Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Mature Fashion: Farm, Not Pharm.....

Can't see them but I have an assortment of rings
as well as the black over/under earrings.
Since 1982, the field of medicine has known beyond any reasonable doubt that the American diet is the root of the majority of chronic health problems.  For longer than that nutritional educators have taught that at least five or more servings of vegetables and fruit should be eaten every day..(Ketchup and orange soda do not count).  Most of the women who are in my generation were taught the importance of eating the vegetables on our plates, and we consumed meals that contained them at every lunch, and dinner. We usually had some form of fruit at breakfast. (bananas or dried fruit with cereal, sliced fruits, and freshly squeezed orange juice was common)  Eating between meals (except for after school snacks) was discouraged, and candy and desserts were special occasion treats, or served only at dinner.  Cookies and milk and/or apples was maybe given as the snack, and popcorn might be prepared for evening television, if anything was eaten before bed.

Meats of all forms were expensive to purchase, and often were grown on the farm (free range), and a favorite hobby of the men might be catching fish for dinner, and any meats consumed by the families of hunters was grass fed by free range.  Pesticide free home gardens produced most of the fresh vegetables and home orchards most of the fruits.
Chrome Hearts-Dagger Series

How foreign this diet sounds now! Yet, that is the diet my generation experienced as common fare.  With every decrease in this farm based diet, the increase in heart disease, type II diabetes, obesity, cancer, arthritis, etc. has increased.  Every year, more and more convenience foods are produced, and the health status of our population decreases. All of these foods contain chemical compounds unknown 50 years ago.

Every health professional knows this; many are writing innumerable books about it; more research studies are proving that diet is the main culprit (Hippocrates, the Greek physician called the Father of Medicine and supposed author of of "Hippocratic Oath" said "let food be thy medicine" centuries ago!!)

Unfortunately, the drug and food industries both have great profit motives to ignore these facts; unfortunately, tired and stressed mothers and fathers rely heavily on unhealthy highly processed (and addictive) foods to feed their children.  The obesity rate for children has soared, childhood medical problems are at a record high, and the continuous solution provided by the health care "professionals" is providing more and more drugs to address the problem.

I find it alarming that so much attention is focused on "health care" in today's environment, but so little is done by the majority of the population to take care of one's own health!!  As women, many people assume we are "nurturers", and I do believe that it is up to us to take the lead in insisting the food that goes into our bodies in healthy for us, that we insist our family eat in a healthy manner, and that NO pill (ALL have dangerous side effects; that's why one needs a prescription) be prescribed for us or those for whom we are responsible if a healthy diet can serve the purpose.  I feel very strongly about this, and have proof of this type of harm within my own family. 

Diabetes treatments are in the forefront of my mind now because I am a bit past due for my annual physical and blood tests for diabetes, etc.  I have a bit of first hand experience with the medical profession on the subject of pill pushing; I choose to reject both blood pressure and cholesterol medicine and control both with diet.-I still have doctor's attempting to get me to take pills even though they say my blood sugar levels are "fine". (I want them always to be below 6.0)  My blood pressure has always been good, so why am I being asked to take pills? (answer: they say studies have shown that they "help" side effects of diabetes-if I take care of the diabetes, why do I need them? I am more concerned with the side effects of the blood pressure pills!!)





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