Food is Medicine

A Presentation to Bowen Rotary by Hyunjoo Lee,
Phd in Oriental Medicine Pharmacy
DpLM in Lifestyle Medicine Professional

On Monday, June 10, 2024, Dr. Hyunjoo Lee presented a comprehensive lecture to the Rotary Club of Bowen Island. The elements of that lecture are presented below in three parts.

1. the complete PowerPoint presentation (Google Slides).
2. the complete audio transcription of the event
3. the complete text of Dr. Lee’s presentation.

1. The PowerPoint presentation (the imagery is high quality — you have the option of clicking the 3-dots and choosing Enter Full Screen). You will have to advance the slides yourself.

2. The audio of Dr. Lee’s presentation

3. The full text of Dr. Lee’s presentation

The headings refer to the slides in the slide presentation (#1 above). If your computer has a large screen, you might open this page in two windows. On one, play the audio file (#2 above), and then follow the text below. In the other window, watch the slides referred to in the text.

Subject: How to Treat Metabolic Syndrome with Food – Specifically, Hypertension, Diabetes, Hyperlipidemia and Obesity.

#1 #2 #3 My Introduction
Hello. I’m very honored to be here in this beautiful community of Bowen, and especially to be able to introduce myself in front of such a wonderful group of people at the Rotary Club. I’ve been interested in a non-violent way of life since I was in my 20s and started practicing meditation, and as part of my practice, I became a vegetarian in 2003. Since 2004, I have been running the only Oriental Medicine Pharmacy in Korea that prescribes pure plant-based medicines for 20 years now. Here are some of the books I have written.

#4 Meat Free Monday Korea
In 2010, I founded Meat Free Monday Korea, an organization that aims to address the climate crisis by eating vegetarian one day a week, and I still serves as its CEO. Today’s presentation is about plant-based nutrition, which has recently become a global trend.

#5 #6 Five Senses Therapy and My Activities
I’ve been treating illnesses with Oriental Medicine and a vegan diet and as I met with many patients, I realized that in order to fix their diet, they needed to fix their lifestyle. So, in 2012, I developed a Five Senses Therapy program, published a book, opened School of Five Senses Therapy, and lectured in Korea and abroad.

#7 Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine
Then, in 2018, I attended a conference at Harvard Medical School and realized that I wanted to focus on “Lifestyle Medicine”.

#8 What is Lifestyle Medicine
Lifestyle Medicine has 6 main areas of concern: Healthy living through Nutrition, Exercise, Stress Management, Social Support, Sleep management and Avoid Risky Behaviors.
     Today I will focus on the first of these 6 area: Healthy Living through Nutrition. Today, I will focus on the first of these 6 area: Healthy Living Through Nutrition.

#9 Food Is Medicine
I have combined my approach to Plant Based Nutrition based on scientific data with my clinical experience of 20 years of healing various diseases with the concept that food is medicine. Through my various activities at home and abroad, I have seen many people completely transformed their health by the power of plants.

#10 Paul McCartney – MFM
Former Beatles Sir Paul McCartney, who leads my Meatless Monday movement in the UK, has explained his energetic lifestyle and passionate creativity to his vegetarian diet. He not only travels the world performing his music, but he is also passionate about promoting vegetarianism as a solution to climate change, producing his own videos and music for various United Nations Climate Change Conferences.

# 11 Hollywood Stars are Passionate about Plant Based Diet
When Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of California, he also promoted veganism around the world. He teamed up with Avatar filmmaker James Cameron to create the documentary The Game Changers. The film shows how ancient roman gladiators were vegan, and interviews gold medalists in triathlon and the Olympics who are vegan to show how healthy a plant-based diet can be.

#12 vegan celebrities
Other notable vegan celebrities include Bill Clinton, El Gore, Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Natalie Portman, …. and many more.

#13 #14 Eric Adams’ Diabetes Story
New York is a city I have a deep connection to. In 2019, New York City declared that all public schools would be vegetarian once a week. Mayor Eric Adams, is one of the most passionate vegan activists. Some years ago, he was diagnosed with diabetes and went to see his doctor. When he saw the book Befriending Diabetes on the doctor’s chair, he realized that he didn’t want to continue to be friends with diabetes. He decided to change his diet to say goodbye to diabetes, and after going vegan, he was able to become diabetes-free.

