Change Your Tastes; Not All Cravings Are Bad!
When a client begins with me, she (or he) fills out a short health history form. The form asks about cravings and addictions. So far, I can recall only one person leaving that line blank. Most people list things like chocolate, coffee, and sweet or salty foods. Sometimes these cravings are pretty innocuous, really. The problem comes when a person is ruled by them, or when their cravings are really created by a serious imbalance or deficiency.
Sugar!
To be clear, just because you want something does not mean you have an addiction or even a craving. My roots are southern and mid-western, so I used to hear folks say they had a “hankerin” for a certain food. Like watermelon on a hot day, such a desire can turn out very well!
When my husband and I were first together, he and I had a discussion that went something like this: “I just don’t understand how an inanimate object, like a brownie, can control a human being.” Then my answer/question, “Haven’t you ever wanted something so intensely that you couldn’t control your response?” Scott, “No.” Some people are just that healthy! Some of us, however, really have to face the fact that we are controlled by a brownie.
the inanimate yet deceptively controlling brownie
Sugar addiction is actually a serious problem in our country; it is leading to ever-increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, and other “lifestyle diseases.” My friend, Julie, and I give a “Sugar Blues” lecture all about addressing this issue. There are whole books and even movies on this topic. Dr.Robert Lustig is a well-known authority. Click here to read one of his articles; click here to see his movie, “The Bitter Truth.”
What I really want you to take away from me today is that it is possible to escape the clutches of sugar addiction! Some people can quit sugar cold turkey; most cannot. My friend, Carrie, quit sugar for a month because she thought she might be consuming an unhealthy amount. She wanted to see if she could do it, and if it would make a difference in how she felt. She told me that after the month ended, she resumed adding honey to her tea, but only needed a tiny bit. Her taste for sweetness had shifted; she no longer needed as much to be satisfied with the taste of her tea.
Eat veggies!
Sometimes people can benefit from taking nutritional supplements, like chromium picolinate, until their cravings for sugar are under control. Adding good sources of protein at every meal and snack can also help. To really figure out a great strategy based on your individual needs, I recommend that you see a health coach or someone like Master Herbalist Julie Formby. Of course, adding supplements or herbs to a diet full of processed junk foods is not going to help you. What can help is adding in more vegetables (especially green ones!) and plant foods. High quality animal products, in moderate amounts, can be great for some people. Drinking more water is something nearly all of my clients benefit from.
Over time, and sometimes a surprisingly short time, your tastes can change significantly for the better.
The perfect blend: my famous chocolate green smoothie
My daughter, who is 16, reports that she now craves green smoothies. I personally crave things like sunflower seeds and yams (and those green smoothies, too!) I still crave chocolate once in a while, but good dark chocolate. Usually, when I crave something that I know is good for my body, I simply eat it! It’s probably something my body needs.
My Top 5 Foods for a Memorial Day Picnic
Nearly every year, May kicks us so hard that by Memorial Day, we don’t have a plan at all. We end up doing something with family, friends & neighbors at the last minute. But, guess what? It’s still just as fun! It’s nice enough the last Monday in May to eat outdoors, and even to cook outdoors (except the first May we lived in Colorado, when it snowed!) We have a simple little wooden deck near the back door of our home, and we usually spend the afternoon or evening out there.
Gathering of Friends
Here are some of our favorite foods for the occasion:
1) Grilled Salmon and Veggies. We own a lovely device that allows us to grill cut vegetables. Our friend called it a “grill wok,” but it’s actually flat. The ones with sides are probably better, since the veggies are less likely to fall over the edge. It doesn’t take much effort to prepare this or to make it taste fabulous! I like to marinate the veggies in a bit of citrus juice, olive oil and herbs. Scott likes to put apricot barbecue sauce on the salmon. The important thing is to avoid overcooking the salmon. A few minutes on each side, depending on the thickness, the heat of your grill, & how far from the flame.
