NEARING Thanksgiving

The sign of a culture who has lost its tradition!

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday there is much focus on family coming together and enjoying the 'traditional' turkey dinner. The general population might even take a moment to reflect on which they are thankful. There may be thanks given for 'good health' without a second thought. But what is good health? This is a big topic, more than can be discussed in this one blog. I think a person of good health is not only eating nutrient dense foods but has a positive mind, an active lifestyle and gives thanks daily.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the book, The Making of a Radical by Scott Nearing (published in 1972).

Health is the finally effective test of the interaction of the human organism with its total environment. Judged on this basis, the automated, computer-directed society of the United States is a ghastly failure. In an affluent society like that of the United States, tens of millions of adults are suffering from degenerative diseases, while other tens of millions suffer from constipation, insomnia, indigestion, nervous tension. Why should this be? The answer is obvious. The average American has no idea what good health is or how to go about obtaining it. When he feels the effects of ill health he goes to the doctor, who, like his prospective patient, knows little or nothing about health although he knows a great deal about diseases. He can relieve suffering by administering "wonder drugs", but he cannot prevent the disease which accompanies lack of health. The doctor, who suffers himself from the common ailments and fatal diseases which play such a prominent role in American life, is not concerned primarily with health. His specialty is disease. If there were no disease, that is, if people were healthy, doctors would be out of business except for accidents and the helplessness of infancy and old age.

This blog could quickly become one devoted to food if I followed the path of explaining the benefits nutrient dense foods. Certainly there will be future blogs about food because our foods are laced with toxins and you need to know how to avoid them!

So in general I want to encourage everyone to be meaningful in their thoughts, actions and food consumption. Take the time to prepare your meals from scratch, soak your beans, grind your grains, invest in the organic, humanely-raised turkey, share special moments in the kitchen with family, teach your children the value of nutrient dense food. Because what better investment can you make if not in your health? Health care has us investing in our future diseases, but we can take actions now to ensure a healthy lifestyle and reduce our dependency on the inundated health care system.

From the Weston A. Price Foundation Wise Traditions publication is a great article titled Modernizing Your Diet With Traditional Foods. The following roughly outlines healthy practices among non-industrialized cultures.

Here are nine dietary habits practiced among healthy non-industrialized peoples. The cultures consumed different specific foods, but the patterns among these different peoples were easy to identify.

All traditional cultures . . .
1. Consume some sort of animal protein, including organ meats and fat, every day.
2. Consume foods that contain very high levels of minerals and fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin K2 found in seafood, organ meats and animal fats).
3. Consume some foods with a high enzyme and probiotic content.
4. Consume seeds, grains, and nuts that are soaked, sprouted, fermented, or naturally leavened in order to neutralize a portion of the naturally occurring anti-nutrients in these foods.
5. Consume plenty of natural fats but no industrial liquid or hardened (partially hydrogenated) oils.
6. Consume natural, unrefined salt.
7. Consume animal bones, usually in the form of gelatin-rich bone broths.
8. Provide extra nutrition for parents-to-be, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and growing children, to ensure the health of the next generation.
9. Do not consume refined or processed foods, including white flour, refined sweeteners, pasteurized and lowfat milk products, protein powders, industrial fats and oils and chemical additives.

Have a joyous and meaningful Thanksgiving!