Eat Good Sh*t : Because Food Should BE your Medicine
These days, there is so much contradictory and sometimes ridiculous information regarding what you should and shouldn’t eat. That salmon has worms! That cereal has rat poison! Put that milk down; it’s filled with blood and puss! Unfortunately, more often than not, the scary stuff usually be the truth (milk). And even if it’s not, better safe than sorry in my book.
I know it’s hard to make the best choices when there is so much delicious ass food everywhere. It’s easy to say, “well screw it, I’ll only live once.” While that’s true and I hate to tell anyone to deny themselves the guilty pleasure of that fat loaded, cholesterol dripping, mucus causing chilli cheese hot dog, when I think of the future with my grandkids and great grandkids, I wanna be in it, and I wanna look 35!
You know how melanin do; that’s not too crazy a goal!
Thinking of the crap that is being put in our food should be enough to make a sane person want to adjust their eating habits. One would hope, anyway. There is a reason medical doctors are not taught about food and nutrition in medical school. (I know, crazy, right?!) They know that if you figure out how to treat your body and ailments with real, whole and nutrient rich food, they are out of business. I don't know about you, but I hate the doctor. I do everything I can not to have to see them. No offense to doctors, but y’all are overrated ...unless you’re like a surgeon or something. No dis.
Anyways, the fact that I can not control everything that my family eats is beyond frustrating; I definitely have control issues. I find a small twinge of power and peace, though, in knowing the majority of our food choices are of some benefit to our health and well-being.
I’m not going to give you a long list of supposed perfect, superfoods to eat and why and who says this or that. I just wanna run down what we do in our household and to an extent why. I urge you to do your own research and build upon your own routine. I am by no means a doctor (I am studying Holistic Nutrition), but our diet and habits in our household seem to keep us in generally great health with a random cold outbreak here and there. Our bloodwork and tests all come back normal so I’m assuming I’m doing something right!
So here ya go...
When I wake up in the morning, I start with a warm or room temp glass of spring water with organic lemon and raw, organic honey. Spring water is naturally alkaline and the best water for our bodies according to Dr. Sebi because it contains all of the natural nutrients it came out of the ground with. And yes, I strive for a mostly plant based, animal free diet, but honey is one of those wonder foods that I refuse to give up. Sue me. I do this because I’ve read and and can confirm that it gets your digestive system up and running after the long fast while you were sleeping. The word ‘breakfast’ literally means to break your fast.
According to Ayurvedic practices, warm water is best because if honey mixes with water that is too hot, it’s chemical composition changes and it may become toxic. Also, the warm water won’t shock your system awake and acts as a gentle, mild diuretic. Lemons are of course naturally alkaline and also a great immune booster because of the vitamin C which deads free radicals in your body and combats inflammation. Code for-great looking skin AND better immunity against colds and flu. Nice. The honey, as I said, is a magical food that is good for everything. It’s great for iron absorption for anemic folks like me, and is an easy to digest carb that is gentle on your system. Honey is anti- EVERYTHING; you can use it for colds, flu, wounds, bites, hair, skin, EVERYTHING. Use raw, organic honey with all of the properties still intact. I do my very best to only purchase from companies I “know” to be sustainable, ethically sound farms and preferably local. Do your best. To take it even a step further, get some Royal Jelly; the properties in this are cra-cra and we swear by it as does my father who suffers from Lupus. In general, I subscribe to many suggestions by Ayurvedic practices because I find them calming and effective for me.
At the very least, this morning routine drink is just a little something you can do for yourself before the craziness of the day takes over. Such a simple task that’s full of wellness benefits!
Don’t get confused because now I’m going to try to convince you to go Plant-Based. I know, I know, it’s so hard. I eat honey, and occasionally fish. I know you need cheese and you can’t live without your fried chicken, blah blah blah. A plant-based diet doesn’t mean no meat or animal products ever, it’s simply a way to incorporate more whole and plant based foods into your diet as a base, while limiting but allowing in small amounts those animal products you just gotta have. Though what usually happens is you slowly but surely let go of those habits and dietary choices on your own, which is the goal. (sneaky,huh?) Once you see the change and benefits in your body, it becomes second nature to reject food choices that do not serve your temple in a positive way. Of course there will be cravings and times when choices are slim to none. Trust me, I know those office parties can be torture for a vegan or vegetarian. That’s why the plant-based lifestyle gives you that wiggle room to make mistakes and have set backs, but also to come back to what you know your body needs and craves! You really get in touch with your being and come to find that you ARE in control, this is YOUR body, and you DON’T have to eat the bullshit they feed you.
