Food As Medicine: How to Use Diet, Vitamins, Juices, and Herbs for a Healthier, Happier, and Longer Life

by Dharma Singh Khalsa

A holistic approach to healing through making smart food choices by health guru Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa that combines spiritual advice and integrative medicine to provide healthful recipes and nutrition plans targeting common and chronic illnesses for a longer, healthier, natural life.

Did you know that blueberries can increase brain longevity? That kiwi fruit can be an excellent weapon for battling cancer and heart disease? That pears can help prevent fibroid tumors?

From the bestselling author of Meditation as Medicine, comes a remarkable book that helps you achieve maximum health by eating well. Grounded in science, Food as Medicine is a pragmatic and accessible reference that sets readers on the right nutritional path. Dr. Khalsa then explains how to use natural organic juices and foods as medicine, and how food can help reverse the progress or diminish the symptoms of certain diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Hepatitis C.

Drawing on patient case histories, Food as Medicine outlines the seven principles of "The Khalsa Plan" for healthy eating, details ailment-specific nutritional plans, and lays out dozens of delicious recipes that promote overall well-being. After all, food is not only the original medicine -- it's the best medicine.

Genres: Health, Nutrition, Self Help, Food, Cookbooks, Nonfiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Jen]

I knew that this was going to be problematic (20-year old nutritional advice) and I had issues with this early on. I kept contemplating quitting. But it was the recipe for lettuce soup that did it for me.

[Janet]

The book does not focus on food, per se, so is less useful than I imagined. The author's only real messages about food are to avoid highly refined foods and that everyone ought to be vegetarian in order to be truly healthy. Beyond that, he is highly focused on vitamin and hormone therapies. Particularly in the first few chapters, the author makes unsupported statements and leaps of logic to advance his arguements which puts everything he advocates into question. There are undoubtedly useful facts in the book but it is impossible to know which information is reliable and which merely sounds like it could make sense. On the whole, a disappointing read.

[Debra Brunk]

I got this book because I really liked the author's "meditation as medicine"; however, this book fell a bit flat. While interesting from a physiological perspective, I didn't find it that informative. I also didn't particularly like the author's heavy reliance on nutritional supplements.

[Rachel]

Interesting, and at least I got a list of healthier food choices that I like. I don't know that I'm into juicing and taking a lot of supplements.

[Julie H]

Very 101 on the info. So great for people that are just starting to eat healthy. Also it’s over 10 years old and would love to see the updated version of this concept.

[Maggie the Muskoka Library Mouse]

Not as engaging as I had hoped.

[Carol]

Every couple of years it is good to read a book that helps me continue to care for myself in the very best way. This was the year and this is the book. The author gives lots of good reasons for eating clean without insisting it is the only way to be a healthier version of oneself. He start with spiritual nutrition and that is what hooked me into the book and then proceeds to the physical body. He suggests and offers alternatives but ultimately leaves the choice to the reader. I had no idea there were more than 200 varieties of apples. I did not know you should leave the outer leaves on the brussel sprouts. I knew water, lots of water, is important but now I know exactly how much water to drink. I plan to revise the supplements I take using guidance from this book. I will also play with a number, and there are quite a few, of the recipes. A delightful and encouraging book.

[El]

Would have enjoyed it far more if the author weren't constantly slipping in little quips about his beliefs and nudging you in the direction of them. Still, the info is solid and it's a good ref book.

[Claudia]

A little dated, but still a great reference and recipe book. The author goes through all the major vitamins (A, E, C, calcium, etc.) and connects each with vegetables and fruits that contain the most of these specific nutrients. Great for meal planning!

[Isabel Barreto]

One of the best natural nutrition books I have ever read.

[Lisa Arreola]

This book changed my life. Read it.

[Nicolle]

Very insightful book about how to heal your body through food. have taken a lot of recipes from this book and applied them to daily living, and wow what an improvement.

[Jacquie]

Has lots of useful information about the types of foods to eat for different health conditions as well as some good "food log exercises" .

[Laura]

Good reminders

[Vani]

Plenty of useful information and great recipes.

[Kellie]

Good more as a reference book than one to read.

[Amy]

Some of it was a little "out there" for me, but the basic ideas were great.