In celebration of the birthday in 1861 of William James Mayo, surgeon and co-founder of the Mayo Clinic and the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, we share with you this prophetic quote.* These words are becoming a reality as more and more people are looking to the power of nutritional medicine to address our healthcare crisis.
Many patients now expect their physicians to be nutritionally literate. There is no excuse for any medical professional to demonstrate incompetence in this field. Multiple educational opportunities exist for those who need to get up to speed. (pcrm.org and nutritionstudies.org) Patients want to minimize pills and procedures but need nutritional guidance from their physicians to make the dietary changes necessary. For physicians to offer this kind of guidance, they must keep abreast of the advances in nutritional medicine and its dramatic positive impact on health.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine(PCRM) headquartered in Washington, D.C., long a proponent of Plant-Based eating, is working with legislators to offer nutrition education in Medical Schools and throughout the careers of healthcare professionals. Physicians across the country are participating in conferences that offer a sound scientific and medical basis for a Plant-Based diet. (International Plant-Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference http://pbnhc.com/ and International Conference on Diabetes http://DiabetesConference2014.org/ ) In 2013 Kaiser Permanente, the largest healthcare provider in the nation advised its 17,000 physicians to recommend a Plant-Based Diet for all patients. Medical doctors are learning from their own patients that dietary change can prevent and reverse our most serious chronic diseases. When patients take control of their own health, physicians have no choice but to stand up and take notice.
Now is the time to honor William James Mayo for his vision of medicine that prevents disease and helps patients lead long healthy lives.
*Thanks to Sally Fintel of Lewes for bringing this quote to our attention.
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Dorothy Greet invites you on a journey to amazing good health and vitality through Plant-Based Eating.
A heart attack turned her life upside down at age 70.
Now, with a Cornell Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition, this retired clergywoman teaches free classes to community groups upon request.
To contact Ms. Greet, email dgreet@aya.yale.edu.
For more information on plant-based eating go to greetplantbased.blogspot.com.
