Food as medicine as taught by my parents
My roots in the natural medicine world began in the 1950ʻs when my wonderful parents Dr. Jerome and Sally Roberts embraced naturopathic medicine. My father, now age 93, recently retired from his beloved profession of optometry. In the 50’s, my Dad had a patient with arthritis that was so disabling she was unable to walk independently into my fatherʼs office. Her sons brought her to appointments and they carried her to his exam chair. One year, she came in herself, with a normal gait and a youthful spring in her step. My father, asked her to share her remarkable transformation. Hereʼs her story.
Some of her friends, concerned about her increasing disability convinced her to consult a naturopathic doctor, named Dr. Belotte who had an office in Wakefield Mass. He put her on some supplements and made changes to her diet which she followed. She was able to eliminate all her arthritis drugs and her pain resolved completely after 6 months. My father listened carefully.
At that time we had a babysitter who suffered from arthritis. My dad called Dr. Belotteʼs office, made an appointment for her but she refused to go. My parents took the appointment. Dr. Bellotte taught my parents, back in the 50ʼs, all the nutritional and lifestyle advice that has become mainstream knowledge today such as use of vitamin D3 and elimination of trans fats, sugar, white flour and eating only unprocessed food. My mother drove miles to purchase whole grain bread and other unfamiliar and often foul tasting groceries that were unavailable in supermarkets. I have vivid memories of the horrid taste of Cod Liver Oil at breakfast. At school, no one would trade lunches with me. I craved Wonder Bread and TV dinners and had to sneak over to friends homes to get junk food.
On Dr. Belotteʼs desk was a tub of margarine, some white sugar and white flour with a skull and crossbones sign “Poison!“ He taught my parents about healthy fats (“they donʼt make you fat”) which we now know to be true. He preached butter in moderation which has many health benefits at a time when butter was shunned by mainstream health practitioners and margarine was recommended. As a kid, I rolled my eyes as my parents used their juicer to make “swamp water” green drinks. My parents were mocked by friends and family. They held strong to Dr. Belotteʼs teachings, who died in his 90ʼs, still healthy, completely competent and working until the end of his life.
In college, when I returned home for visits, Prevention Magazine and other natural healing newsletters were around the house. I read them but didnʼt fully process the relevance of this information until I became a physical therapist in the mainstream medical world. I observed the downward cascade of health of so many patients who were taking a multitude of pharmaceuticals, ate poorly, were overweight and undernourished. Their poor health was an obstacle to my efforts as a PT to relieve pain, restore strength and function to the body. I could provide temporary relief of pain but in so many cases, there was no lasting change.
Over the past 20 years, I have become an information geek about alternatives to pharmaceuticals and surgery. Pharmaceuticals and surgery play an essential role and are lifesaving for many. Iʼve treated hundreds of patients who received a new lease on life after successful orthopedic and neurosurgery. My interests though, are in the realm of prevention and the use of natural medicine when appropriate for musculoskeletal conditions.
After many conversations, independent study, personal treatment experiences, with mainstream doctors ( I’m married to one) naturopathic doctors, orthomolecular medicine (aka functional medicine) osteopaths, chiropractors, psychotherapists, nutritionists, homeopathic physicians, acupuncturists, energy healers, I developed a clear picture of how we all contribute to healing. We need integrative medicine which combines both conventional and natural medicine. Let’s convince patients of the benefit of lifestyle changes and nutrition first before resorting to pharmaceuticals or surgery for many conditions.
My wish for the future is to have conventional physicians working down the hall from naturopaths and functional medicine physicians. Doctors will learn in school about using food, and when needed supplements, as medicine. Data will pour in proving the efficacy of natural medicine treatments so that insurance companies will pay for supplements which cost less and have few or no side effects. Nutrition will be taught in schools at all age levels including medical school! Companies like Kraft and General Foods will make low cost foods healthier. We will subsidize organic farmers, putting efforts into regenerating our depleted soils, and incentivize people to grow their own food when possible.
Better to pay the Farmer than the Pharmacist. When you give the body the nutrients it needs to heal, the body heals itself.