Has anyone noticed all the the information talking about how certain foods cause or protect you from dementia? I see new ones every day. My personal thoughts are that the chemicals used to grow or preserve our food is the real issue.

Of course I am curious as any person with a family member who had Alzheimer’s. I want to provide my body what it needs. In the past I was guilty of feeding my family processsed food due to the cost of fresh food. I did the best I could but growing your own food is not always easy. It is time consuming and you need good soil.

Just a few minutes ago I was in the pasture helping my husband move our sheep. Yesterday was my day to wash the pile of eggs in our basket. If you leave fresh eggs on the counter they remain fresh for quite a while. Once they are washed we refrigerate them. In the summer we barter or gift friends. When they are really plentiful we freeze dry for using them in the winter.

My pantry has fresh honey, jams, jellies, vegetable soup, pickled okra and relishes. The freezer has grass fed beef, locally sourced pork and vegetables. Our goal is to grow all we can. We use no chemicals or pesticides. Rabbit manure makes excellent fertilizer.

This year we used our beeswax to make lip balms, candles and hand cream. Avoiding chemicals and modified seeds and hybrid seeds is our ambition. We save seeds as well.

Yes, I ran down a rabbit trail with this post. It is very freeing to be able to eat healthier since moving to our farm. We bought this place from my husband’s parents and they built a smaller home next to us. This is not where I ever expected to be, but seeing they were aging and one was showing signs of cognitive decline is what brought us here.

It is a return to my roots. Memories of running my bare feet through fresh tilled soil, riding on the tractor with my grandfather, gathering eggs with my aunt and sitting under the shade tree while shelling peas flood my mind. I guess a t shirt with GRITS would sum it all up because I am a girl raised in the south. In this return, I am more conscious of how healthy living feels.

Nourishing our bodies with good food and watching chemicals in our lotions, shampoos, and other things applied to our skin may just keep our health as great as we can. I see this as a prevention program so my mind remains strong as long as possible.

While you may not be able to grow your own food, you can grow what you can and avoid processed foods when possible.

I urge you to grow your food!

• patio
• raised beds
• community gardens

Seek good sources!

• visit farms or farmers markets that are organic
• join a co-op for farm shares
• barter a service or skill with a local farmer
• See if friends at your church have eggs or vegetables

I know it is not easy to plant, harvest, cook from scratch and then clean! Look at it as an investment for your body. I am truly blessed to be at a place in my life where farming is our lifestyle. Moving here to be a caregiver has become a huge blessing now that my caregiving season has ended. All of the hard work saves on gym fees!

It is difficult to find the time to grow your food. Consider the benefits of making this a time to get outdoors with the one you take care of. Invite friends to join you. Isolation may fade away when neighbors drop by to see what you are doing.

God placed Adam and Eve in a garden to begin with.

Word for Today

 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Luke 12:23-34

Song for Today

Prayer for Today

Dear Heavenly Father,

I think I understand how wonderful Adam and Eve’s lives could have been. We all struggle to pull weeds in our garden and in our lives. We have allowed both weeds to choke out your amazing goodness that awaits us. Give us the courage to pull the weeds that choke our hearts with fear, anxiety and hopelessness. Give us more faith to trust you and your plan for our lives.

Amen