#15 New York City’s Food Policy
As a result of his experience, New York City is leading the way in food policy, with policies to build urban-rural food systems, support healthy food choices, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the food sector by 33% by 2030. He has published a vegan cookbook.

#16 New York Hospital’s Plant-Based Meal Plan
Hospitals in New York City also offer plant-based meals to patients, and plant-based meals are the first and second choice.

#17 #18 Foods that Cause Diabetes
The foods that cause diabetes are, as we all know, refined Carbohydrates. You should avoid foods made with white flour, white rice, and white sugar. You should also watch out for foods that contain saturated and trans fats.
     In terms of eating habits, overeating, binge eating, and late-night snacking are also dangerous.

#19 Glycemic Index
You need to reduce your total calorie intake and increase your fiber and low-glycemic foods because excess calories lead to triglycerides in the blood and weight gain. Despite this, most hospitals prescribe medications instead of urging patients to change their diets.

#20 Metformin vs. Dietary Intervention
In a landmark study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2002. This study, titled “Reduction in the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes with Lifestyle Intervention or Metformin(which is a drug to treat diabetes),” is a pivotal piece of research in the field of diabetes prevention.
     The study demonstrated that lifestyle interventions, such as diet and exercise, and the medication “metformin” both reduced the incidence of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals. But the lifestyle intervention was particularly effective, reducing the incidence by 58%, while metformin reduced it by only 31%.
     This research shows that changing our diet and exercising is far more effective than taking diabetes medications, and it also shows that we don’t have to be friends with diabetes anymore, and that we can say goodbye to it for good.

#21 Case Study 1 -A Homemaker in Her Mid-40s Who Lost 15 Pounds
Let me share a few experiences with my own patients. A 40-year-old homemaker living with her two sons and husband came to see me. She was of average height, weighed 76 kg, and had high blood pressure. In the evenings when her husband and two sons came home from school, they usually ordered hamburgers, fried chicken, and pizza, and washed it down with a soda or beer. As a result, everyone in the family was obese.
     What was her lunch like? Lunch was her time to get away from her family, so she ate out with friends and never cooked at home.

#22 Home Cooking Can Heal You
I encouraged her to try cooking lunch for herself.
     According to a study by Dr. Rani Polak of Harvard Medical School, people who cooked for themselves had lower rates of chronic disease and saw positive changes in their health numbers. They were also much less likely to overeat, which had many health benefits.

#23 After Three Months
What happened in just one month after she started preparing, cooking, and enjoying meals as if they were a gift to herself? She lost a whopping 7 kilograms because her elegant lunch helped her control her appetite at dinner. After three months, she had lost 15 kilograms, and her high blood pressure was under control.

#24 Food That Trigger High Blood Pressure – High Sodium Foods
If you have high blood pressure, or have the potential to have high blood pressure, you should definitely reduce these three foods in your diet.
     The first is sodium, as you probably know. It’s what makes everything in restaurants so salty and tasty. If you’re a processed food lover, you have to watch out for high blood pressure. Same goes for pizza, bread, and canned foods.

#25 #26 Food That Trigger High Blood Pressure – Saturated Fat
The second is saturated fat. Do you know what has the most saturated fat? It’s cheese, and another high-fat dairy product, butter. If you enjoy pizza, you should be worried about saturated fat. Animal fat is the main culprit, so burgers and sandwiches made with meat and topped with cheese are dangerous. Sweets and sugary foods are also high in saturated fat.
     That’s why studies show that only 7% of vegetarians have high blood pressure, compared to 23% of non-vegetarians, meaning there’s a correlation between animal products and the risk of high blood pressure.

#27 Food That Trigger High Blood Pressure -Alcohol
The third is alcohol. I’m sorry to break this news to all you wine-loving Rotary Club members out there. However, excessive alcohol consumption has been shown to raise blood pressure even more, and alcohol in combination with the two factors above (sodium and saturated fat) will raise blood pressure.

