From Garbage In, Garbage Out to Food as Medicine: My Healing Journey

FOOD AS MEDICINE: MY ONGOING EXPERIMENT

Five years ago, I thought I was just checking a box. To become a Chopra-certified life coach, I first had to train as an Ayurveda teacher. What I didn’t realize was that this “prerequisite” would change my life. Ayurveda opened my eyes to the magic of our bodies — how they are always sending us messages if we’re willing to listen.

As a former computer science major, I knew the phrase garbage in, garbage out. Ayurveda gave that idea a whole new meaning. What I feed my body directly shapes how I feel, heal, and move through life.

This isn’t a journey with a destination. Our body and mind are living, breathing systems — complex, ever-changing, miraculous. That means the work is ongoing: noticing, experimenting, adjusting.

My intentions weren’t about restriction, but about freedom — freedom to ski with my grandnieces and nephews, to learn to surf, to wake up pain-free, to lower my risk of breast cancer, and to live the life I imagine in a body that supports me rather than limits me.

To get there, I had to face the truth: I had a lot to learn about using food as medicine.

LESSONS I’VE LEARNED ON MY FOOD AS MEDICINE JOURNEY

Here are the lessons and how I have applied those lessons as I travel on my path:

LESSON 1: I am an experiment of one

Science was never my favorite subject, but I loved the labs. One of my favorite teachers made chemistry fun and taught us the value of careful observation. Ayurveda reminded me of that same lesson: my body is my lab, and I am the experiment. No book or expert can tell you exactly what your body needs. Only you can.

How I Applied It: I started small with simple practices — “Eat the Rainbow” and the “Six Tastes of Life.” (If you’re curious, here’s my shopping list). I journaled my meals at first just to build habits. Then I began noticing how I felt: lighter, more energized, more myself.

LESSON 2: When it doesn’t stick, it’s a learning— not a failure

Along the way I devoured podcasts, books, and studies. The opinions were endless, so I treated myself like an experimenter: form a hypothesis, test, and observe. My biggest experiment was going vegan and gluten-free.

The result? I woke up pain-free, with more energy than I’d had in years — I felt lighter, stronger, and deeply well for nearly two years. Then… life happened. Old habits crept back in.

How I applied it: Instead of calling it a failure, I asked: What did I learn? I learned what works for my body. The next challenge became: how do I make it stick when life throws curveballs? That meant trying again, noticing false starts, working on mindset, and seeking support — a nutritionist, a coach, even hypnotherapy. Today I frame my choices as “Food as Medicine,” not labels like vegan or gluten-free. My guiding question is: Will this help my body heal faster, move better, or give me good energy?

LESSON 3: I can’t change my body without changing my mind

As babies, we listen to our bodies instinctively — we cry when hungry, spit out food that doesn’t agree with us, stop when full. Over time, we collect stories that don’t always serve us: You must finish your plate, It’s rude not to eat what’s offered, Dessert means the meal is over. These stories shaped my choices more than my body’s signals.

How I applied it: I began uncovering and letting go of the stories that no longer serve me. Journaling, meditation, silent retreats, and honest conversations helped me rewrite them. My new story? I choose to use Food as Medicine 90% of the time to give me the energy I want.

That means whole, healing foods most of the time. And when I don’t, it’s not about guilt — it’s about awareness.

CLOSING THOUGHT

Food has become so much more than fuel for me — it’s my daily medicine, my way of choosing the life I want to live. Some days I get it right, some days I don’t. But every choice is data, not judgment.

This is not about perfection. It’s about awareness. It’s about listening, experimenting, and creating a body that enables — not limits — the life you imagine for yourself.

Food is medicine. And like any medicine, it only works when you take it.

So let me ask you: What story about food are you ready to rewrite?