Integrative Health & Wellness

What should I eat?

• There is ample evidence that food can be both good for you and delicious at that same time. Some of the tastiest cuisines in the world, from places like Greece, Italy, France, Japan, China, Mexico, Morocco, West Indies, Africa, and the American South, are healthy and tasty. Food can be good for you and delicious at the same time. We focus less on deprivation and more on what you can eat and how to prepare it. Yes, we did list Southern cooking as healthy! A healthy lifestyle involves eating healthy, nutritious food. Changing from a typical American diet that is high in sugar and processed foods has the potential to reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and dementia by up to 30%.
  

What your "gut" says about you

• Remember your gut and nurture your microbiome. Your microbiome is all the different microorganisms that live in and on your body. They outnumber your own cells, and they play an important role in your health. More and more evidence indicates that a healthy gut microbiome influences your energy equilibrium, immune function, and all manner of other health parameters.
  
• A plant-forward, high-fiber diet has been shown to foster good microbiome growth. The opposite is also true that a poorer quality diet fosters a less healthy microbiome. Your microbiome thrives on fiber, particularly a variety of sources of dietary fiber. Eating a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains nurtures a diverse and healthy group of microbes in your gut. This has a whole group of specific positive effects on your health, from brain health to immune competence, cancer prevention, and weight loss, among others. On the other hand, “bad” microbial growth occurs with junk foods, preservatives, highly processed, and sugary foods. All of these add up to a higher rate of unhealthy outcomes.

Understanding food labels

• Again, our emphasis is less on “don’t do this,” and more on “do this,” but we recommend you read and understand food labels. That is the only way to know what you are eating. Look at the ingredients and understand they are listed by weight. Watch out for added sugar, look for fiber, and compare them to similar foods. If there is an ingredient listed that you don’t recognize, it probably isn’t food, but a food-like chemical. Understanding food labels will aid in making informed decisions toward choosing good nutrition and healthier choices.
  

What are added sugars?

• These are sugars and syrups added to food when they are processed. These include brown and cane sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, and others. These add calories but no essential food value. They also increase your hunger and increase your risk for diabetes and other diseases. In the 1900s the average person was eating about 2 pounds of sugar per year. In 2017, the estimated average was over 120 pounds per person, per year!
  

Volunteer With Us

Would you like to be part of making a healthy difference in our community? We have volunteer opportunities through our Integrative Health and Wellness Program. Please email us at IHWP@health.southalabama.edu to learn more.  

In the News

• March 14, 2023 | USA Health’s Dr. Bob Israel discusses mind diet
• Feb. 17, 2023 | Teaching kitchen provides hands-on culinary medicine experience for medical students
• Jan. 11, 2023 | Healthy eating New Year’s resolutions
• Sep. 2022 | Curative Cuisine
• June 9, 2022 | Learning to Eat for Wellness
• June 4, 2021 | The doctor is in
• Dec. 12, 2019 | Prescription for good health: Learning to cook