LEAD February 2026 | Page 12

EVERY MEAL IS MEDICINE

Steve Larson

Growing up near Rochester, Minnesota, I received health care from the Mayo Clinic. It is one of the most prestigious hospitals in the world, and people fly in from all over the world to receive medical help. God has used the Mayo Clinic to save both my dad’ s life and my younger brother’ s life.
Just as the Mayo Clinic helps people in the medical realm, what if there is a branch of medicine that we overlook every day? Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician and philosopher, said,“ Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Imagine if we saw food as medicine. Imagine if we made food choices based on nutritional value, asking,“ Will this meal move me toward a healthier self?” Here are seven steps to making wise food choices:
Food affects mood. Did you know there is a connection between the food that you eat and your mood? The food you eat influences the feelings you feel. Think about Elijah’ s depression. After experiencing a mountaintop victory on Mount Carmel, he sinks into a deep depression and prays to die. Interestingly, the ministering angels tell him to get proper nutrition.“ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said,‘ Get up and eat’”( 1 Kings 19:5, emphasis added).
The angel prescribed nutrition for Elijah’ s mental anguish. He knew that proper nutrition was a part of his healing journey.
Have you made the connection between the foods you eat and the moods you
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