As an American physician trained in the field of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dr. Sahba Farhad, has always been interested in the connection between what we eat and our overall health. She likes to share the story of well-known Chinese physician Bian Que which captures the essence of her passion to prevent disease.

One day, over 2300 years ago, the King called Bian Que to him and asked: “I hear you have two brothers who are also physicians. Can you honestly tell me who is the best physician?”

Bian Que answered, “My oldest brother is the best. My second brother is better than me and actually, I am just average.”

The King was surprised. “But you are the one who is famous throughout the kingdom! Why do you say they are better than you?”

Bian Que said: “My oldest brother believes in prevention of disease. He looks for the source of illness and treats problems before people even feel anything. So, his patients don’t realize how much he has done for them, and they don’t talk about him much.

My second brother treats people at the first sign of a disease. They are having some symptoms, so he treats them before they get any worse. Because of this, people notice that he has helped them, and he has become well-known in our local area.

But me? People come to see me as the last resort when they are already sick. I use the strongest herbs, the most powerful acupuncture treatments. I even perform surgeries! In fact, most of the time I cannot do anything to help them because they are already too ill. But sometimes I can save someone’s life. That is the kind of thing people like to talk about, so I’m the one who has become famous.”

Thus, the King understood Bian Que’s meaning: the best physician is the one who keeps his patients from developing any illness, not the one who tries to save them when they are already extremely ill, or near death!