There are so many reasons to live this food lifestyle. There have been
countless studies done showing that heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and even some types of cancer have been reversed simply by eating a plant-based/vegan diet. Not to mention all the studies done linking these diseases to meat and dairy. As I said, I am not a doctor, but I can read medical journals. And you should, too.
Besides the health factors (as if that wasn’t enough to get you to put the burger down), there are other awesome side effects as well. Usually, when you switch to whole foods, fruit and veggies, you are likely to lose weight. Like, immediately. Of course that’s if you are eating whole, nutrient dense foods and not just eating oreos, chips and guacamole. (They are vegan and trust me, this happens). This eating style combined with a moderate workout can make a huge difference on the scale and on your confidence level. Your skin will likely clear up (though sometimes after a purge), and your energy levels skyrocket. Plus, even if you don’t care (though you should!), it’s
AMAZING for the environment aaaannnd you are not participating in animal cruelty (which I will not get into here). I’ll just say I am far from perfect but I go out of my way to shop sustainably when buying my fish (if there is such a thing anymore); It makes me feel better. I will say though, after researching the laws and regulations regarding animal slaughter and treatment and seeing how far from humane it is, I will never look at a burger or chicken leg the same way.
Moving On.
We also avoid processed foods for the most part; anything they already prepared for you and you just have to heat up or take out the packaging, skip it. That includes even some vegan food. Vegan does not mean healthy. Let’s clear that up right now. Some vegans are junk food addicts themselves (told ya) because there are plenty of processed foods out there I bet you didn’t even realize were vegan! So just as a rule, we try our best to avoid a lot of processing in our food. The amount of sugar, sodium and other chemicals in processed food is unbelievable. Make sure to always read the ingredients list when shopping.
Bottomline is, there is no reason to not make the switch to a Plant Based diet. If you cherish your health and want a cheap way to maintain it, food is your best and most readily available option. There are thousands of websites, Youtube channels, Instagram & Pinterest accounts to show you how to be a dope plant-based chef in no time. I swear Pinterest alone will get you through many a ‘no idea what to cook’ kinda day. It can be a difficult switch at first, especially for kids,but it’s not impossible and if health is your priority, you will make it work. YOU are in CONTROL. The food you put into your body is a direct reflection of how you feel about yourself. So TAKE CARE.
My last tip for letting your food be your medicine is to spice it up!! Spices and herbs are LIFE. Literally. Cumin, Cinnamon, Cayenne, Curry, Turmeric, Dill, Sage, Garlic, Oregano,Thyme, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Ginger, Mustard Seed, Clove...the list goes on and on, but these are some of the most powerful spices and herbs that you can literally pick up at the store. Who woulda thunk it?! You can buy medicine at the grocery store in the food aisle?! Yes, yes you can! Spices are jam packed with benefits for almost anything you can think of. Have a cold or flu? Cinnamon and ginger with raw honey. Need energy and weight loss help? Get you some cayenne pepper! Having skin issues or god forbid, cancer? Get you some cumin, turmeric and ginger. Please take the time to research some of these on your own and begin adding them to your dishes whenever possible. There are a million different ways to use these for preventative measures and for treating existing conditions. Put them in soups, beans, rice, veggies, in smoothies, in teas. Shoot, half of this stuff I have put on my face or in my hair at some point. Roots, herbs, spices, whatever you call them, they come from the earth. Which means they are meant to nurture us in some way or another. Our ancestors knew this. They created brilliant and magical food, tonics, salves, poultices, drinks etc. Somewhere along the way, we as a society became obsessed with the rat race and the next big thing and became dependent upon doctors in white coats shoving pills down our throats. We lost our connection to the Earth, to ourselves. You can restore that connection and live your healthiest life when you decide to get picky and deliberate about what you consume.
It’s amazing what our plants can do when it comes to healing; it’s almost as if...it was meant to be this way.
Happy Healing,
Boujee Hippie
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