WeeMunch Reads: The Jungle Effect

Iceland. It’s cold, dark most of the year, and yet boasts some of the lowest rates of depression in the world. Why? You might have to read The Jungle Effect by author and MD Daphne Miller to find out. No, of course, we wouldn’t make you wait. Miller attributes low rates of depression in Iceland to the consumption of fish and omega 3 fatty acids that is a major part of their diet. After years of researching the traditional diets/recipes/food portions of different cultures in the world, the Harvard trained Dr. Miller found, “…evidence of what I’ve always believed—that food can be a powerful medicine.”

Her research began while she was working at a health clinic in a remote Peruvian village. She treated patients for machete wounds and snakebites, but noticed that none suffered from diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure. It was then that she started to make the connection between health and diet.

Dr. Miller practices her uniquely inspired medical approach at her office in San Francisco. Her patients soon learn that if they go to her to relieve the onset of a cold, they’ll leave with a prescription for mushroom-ginger soup. Ginger is an excellent decongestant and mushrooms boost the immune system. In Miller’s approach to treating illnesses, she believes, “It’s better to use medications as a complement to foods.”

Miller believes, as we do at WeeMunch, that it’s best when possible to buy from local farmers, who follow more sustainable growing practices, and, as a result produce more nutrient dense meats, fruit, and vegetables.

“Staying healthy isn’t about taking medications when you get sick.” Says Dr. Miller, “It’s about paying attention to what you put in your body so you can thrive.”

The Jungle Effect: The Healthiest Diets From Around the World—Why They Work and How to Make Them Work for You is available from http://www.amazon.com/

Next Week: What you need to know about cooking with oils from The Jungle Effect.