#28 Are Non-Dairy Cheeses Healther?
What happens if you swap out dairy cheese with your wine for vegan cheese?
     Data comparing regular and vegan cheeses shows that cashew and almond-based vegan cheeses have adequate protein, calcium, and are lower in saturated fat and sodium than regular cheeses.
In any case, if you find it difficult to give up wine and cheese in your life, a low-sodium vegan cheese made with cashews or almonds and no more than two glasses of wine per day for men and one glass per day for women is a good alternative. However, if you already have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, you may need to limit your alcohol intake a bit more.

#29 #30 Foods to Reduce High Blood Pressure – Potassium-Rich Foods
What foods should you eat to manage high blood pressure?
     First of all, you should eat potassium-rich foods every day to reduce your sodium levels: potatoes, sweet potatoes, melons, peaches, bananas, squash, broccoli, spinach, and soy products like lentils and soybeans.

#31 Foods to Reduce High Blood Pressure – Calcium-Rich Foods
The second thing to note is to eat calcium-rich foods. Choose low oxalic acid greens like kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, and bok choy. Foods high in oxalic acid (beet greens, spinach) interfere with calcium absorption. Almond milk and soy milk are also good sources of calcium.

#32 Foods to Reduce High Blood Pressure – Magnesium Rich Foods
Magnesium is also something to watch out for, but we don’t always have to carry around a nutrition encyclopedia to check it. Eat almonds, beans, whole grains, and green vegetables.

#33 TOP 9 Foods
Here are 9 of the best foods to lower blood pressure. Consuming these foods daily will help you to reduce your blood pressure.
     Garlic, ginger, beets, spinach, pomegranate, oats, watermelon, blueberries, and flaxseed.

#34 Case Stusy2 – A Couple Successfully Conceived After Obesity Treatment
A couple came to me 11 years ago. The husband was in his early 40s, a secretary to a politician, moderately obese and Hyperlipidemia, and the wife was in her late 30s, a civic activist, overweight and smoking. They came to me because they wanted to have a child, but no matter how many times they tried, it just wasn’t happening. I told them that the greatest gift they could give their child was to be healthy parents, so I suggested they invest three months for their child’s happiness. They took me up on my offer and joined the three-month program.

#35 After 3 months
The husband lost a whopping 17 kilograms and reduced triglycerides and cholesterol. The wife lost 7.6 kg, quit smoking, and her menstrual cramps disappeared. I confirmed that they were now healthy enough to have children, so I prescribed Oriental Medicine according to her ovulation, and they were blessed with healthy twins. Two months ago, 11 years after first meeting them, they attended the launch of my new book and told me how healthy, happy, and peaceful their children were.

#36 #37 Hyperlipidemia
You may be wondering what foods have made such an amazing difference for them. Hyperlipidemia is a condition in which there are high levels of fat particles in the blood, namely triglycerides and cholesterol. LDL cholesterol builds up on the walls of blood vessels and causes hardening of the arteries.
HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, is responsible for removing cholesterol from the walls of blood vessels.

#38 #39 Trans Fat
The bad guys that raise LDL cholesterol levels are, first of all, trans fats.
     Specifically, foods that contain trans fats include partially hydrogenated oils (shortening, margarine), fried foods (French fries, donuts), crackers, cookies, microwave popcorn, and coffee creamer. Meat and dairy products are high in saturated fat as well as trans fats, especially processed meats such as cheese, butter, ham, sausage, and bacon.

#40 The Solution to Hyperlipidemia
I offered different solutions to the husband and wife to help them conceive successfully. For the husband, who was obese and hyperlipidemic, I limited his diet to a raw plant-based diet whole grains and nuts. I suggested eating leafy green vegetables raw and lightly blanching chunky vegetables, smoothies twice a day, brown rice instead of white rice, and a handful of almonds, pumpkin seeds, and cashews a day.

