A Career Reflection: From the OR to the Café; A Journey in Medicine and a Call to Action.
WOW. Turning 65 this year. Forty years since the start of medical school and that very first anatomy lecture telling us to memorize the brachial plexus (all the nerves from your spinal cord to your arm and hand). A daunting task at the time—seemingly impossible. Then came cadaver labs, animal labs, sleepless nights, and let’s not forget the exams and the dreaded bell curve.
The bell curve is the distribution of exam results showing how you did relative to your peers. It also allowed examiners to “play with the numbers.” Results were posted on a real bulletin board in the hallway—public, not electronic, and definitely not private. The goal? Beat at least 2% of your colleagues.
Guess what they call the person who graduates last in medical school?
Doctor.
I survived.
Then came the truly scary world of the rotating internship—back in the good old days when you could complete one year of training, work as a general practitioner, gain experience, and, if you wished, return for further training. After my internship, I went into family practice “up north” in a tiny community, Merck Manual in hand, terrified of being the only doctor in town. This book—with real pages—was the go-to reference when faced with a challenging patient.
I stayed there for five years. We treated heart attacks without clot busters, diabetes without continuous glucose monitors, and because there was no colonoscopy, colon cancer screening was done by me with a short scope (sigmoidoscopy) and barium enemas. We delivered babies without surgical backup in a tiny 20-bed hospital—half of which were chronic care beds.
I was happy.
There was hunting and fishing. I will never forget the times with Pastor Paul and Minister Rick. Me a Catholic, in a boat with a United Minister and Pentecostal preacher. My son was baptised in the Catholic church be a priest, a minister and a preacher. All based covered!
There was snowmobiling straight from the driveway into mountains of snow and endless wilderness, and in the 6 weeks of summer, picking wild blueberries with our Portuguese Water Dog. Being a big fish in a small pond had its challenges—but it was a great life.
Then I had a moment of psychosis: the idea of becoming a surgeon was planted in my head by a local surgeon. Training required leaving my practice and becoming a student again. I enrolled in a Master’s program at the University of Toronto, completed two years of research, then did a five-year residency in the U.S.—worse than Grey’s Anatomy. I went south because Canada had (has) no “re-entry” positions. Once you complete training in one field, our system does not allow you to retrain in another. You are stuck.
After residency, I completed an additional year in Hand and Microsurgery, returned to Canada, and entered private practice. My practice became one of the first micro-reconstructive surgery services outside a major city. I also performed cosmetic procedures, a broad range of surgeries, and became deeply involved in hospital politics.
Lots of politics.
So—now what after 25 years? Retirement? Oh no.
It is time to talk about the association between diet and disease.
If you haven’t heard: the number one killer today is our food. Diet is the single most important factor influencing health and disease. We now stand with diet and chronic disease where tobacco and lung cancer once stood. In 1963, cigarette consumption peaked at 4,345 cigarettes per adult per year—despite more than 7,000 peer-reviewed articles warning us of the association. We knew smoking caused cancer, yet it took 50 years to truly acknowledge it.
Food advertising today mirrors tobacco propaganda of the past—“Doctors smoke Camels,” “Menthol soothes.” The said: “Your mouth will keep as fresh as a May morning. . . . Giving you dewy-fresh flavor.” Ugh. Now we have misinformation, confirmation bias, pseudoscience, and ubiquitous influencers pushing keto, paleo, low-carb, omega-3s, creatine, ketone supplements… to infinity and beyond. Why? Because BS baffles and advertising sells.
So instead of slowing down and buying a rocking chair, I opened a café.
We serve kickass coffee and fresh-baked goods—including yummy foods that are genuinely healthy. That’s how MMCafe.ca was born, in a medical building no less. Who would expect healthy food in a “health centre” dedicated to sick care? Seems obvious to me.
The name is intentional: Mindful Meal. Most of us chew, swallow, and hope for the best. Even scarier—many don’t even hope. We assume that if something is on a shelf, in a box, or served in a restaurant, it must be good for us—or at least not harmful.
Don’t get me started on supplements. A $4 billion industry annually in Canada. Influencers, anecdotes (“it worked for someone my friend knows”), and the endless search for a magic bullet—without the hard work.
News flash: it doesn’t work that way.
With my grey hair, an upcoming 65th birthday, and today’s government letter telling me I’ll soon get free drugs—and free drug reviews if I take more than three prescriptions—I’ve earned the latitude to sound patronizing.
My advice: be MINDFUL. Question everything. Follow the science. Recognize our responsibility to educate ourselves, our families, our friends—and especially those who entrust their health to us. Kids even. If you don’t drive, the eat what you provide!
