The Food Hospital

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I stumbled upon a television show that speaks to what we strive to communicate to our patients- finding a healthy balance of using food as medicine, to prevent and minimize disease. ‘The Food Hospital’ is a series on the Cooking Channel which ‘examines the science behind using food as medicine. In experiments conducted with strict scientific rigour, patients suffering from a range of medical conditions and symptoms are invited to attend The Food Hospital where they are prescribed specific food treatment programs to find out if their health problems can be alleviated or cured by the food they eat.’

The expert team consists of a physician, dietitian and gastrointestinal surgeon. They are all trained, respected professionals that have a common value of the importance diet and health. Patients experiencing conditions such as GOUT, depression, PCOS, disordered eating, migraines, Crohn’s Disease, eczema, and many more turn to this team at The Food Hospital, because they continue to struggle with their condition despite previous traditional medical treatments.

The shows are an hour and highlight 3-4 patients with various conditions. The patient comes to The Food Hospital and discusses their situation with the physician. Lab work has been ordered previous to their visit, therefore they typically have the results at the time of the meeting. As patients explain their symptoms, the physician points out any elevated or deficient markers in the patient’s blood work to provide a possible explanation. They discuss important follow-up steps and a plan for treatment.

Next, the patient meets with Lucy, the dietitian, and she explains what nutrients they need to incorporate or remove from their diet in order to comply with the treatment plan. She often shows them how to cook or prepare an appropriate meal and this alleviates some anxiety the patient’s have for rearranging their diet and eating lifestyle.

After a period of time, each patient returns and their followup appointment is a highlight of the second part of the television program. Commonly, when the patient has been diligent with their treatment plan, positive results are seen and the patient is on the road to recovery.

This program emphasizes the connection of health through food and the science behind how diet affects our body. If you haven’t had a chance to watch, you can catch up on the entire season 1, found here. sls