When Did We Change and Why?

I’ve been thinking lately about our history…."our", meaning the world in general. When did we stop eating our traditional foods? Every culture in the world used to eat some type of fermented food, almost daily. Now most cultures have switched to “store bought”. We here in America probably began to loose our heritage soon after we stepped foot in the “New Country”. It could also have been the Industrial Revolution. People were too busy, or they were moving or they lost touch with their ancestor’s way of doing things in the kitchen. I have read that over on the European Continent, Pasteur and another scientist, whose name I cannot recall, had a disagreement about what caused illness. The one fellow said it had to do with the overall health of a body and Pasteur said it was all because of bacteria. Pasteur had the political clout and he won. Hence, canning and boiling to kill all germs. That also killed all good bacteria that is essential to life. So, here we are. A very sick society, as a whole, and we depend on Dr.s and pills to keep us going.

It also used to be that every society or area or community or culture, had a Shaman or Witch Dr. or Healer. This person was someone who knew about local herbs, foods, liquids, etc. that were useful to healing. The movies have done a very good job at discrediting these people, but the fact remains that they really did know their stuff. We still have people who are renowned herbalists, but they stay in the dark, mainly for their safety, in this country.

If 70% to 90% of our immune system is in our intestinal tract or “gut” as it is called, why wouldn’t we…as a culture….want to strengthen our immune system? The way we go about being healthy is to take another pill. That’s like sticking another finger in the dyke and when our dyke “springs” another leak, we stick in another pill. We don’t try to fix our dyke or strengthen it.

I’ve been thinking of my own ancestral history. I don’t remember any fermented foods that my father’s parents ate, or for that matter my mother’s parents. I only remember that once my mother made real sauerkraut in a crock. It smelled awful and I think that only my sister and father ate it and it was only made that one time. I think that “new and modern” was the way it was in the 50’s. Everyone had an electric stove and a car and could get to the store whenever it was needed. No more wood stoves that had leftover dying embers to keep a kitchen warm for fermentation. We also have become unused to the very distinct flavor of fermented foods. Most people cannot stand the taste of real pickled products. The only fermented food that has come back is “real yogurt”. But it is not being marketed as something we all should be consuming on a daily basis, i.e., fermented foods. the best way to strengthen our immune system, according to what I have read, is to repopulate our gut flora. Everyone in this country has had a round of antibiotics or other toxins that are plentiful in the foods that we eat. Hence, we all have "guts" that are not really working properly. Replenishing is a must, either through a variety of fermented foods or probiotics. That’s the path that MDH and I are on, so far it’s working. It’s a lifestyle that is sometimes difficult but so are Dr visits and chemo and radiation, etc.

Wow, the sun is out! Must be a mistake. Will have to go out and mess around in the greenhouse today. Hope all are remembering our veterans and the freedoms that they have given to us.

Healthy Days to You...Your Smiling Maven

Can Summer be Just Around the Corner???

Wow! Time flies by...having fun or not!! Fun is daily, but the thought of making this brain wrap itself around some written words, has been a real "downer". Just realized today that one of my zygo catuses is trying to bloom. It normally blooms in November, so this is very unusual. Guess April really was wet and very cloudy. We did have some lovely days, but always just a bit chilly with a damp wind. Weatherman is saying that some nice, warm, sunny days are coming soon. Hope he and his computer models are correct! The rhododendrons have been gorgeous. Even with the rain and wind. I guess that it has been just chilly enough to keep them blooming longer. That's a good thing, as far as I'm concerned!!

Our new front entry deck is done. Somehow MDH found some non-raining times to get it in. He's still working on the railing. It's in, but the final finishing and painting is going to take some dryer weather. At least we are legal and I can go up and down without help! He's ordered more pavers so that we can extend the deck the length of the house. It will be nice to have that done, too. The view from there will be wonderful. Summer evenings out there with the warmth from the pavers should be very nice! Son-in-law says the view towards the Mt. from there is "the money shot." He's so right. Just have to figure out the best way to provide privacy when it's done.

I read an article about Vitamin D and how long natural stores last in our bodies. Supposedly it has a half life of only 3 to 5 weeks. Wow!! No wonder so many people test low or deficient. Lets say that at the end of Sept. a person would have 75ng/mg. Average good levels are between 45 and 75. Let's give ourselves 6 weeks instead. By the middle of Nov. one would have 37 or 38ng/mg. Then by the end of Dec. the body would only have 20 or less. At the northern latitudes, natural sunlight isn't strong enough to produce VitD in our bodies until May! The way I see it, supplementing is crucial if a person lives north of San Fran or Atlanta!

Hopefully, I can find some time to write and pay attention more. I love doing my handwork, but I feel I need to stretch myself.

As always, Healthy Days to You....Your Smiling Maven