A while ago, I was having a conversation with my friend Henry. He’s a doc, too, and we enjoy spending time together and talking about practicing medicine, taking care of patients, what it’s like, what we learn from it, and how we can do better. I am very grateful for Henry, and for the fact that we have been having this conversation for almost 25 years. It just so happens that Henry is in quarantine right now, so he’s on my mind. He’s fine in case you’re wondering, just being cautious.

I engage in a never-ending quest to better understand exactly what it is that I do each day, and exactly how I am doing it. That’s because I am pretty sure that the more precisely I can describe what it is I do, the better I can do it. I want patients to remain healthy; I want them not to become diabetic. I want to give them the tools to guarantee, to the greatest extent, this outcome. I want to be able to identify for them the one or two small things they could change that would give them the biggest bang for their buck. Like taper their soda habit. Or walk for just 5 minutes every single day. Or eat a handful of nuts for breakfast instead of a bowl of commercial breakfast cereal.  

I came up with this: “I share with people what their actual choices are, and then I share my best guess as to the consequences of those choices.

Henry said, “It’s not simple; but it is basic.” It’s as basic as it could possibly be. The American diet makes people sick. The standard American diet causes diabetes, obesity, and all their consequences, including arthritis, stroke, and coronary artery disease. Add to that list a few cancers in particular, notably breast, prostate, and colon cancer. If you don’t like those options, which of course you don’t, you may want to start reducing the amount of white flour, manufactured fats, and sugar that you consume. Notice I didn’t say to cut them out entirely. Start by cutting down. Practice makes progress. That’s the basic message.

But Henry is right; it’s not simple. Not when most everyone you know, everywhere you turn, eats the American diet. Not when you get most of your nutritional information from the processed food industry. Not when it’s the only way you’ve ever known. Not when it’s how your mother fed you and the rest of your family while you were growing up, and how you learned to feed your own family once it was your turn. It’s not simple at all. 

So I continue the quest. Implementation may never be simple, but maybe the message can.

Eat more fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains than you used to. Try for some nourishing fats and quality protein. And close your eyes for one minute, and feel yourself breathe. Nourishing your mind will help. Stay safe, my friends.