#41 For Uterus Health and Hormonal Balance
In the wife’s case, the goal was to prepare her uterus for conception, so I prescribed a warm diet, a focus on berries and cruciferous vegetables to support hormone production, abdominal heat massage and yoga.

#42 The Relationship Between Weight Control and Chronic Disease
As you can see from these patient stories, one of the main triggers for chronic disease is weight. If you feel like your body isn’t listening to you anymore, you need to control your weight. Unwanted swelling, inflammation and pain, not being able to sleep when you want to sleep, feeling heavy and cumbersome when you want to move around lightly, having neck and shoulder pain are all signs that you need to control your weight.
     Being overweight or obese is very dangerous, especially for people with diabetes.

#43 Nutrient Density
When you’re trying to lose weight, you need to think about the calories in your food, but it’s important to consider the relationship between nutrient density and calorie density.

#44 Calorie Density
Nutrient density is the ratio of nutrient value to calories, and foods with a high nutrient density have more nutrients per calorie. Examples include green vegetables, non-starchy vegetables, legumes, fresh fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. On the other hand, foods that are high in calories but low in nutritional value are called “empty calorie foods.”
     These include many people’s favorite foods like meat, processed foods, soda, and cakes and breads. It’s not just a meat-versus-vegetarian dichotomy, because even a vegetarian diet can be unhealthy if it’s in the empty-calorie category. If you want to lose weight, you need to eat nutrient-dense foods at every meal, like the ones I mentioned.

#45 #46 GHG Contribution
Bowen is blessed with access to healthy, local food. Local food is also a low-carbon way to address the climate crisis, and most plant-based ingredients are overwhelmingly lower in greenhouse gas emissions than meat and dairy. A study from Oxford University in the UK found that a vegan diet reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 75%.

#47 Acidic and Alkaline Foods – Cut Down Meat, Increase Superfoods
When it comes to making healthy food choices, one of the factors we need to consider is the pH of the food. If you eat mostly acidic foods like meat, dairy, eggs, processed foods, and alcohol, your body will produce acid during digestion, which can lower your immune system and lead to inflammation and illness. On the other hand, alkaline foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables and plant-based proteins like nuts and legumes, support a healthy metabolism and protect your body from disease. If you’re dealing with any kind of inflammation, pain, or chronic disease, you should start eliminating acidic foods from your diet right away and start eating more alkaline foods. You’ll see a huge difference in just one month.

#48 Phytochemicals: The Amazing Power of Plants
One of the biggest benefits of eating plants is that they absorb the sun’s energy directly, and plants contain immune substances in their pigments, scents, and flavors to protect themselves. The substances they created to survive against their natural enemies keep us healthy and alive. The antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti-aging properties of phytochemicals are truly powerful. But even with this knowledge, it’s not always easy to eat colorful foods at every meal, so we turn to supplements. But the chemicals we swallow in the name of health are also chemicals that our bodies must metabolize and detoxify, giving our livers more work to do. Putting concentrated chemicals into your body can also disrupt your body’s delicate mineral balance, so it’s best to get your minerals from food.

#49 Nutrition Misconception – Protein Intake
We tend to think that animal protein is the best source of protein, and that plant protein should be eaten as a supplement. But is this really the case?

#50 Cardiovascular Mortality Risk Increased with Higher Meat Intake
Many studies have linked animal protein to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all causes of death. The Adventist Health Study 2 looked at which types of plant and animal protein had the greatest impact on the risk of heart disease and found that plant protein (nuts, seeds, beans and legumes) were the most beneficial sources of this essential nutrient. A total of 81,337 participants were followed for 6-12 years, and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease steadily increased with higher intake of protein from meat, and steadily decreased with higher intake of protein from plants. In the group with the highest meat intake, the risk was about 60% higher than in the group with the lowest intake. The group with the highest intake of plants had about 40% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than the group with the lowest intake of plants.

#51 AGEs
Why is meat so harmful to the cardiovascular system? Meat is high in advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), which contribute to vascular damage, especially in people with diabetes; meat is rich in heme iron, which has oxidative effects that promote cardiovascular disease; and it contains pro-inflammatory components such as arachidonic acid, saturated fat, and carnitine.