2) Garden Salad. Again, not much effort expended here. (That’s sort of the point, right?) Garden greens are still new & tender. Throw in your favorites and add a light dressing. I like to include raisins and nuts in our salad. You can make a nice seasonal dressing by whizzing a few strawberries with some balsamic vinegar in the blender. And speaking of strawberries…
Strawberries
3) Fresh Berries. They’re in season, so it’s the perfect time to get to your local produce stand and pick up some blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and even something more exotic if you like. They’re awesome just as they are, or with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, or dipped in melted chocolate. You can also pair a berry with rhubarb, also in season, to make a great pie. Click here for my recipe (It’s for apple pie, but it works just as well for berries & rhubarb) and click here for the gluten-free crust recipe. Since they’re loaded with antioxidants and low in sugar, enjoy as many as you want.
Home Made Pie!
4) Local Brews. We are fortunate to live near quite a few breweries and ale houses. It’s kind of a Colorado thing; but I know there are lots of places where you can find great local beers & ales. New flavors are appearing all the time. I’ve recently discovered brews made with coffee, chocolate, and ginger. (Okay, maybe not new to you, but to me, it was!)
Northern Colorado craft brews: Left Hand, New Belgium, and Ft.Collins Brewery
5) Home made ice cream, sorbet or other frozen dessert. If you’re vegan, you need not miss out. You can make up an awesome sorbet or other dessert using an ice cream freezer. (You can even use a regular food processor if you just freeze some bananas ahead of time. Here’s a recipe I like from a cool website.) Get creative! Start with your favorite milk– could be almond, coconut, hemp, or dairy. Add some pureed fruit if you like. I like to use coconut milk with some coffee and pureed bananas. Cocoa and coconut are good additions to this mixture. If you eat dairy, add some plain yogurt or kefir. Sweeten the mixture to your satisfaction. Be sure to follow the instructions that come with your freezer as to the amount of mixture you can put into it.
I’d love to hear what your favorites are. Have a great Memorial Day!
The Garden That Keeps on Giving
One of the best parts of spring is saying “hello” to all my favorite garden plants. I am not a lazy person; but I am especially thankful for the plants that appear of their own volition. Sometimes they come because they are perennials. Sometimes it’s one of those varieties that puts out hundreds of pesky seeds which seem to be everywhere in the fall. Other times, I have little idea of why a certain plant comes up in spring, but I appreciate the simple fact that it is here through no effort of mine.
Angelina sedum and “hens & chicks,” planted about 7 years ago
Many years ago, a friend generously gave me a tomato plant, with a remark that I would have to do almost nothing in order to harvest delicious tomatoes in a couple of weeks. The plant was so big that it already had several smallish, green fruits on it’s branches. Yet, in a couple of weeks, that plant was dead. I had probably let quite a few days pass before I’d even checked to see if it needed a drink.
The tree in our front yard produces these pink flowers, which I use nearly every year to decorate my daughter’s birthday dessert.
Not long after that, I thought that I may succeed at gardening if I tried to grow weeds. (Some are edible, right?) Around this time, I learned about perennials and “self-seeders.” Could it really be that some plants would re-appear every year on their own? I’d never paid much attention, but after making a point to notice, I realized that they’re everywhere– irises, lilies, hostas, poppies, bachelor buttons, roses– I’d been seeing them all my life, or course.
Rhubarb, planted by a previous owner of our home
I began to learn which plants were easy to grow in my neck of the woods by asking neighbors and friends, and just by looking around and noticing which varieties seemed to look good in every yard. I was still intimidated by vegetables and fruits, but I really filled in my beds with flowers. I had to start the process all over when we moved to a completely different climate, here in Colorado. Eventually, my husband asked me why I never grew vegetables. “I just seem to kill everything I try to grow,” was my answer. He pointed out that I was being silly, since our yard was full of beautiful flowers.
