Hello! Wow! Is this thing really up and going? Crazy. It’s truly been a labor of love and I can’t wait to connect and share with you.
I practice medicine as a Physician Assistant (PA) for a living. The current medical model doesn’t emphasize the role of diet in the prevention and treatment of disease as well as it should. The unfortunate truth is that (in general) medical training is decidedly lacking in any substantive training on nutrition, and where it does, I find the information is difficult to apply in a practical way, or you are tasked with tackling so many things in that exam room that it isn’t given the attention it deserves (i.e. we need more time for these very important conversations to happen!).
The “diet wars” climate (particularly in the United States) paints a very confusing picture for anyone trying to tease out fact vs opinion. Vegan? Paleo? Keto? Standard American Diet (SAD)? The amount of money from lobbying groups (big pharma, national dairy council, etc) hustling at the government level for alpha position is staggering. The result of this legislation around food and pharmaceuticals is marketing that biases the way we view these products, which in turn shapes our lifestyle and purchasing. I enjoy science and appreciate data that support many of the decisions I make. In future posts, we’ll take a deeper dive, and I’ll post some links to those studies.
If you’ve found your way here, you may be trying to find the best way to achieve your wellness goals, amidst a bevy of conflicting banter. Perhaps you are challenged by the task of preparing meals amidst the mid-week craziness (Me too! Nice to meet you :), or you want more energy, or better sleep. Maybe you have six-pack abs but are looking to minimize your environmental impact. You might be an athlete looking to improve endurance and speed recovery. Or like many, you are seeking something different, but you don’t know what that “something” is.
“The food you eat can either be the safest & most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”
Ann Wigmore
It is not my intention tell you how to eat, think or live your life. I can’t speak for you, your unique needs as an individual. The impetus behind the creation of this site is to generate a glimpse into my life, and the decisions we’ve made as a family that have resulted in positive changes, opened up opportunities and changed our life view. It is to provide ideas and resources that you may find helpful to integrate into your lifestyle. They have brought us joy and gratitude, and if you can find even one morsel (pun intended) of beneficial information that enhances your life, well…in my eyes I’ve succeeded. Most importantly, this isn’t a one-sided affair. I want this platform to be engaging and interactive. It’s community and relationship that create synergy, so don’t be shy! Comment on the blog, make a recipe and tag it, or email me at hello@theplantfueledfamily.com.
Lastly, I am fallible. I err daily, hourly possibly! I don’t have all the answers, and there is humility in this. As my experiences grow, so will this blog, so I hope you’ll follow along with me. Now let’s have some fun.
Cheers-Andrea♥