To my physician colleagues: I urge you—implore you—to talk to your patients about lifestyle, even if you don’t practice it yourself. Ouch.
It is your responsibility to understand the associations between diet and diseases, to know the facts and recognize that science evolves. Today’s fact is this: most chronic diseases—perhaps even all, can be ameliorated, prevented, and in many cases reversed through diet and exercise.
Lifestyle.
Your choices.
Lifestyle should be FIRST—capital F. If we lead by example, we can save lives, optimize healthspan, and maybe even extend lifespan. Be an influencer. Share the facts. Yummy food can be healthy. Healthy food can save us, and even the planet.
If you’re not motivated, figure out what’s holding you back. Come talk to us. We can guide you.
As Dr. Dean Ornish so elegantly said in Undo It:
“Eat real food. Move more. Stress less. Love more.”
It’s not too late for a New Year’s resolution.
Today can be the start of your New Year.
In health,
I wish you maximal health and well-being.
Dr. Phil
Blog 3: Yes, a year since our first thoughts…
The Mindful Meal Cafe (MMC) team wishes you a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous, and Joyous New Year.
A new year brings fresh energy—and often, new goals. At MMC, our goal remains simple: to serve food that tastes amazing and supports your health—food that nourishes, energizes, and helps you feel your best. Don’t forget the awesome coffee based drinks with new options coming regularly.
So, what’s your goal for 2026?
With the Olympics approaching, think about what it takes to perform at the highest level. An Olympian fuels their body intentionally—with training, sleep, hydration, stress management, and nutrition all aligned toward one purpose. Every choice matters.
While my Olympic dreams may be behind me, I still have a performance goal: to age well. To add life to my years—and maybe years to my life. To stay active, energized, mentally sharp, and free from chronic disease so I can keep up with my five grandkids and a full career.
Based on the best science we have today, that goal rests on four simple principles:
Eat real food
Move more
Stress less
Love more (especially yourself)
These ideas are at the heart of lifestyle medicine, which focuses on prevention and root causes rather than just treating symptoms. Food plays a powerful role here—something recognized long before modern medicine. As Hippocrates wisely noted, food can be either good medicine or bad medicine. The difference lies in our choices.
Modern science continues to confirm that poor dietary patterns are a leading contributor to chronic disease. At the same time, labels like “organic,” “natural,” or “plant-based” don’t automatically mean healthy. Mother Earth does not care about your health. She provides everything you need but real nourishment requires mindfulness—reading labels, questioning claims, and choosing foods made from real ingredients.
Social media and trends can add to the confusion. No matter what diet you’re curious about, you’ll find someone promoting it passionately. Science, however, is a slow and careful process—and while it can be complex, its consistent message is surprisingly simple: eat more plants, choose whole foods, and be intentional.
So, what are your goals and what will your choices look like this year?
If you feel great, keep doing what works for you. If you’re facing health challenges, follow your doctor’s guidance—but consider whether food choices could support your journey. Small changes matter. Better substitutions matter. Progress doesn’t require perfection.
A plant-forward lifestyle has no downside—and it’s easier than you may think, especially when the food tastes amazing.
That’s where we come in.
Small steps. Be mindful. Let us, at Mindful Meal Cafe show you that healthy can be yummy—and yummy can be healthy.
In health,
Dr. Phil
Blog One: An introduction
It all began by accident. With an idea. As the culmination of decades of training, education, and lived experiences, we are all greater than the sum of these parts. In 2025, a desire to educate people with science-based information and to show people that plant-based eating can be yummy, nourishing, health promoting, and disease reversing, brought us here.
DISCLAIMER: MMCafe is not a medical facility, we don’t diagnose or treat any medical conditions, nor do we provide advice on what you should do for your particular medical condition. Please consult your primary care advisors before embarking on any dramatic lifestyle modifications, medication changes, or doing extreme things.
My journey took me from son of emigrants, as a first generation Italo-Canadian, to the first in our large family to attend medical school, to father, mentor, go-kart coach, ice racer, rally car co-pilot, race car builder, second marriage, rapid ageing, fatigue, mental dullness, then education, learning, more education, life transformation, then plant-based lifestyle and now self-proclaimed whole food plant-based guru.
Blog Two: Navigating the Maze of Nutritional (Mis) Information: Who to believe?
stay tuned, and please ask if you have ideas for blogs.
DISCLAIMER: MMCafe is not a medical facility, we don’t diagnose or treat any medical conditions, nor do we provide advice on what you should do for your particular medical condition. Please consult your primary care advisors before embarking on any dramatic lifestyle modifications, medication changes, or doing extreme things.