It All Begins with You

The human body is a magnificent machine with lots of moving parts to keep it healthy. There are times when it gets sick and the body doesn't have what it needs to fight the illness.

In my opinion, this is why the Earth provides powerful medicines in super foods like mushrooms, herbs, vegetables and fruits.

I can remember thinking when I was a little girl and learning about the cave men times, how fortunate they were to know how to gather their medicines.

Medicine men and women always fascinated me. Unknown characters of days gone by who influenced me and helped me to follow a philosophy of "grow your own." It's cheaper, fun, rewarding and healthy.

I've been growing my own vegetables for a very long time. I grew up in the center of a big city with a 9 x 12 foot back yard that was hot topped. My mom had her cloths line strung from the house to the 6 foot chained link fence that enclosed our tiny back yard.

It was in this backyard where I learned how to figure skate. I remember building a little barrier with bricks that I gathered after a building in the neighborhood was torn down. I'd then take buckets of water out to the yard from the kitchen sink until I had what I called ice - even though it was really black ice that you'd see on a highway during and after a freezing rain storm. But to me, it was my own personal ice arena.

In summer, I turned my arena brick border into a border to hold dirt. In the dirt I grew flowers and vegetables from seed. The chained link fence was perfect for climbing beans and peas.

Growing my own was a fun hobby for a little kid, it opened my eyes to nature in a neighborhood that had a shoe factory as a neighbor.

My passion for food goes way back. Probably because eating was always an enjoyable experience. It still is.

Unfortunately, or maybe it's fortunate, who am I to judge myself.... I began to eat the wrong foods. I clipped coupons and thought I was "saving" money. I bought all the latest and prettiest boxed items on the shelf, from companies that could afford to pay big Marketing dollars to make subliminal suggestions to all it's victims (the general public.)

My mom too.

The news media began to push food products. If you watch any of the so called news channels they are always peddling something. They disguise the information as news but if you really pay attention and take your emotion out of the viewing experience, you'll see how we are all getting hypnotized into believing their products are the best products.

We are not hearing the real news. All we hear is the noise and the chatter to distract us from paying attention to what's really important.

Quick. Easy. What can we do fast? Hurry! Hurry up and Wait!

The world zips by. Rarely do people stop to talk to each other let alone prepare a healthy meal for themselves.

People have long commutes. They work long hours. When you get home you want to just eat whatever is easiest. The idea of cooking after a long day at the office and an equally frustrating commute home, is less than appealing.

I understand the problem. I lived it for many years. It's how I became out of shape and not so healthy.

There is hope however. It all starts with you.

Change your thinking about food. Bypass the processed boxed stuff and replace it with fresh vegetables. Invest in a crock pot, pressure cooker and bread machine. Make your own meals with all the best ingredients. Give yourself the best fuel and your body will be ready to respond.

Age is a state of mind. It's never too late to begin to care for yourself. My mom taught me this lesson. She also taught me that I can avoid her health problems if I make changes now.