Food as Medicine: What That Phrase Actually Means (and What It Doesn’t)

You can’t swing a celery stalk around without hitting a product labeled “plant-based”. But have you heard the term “Food as Medicine”?  It’s not as prevalent in grocery stores but it is very commonly cited on podcasts, social media, mugs, t-shirts, and probably a throw pillow by now.

But let’s be honest, the phrase has gotten a little… confusing.

You may have heard “Food as Medicine” and thought:

• “So, does this mean food replaces doctors?”

• “Does this mean food cures everything?”

• “If I’m still sick, am I doing food wrong?”

Short answer: no, no, and absolutely not.

Let’s talk about what Food as Medicine actually means, and what it definitely does not mean.

What “Food as Medicine” actually means

At its core, Food as Medicine means this:

👉 The food you eat sends signals to your body. And those signals can support or strain things like inflammation, blood sugar, gut health, and brain chemistry. Food doesn’t act like a pill.  It acts more like daily instructions where every meal is information. That information can help:

• Calm inflammation

• Support the immune system

• Stabilize blood sugar

• Feed gut bacteria

• Support brain and mood chemistry

This is why long-term eating patterns matter more than one “perfect” meal (Katz & Meller, 2014).

What Food as Medicine does not mean

This part is important because a lot of harm can happen here.  The right food can support the body’s systems, but it is not a replacement for medical care, surgery, or medication when those are needed.  Food is a partner, not a miracle. 

Even though I ate a whole food, plant-based diet for about 98% of my meals, I was still diagnosed with cancer. I was fortunate, however, that it was very localized and highly treatable, and I did not need weeks or months of intensive treatment.

Was my cancer caught early and easier to treat because I had spent the previous ten years eating what many would call a “clean” diet? Maybe. I can’t say for sure. What I do know is that I was treated, recovered, and was able to move forward with my life with very little long-term impact.

Everything I did to care for my health up to that point was worth it—especially since I’ll never know what the outcome might have been if I hadn’t made those changes to my diet and lifestyle.

So, with that being said, let’s remember this about “food as medicine”:

❌ It does NOT mean food cures disease

❌ It does NOT mean if you’re sick, you failed

Your health is shaped by:

• Genetics

• Stress

• Environment

• Trauma

• Access to care

• Lifestyle

Food helps, but it is not a moral test. 

❌ It does NOT mean eating “perfectly”

There is no such thing as a perfect diet.  Food as Medicine is about patterns, not perfection.Consistency beats extremes every time.

How food actually supports the body (the simple science)

Let’s break this down without a science degree.

🧠 Food & inflammation

Certain eating patterns, especially those rich in whole, plant foods, are associated with lower chronic inflammation, which is linked to better long-term health (Calder et al., 2011).

Less inflammation often = less pain, more energy, clearer thinking.

🦠 Food & the gut

Fiber-rich foods feed gut bacteria that produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids, which help:

• Protect the gut lining

• Regulate the immune system

• Communicate with the brain

This gut-brain communication influences mood and stress levels (Mayer et al., 2015).

Yes, your lunch talks to your brain!

⚡ Food & blood sugar

Meals that include fiber, protein, and whole-food carbohydrates help keep blood sugar steady.

Steady blood sugar supports:

• Energy

• Focus

• Mood

• Hormone balance

Wild swings feel like anxiety, irritability, and exhaustion (Ludwig, 2002).

Food as Medicine is really about support

Here’s the best reframe:  Food as Medicine means giving your body what it needs to function better, not forcing it to heal on command.

It’s about:

• Reducing unnecessary stress on the system

• Providing steady nourishment

• Creating conditions where the body can do its job

Not pressure. Not fear. Not perfection.

What this looks like in real life

Food as Medicine can be as simple as:

• Adding more fiber-rich foods

• Eating regular meals

• Choosing whole foods more often than ultra-processed ones

• Drinking enough water

• Not skipping meals on stressful days

No detoxes. No food guilt. No magic smoothie.

The big takeaway

Food is powerful, but it’s not magic.  It won’t fix everything.  But if you focus on whole, nourishing plant-based foods it can sure go a long way to your longevity and quality of life.

And I would like to add that when food is used as support instead of pressure, it becomes something you can actually live with.  That’s Food as Medicine done right.

Want a gentle, doable way to try this?

That’s exactly why I created my FREE 7-Day Serotonin Reset Plan.  First, I designed it for me.  Then it worked so wonderfully I wanted to share it with my clients and then decided to go ahead and share it with anyone who was interested.

It’s designed to:

• Support the gut–brain connection

• Calm inflammation and stress chemistry

• Stabilize mood and energy

• Use whole food, plant-based meals (no extremes)

No sales tricks. No food rules. Just real food you can actually eat and hopefully enjoy!

If you are interested in checking it out 👉 Download the FREE 7-Day Serotonin Reset here:CLICK LINK

Scientific References

Katz, D. L., & Meller, S. (2014). Can we say what diet is best for health? Annual Review of Public Health, 35, 83–103.

Calder, P. C., et al. (2011). Dietary factors and low-grade inflammation. British Journal of Nutrition, 106(S3), S5–S78.

Mayer, E. A., Tillisch, K., & Gupta, A. (2015). Gut/brain axis and the microbiota. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 125(3), 926–938.