So many people are looking to upgrade their health these days. Most people start by taking a vitamin or supplement. Perhaps you switch to eating a plant based diet or start shopping at Whole Foods? Seems like the right thing to do.
12 years ago, Caitlin and I both had several health issues that we couldn't figure out but suspected they were related to our food.
Coming off a vegan diet Caitlin had anemia. We were living in the Bay Area at the time and after her test results, she consulted a holistic doctor.
"Start eating meat." were the first words out of his mouth. "I see this all the time."
The consequences, of what we thought was the right thing to do, went further than just ourselves:
The great disconnect to death in our western culture has taught us death bad, life good.
But closer to the truth is that something has to die, for there to be life. Just because you can shop for plants and grains at a grocery store doesn't mean something didn't die in the production of that food.
As we dug deeper into specific agricultural methods and systems, one stood out.
Regenerative agriculture; An artisanal biomimicry, regenerative agriculture models itself after patterns of nature with human brushstrokes.
In nature, there are trophic levels of plants and animals working together. In conventional modern agriculture, we segregate plant and animal systems, thus weakening the natural healthy relationships those systems have to water, soil, and air.
Regenerative agriculture begins to weave those relationships back into modern food production. Instead of a slow destruction in the name of cheap food, we are building a modern resilient civilization for many generations.
Is it the food or the processing?
Another time, Caitlin and I eliminated wheat, dairy, and refined sugar. I saw some immediate improvements but I still struggled with gut issues and psoriasis in the long term.
It wasn't until we started farming and growing our own food that things started to click. Now we get 95% of our food from our farm community. Eating out is rare and I can tell the effects on my gut microbiome instantly. Seed oils, refined carbs, micro plastics, gmo's, it's a minefield out there.
Meat is a quality whole unprocessed food. In fact, meat for humans is very nutritious.
Nose-to-tail human nutrition is the foundation of ecosystem stability.
Artisan farmers steward animals through nature and humans cook the nutrient dense foods for their family. It's a 360 win.
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