Food as Medicine

In my Honduran community, there are families of various incomes. Almost half of my neighbors are still washing their laundry by hand and bathing from a hose or 5 gallon bucket. For people of lower incomes medicine is a great expense. So when they come to my gate with health problems I look to food as their medicine. If a health problem is going to separate people from their money, then let their medicine be  an investment in vitality. 

This belief was driven home this morning as I swept my patio floor. My cat eats a mixed diet that will  include canned tuna. This morning I noticed bits and pieces of tuna drying on the concrete where her plate sat the evening before. There were no ants.

The awareness brought back a lesson learned from a local fisher-woman. She offered to sell us a barracuda she had caught. My husband was suspicious because sometimes this fish can be toxic. When I mentioned my concern to the woman her head nodded in agreement. She then cut off a piece of the fish and placed it on some bark at the base of a tree. She said that if the fish was good the ants would find it in just a minute. Her explanation had barely finished when my gaze returned to the to the meat. It was already becoming covered with ants. Animals (including insects) in the wild will always choose the highest and best. 

Although my cat will eat tuna, she will not eat fish from the grocery store. Yet, she always eats fish I buy from local fishermen. Grocery store fish has invariably been treated with some chemical. Often it is formaldehyde; applied while at sea in an effort to keep fish from spoiling when longer days are necessary to fill the boat.

My rabbits are also keen judges of food. They will often turn up their noses at store-bought produce in preference to tasty morsels growing in my gardens. As maddening as this can be as I view my roses, I understand. It is all about the vitality needed for survival. This is something those living in an economic cultures are not taught. We learn about vitamins not vitality. Without vitality, healing cannot take place. Every level of healing requires vitality. It comes from things of the Earth: clean water, fresh air and minimally processed foods.   

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Applied Energy

When my husband and I moved to the Big Island of Hawaii, we bought a house nestled within an acre of jungle. On the edge of the house clearing stood an avocado tree of questionable age. Neither my husband nor I were fans of avocados and this tree was lanky and twisted from fighting for space in the sun. During our first 3 years, it had bore only a handful of fruit so we planned to cut it down sometime in the future.

Our house also had an above ground water catchment tank. It is a common practice in that area to collect rainwater for household cleaning. In times of drought, water must be bought by the truckload to fill the tanks. A truck holds 5,000-gallon or 2,500 gallons. If you order 5,000 gallons and only need 4,000, you pay for all and the driver dumps the remainder on your property. We had this happen once and the avocado tree received the excess gallons.

People familiar with growing avocados know the trees do not like soppy wet soil; it is sure death. Since we had no attachment to the tree, it was not a threat. However, friends that came by a few days later were devastated that we would allow a food-producing tree to die. They wanted to “save” the tree with blessing. Trying to explain our less than positive experience with tiny, hard avocados made no impression so  I gave them the go-ahead. They could have all the future fruit it bore. It seemed easier than trying to explain the fruitless history. 

The two women stood with their hands on the tree’s trunk. They spoke to the tree telling it how beautiful it was and how much they loved it and its fruit. They ended their 2-minute blessing by wishing the tree health and happiness. That year our tree gave us over 2-bushel s of beautiful and perfect avocados. 

I have been a student of subtle energy and energy healing for years before that event. I have used energy to help people and animals regain health. However, I had never thought to apply the idea to the tree. It was a wonderful lesson and I have since saved other trees from trauma, using the same process. It makes me wonder what else I am accepting as normal instead of offering healing. I find myself wondering why we, as a species, are not using the same healing force to shift the planet from hardship into harmony. If a tree can receive and respond, surely others of our own kind can. It only takes making a daily practice of thinking thoughts of kindness toward others; offering prayers of love and sincere wishes for well-being. What a beautiful example to teach and legacy to leave grandchildren and future inhabitants of our planet. 

A change in the way we look and things and applying positive energy will create a healthy planet.

COLE SLAW: my corner post for healing

Have you ever looked closely at Slaw? Probably not; why should you? It’s basically shredded cabbage. However, when you start to research that unpretentious, long keeping, little vegetable you find it to be a nutritional storehouse. Cabbage is extremely high in calcium. Most nutritional specialist sing the praises of broccoli as the leader in organic calcium. Yet, cupful to cupful cabbage leads as the best organic source of  this important mineral.

Other notable qualities found listed on the cabbage nutritional profile are the B vitamins: Niacin (B3), Riboflavin (B2)  and Thiamine (B1).  Stress, alcohol and sugar destroy B vitamins. People dealing with stressful conditions, illness or post surgery need extra amounts of these B’s.These three B’s aid digestion, stabilize emotions, relieving irritability and depression while generally aiding the entire nervous system. They are even more effective when combined with calcium and phosphorus. The combo helps prevent constipation or edema and assist the urinary system.  What a master plan that cabbage would naturally be very high in those minerals as well.

Cabbage also contains high levels of potassium and organic sodium (not the same as table salt) which are beneficial to heart function and problems like arrhythmia. These nutrients along with high levels of antioxidants, and Vitamins A&C make slaw a wonderful food for your over-all health. Add some carrot to your slaw and you’ve doubled the available vitamin A and organic sodium. 

My rabbits and I eat slaw almost every day. I shred up a half gallon container twice a week. Having this in easy reach in the refrigerator means that no matter what I serve there a fast easy salad slaw to enhance the meal.My rabbits, Patch and Magic, like their slaw  plain, but I vary the dressing I mix into it day to day. Sometimes a bit of mayonnaise and lime juice, or some olive oil, agave nectar and celery seed, or maybe just some sweet onion vinaigrette.

I learned from my rabbits, Patch and Magic, not to eat slaw that is over 3 days old. I’m not sure why they refuse it on the 4th day, but animal wisdom is often greater than ours, so I watch, learn and follow. One more difference in the way we eat slaw is that I always top mine off with some Honduran Chimol…a salsa type relish popular in this part of Central America. It is another one of my corner posts for good health. Watch for the recipe in a future blog piece or contact me through a comment here or on my website: www.wisdompathway.com