Food as Medicine or Why Grow Your Own Food

Ever ask yourself how our forefathers managed to live so long without easy access to a pharmacy on every corner and internet prescriptions?  Or how many people in the "old school generation" managed to live long, healthy lives without regular visits to the doctor for prescribed tests and pills? Before you conclude that I am against doctors, medicine and healthcare let me explain myself.

Growing up in a small town in Washington State, we had a quirky neighbor named Mrs. McRhone who had a small garden in her backyard and a juicer.  Every day she made some new juice made from celery, carrots, apples and who knows what else she put in it.  She would wash her produce, feed it into this very large, very noisy stainless steel machine and juice came out.  As little kids, we thought it was the coolest thing.  What was amazing was that Mrs. McRhone and her husband had the most beautiful skin!  Mrs. McRhone had this gorgeous, silky, waist length braided hair and she swore it was because of the juice and other things they ate from her garden.

We were little kids so everybody seemed old to us, but I imagine they were probably in their 50s or 60s like my parents.  While I didn't stick to a healthy diet once I grew up and left home, I never forgot the advice Mrs. McRhone gave us about eating fresh fruit & vegetables several times a day AND getting into the habit of juicing.  Years later in my 60's I am seeing the wisdom of her advice.  It brings to mind the famous quote by Hippocrates: "Let Food Be Thy Medicine & Medicine Be Thy Food."

In the last 20 years or so we have seen a surge in "natural" supplements made from food.   My question is "Why Not Eat the Food and Pass on the Pills/Powders?"  I think it's worth looking into for us especially as GMO food threatens to invade our lives on a daily basis.  If we can't get high quality, fresh, non-GMO food at supermarkets and retail stores "Why Not Grow Your Own Food?"

Virtually every vitamin that we take in capsule/pill form is an imitation or copycat of the real product.  While the supplement industry is making a lot of companies and doctors very rich, it doesn't seem to be doing much for the health of the average consumer.  I know people say that you would have to eat huge amounts of food daily to get the nutrition you need and that it would be way too expensive.  I think consumers can change this paradigm and do some things on an individual/personal basis to get fresh, pesticide-free food into their diets everyday.

My parents were from the deep south, Mississippi & Louisiana and they all grew their own food, had a smokehouse and went fishing in nearby water several times a week.  My parents swore they didn't know there was a depression in 1929.  It was business as usual for them as they continued to work the land and do whatever it took to take care of their very large families.

I always loved the "idea" of growing my own food but never took it seriously until I retired in 2014.  For years I had collected books on Lasagne gardening, Container gardening, Backyard gardening, Herb gardens, Gourmet vegetable gardening and even mushrooms.  It wasn't until retirement that I got serious and discovered the passion of working in the soil, planting seeds, watering them, weeding when necessary and then waiting for the magic to happen.

WHY GROW YOUR OWN FOOD

• It is fun & a great source of exercise
• It is inexpensive if you use seeds then save & collect your seeds for future planting
• It is rewarding when you seeds become seedlings, then small plants waiting to be harvested
• You can know what you and your family is eating  & avoid GMO food
• You can save money by having your own "organic" vegetables
• You can have a sense of security that you won't be "food deprived"
• The food you grow tastes better when it's fresh and grown in good soil
• You can market your produce and make some money
• It helps to develop community as you share food, ideas and thoughts with others
• You can give to people who are less fortunate (I could go on...)

We have it on good authority that food can be used as medicine.  This blog will show you HOW you can start to grow your own food.  Remember...any advantage you give your body to have optimal health and nutrition can only benefit you.  Visit your doctor and monitor your health to show her healthy you are.  She will probably ask what you're doing and you might just get a customer.

(This blog post isn't meant to give medical advice or to discourage you from seeing your doctor)