do some of your own research. Try the American Diabetes Association, the American College of Culinary Medicine and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine as resources. Dungan implores patients not to use social media as a go-to resource. I can’t cook for myself, I can’t afford to eat healthy, and/or I can’t get to the grocery store. What should I do?FIM programs offer a range of options, from prepared meals delivery to grocery pick-up. So, explain your capabilities. “Providers may want to send someone a produce box, but they don’t know … if the (individual) can bite into an apple,” says Ipyana Spencer, chief health officer at Meals on Wheels America, which delivers FIM meals in every state through hundreds of partner organizations. “It’s those conversations that are important. If they need to cut the apple, what’s their grip like? For many seniors, it’s challenging even to open certain packages.” What to ask yourselfCan you commit to changing your approach to food? “You have to be honest,” Dungan says. “This really is a change, not a temporary solution.” Dig deep, he says, to determine if you can handle the external pressures — everything from the temptation of fast food to the pull of your work schedule to the lifestyle of the people you spend time with. “(FIM) is a new muscle for the healthcare system — and for many patients who want to change their approach to food – and one we need to continue to strengthen and build,” Klatell says.
link