Reconnecting Through Forests and Food

Reconnecting With Nature

I wanted to start this week by sharing something cool (no pun intended) pictured above. In Santiago, Chile, students partnered with nonprofit Sugi to plant a Miyawaki style pocket forest just off the road. After 12 months they compared the surface temperature of the forest to the tarmac road. The forest registered a temperature of 12ºC (53.6ºF) and the road 39ºC (102.2ºF), a 27ºC (80.6ºF) difference! 

The Miyawaki method, developed by Japanese botanist and plant ecology expert Professor Akira Miyawaki, is a method of afforestation that mimics the natural recolonization that would occur in nature. Only plant and tree species that are native to the region are used which has the dual benefit of creating a more climate resilient forest and a familiar habitat for birds, insects, and pollinators.

Sugi has been working with local communities throughout the world to plant pocket forests like this one that help the climate and help cities reconnect with nature. Pocket forests only require 25 square feet, grow 10x faster than a normal forest would, and are maintenance free in 2 - 3 years. They can be planted anywhere, even in lands as arid as Jordan, and have the potential, as evidenced above, to help cool the land. Check out their work and see where you can fit a pocket forest in your community.

Old Beliefs Die Hard

I used to believe that health was the direct consequence of choice. That people struggling with weight or metabolic health had consciously decided not to take care of themselves. It’s not a belief that I’m proud of, but it’s also one that was less judgment and more “observation.” I viewed it as an unfortunate choice, and I hoped that they would find ways to take control of their life and enjoy the benefits of health. But as I’ve learned and observed more in recent years, I’ve come to realize how wrong my assumption had been.

For most people in this country, and growing around the world, the moment they enter this world the odds are stacked against them. The environment most people are forced to live in, filled with fake foods and unfulfilling jobs, gives them little choice or chance to better their health. As we’ve learned in recent years health and weight gain are influenced by so many factors, and for a lot of people those factors remain out of their control. This week I learned about another one.

I’ve been reading Matthew Walker, PhD’s book Why We Sleep? which details sleeps impact on health. Sleep quantity and quality affects everything from the type and amount of food we crave, to how we regulate glucose we consume and our insulin sensitivity. Key components of metabolic health which has been linked to numerous chronic diseases. Sleep efficiency also impacts memory development, our ability to solve problems, and to be creative. And not everyone is operating an equal playing field.

Approximately 30 percent of the population intuitively prefers going to bed later and waking up later, referred to as “evening types.” For this sect of the population the standard 9 am - 5 pm work schedule forces them to wake up before their brain is warmed up. As a result, night owls are more chronically sleep deprived, and therefore suffer more chronic illness from their lack of sleep, including depression, anxiety, diabetes, cancer, heart attacks, and stroke.

I’m pointing out this example to highlight the fact that things aren’t always what they seem. The person we know who “doesn’t want to” wake up, is always tired, suffers from brain fog, and makes poor “choices” about their health (i.e. eating foods high in refined carbohydrates and sugar), might not be choosing at all. Rather they’re being forced to operate in a society that runs counter to their biological clock.

To quote Matthew Walker, “the practice of natural biphasic sleep [long sleep periods at night and an afternoon nap], and a healthy diet, appear to be the keys to a long-sustained life.” And for many people sleep and nutritious food remain out of reach.

[If you want to evaluate your sleep, check out this 5 question assessment: SATED]

Food Is Medicine

A conviction which grows stronger and stronger each day is that every sustainable health journey must start first with an appreciation for and access to nutritious food. Food, fuel for our bodies, is the thing that holds it all together, and without it falls apart.

In 2023 44 million Americans suffered from food insecurity. However, nutrition insecurity—the inability to have consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, affordable foods essential to optimal health and well-being—has become more prevalent than food insecurity.

In 2022 the Biden Administration held a National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Out of that meeting came the Food Is Medicine (FIM) initiative which granted states the ability to use Medicaid and Medicare funding to replace “healthcare” with nutritious foods. Companies such as FreshRX and FarmBoxRX are two examples of companies taking advantage of this program to help their community.

Several other organizations have been working on ways to support and expand this initiative. ThinkRegeneration is hosting a handful of programs this year around the country to advance this program. FoodTank gathered more than two dozen leaders last year to discuss potential approaches. Last week I read through their summit summary and a few things stood out to me.

The most interesting thing I read was something I’ve always heard but never bothered to look into. Physicians are not taught nearly enough nutrition in Medical School. The report noted that efforts to make nutrition courses mandatory, rather than elective, are making progress. To which I thought, “nutrition isn’t mandatory?”

In doing some research I found that only 25 percent of schools actually require their medical students to take a dedicated course. Currently 9 medical schools, 5 percent of medical schools in the U.S., require nutrition continuing medical education. On average medical students receive less than 20 hours of nutrition education, not dedicated courses, over the course of a 4 year degree.

Which is egregious when considering the positive impact on healthcare that nutrition offers, as evidenced by various FIM programs. Medically tailored meals (MTMs), prepared meals delivered to individuals living with severe illness, have been shown to decrease healthcare costs by 16 percent among critically and chronically ill populations. Through fresh produce boxes and nutrition counseling FreshRX has helped patients lose weight, lower their A1c levels, and manage their blood pressure. FarmBoxRX has been able to improve patient outcomes and lower healthcare costs through incentivizing patients to comply with screenings and doctor visits.

But without adequate nutrition education, a vital tool, physicians continue to turn to high cost and detrimental treatments such as pharmaceutical drugs and surgery. The report noted that “high-risk patients visit pharmacies ten times more than they do primary care doctor offices,” and that “In a diagnosis-centered health care system, medical institutions and insurance companies can structurally disincentivize the holistic approach FIM requires.”

Said another way, the health care system, made up of medical institutions, insurance companies, and middlemen, aka profit driven centers, are incentivized to keep patients sick and reaching for drugs and procedures. As Brigham Buehler said, “why would they cure your disease when they can monetize it?”

With that said, Food Is Medicine is a huge step in the right direction. Through programs such as this, and the work of companies like ThinkRegeneration, FoodTank, Sugi, and others, it feels like I keep finding more people and organizations focused on the same goal. Revitalizing the land and the people back to a healthy state of homeostasis. There is a lot of work to do, but I’m inspired every day by the actions of a few to shape the future.

Cheers.

James.