Tired of seeing her patients come into her office overweight, diabetic and with high blood pressure, Dr. Wendy Kohatsu has vowed to help prevent that.
“Ninety percent of the diseases people have when they come in can be changed with nutrition,” said Kohatsu, assistant professor at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland and co-director of the university’s Integrative Family Medicine Program. “I’ve had patients with migraines, sinus problems and ear infections all get better once they cleaned up their diets. We can’t pretend drugs will take care of everything. What we need to do is heal ourselves naturally by eating healthier and eating more food with B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids.”
Kohatsu, now a student at Oregon Culinary Institute, has chosen to combine her love of medicine and cooking to teach the health benefits of the Japanese diet. She will lecture at Hotel Kabuki’s Grand Ballroom in San Francisco on March 12, as part of The Takahashi Dinner Series presented by UCSF’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine.
According to Donald I. Abrams, the director of clinical programs at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, and another speaker at the event, green tea is a rich source of antioxidants linked to cancer prevention, decreased risk of stroke and heart diseases, and lowered blood cholesterol.
Japanese mushrooms such as shitake and maitake have anti-cancer, anti-viral and immune-boosting polysaccharides, while sea vegetables such as seaweed are a good source of fiber. Whole soy products are a complete protein source containing all the essential amino acids, and turmeric, a spice commonly used in curry, has strong anti-inflammatory properties for cardiovascular health, according to Kohatsu.
“Despite being the richest and most advanced country in the world, our health in America is not looking so good,” Kohatsu said. “Our rates of obesity in the U.S. are skyrocketing, and diabetes and heart disease are so prevalent. We should follow the Japanese diet. Their portions tend not to be supersized like in the U.S., and their diet tends to be lower in sugar.”