What Do Doctors Really Eat?


January 8, 2013

Your Food Rx

As a physician, I'm used to my patients asking, "What would you do if you were me?" Over the past few years, though, they've begun making additional inquiries. "What do you do to stay healthy? Do you eat fat? Sugar? Do you cook?" They see me as someone who has a lifestyle similar to theirs, with a family and a demanding job, but who also has insider knowledge of what really works (and what doesn't).


That's why I teamed up with the editors of Prevention. I realized that people want to learn more from their doctors—not only what science has found to be effective but what they do in their own lives. We contacted 64 health professionals and asked them for their best tips and recipes. The result is an incredible collection of advice from some of the nation's top experts.

I was set on my own path to nutritional awareness after becoming frustrated with my own health. As a medical student, I had limited understanding of nutrition. I was swayed by the "fat-free" craze of the '80s, so I loaded up on carbs and avoided fatty foods. I exercised aggressively and didn't concern myself with calories, protein, or healthy fats. Honestly, I didn't even know that I needed to worry about those things.

I patted myself on the back when I had popcorn for dinner or a green salad with fat-free dressing for lunch. I knew to stay away from junk food and fried food, so I thought I was a healthy eater. Between work and family demands, I was on a crazy stress roller coaster, but I continued to try to sustain myself on low-calorie, low-fat foods.

Fast-forward a few years to when the "payback" began. At the age of 28, I battled weight gain, acne, and hormonal irregularities. My hair, which was once my crowning glory, started coming out in chunks. I actually had bald patches!

Around that time I became interested in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, and this led to one of those personal "aha!" moments. Both place great importance on nutrition, and it quickly occurred to me that my high-sugar, low-protein, and very-low-fat diet was making me sick. One thing led to another, and I immersed myself in nutrition research. I learned about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, the importance of olive oil, the roles insulin production and inflammation play in disease, and how the right foods could control both. I pumped up my protein intake, cut back on refined carbs, and welcomed nuts, avocados, olive oil, and, yes, even cheese and butter back into my life. I learned to cook, rediscovered the pleasures of food, and found that healthy eating doesn't mean deprivation.

Within a few weeks of changing my diet, I had more energy. I lost weight, and my skin cleared up. Within 2 years, my hair was just as lush as it used to be.

Once I'd healed myself, I wanted to share what I had learned. I trained to become an integrative physician, studying under Andrew Weil, MD, who was among the first to embrace holistic health. Today I'm the medical director of my own holistic health practice in Atlanta, making food a part of both prevention and cure.

But I'm not the only one who eats this way. As we combed through the tips, recipes, and eating plans from our health professionals, we began to notice a pattern. Although personal tastes differ, everyone from the brain doctor to the exercise physiologist follows the same basic eating principles, including these.

Adapted from What Doctors Eat, by Tasneem Bhatia, MD, and the editors of Prevention. Copyright © 2013 by Rodale Inc. Published by Rodale Inc. To purchase, go to prevention.com/what-drs-eat.

Eat a pound of produce a day

It's not difficult. A large apple can easily be a third of a pound. Tomato sauce counts. So do beans and lentils. Studies show that people who have a high intake of fruits and vegetables weigh less and are protected against developing cancer and heart disease.

Consume lean protein

Your diet should emphasize plant foods but include some dairy, meat, poultry, or fish. Our doctors recommend fish twice a week; plenty of plant-based protein, such as lentils; and small amounts of lean meat, such as grass-fed beef. One Harvard study found that limiting red meat intake to no more than 10.5 ounces per week could prevent 1 in 13 early deaths in women.

Pair your carbs with protein or fat

Carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of energy, but when they're eaten by themselves, they get turned into glucose faster than they would if paired with something that slows digestion, such as a slice of cheese or some oil and vinegar on a salad. Eaten alone, carbohydrates cause a spike in insulin, which is followed by a blood sugar crash that only leaves you hungry for more.

Don't be afraid of fat

Fat is an integral component of every cell in your body. It also helps you absorb fat-soluble nutrients from low-fat foods, keeps skin and hair healthy, and makes your brain work more efficiently. And fat makes food taste good. The key is choosing good fats, such as olive oil. Even the most ardent vegetable lover will agree: A little olive oil, Parmesan, toasted nuts, or even—wait for it—butter on top of steamed asparagus makes the veggie more flavorful.

Pamper your skin—from within

"Green and yellow vegetables, such as zucchini and squash or peppers, sauteed in extra virgin olive oil are excellent healthy-skin foods. They help prevent crow's-feet."

—Jessica Wu, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine



Get hooked on fish

"A piece of grilled fish—served with a green salad and broccoli tossed with lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil—is a delicious, healthy meal. There's evidence that anti-inflammatory foods like these enhance both physical and emotional health. I choose only sustainable fish, such as sardines, that are low in contaminants."


Extinguish the fire

"Foods low in fat and high in fiber, like oatmeal, beans, and whole grains, help prevent heartburn. Fatty foods, caffeine, alcohol, tomato sauce, peppermint, chocolate, and citrus can trigger it."

—Roshini Raj, MD, gastroenterologist and internist, attending physician at NYU Langone Medical Center

Replace rice

"Buckwheat is not a grain but a fruit seed that's related to rhubarb and sorrel, so it's a suitable replacement for people who are sensitive to wheat, and it's significantly higher in protein than brown rice. Eating buckwheat can lower your risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. It's rich in flavonoids, which protect against disease. Buckwheat also lowers the risk of diabetes."

—Steven Lamm, MD, internist and faculty member at the New York University School of Medicine

Bake veggie chips

"Make it a priority to eat colorful foods, even at snack time. My kids and I love to munch on kale chips. They're easy to make: Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces, brush them with olive oil, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet at 300°F, and cook until crisp. Kale contains compounds that can help prevent cancer."

Lisa Muncy-Pietrzak, MD, internal medicine specialist at the Vitality Center in the Vail Mountain Lodge and Spa in Colorado

Tea up



Pump up protein

"It's important for over-30 women to get a concentrated dose of protein at a single meal—at least 20 g. That's about what you'll find in a 3 1/2-ounce salmon fillet or 2 eggs and 2 slices of whole wheat toast with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter."

—Wayne Westcott, PhD, fitness research director at Quincy College