Podcast: Harnessing food's healing power

Curious about the connection between food and health? Dive into our conversation with dietitian Aziwe Booi as she sheds light on the power of what's on your plate

Some people are curious about the connection between food and health and if the saying “food is medicine” holds some truth. Dishing up an insightful conversation, we speak to dietitian Aziwe Booi about the power of what we put on our plates.

Speaking about how food can act as medicine, Booi highlights that food is not directly medicine, however, it can be the key to unlocking a healthier you and can act as a prevention for illnesses.

“The term ‘food is medicine’ speaks to how the food we eat has a really big impact on our health. Food is medicine in the sense that if we are not giving our bodies enough vitamins or minerals that they need, then that is what increases our risk of getting sick.”

Making healthier choices

By viewing food as medicine, Booi explains, we can empower ourselves to incorporate preventative measures by making healthier dietary choices.

“Look at what you’re eating and see what you can add, because I think a lot of the time we think I need to cut out this, I need to cut out that. But there are a lot of things that are lacking in our diet.

“See what you can add to your diet to get those extra vitamins and minerals so you can use nutrition as a form of support to help with chronic disease prevention and also support if you’ve got any specific conditions.”

With many undeniable benefits, the guidance of a dietitian is recommended for incorporating food as medicine, especially for people with certain health conditions.