#52 TMAO
Meat intake (and animal protein intake in general) is associated with weight gain.
Meat promotes the growth of undesirable bacteria that lead to the production of TMAO (Trimethylamine N-oxide), which causes inflammation of the endothelium and promotes causes hardening of the arteries. In addition to cardiovascular disease, diets high in animal protein promote cancer.

#53 Animal Protein vs. Plant Protein
Animal protein has a higher biological value compared to plant protein due to its high content of essential amino acids, and is quickly absorbed and utilized by the body; however, this raises the level of IGF-1, which promotes the growth of tumors. On the other hand, a diet rich in plant-based protein sources (such as seeds, nuts, beans and legumes) provides fully adequate but not excessive amounts of all essential amino acids, allowing the body to regulate IGF-1 to its most defensive level.
Nuts, seeds, beans and legumes are the optimal protein choices for a heart-protective diet.
They are rich in a variety of heart-healthy nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, fiber, plant sterols, tocopherols (vitamin E), flavonoids, and other polyphenols. They reduce total cholesterol and LDL(Low-Density lipoprotein) cholesterol. They are highly satiating and promote healthy weight.

#54 Beans
The good news is, calories from nuts, seeds, beans and legumes are absorbed very slowly, which means the body is more likely to use them for energy rather than store them.

#55 Animal Protein is More Problematic in Large Amounts.
Eating more animal protein than your body needs force your body to convert the excess protein into fat or eliminate it through the kidneys, leading to osteoporosis and kidney stones.
      The International Scholarly Research Network conducted a meta-analysis of 31 studies on protein intake and disease and concluded that high animal protein intake is associated with increased incidence of cancer, osteoporosis, kidney disease, liver dysfunction, and coronary artery disease.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking to boost your protein levels, plant-based sources are the way to go.

#56 How Much Protein Do You Need?
For the average adult, the daily requirement of protein is 0.8 to 1 gram per kilogram of body weight. A 60-kilogram woman would need between 48 and 60 grams of protein per day. Here are some great plant-based proteins to try:

#57 Protein Content of Plant Food
The truth is that for most people if you can get enough calories from your plant-based diet then you will automatically get enough protein from those plants.

#58 Baked Tofu Peach Salad
Here are a few protein-rich dishes to try. Tofu sprinkled with turmeric powder, grilled, and served with peaches and a salad. The dressing is soy sauce, balsamic vinaigrette, lemon, and sesame oil.

#59 Steamed Mushroom Salad
This dish is a salad of steam-cooked mushrooms with cucumber, radish, onion, and goji berries. I made the dressing with vegan mayonnaise and a little soy sauce. Mushrooms are an effective food against all hormone-related cancers.

#60 Qinoa Chikpea Salad
A salad of cooked quinoa and cooked chickpeas with tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, onions, and celery. Add salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and chopped parsley or cilantro.

#61 Tofu Broccoli Rice
Stir-fry tofu, broccoli, red peppers, and shiitake mushrooms with a dressing (soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, black pepper, and garlic) and top with brown rice with crushed cashews or other nuts.

#62 Should I Drink Milk and Dairy Products to Supplement My Calcium?
In a 2012 study of Harvard University published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, researchers tracked the fracture rates of nearly 7,000 adolescents and found that the active kids who drank the most milk actually suffered more fractures than those who drank the least.
The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, which followed more than 72,000 women for 18 years, found no protective effect of increased milk intake on fracture risk. Women who drank the most milk were just as likely to suffer a hip fracture as women who didn’t drink milk.

#63 #64 Calcium Sources
The healthiest sources of calcium are green leafy vegetables and legumes, such as broccoli, sprouts, kale, and mustard greens, which have very absorbable calcium and a wide range of health benefits.
A serving of beans contains more than 100 milligrams of calcium. If you eat a variety of legumes, such as soybeans, kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, and tofu, these foods provide calcium along with bone-strengthening magnesium.
      Vegan Bone Health vs Meat Eater Bone Health: What Science Says (foodrevolution.org)

#65 #66 EAT-Lancet Commission
The EAT-Lancet report was produced by the EAT Foundation, an organization for which I serve as Special Advisor, and the Lancet, one of the world’s most prestigious medical journals. This report provides the first-ever dietary guide for the entire human population, created in 2019 by dozens of leading scientists from 17 countries, it is now one of the most influential scientific reports in the world, taking a holistic approach to addressing both the health and environmental aspects of food.

