By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern
You might have heard the quote, “Let thy medicine be thy food, and thy food be thy medicine.” This quote is often attributed to Hippocrates, but there is some debate as to whether or not he was truly the one who said it. But either way, there is a lot of wisdom in the idea of food being healing to the body. What you eat or choose not to eat can have some significant impact on your health and your risk of disease and illness. 
So, how exactly can the foods that we eat act as our “medicine”? Registered dietician Jillian Kubala gives a short, concise answer to that question saying, “Eating whole, nutritious foods is important because their unique substances work synergistically to create an effect that can’t be replicated by taking a supplement.” She also notes that the typical American diet lacks in many vitamins and minerals which causes diseases and other health issues. When eating a diet of whole, unprocessed foods, you’re giving your body antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as healthy proteins and fats, all of which promote overall health and prevent diseases.
While eating a whole, unprocessed diet can dramatically improve your health overall, there are also many individual foods that help with certain conditions. Just to give a few examples, the omega-3’s found in fish are excellent for preventing brain conditions, spearmint tea and ginger work wonders for digestive issues, raw, local honey can alleviate allergies, and cinnamon can reduce insulin levels! There are so many more examples of how the foods we eat can treat or prevent some of the health conditions we may have.
Arizona produces lots of these healthy, whole foods including meats, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains! These can easily be found at your local farmers market or grocery store. For more resources for seeing what is growing this season, or for finding a farmers market, check out the Fill Your Plate website! Over the last 15 years, it’s been Arizona Farm Bureau’s aim to provide nutritious information about Arizona agriculture.