Читать книгу The Doctor’s Kitchen - Dr Rupy Aujla - Страница 8

Introduction: Food as Medicine

Hi, I’m Rupy. I love practising medicine as a doctor in the NHS and I also have a real passion for showing my patients and colleagues the health benefits of food.

I believe what you choose to put on your plate is the most important health intervention anyone can make.

Imagine a world where everybody appreciates the true impact of diet and lifestyle on disease and is empowered to make permanent, simple changes. Some of the most prevalent illnesses can be alleviated and managed by making educated modifications to what we eat and how we live. We have been conditioned to believe that the sole purpose of going to the doctor is to get prescriptions and pills to cure us when we are sick, but my aspiration is to teach patients to take control of their health and prevent illness from occurring in the first place by using a lifestyle medicine approach.

Every day, we make choices that either positively or negatively impact our bodies. But I haven’t written this book to scare you into a restrictive and bland way of life. I’m here to welcome you on a journey of colour, flavour and cultures that makes healthy eating delicious and accessible to everyone. I want to introduce you to the medicinal effects of food, while showing you how it can be vibrant and easy to slot into a hectic lifestyle.

As a GP in the NHS, I see hundreds of patients every week. From my desk I witness the outcome of poor diet and lifestyle time and time again: high blood pressure, low mood, chronic pain, diabetes, cognitive decline. The reality is, we are not taught the immense value of nutrition in our communities, or even as students at medical school. Addressing this problem will combat some of the most common and preventable illnesses in society.

I’m still practising as a doctor, so I understand that a busy working life and a lack of cooking skills have an impact on what we choose to eat. If we learn about the importance of food, we can stop it from slipping down our list of priorities. I’m here to help you navigate those roadblocks and motivate you to experiment with ingredients that have amazing benefits. You’ll discover the health qualities of everyday ingredients and discover the tools to cook delicious meals all the time.

After spending 15 years training in medicine, learning about human biochemistry and the effects of disease, my attention is now focused on the study of nutrition, the impact of food on our genes, our brain and our gut, and the power of a healthy lifestyle. As well as explaining the science, I aim to educate and inspire you to want to cook. You’ll realise why I believe a good understanding of nutrition is essential for everybody, at all stages of life. The foundation for your health journey starts on your plate and it’s more powerful than any pill I can prescribe.

The foundation for your health journey starts on your plate and it’s more powerful than any pill I can prescribe.

Nature has some incredible foods that ancient cultures have appreciated for thousands of years. Furthermore, the use of spices and herbs adds a wealth of aroma, warmth and enjoyment to cooking, and the intricate chemistry of these ingredients has a profound effect on our bodies. I hope to persuade you that adding these types of foods to your diet is fundamental to feeling energetic and youthful long into your life.

I’m here to smash the preconception that a healthy way of life is expensive and shed the pretence that any single book can be a ‘one-stop shop’ to changing your entire life. Today is simply the starting point. I will guide you through living-well principles so that you can create a plan of change yourself (if you need one at all) that suits your needs, motivation and lifestyle. Everyone stands to benefit from the recipes and tips in this book.

This is my unbiased, current and evidence-based medical opinion on healthy eating. Today’s ‘wellness’ industry can lack scientific credibility and has occasionally spread misinformation that is harmful to your health. The overwhelming, conflicting messages can be difficult to navigate, especially to those who are just starting out. It’s time we moved away from cherry-picking strands of evidence to support faddy diets and finally provide everyone with the wealth of knowledge available. Using science and my clinical perspective as guiding principles, this book gives you the delicious recipes and life tools that you need to feel fantastic and stay well.

You don’t need to know the fancy chemistry, the correct proportions of ‘macros’ or how to use calorie counters and scales. The majority of us just need to stick to sound diet and lifestyle principles (that I’ll introduce you to in this book), and our health will flourish.

Expect to feel happier with your weight, calmer in your mind and, overall, more content knowing that the changes you make are sustainable for life. The ability to reverse disease, improve mental health and feel fantastic has never tasted so good.