The Magic of Food: Live Longer and Healthier--and Lose Weight--with the Synergetic Diet

by Michael T. Murray M.D.

Overview

From “a pioneer in alternative health” (Dr. Oz), doctor of natural medicine, and the co-author of the Encyclopedia of Healing Foods and The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine comes this accessible and comprehensive eating plan based on his extensive knowledge of food as medicine to promote optimum health.

Food affects our body, mind, and health in many remarkable ways. And certain foods work together in ways that are almost magical. In this groundbreaking new eating plan, Michael Murray, ND, identifies foods that act together to produce a total effect or force that is greater than the sum of the individual foods—what is known as a synergetic effect. Research shows there’s a tremendous synergetic effect that the healing force of nature exerts through each food and each food component. As the foods work together, they improve your energy and your physical and mental health.

Michael Murray’s years of research and clinical experience have led to a definitive understanding of how specific foods affect us. He presents his findings on phytochemicals and other nutrients and why they’re the new “vitamins,” discusses specific healing foods and how to combine them, and explains the principles to follow for eating the most synergetic foods every day. Here also are practical and prescriptive recipes and helpful guidelines for better and delicious eating. All this is in a usable and entertaining guide that you will turn to again and again as you develop your own personalized program for using food as medicine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781451662986
Publisher:	Atria Books
Publication date:	07/03/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Michael T. Murray, ND, is a doctor of naturopathy, a field of alternative medicine that seeks to harness the power of nature to prevent illness and achieve the highest level of health possible. He is the author of more than thirty books, including the acclaimed bestsellers The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (Third Edition) and The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods (co-authored with Dr. Joseph Pizzorno). He is regarded as the world authority on natural medicine and appears regularly in national media, including The Dr. Oz Show. He is a health food industry consultant, researcher, educator, and lecturer. For more information visit his information portal, DoctorMurray.com.

Read an Excerpt

The Magic of Food

FOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAGICAL to me. Food nourishes, heals, comforts, inspires, and brings us joy throughout our lives. There’s nothing else that has this kind of power. Even after a lifetime of studying food and nutrition, I am still awed by the inherent magic of nature and the food that she gives us. Now a new era of food awareness is emerging; people are concerned as much about healthfulness and diversity of foods as they are about flavor. Healthier foods are now being served everywhere from high-end white-tablecloth restaurants to fast-food chains, from airport concessions to mall food courts. Convenience stores and mainstream grocery stores are also improving the quality of food they stock.

With the epidemic of obesity, diabetes, cancer, and other diet-related diseases exploding, not just in the United States but also worldwide, improvements in the quality of food we eat cannot happen soon enough. I believe that food is going to become a primary form of medicine, even as eating good food remains one of life’s great pleasures. We will be able to tailor what we eat to our unique dietary requirements and health goals and still please our palates.

Through The Magic of Food, my goal is to stir your passion for healthful eating and inspire you to make the right choices for your well-being. I have packed The Magic of Food with sound, medically based information to lead you on a journey on which you will discover the remarkable ways in which food can have a magical, yet real, impact on your body, mind, and health.

One of the major concepts in The Magic of Food is “synergetics.” Simply put, synergetics is how different foods and dietary factors work together to achieve a positive effect greater than the sum of each individual factor. So, in this case 1 + 1 + 1 does not equal 3 but something much greater.
• Explains the principles of the world’s healthiest diets and latest science of nutrition

• Clarifies the revolutionary application of the effects of food on genetic expression

• Explains why phytochemicals are the “vitamins” of the twenty-first century and reveals my seven favorite superfoods

• Details which foods to eat as well as which ones to avoid for your health and total well-being

• Offers advice on which supplements to take and how much of them when you can’t get all of your nutrition from food

• Includes recipes and a meal plan for the Synergetic Diet

The Magic of Food brings together the latest scientific information about how specific foods work together to make you healthier and still give you the satisfaction and delight that you expect from the food you eat.

In good health,

Michael T. Murray, ND

DoctorMurray.com

Table of Contents

Preface xi

1 You Are What You Eat 1

2 What Should We Eat for Health and Longevity? 11

3 AMPk: Activating the Enzyme of Youth, Longevity, and Weight Loss 21

4 Why Dietary Fats Are Essential 37

5 The Power of Plant Pigments 63

6 My Favorite Superfoods 95

7 Spice It Up! 119

8 The Synergetic Diet with Recipes 155

9 Food as Medicine 211

Acknowledgments 259

References 261

Index 299