Secret Food Cures

One of my readers brought the following site to my attention: Secret Food Cures. The site is a commercial one, so be ready for lots of advertising and product pitches if you go there. The main subject of the site is a book written by three sisters which details a variety of food based cures for conditions ranging from migraines to asthma. Some examples are:

• Curing migraines with lemon rinds
• Cherry Bark tea makes asthma go away
• Gin soaked raisins to relive the symptoms of arthritis
• Chicken soup that cures colds

Personal Disclosure

Before I move on to my opinion of all this, allow me to disclose something about myself. I am not a fan of the modern medical system. We’ve become too reliant on pills to the point where we expect a prescription as the cure for every ill. High blood pressure? Get a prescription! Too fat? Get a prescription! Child too distracted to do their homework? Get a prescription! I think this is a horrible way to live life and I personally try to avoid taking pills. At the same time, I do believe in modern science and if I have some medical condition that’s bothering me, I go and talk to my doctor.

I tell her that I’m not just looking for a prescription that will make the problem go away. I want to know how I can live a healthier life to make the problem not recur. I discuss what I can do to remedy the situation and I will take her advice and her prescriptions. I’ve found that my doctor actually appreciates this attitude since she too is tired of most of her patients’ attitude of “This bothers me, give me a pill that will make it go away.” So while I am a believer in the efficiency of modern science and medicine, I do believe many issues can be resolved with healthier living rather than pills.

Home Cures

That said, I have a difficult time with books like this that recommend methods that are completely untried and untested as cures to serious health issues. Yes, a healthy diet can make many things go away, but it’s not a magic cure to everything that ails you. There are a few simple food based treatments that do make sense to me. For example, chicken soup with its legendary curing properties is not that hard to understand. It’s a broth based meal that’s rich in nutrients but still easy to digest. For a body weakened by illness, this kind of soup is welcome relief.

Note that this means any broth based soup has the same benefits. However, the authors of this book seem to insist that it’s chicken soup specifically that has this magical property. This is my issue with most of these home remedies. Yes, some of them do indeed have some basis in fact, but most people never bother to do the research of why some of these remedies are effective and some are not. That in turn leads them to use these remedies when they shouldn’t or in the wrong way.

Ignore Science At Your Peril

Also, a lot of these home remedies lead people to believe that they can forgo the doctor. I think this is a mistake and potentially a lethal one. There’s no substitute for a regular preventative medical appointment with a qualified doctor. I don’t care how many bowls of chicken soup or cups of cherry bark tea you consume, you should still see your doctor on a regular basis.

My wife for many years battled constant migraines. I suppose she could have tried some lemon rind based cure but instead she tried the medical approach. One operation to cure a deviated septum later, plus an anti allergen medication, she’s migraine free. So while I do advocate a healthy lifestyle, I also think you should go see your doctor if you have an issue and not try to cure it yourself.

My Preferred Approach

If you’re trying to avoid pills and such that’s fine. Tell your doctor that. In many cases you’ll find them relieved to hear a patient who’s willing to take responsibility for themselves rather than try to find pills to make the problem go away. They can chat with you about changes in your life and diet that you should make. In many cases, they may even recommend certain remedies like specific foods. However, let your doctor make that recommendation, not a book written to sell copies.

Summary

Pills are not the solution to all your ills. Neither are cherry bark and chicken soup. The best solution is probably a combination of both. Just make sure your doctor is on board with your plan.