It's often said that "you are what you eat". That phrase has been around since I can remember, but I began to wonder...is it true?
Over the years I've learned a few things about myself as well as the health, medical, and food industries in this country. But probably the number 1 thing I've learned is this - if you don't care how you feel or what your quality of life is, whether you end up with Crohn's Disease, Cancer or Diabetes, or whether or not you make it past your 50th birthday, then by all means feast on Twinkies and Chips and take a pill for your every ill! Otherwise I ask you to consider a few things.
Here's a question you have to ask yourself - "Where does the food I buy really come from?"
Well let's look at animals first. Whether you like a big, juicy burger on the grill, a bucket of chicken wings slathered in BBQ sauce, or perhaps a slab of swine you'll be interested to know what those soon-to-be-your-meal mammals went through before you dig in.
In Water and Wastes Digest an article reporting on the chlorine system used to "bathe" chickens was discussed. Most chicken processing is done by both spraying AND soaking chickens in chlorinated water. That's right...chlorine. You know...the stuff that's used in swimming pools to keep them clean.
Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health states the following:
"Chlorine, which reacts with water in and out of the body to form hydrochloric acid and hypochlorous acid. Both are extremely poisonous."
Now while the chlorine is chilled to approx. 35 degrees, it doesn't change the genetic structure of it and make it somehow safer. And by the way, chlorine is also used in our drinking water to kill bacteria, both bad AND GOOD bacteria.
Some side effects of ingesting straight chlorine are:
-Severe changes is acid level in the blood which results in damage to all body organs.
-Blood in stool
-Vomiting
-Burns of the Esophagus
-Loss of vision
Now while the amounts of chlorine used to clean chickens or that which is in our drinking water may be below the "recommended" amount, we have to consider that these small amounts add up quickly given that we're probably consuming quite a bit throughout the day. Not to mention that it soaks into the chickens and is already in our water so this makes it very easy for the chlorine to infiltrate our bodies.
How about beef? Well, if you know anything about the process of raising cattle in the industrial farming age it isn't pretty.
Often cattle are kept in close quarters, knee deep in their own refuse, their hide caked with it as well, and fed a diet of mostly corn and grains to quickly fatten them up.
This results in a toxic cow that no one in their right mind should eat! However, most people are unaware of these living conditions for cattle.
And what about swine? Well, the bible says that swine are unclean...and for good reason!
The pig is quite disgusting to eat, but it is the perfect garbage disposal!
Of course farm raised fish are not any better as the conditions of the water are poor to fair.
Up to ten times more contaminants have been found in farmed fish when compared to wild fish. These contaminants include PCBs, dioxins, pesticides and PBDEs, which are used as fire retardants. Aquafarming also raises a number of environmental concerns, the most important of which may be its negative impact on wild salmon. It has now been established that sea lice from farms kill up to 95% of juvenile wild salmon that migrate past them.(Krkosek M, Lewis MA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.).
What about fruits and veggies? Well it's no secret that fruits and vegetables grown in order to supply grocery stores and mega markets across this country are sprayed with chemicals to control pests. These chemicals are called pesticides which seep through the skin of the food and easily penetrate it.
Everytime you take a bite of a common vegetable or fruit from your local supermarket you're typically biting into anywhere from 4 t0 6 types of pesticides.
Also, those same foods are usually a week to two weeks old by the time they reach the super market which means they've lost many vital nutrients by that time.
So essentially you're not receiving much benefit from those vegetables or fruits you just bought.
So what can you do?
One thing you can certainly do is to learn all you can about gardening and plant a garden. You don't need very much space to do so, and if you work on canning much of the produce you will have an abundant supply of whole food to last through the winter (if colder, northern climates are of any concern to you).
This is the best thing to do, but of course looking for Organic/Natural, LOCALLY GROWN foods, that use no pesticides is a great choice! Unfortunately, organic food that is shipped in is still nutrient deficient, so locally grown is the far better option if you can't grow your own.
You can also look for co-ops that offer access to much closer sources of naturally grown foods that are only a few hours to a day or so away.
As far as the animals go there are a few options.
1. You can go together (or by yourself) in locating a farmer nearby that raises naturally, grass fed livestock, without the use of hormones, and buy from him.
2. Talk to a farmer, search the web, or go to your local library: do some research on Raising Chickens and buy a few come spring! Even if you live in an urban area, chickens are usually permissable at numbers up to 2 or 3 hens (but check with the city ordinances first). There's nothing like going out and gathering some fresh eggs for breakfast! We live on a little less than an acre of ground and we have quite a few chickens with a large (custom cabin) coop! So you don't need a lot of space if you only have a few and you build a normal chicken shack! :)
You can also raise a few chickens for eating as well. You can then butcher, clean, and freeze it to have your own fresh chicken to eat! There are many books, websites, and videos (think youtube) on the subject of raising chickens and meatbirds, as well as how to butcher and process said meatbirds. And if you can't bring yourself to kill the birds, there are always professionals who will do it for a small fee. Whatever you do don't name them (unless it's going to be names like BBQ or Hot Wings)!
3. If you have enough space and don't have any ordinances against it, you can look into raising your own goats (for dairy or meat) as well as cattle for beef. I wouldn't advice raising your own cattle, though, because they are quite an investment of your time and expenses, but you do get a lot of meat in return; so the decision is one to look into carefully.
Goats are usually a bit easier to care for and eat quite a bit less, yet their milk is a bit more suited for human consumption given their size and the amount of natural hormones that every mammal produces. Most goat's milk is well suited for making cheese, cream, and other dairy products. Though I must add that consuming anykind of animal dairy product, natural or not, is debatable as to whether it's actually beneficial for human consumption. We'll look into this in future posts.
4. You can always look into raising a few fish in your backyard. Whether converting that un-used swimming pool (inground or above ground) into a pond, building an
aquaponic system, or using
barrels to raise fish, you could be enjoying fresh fish right out your back door.
There are many options for raising your own beef, chicken, or fish all depending on where you live. Fruit trees need to time to grow and produce (usually a minimum of three years) but are worth it in the end. However, growing vegetables can yield a bountiful harvest in a season and provide everything you need for your health.
In future articles we will look more at gardening and how to prepare the soil for optimal growing...naturally!
Also, begin doing some simple research on herbs and natural supplements. We are very deficient in what our bodies need to function properly. Supplements are sometimes needed to combat the low amounts of nutrients we actually get from the foods we eat nowadays.
-And of course, get out there and get some exercise! There's nothing better than a little bit of hard work (or a hard workout!) to help strengthen the immune system, get the blood flowing, and support all around health.
-Get the amount of rest that you're body needs (which isn't necessarily the recommended 8 hours), and
-Get outside and soak up a little sunlight. The sun's rays help your body produce Vitamin D which is very much needed. And don't wear sunblock or sun tan lotion. These are laden with chemicals and do what they say, which is keeping your skin from receiving the sun's rays. We've been led to believe that the sun is harmful for us, but in moderation it is a very good thing!
Whatever you choose to do, do your own research and start taking control of your health!
Here are a few links that you might want to check out:
