Food is Medicine.

(ThySistas.com) My grandma once told me that sickness, and healing reside in the kitchen. Today we see many brothers and sistahs returning to fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. They are looking for ways to better their health with the least amount of medicine possible. Let’s be honest many of our people don’t trust the medical profession, and they have good reason not to. Too many of our people are disregarded by doctor’s, misdiagnosed, and are just not deemed worth helping. There may be foods that we love and offer us comfort and great memories, but many are saying those same foods kill. Being proactive is very important.

Too many of us wait until we get bad news from the doctor to begin to consider changing our eating habits, and unfortunately some of us would choose pain over eliminating certain foods.  The food we consume has a hand in how healthy we are physically, and mentally. Not getting enough of the vitamins and nutrients we need on a daily basis could be making it very difficult for our body to mend itself and fight off sickness.

I was amazed by the amount of people I came across that told me they don’t eat vegetables, don’t eat fresh fruits, or don’t drink water. Those were some of the same people battling hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. At some point we must be honest about the state of our medicine cabinet, the kitchen. Too many kitchens are loaded with foods that clog arteries, raise blood pressure, and pack on pounds. Its time we stop making internal excuses as to why we put garbage in our temple. We have to be honest about the fast food we consume when we simply don’t feel like cooking and ask ourselves is it worth the price of one’s health. Sometimes the difference between living and dying is on our plate. We must come together as a community to fully bring back the medicine that is our food.

There are so many ways to come by fresh fruits and vegetables…of course we can go to the market for them. However, it is very exciting to grow your own food. There is a sense of independence in doing so, and you know what you are eating…without the pesticides. This is a great way to engage the community in eating healthy and teach children about the value of growing their own food. When the community comes together for projects such as this, they could also have a hand in fighting hunger in the community with healthy food. This is another way to pour life into each other.

Too many of our people are dying at a young age. When we think about this, we are quick to put our attention on violent deaths. However, we are losing people to preventable diseases that are the result of an unhealthy diet in some form. Everything can’t be just rice, potatoes, and meat smothered in flour based gravies. We have to get beyond vegetables that are cooked down to the point the nutritional value is gone. It is important to encourage each other to eat fresh and allow our food to strengthen and heal our body. I truly believe my grandma was correct as my diet has played a large part in literally keeping me alive. Allow your food impart wellness into your life.

Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James

May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.

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