#67 The Planetary Health Diet
This report provides guidance on what and how much to eat, with an average of 2,500 calories per day for adults. It recommends 200 and 300 grams of fruits and vegetables, 232 grams of whole grains, 50 grams of nuts, and 75 grams of beans. When it comes to animal protein, they recommend limiting red meat to 14 grams or less. They also say that the world should cut red meat and sugar consumption in half and double the amount of nuts, fruits, and vegetables.

#68 Harvard Medical School’s Healthy Eating Plate & The Canadian National Dietary Guide

Harvard Medical School and Harvard Public Health suggests a ‘Healthy Eating Plate’ in which half of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables, with more vegetables than fruits. It also suggests eating 25% whole grains and 25% healthy protein, while limiting red meat and processed foods. The World Health Organization lists red meat and processed red meat as carcinogens, a group that also includes tobacco. It’s a bit shocking to realize that eating a meal of ham or bacon has the same adverse health effects as smoking cigarettes.
     Canada is leading the world in promoting healthy dietary guidelines. Thanks to the courageous and expert leadership of Bowen Island resident Dr. Hassan Hutchinson, the nutrient recommendations in Health Canada’s National Dietary Guidelines are almost identical to those of Harvard and the EAT-Lancet Diet.

#69 Veggie Rolls
Here are some of the dishes from my book, the pictures are my own work.
Veggie rolls, which can be made with any veggies: cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, etc. Slice them thinly, toss them with vegetables, herbs, and vegan cheese, and pair them with wine.

#70 Veggie Noodles
Veggie noodles are also low-calorie and nutrient-dense, and can be dressed with a variety of dressings.
Vegan tacos are another favorite.

#71 Vegan Tacos, Berry Pancakes
Berry pancakes are made with beet flour and oatmeal, and can be topped with fruit for breakfast.

#72 Tempeh Burger
You can also make a burger with tempeh, which is one of the most protein-rich proteins, mixed with mushrooms and kimchi. Because it’s fermented, it’s highly absorbable and good for your gut.

#73 Green Smoothies
This is the green smoothie. He adds a lot more ingredients to it, but you can make it as simple as this. It clears out all the inflammation and fatigue.

#74 Morning Detox Tea
This is a detox tea recipe that I’ve been making to share with you. I drink this tea every morning right after I wake up, and it cleanses my liver and gets me going in the morning. You can add salt or honey to neutralize the acid from the lemon.

#75 #76 UN has predicted …. And Current Global Food Systems

The United Nations has predicted that the world’s population will increase to about 10 billion by 2050, and warned that food shortages, premature deaths, and other health and environmental problems will become increasingly serious. It emphasized that changing our diets is crucial to solving these problems.

#77
In that sense, my last strong suggestion is: Avoid animal products whenever possible, and eat as many healthy, fresh vegetables and fruits as possible. Get your protein from whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds.
     And drink plenty of water.

      Then your old age will be spent with the friendship of health, not the friendship of sickness and medicine.

#78 Food Revolution Network
If you are interested in learning more about Plant Based Nutrition, please visit the Food Revolution Network webpage, which I work with.
     John Robbins, heir to the Baskin-Robbins gave up the ice cream business which promotes unhealthy dairy and sugar products to change the world through healthy food, and I’m working with him and his son, Ocean Robbins, CEO & Cofounder of Food Revolution Network.

#79 Last Point

I sincerely thank you for listening to me despite my limited English and clumsy delivery. I am so happy to be a part of the Artisan Square family through the Bowen Lifestyle Medicine Centre – located here in Artisan Square in Room 578 across the way — and I hope to be able to communicate with you in the future. Thank you.