"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." -- Hippocrates

That can be sage advice for both doctors and patients -- unless neither knows the right foods to eat, or how to cook them.

"The way our society has evolved, no one has time to make home-cooked meals anymore," says Dr. Laura Micek-Galinat, of the RWJPE Somerset Family Practice Center. "So you buy a package that's processed with artificial preservatives, flavorings and all of those additives, and that can lead to degenerative disorders. It's not healthy for you."

Yet that's only half the problem.

Because when patients turn to their doctor for advice on how to eat better, they don't necessarily get much help. Physicians traditionally aren't trained in how to shop for and prepare healthy meals. It's not a skill they bring to the table.

But that's changing, as a result of a movement called culinary medicine, and Micek-Galinat is at the forefront of bringing it to New Jersey. She's among the first 10 physicians nationwide to become a certified culinary medical specialist.

"So many of our patients ask us about food and unfortunately we weren't trained much during medical school, so I'm glad I've been able to pick up additional information, and information that's scientifically based," Micek-Galinat says.

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Culinary medicine is a form of integrated health care designed to teach doctors about nutrition and cooking so they, in turn, can teach their patients. It was ushered into the U.S. by Dr. Timothy Harlan, a chef-turned-physician who heads the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University.

Harlan says this approach to healthy eating doesn't replace traditional medicine, but rather brings a more holistic flavor to it.

"I'm an internist and I believe in what people think of as traditional Western medicine," he says. "I believe in writing (prescriptions) for blood pressure medications and cholesterol-lowering drugs, but when you combine those therapies with diet, the two are synergistic. Diet can be a treatment by itself. Eating healthy can prevent illnesses."

Dr. Timothy Harlan and Dr. Laura Micek-Galinat are translating the Mediterranean diet to the American kitchen.Courtesy photo 

Since the Goldring Center launched its culinary medicine program in 2012, the concept now has expanded to 28 medical schools across the country. It features foods favored in the Mediterranean diet, an eating plan that has been shown to offer protection against dementia, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other chronic conditions.

"We take the Mediterranean diet that research has shown to be so effective, and we translate that to the American kitchen in a way that's accessible and teach people to eat tacos, and red beans and rice, and shrimp and fish dishes," Harlan says. "It's great food that happens to be great for you. It's pretty powerful, the teaching we do."

Along with fish and fresh produce, the Mediterranean diet calls for eating more whole grains, beans, nuts, healthy oils and red wine, while encouraging significantly reduced consumption of red meat, sweets and fast food or fried food. (For more information on the Mediterranean diet, see a detailed eating guide at the bottom of this post.)

Micek-Galinat likes to paraphrase the words of nutrition guru Michael Pollan, who says: "If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don't."

"Your base is eating fruits and vegetables," Micek-Galinat says. "Look for colorful foods. Instead of white potatoes, try sweet potatoes. Instead of white bread, you want bread where you can see the grains in it."

Eating that way has been shown to help ward off a variety of ills, but what interests me in particular is the way the Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

This column is devoted to brain health, prevention of dementia and successful aging. I'm always looking for simple, proven ways we can improve our health and keep our minds sharp.

"If you have someone with a history of Alzhiemer's or dementia, there are studies that show you can reduce your risk of Alzheimer's by 25 percent to 50 percent by following the Mediterranean diet," Micek-Galinat says. "But you can't just hand them a pamphlet on the Mediterranean diet. You have to figure out, what do they eat? For instance, could they eat more beans and lentils, which are just so healthy for you?"

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Her training in culinary medicine allows her to work with her patients individually to tailor dietary changes around their specific medical concerns. She offers that information in group settings as well.

"I discuss it with my patients, but I also do community talks," she says. "I'll bring samples of foods, so that people who have never tried hummus try hummus and say, 'Oh, this isn't bad. I could snack on this. I thought I'd have to eat a bowl of lima beans.'"

She encourages people to start by making modest, incremental improvements to their diet. Even small changes can offer big health benefits, and they add up over time.

"The first thing I might do is encourage a patient to drink less soda," she says. "For some people, to go from soda to water is difficult. So they might try a flavored water, by putting strawberries or lemon or mint in their water."

Harlan understands the power of such changes because he's been preaching them for years, both on his healthy-eating website, Dr. Gourmet, and through his work at the Goldring Center.

During that time, he's seen many fad diets come and go. He says culinary medicine, based on sound nutrition and the Mediterranean diet, can promote better health in a way that's lasting.

"They're not called fad diets for nothing; that's what they are," Harlan says. "They work a little while, and then people lose interest, usually because they're silly and too restrictive. With the Mediterranean diet, it's been shown that people are healthier, and you can follow it for years and years and be really comfortable with it."

Harlan offers a free meal-planning service called "Just Tell Me What To Eat," and it's available on his Dr. Gourmet website.

Micek-Galinat offers integrative health and culinary medicine consultations at the Somerset Family Practice Center. For more information, call 908-685-2900.

The guide below offers detailed information on how to incorporate the Mediterranean diet into your weekly eating plan. It is reprinted with permission of the Goldring Center, and you can download a PDF from the center's website.

Tony Dearing may be reached at tdearing@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyDearing. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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