Episode SummaryIn this episode, Robert discusses how the food that we eat plays a critical role in our overall health and wellbeing. He talks about his “FRESH” system for creating and living a healthy and happy life.“Food is Medicine is a movement, Food as Medicine is the intervention." -- Dr. GrahamHighlightsThe beauty of integrative holistic or functional medicine is trying to get to the root cause of the problem and understand why it’s happening.“FRESH” stands for, food, relaxation, exercise, sleep, and happiness.Elimination diets are helpful to identify food sensitivities that could cause reactions.Most treatments start with medicine and not the therapeutic lifestyle analysis.Robert starts with food, then herbs and dietary supplements, and then medications if needed.Robert is board certified in integrative medicine.Our body has many microbiomes where good bacteria, bad bacteria, fungus, viruses, etc. all work together to achieve a balance.Our gut is the home to serotonin, the happiness hormone. About 90% of serotonin is made in the gut.You can have your microbiome tested.IBS is a common problem when your gut is not healthy.Robert is a chef and that influences how he treats his patients. Research has shown that our diet is the number one cause of death and disability in the United States.We are 3 generations into raising kids not knowing how to cook.During Covid, the average American gained 27 to 34 pounds.When it comes to food, you can eat meat but try to eat more plants.Try to have 10 minutes of relaxation a day. Science has shown that it takes 10 minutes to tap into the relaxation response. For exercise, move 30 minutes a day.Sleep 7 to 8 hours a night. People who sleep less than that die earlier.For happiness, surround yourself with people that bring positivity and health into your life.Healthcare needs to change and consider the effect of food on the health of patients.Relevant Linkshttps://www.freshmednyc.comwww.freshmedu.comhttps://performancekitchen.comAll past episodes of the podcast: https://www.feelingfull.com