Food Over Medicine

April 22, 2013
Wellness Forum executive director and naturopath Popper and co-author Merzer (coauthor, Mad Cowboy) sit readers down for a long talk about “eating way out of disease” in this no-nonsense dialogue. “We have strange ideas about food in this country,” Popper notes. “One is the idea that... you can eat almost anything you want as long as you eat it in moderation.” The pair advocate for a strict no-dairy, plant-focused diet based on a food pyramid with 64 ounces of water a day at the minimum, organic meat two to three times a week (optional), an occasional treat, and loads of veggies in between. Popper chides medical professionals for prescribing “minimal, half-assed dietary changes” to sick patients before going on to explain how diet and lifestyle contribute to everything from heart disease to strokes, cancer, MS, and possibly even Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Also covered in this wide-ranging conversation are numerous testimonials and an urgent call for educating future doctors—Popper insists that “if they’re seeing patients with degenerative diseases and they’re not practicing nutrition, they’re not practicing medicine, period.” Ultimately, of course, the patient must decide whether to trust traditional medicine or a well-balanced meal. 25 recipes.