September is Australian Organic Awareness Month.
Earlier this month, ACNEM President Dr Mark Donohoe was in the media discussing advantages of an organic diet, particular for people struggling with immune system, gut health, inflammation and skin health issues.
“Obviously agriculture has to be pragmatic about feeding an 8 billion population, but we’re seeing a high proportion of patients having an adverse reaction to their environment which can’t necessarily be treated by dispensing pills,” he said.
“It’s remarkable how cleaning up your diet with clean food, clean water, and a clean environment, can quickly help counter conditions like arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular issues or chronic skin complaints.
“I’m sure we could reduce the national health budget if there was more support for organic food production and its availability.”
Dr Donohoe said while many people, particularly busy working families with children, did not consider or could not regularly afford the organic choice, it was indeed a life changing shift for some patients with serious health issues.
“In fact, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest we’d have a lot fewer health issues in our population if we paid more attention to eating quality food early in our lives – as children and young adults,” he said.
“In effect, organic food helped grow a more robust human immune system, fortifying our bodies to better cope with a host of modern environmental changes.”
“Unfortunately, it’s often the case that we don’t start thinking about, or shopping for, a healthier diet until we’re much older, and potentially getting sick.”
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Dr Mark Donohoe, MS BS (Syd) FACNEM FASLM
ACNEM President Dr Mark Donohoe graduated from Sydney University in 1980, opening his medical practice on the Central Coast New South Wales in 1983. The patients of his new practice led him into the fields of Environmental Medicine and Nutritional Medicine. He was awarded fellowships from the Australian Society of Environmental Medicine (ASEM), ACNEM and more recently the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM).
Over his 38 years in practice, Mark has specialised in the fields of chronic fatigue syndrome, environmental and occupational toxicology, and sensory sensitivities including multiple chemical sensitivity. Mark works with his wife, Fiona, at Mosman Integrative Medicine in Sydney. While he focuses on causes of illnesses and diseases, Fiona manages the healthcare side of the practice where she and other natural healthcare practitioners provide consultations and classes in yoga, Qi gong, pregnancy yoga, meditation, mindfulness and movement.
Mark and Fiona work together with an underlying philosophy that health in all its forms is the best prevention of disease, and that most disease is best managed by clean air, clean food, clean water and a commitment to a diet and lifestyle that is health enhancing.