The tender sprouts are an emerald green and do not seem to hold a grudge against the cold February nights, as people often will. ∼ Michelle, Rabbit Patch Diary
I found Michelle’s blog early on in my blogging and am so happy that I did! Her words paint such vivid pictures of nature you feel as if you are part of the experience, but what I love the most is she sees the beauty in everyday life…beauty that others may simply pass over. I asked her permission to reblog her post on “February” and with less than ten days to go in go in this usually unappreciated month, I hope it inspires you to enjoy what’s left of it as it did for me. Enjoy!!
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”― Hippocrates
I am passionate about people living a life of health and vitality and am saddened when I see those living in pain or less than the optimal life they could be enjoying. For that reason, I have been wanting to do a blog post about the life-changing, and sometimes life-saving role our diets play in our quality of life for quite some time. After binge-watching a few Netflix (links below) with my husband over the last few nights, I couldn’t put off a post like this any longer!
Growing up, my maternal grandmother was one of my favorite people in the world. I loved spending time with her in the summers listening to her stories, making Christmas ornaments in the winter, and eating chocolate mint ice-cream and Russel Stover chocolates in any season! Sadly, she died at what would be considered young today, her body hunched over and joints crooked with painful arthritis while she dutifully consumed the myriad of prescription drugs prescribed to make her life somehow more pleasant. I vividly remember sitting at her kitchen table with her one day as she sorted through her many medications, and somehow, even at a young age, I knew there was something very wrong with that picture. Had I known then what I know now, I would have done my very best to convince her to get rid of the processed foods and lay aside at least some of the Russel Stover to make room for some more fruits and veggies.
I’ll skip many details of my own health journey or this post would be way too long. I will say, however, I was fortunate to be raised by a mother, a nurse by profession, who was very much in tune to the role of proper nutrition and diet in a healthy lifestyle.
Last winter I had a bit of a health scare, and thankfully it was just a scare, but for the week of uncertainty I spent many hours researching health sights on the web and found this gem: https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com. This site is loaded with nutritional information and video testimonials of people who all beat cancer through diet and some also with alternative remedies.
I decided to try this plant-based diet, and my husband also joined in. The great news for him was that at his next doctors visit six weeks later he had lost 11 pounds, but even better his blood pressure had dropped 40 points…enough to keep his doctor from prescribing blood pressure medicine, yahoo!! For myself, I noticed that the mysterious leg pain that was so bad it would keep me awake at night disappeared, as well as the sometimes intense hip pain. I would have considered myself a really healthy eater even before this…organic, non-gmo food, very little processed foods, occasional juicer, but switching to this plant-based, sugar-free diet was the real health ticket for me-no pain, yes please!
One thing I learned in the Chris Beat Cancer series, is that processed dairy raises the risk of breast and prostate cancer, a fact which has been scientifically known since the 70’s. Immediately what came to my mind were all the cute little pink ribbons found in the dairy aisle…funny, I’ve never seen even one in the fruit and vegetable aisle, hmm. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about that one, but my less than noble conclusion was verified in the documentary we watched last night, which I highly recommend, called What the Health. This video was a real eye-opener, it will make you mad, but that can be a really good thing if it stirs you to action to improve your health. It is also filled with some very inspiring stories though, so I promise you’ll be smiling at the end!
Two other great documentaries: Forks Over Knives, which has some seriously jaw-dropping studies, and the really inspiring and definitely entertaining one: Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Both sites have many resources listed, as well as links to the movie, the second can be viewed free on the site for a limited time, so go enjoy!
From Engine 2 recipe index
Lastly, I highly recommend the incredibly informative video series called The Truth About Cancer which can be found at this site: https://www.cancertutor.com/global-cancer-documentary/ Face it, sadly we all know of people who could benefit from this info. and for so many ailments other than cancer.
In closing, let me just say that I am very thankful I live in an age where we have life-saving medicines and technology, but the fact remains that there are many, many diseases that can be prevented altogether, and in many cases even reversed with the food choices we make. The good news is…
God has filled our earth with wonderful, natural medicines just waiting to be consumed, and that my friends, is really, really something beautiful.
So, I think I’m supposed to add a disclaimer here, but very important, nonetheless, Please check with a doctor and be monitored before deciding to decrease or stop any medicines or adding herbal remedies!
Over the past few months one bird has appeared very prominent in our backyard…the rascally bluejay. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the peanuts I put out to lure him in or the sunflower seeds placed strategically about. Whatever the reason, I’m glad he and his many cohorts are decorating the scenery with their beauty and are affording me many pictures of their antics.
I decided the blue beauty was worthy of his own post and looked through the many pictures I have of him to pair up with the following poem by Emily Dickinson. I hope you enjoy!
The Blue Jay – Poem by Emily Dickinson
No brigadier throughout the year
So civic as the jay.
A neighbor and a warrior too,
With shrill felicity
Pursuing winds that censure us
A February day,
The brother of the universe
Was never blown away.
The snow and he are intimate;
I’ve often seen them play
When heaven looked upon us all
With such severity,
I felt apology were due
To an insulted sky,
Whose pompous frown was nutriment
To their temerity.
The pillow of this daring head
Is pungent evergreens;
His larder — terse and militant —
Unknown, refreshing things;
His character a tonic,
His future a dispute;
Unfair an immortality
That leaves this neighbor out.
– Emily Dickinson
Until next time, if a jay’s in your corner of the world, buy some peanuts to welcome in this fun neighbor!
Birds, Blooms and all things Beautiful 