By Mary McDonald

I am so lucky to get up every day and talk about food.  Yup, that's my job.  I am a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher.  For those of you that went to public school prior to 1994, we were known as Home Economics teachers.  This is a natural role for me since I grew up in a traditional Italian family, which included living with my aunt who was born and raised in Sicily.  Every meal was made from scratch.  The importance of food, culture, and tradition were ingrained in me from a very young age.  I learned how to buy food in season and make your meals based on what was fresh in the store.  Meal planning happened when you stood in the vegetable aisle and scouted out the best looking artichoke.  My food philosophy was set when I was a child as I helped make our Sunday sauce for the weekly Sunday dinner at 4 pm.  Since then, I continue to educate myself on food preparation and nutrition, having earned a certificate as a Certified Health Coach among my other degrees.  What I have learned is that food is a powerful medicine for both physical and mental health.  When you look at the top causes of death in the US, heart disease and cancer are number one and two and both of these can be reduced or prevented through food choices.  That is why I get up every day and preach the importance of cooking from scratch and including more whole foods in our diet.  At some point in my lifetime, I hope to work with the medical community and share this knowledge with medical professionals so that we can work side-by-side with a patient.  Some of the new medical models include this in their vision.  For example, the Wheeler Clinic has a model that is revolutionary and one of very few in the country.  When a patient is diagnosed with an ailment, they have the ability to work with a nutritionist in the Corsini Kitchen which is located in the lower level of the medical facility.  I have a deep appreciation for this approach, especially since Ray Corsini was my father and the inspiration for this kitchen.  This approach is so simple and yet this practice is not part of our current medical model.  It is my hope to continue to spread the word about the power of food as medicine to help friends, family and whomever will listen so that we can move towards reducing the physical and mental ailments that afflict so many in the world. With all that said, that is why I love my Food is Medicine sign.  It sits proudly in my kitchen as a reminder to me and to all that come and visit our home that food is the best medicine out there!