All too commonly, we suppress the normal physiology of a healthy digestive tract with our daily habits and medications. In doing so, we lose a precious opportunity to extract the greatest nutrition from our food, and we continue to suffer from common, but not normal, digestive complaints. How do we return to normal digestive physiology, and why is this an important pursuit?

Dr. Courtney Jackson is a naturopathic doctor who passionately promotes the healing power of whole foods to her patients and the public. She co-founded the Food as Medicine Institute at the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon, where she continues to teach community-based cooking and nutrition workshops. Prior to medical school, Dr. Jackson earned her Bachelor of Science in Resource Ecology Management from the University of Michigan. She maintains a private practice at Grain Integrative Health where she offers comprehensive, patient-centered evaluations focusing on hormone, digestive, and cardiovascular health. Most recently, she co-authored the book Food as Medicine Everyday- Reclaim Your Health with Whole Foods- which is a “highly accessible, thoroughly researched medical nutrition resource.''

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx