Friday, August 22, 2008

New Nutritional Paradigm


By MOLLY BROWN

Many of us turn to nutrition through illness, imbalance, a quest to feel more vibrant, to revitalize tired bodies or to find a stronger connection with life-force energy.

As our economy turns from corporate interest to local, from unsustainable practices to sustainable, a more conscious nutritional paradigm should lead the way. Nutrition is not only what we physically feed ourselves, it is the environment that we live in, the water we drink, the books, media and television that we take in, an awareness of our political situation and the people with whom we build relationships.

In truth, peak oil, unclean water, air and soil are leading us to change our consciousness in a positive and proactive way. We are all tired of being tired and sick. This is clear. Perhaps the state of the environment and our health—with nutritionally preventable diseases leading America as the top three causes of death, may be a blessing and a lesson to change our ways. I hope it becomes a positive force in the earth's healing.

Our knowledge that we are one with the earth seems likely to prompt a shift in our economy from corporate greed to sacred commerce. The emphasis needs to be on local farmers' markets, organic seeds and veganic gardening, respect for the soil and water, and gratitude for what the earth can provide.

Food is the heart of our culture in many ways. In many religions, the person preparing the food is considered most sacred, for the job should be done with clean energy and heartfelt intentions. Their vibration emanates into all who share the meal. It is an important job indeed. Joyful energy and positive community can be celebrated through our food and culture.

The cow is a sacred animal in many cultures. An average life span of 30 years is now decreased to an average life span of 3 to 4 years for a dairy cow. The strain of being milked 24 hours a day is not a sustainable or respectful practice. Cow's milk has gone from a nourishing and nutrient-dense food to a barely consumable allergen-producing, toxic liquid. Cows are being milked to death and pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. If the cow represents the earth's sacred feminine energy, this doesn't say much about our respect for her offering.

I feel that nutrition in the coming years must shift to clean, sustainably harvested food. If we make an effort to eat organic, local foods, our connection to our environment and the energy of our environment will strengthen and be self-supporting. At all costs genetically modified foods should be avoided. Our bodies do not recognize these foods as food. Soy and corn are the leading genetically modified crops. The one study done on genetically modified foods fed to rats over a 10-day period showed a shrinkage in heart, thyroid, liver and brain in that time.

Soy has been touted as a health food by the soy industry, and it is not. Soy is highly estrogenic, 98 percent of the crop is genetically modified, and it is indigestable in its raw form. It is a highly processed food that has been misleadingly marketed as a health food to Americans by the soy industry. In place of soy milk, use hemp milk or rice milk, or better yet make your own fresh nut or seed milk in your blender.

I believe that the next few years truly are a turning point in consciousness. Feeding our bodies with mineralized local foods will satisfy incessant hunger cravings, calm the mind and increase energy. Feeding our souls on a deeply nourishing level that recognizes a connection to the earth, humanity and respect for animals will heal our hearts and the earth as well.

Peppo owns Glow live food café in Ketchum, and has a nutrition practice in which she works with individualized nutrition and muscle testing to get to the root of chronic illnesses and pain, while working towards sustained vitality and lasting health.




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