Modern medicine has a blind spot – one that's costing us dearly in terms of health and longevity. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence that nutrition and exercise are the two most powerful levers for preventing and reversing chronic disease, most physicians receive minimal training in these areas. After completing a decade of rigorous medical education, I emerged with hundreds of hours of pharmacology training but barely 10 hours on nutrition. This disconnect continues to shape our healthcare system decades later.

The six pillars of lifestyle medicine – nutrition, exercise, sleep hygiene, stress management, avoidance of toxic substances, and social connection – have been proven exponentially more effective at extending healthspan than pharmaceutical interventions. Yet our medical system remains structured around treating diseases rather than preventing them. The curriculum is overloaded with clinical guidelines, new drugs, and interventional procedures, leaving little room for the fundamentals of health promotion. Without "big broccoli" to fund multi-million dollar studies and marketing campaigns, nutrition science gets sidelined in favor of more profitable interventions.

This knowledge gap creates real consequences. Patients with heart disease, diabetes, and obesity leave appointments with prescriptions but minimal practical guidance about food. Without evidence-based nutrition advice from their trusted healthcare providers, people turn to social media and fall down rabbit holes of misinformation. The good news is that change is coming. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine now offers board certification, some medical schools are incorporating cooking classes and motivational interviewing, and in 2026, our family medicine residency program will integrate comprehensive lifestyle medicine training. You can accelerate this shift by asking your doctor nutrition-specific questions, seeking out lifestyle medicine practitioners, and demonstrating through your own health improvements that food truly is medicine. Remember – genetics may load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger. You don't need permission to start healing through what you eat.

Go check out my website for tons of free resources on how to transition towards a healthier diet and lifestyle.

You can download my free plant-based recipes eBook and a ton of other free resources by visiting the Digital Downloads tab of my website at https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/shop

Don't forget to check out my blog at https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/blog

You can also watch my educational videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMpkQRXb7G-StAotV0dmahQ

Check out my upcoming live events and free eCourse, where you'll learn more about how to create delicious plant-based recipes: https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/

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Last but not least, the best way to show your support and to help me spread my message is to subscribe to my podcast and to leave a 5 star review on Apple and Spotify!
Thanks so much!

Peace, love, plants!
Dr. Jules