When it comes to health, many underestimate the “power of the plate.” However, scientific evidence on food’s ability to hinder or heal continues to grow and is now referred to as the Food as Medicine Movement. Today, that movement is larger than ever.

For 15 years, Desert Health has published articles about the effects of food on health. In fact, our very first edition (Jan/Feb 2011) featured an article by Registered Dietitian Elizabeth Quigley, RD, entitled “New Year, Clean Plate.”

Over the years, readers have gained valuable insight from local practitioners promoting food as the first line of defense against disease. We have brought industry leaders to the desert to educate, including Wheat Belly’s William Davis, MD, and The Wahls Protocol’s Terry Wahls, MD, who is reversing autoimmune disease–including her own multiple sclerosis–through nutrition.

In 2025, we celebrate the Food as Medicine Movement’s ascent to the mainstream as
September 14 is officially named National Food is Medicine Day. The initiative was launched to raise awareness and aims to bring private enterprise, government agencies and nonprofit organizations together to address unhealthy food’s connection to chronic disease and mental health challenges.

On September 14, USA Today also released a special edition entitled, “Food as Medicine:
A Nutrition-focused Movement Gains Momentum.” Beyond discussing individual habits, the feature showcases how food is being integrated into health care to improve outcomes and reduce costs. Insights from various experts include how eating whole, plant-based foods can help mitigate disease, and how nutrient-dense foods can support brain health and improve mood. It discusses growing nutrition initiatives backed by university research and how industries are evolving to support the movement.

At his 2015 Health Matters Activation Summit in the desert (March/April 2015), President Bill Clinton stated that when an idea is implemented, it statistically takes 17 years to see measurable change. As Desert Health celebrates 15 years, it is invigorating to think that the Food as Medicine Movement is now rooted and sprouting.

You’ll find more on the topic throughout this edition. Be sure to read about the Plant-based Nutrition Healthcare Conference which brought doctors and clinicians from around the world to our valley to learn the latest science and how to prescribe food as medicine in clinical practice, an important step in shepherding the movement forward.