Why Do We Need Nourishing Traditions?

Today in our world, we are so far from that garden. The Standard American Diet (SAD) involves eating food that was genetically altered, grown in a soup of chemicals and processed heavily by machines into "food" fortified with synthetic "vitamins", "flavorings" and "food colorings" wrapped in packaging that is made of toxic plastics and metals. The average pantry is full of a "toxic soup" that has been marketed to us as "food". That's actually the food that filled my childhood pantry -and my mom's childhood pantry. And boy, have we paid the price as a family with our health.

Thanks to the help of the Weston A Price Foundation and Dr Natasha Campbell McBride, many are relearning what real food is and its power to nourish our bodies. Today our family eats REAL FOOD. There is so much power packed into every bite of real food we eat. This real food -and the traditional methods of cooking it- is the basis of my practice. Real food is as close to nature as we can manage, which means most of it doesn't come in a package. Much of it comes from a local farm, and most of it is raw ingredients or was made by someone we trust. Our fridge is stocked with homemade probiotic foods, pastured meat and dairy products, and beyond organic regenerative-agriculture-farmed local fresh produce. And don't forget organ meats!

As a child, I had IV antibiotics for Lyme's Disease, I had 5 rounds of oral antibiotics in a row thanks to a recurrent strep infection. I traveled internationally and spent months on strong malaria medication. Now I realize how the damage to my gut I sustained from these medications led to a myriad of issues throughout my teen years: joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, acne, and depression. I exercised (I even did a mini-triathlon). I ate "healthy" food, and almost no sugar. But my problems only continued to get worse.

Most of us have grown up without any knowledge of any medicine other than pharmaceuticals, and our gut health has paid the price. Most of us carry around imbalanced communities of yeast and bad bacteria. That's where GAPS comes into my practice. Dr Natasha Campbell McBride does a fabulous job of explaining Gut and Psychology/Physiology Syndrome. Her prescription for food, supplements, and lifestyle detox measures is just what the doctor ordered! I felt like a fog lifted when I started the GAPS intro protocol. It has enabled me to clear out the unwelcome residents from my body and one by one re-incorporate every food group back into my diet! I'm thrilled to be a certified GAPS practitioner and to help others walk through this individualized healing protocol.