It never fails to amaze me how much difference the quality of our food makes. Just getting organic helps, in so many ways. Better mineral content, better vitamins and enzymes. And, interestingly, Dean Orminsh, on a TED Talk, was talking about research that shows much of the obesity in our people today is due to the effects of the pesticides and herbicides being used on the vegetables people are trying to lose weight with. Apparently getting fatter as they try to eat more vegetables. Hopefully you know that the herbicide Roundup leaves a compound called Glyphosate in the plants that are genetically modified to resist it. Not only is it used to kill weeds, but it is used to dry up grain plants so that they are all ready to be harvested at the same time. So a last dousing is done just before the grain is harvested. This saves a lot of grain, and a lot of money. Unfortunately, it also doubles or more, the content of the glyphosate in the food harvested. And also unfortunately, glyphosate is pretty detrimental to gut health, and causes deficiency of manganese. Necessary to the production of energy in cells.
It seems that so many of our current ills are due to mineral deficiencies. Magnesium is one of them. I am astounded at how necessary it is to so many functions of the body. Deficiency of magnesium can be the cause of migraine headaches, muscle tightness, cramps, irregular heartbeat, calcium deposition in the arteries, even blood clots! Having enough magnesium helps improve all those things.
It is so necessary to get high quality food in our diet, and to not eat a lot of empty calories, starches and “energy foods.” Our food is needed to repair the damage done to our body by using it, and for general cell functions. Most of us do not work hard enough to eat for energy. We get plenty of energy from the particles we inhale and absorb through our lungs, from the high density leaves, fats, nuts, seeds, meat and dairy we eat, even in small quantities. Someone who chops wood all day may need to eat two large meals a day, and is hungry for it. But most of us need only a fraction of what we eat. If we stop eating when we are no longer hungry, when eating good, healthy food that is not fixed up to be tasty, we eat far less. We can eat more, and just push it out the other end, but it is not necessary nor healthy to do so.
We, as a group, are a small number of people who have decided it is worth the extra effort to have food a little (or a lot) cleaner, grown a little better with better soil, free of chemicals, pesticides, toxins, and antibiotics. I commend you on knowing and wanting to have food grown by farmers who care and try to grow food in the best possible way. It is not easy to do this, and yet we have seen the difference it makes to our health, and to those members who have had severe obstacles to overcome.
Please do know that, if you really need an extra boost, that going 100% raw can make all the difference. The body can heal anything, do amazing things that most people have no idea of. I went from 95% raw to 100%, and it changed everything. The body truly is a magnificent biological machine, and it is NOT broken, as the medical profession seems to think it is. It does not need doctors to interfere. It only needs us to clean out the toxins and for us to recognize the stress causing us to hold back from healing and people who are making us feel badly (and stop that by getting them to change or disconnecting from them). Healing emotional hurts, finding new love in yourself by doing what you really want to do, or with another person who truly helps you feel more like yourself can be a big part of health.
Cleansing and finding what is missing can be challenging, but just read We Want to Live, the Primal Diet and stories on the website We Want 2 Live.com to see what the body can do. Come to potlucks and talk to other members, hear their stories. We have some of them on video.
You may feel it is right for you to pursue additional help, but the foundation of the correct food can make anything else work better. I saved my life and my health by this diet, and I know that to whatever extent you do it, you will get results. Just little changes can create big effects, like getting a family member or friend to switch to raw butter. It can loosen joints and make movement so much better!
Consider going 100% raw for a while, a few weeks at least. Just see what it feels like, and how much your body likes it. Help us all share our discoveries with each other of new ways to get more minerals, finding new sources of foods grown under even better conditions, and preparing tasty, delicious food for special occasions.
Bon Appètit!
Healthfully Yours,
Marilyn at RA