So, I’m a little slow. I looked around the yard, and not only did we have a lot of lovely flowers, but we also had quite a few fruits & herbs that were planted by previous owners. As I became more interested in the benefits of growing our own food, I resolved to try to grow vegetables, and to begin to use the things that were already growing in my own little corner. Now I’m totally hooked!
Iris, sage, strawberries and more come back every year (so far)
I’m not the most awesome gardener, but on most days, for at least half the year, I can get at least some food from my very own yard. Sure, I have plants that fail, for one reason or another, every year. That’s okay. I still get a ton of exercise and satisfaction from what does grow. Today, for example, I was able to have spinach, chives, lettuce, dandelion, sage and lavender for lunch! Soon, there’ll be radishes, strawberries, Swiss Chard, and rhubarb. Later, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and beets. Not long after that, plums, okra, & summer squash. Finally, we’ll have winter squash, broccoli, and pumpkins. All along there will be fresh herbs.
Spinach & lettuce, sown last year
Next spring and summer, I’ll probably have quite a few “volunteers” show up once again. I’ll keep as many as I can, and enjoy the fruits of my labor; but not really, since there was no actual work involved.
If you’re just getting started in gardening, good for you! If you’re a master, congrats! If you don’t have a garden spot available, consider a container garden, or, maybe support local farmers or community gardens. There’s good reason gardening is our nation’s #1 hobby!
Just Breathe….
Greetings, friends! It’s the time of year for dance and choir concerts, sporting events, finals, graduations and graduation parties, plays and musicals, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, garden planting, spring cleaning…are you still breathing?
Happy Birthday Daughter!
Last week, I listened to the Food Revolution Summit online, with John & Ocean Robbins. I was not able to hear every single interview, because I also had the Spring Conference for my school, IIN, going on over the weekend. (At the same time, we had guests from out of town, and our daughter was in a musical.) Here’s what I thought: “Wow. A lot of people are on board to change things in our world around health and food–what we eat and how we produce it.”
I also thought, once again, that my school is awesome! Where else are thousands of people gathered together from dozens of countries to learn about food, and how to help each other in the area of health? Well, I know that there are other such places; but I’m pretty passionate about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition! (And I DO think it’s unique.)
Back here in Colorado, I’m just trying to catch my breath. Yesterday was my daughter’s 22nd birthday. So, we took the day off to go hiking in the Rocky Mountains. We were walking on top of several feet of snow, the weather was perfect, and there was plenty of fresh air and delightful conversation. Also, there was no stress whatsoever. Glorious!
Scott’s snow art
And speaking of fresh air…during the IIN conference, Dr.Andrew Weil took us through a breathing exercise. (Click here for more info from Dr.Weil.) I use various breathing exercises and techniques to relax and quickly re-focus my brain. Breathing, of course, is foundational in yoga practice. It’s funny that we sort of forget to breathe, doing only what we must to survive. Breath exercise helps deepen breath; it feels as if air is entering every cell in the body; and in a way, it is.
For me, breath work is not about an eastern-style meditation; but it is about re-focusing my attention. Rather than attempting to empty my brain of all thought, I find it useful and rejuvenating to meditate on a verse of scripture or just a phrase from a verse. Sometimes, I simply bring my attention to God, and rest there. We are so busy that we can forget to do things like breathing and resting, things we really need to do.
Fellow hikers who stopped for a fun photo
A beautiful hike in the mountains, or any place outdoors that you you enjoy, can give you an opportunity to re-focus, shift your experience of time, and fill your body with fresh oxygen. It can be a walking meditation. Your body needs such times of refreshing, I believe. Your soul certainly needs it! If you can’t get away into nature for a few minutes or hours, take a minute, literally, to close your eyes and just breathe.
Mollie and Scott at Emerald Lake, Colorado
The “V WORDS” –Vegetarian and Vegan
This is a BIG topic. I feel I have to address it because of my previous posts about finding a dietary theory that is right for you. There’s a lot of information out there on the web, so if you want to know a ton of facts and opinions on this subject, try Googling it. I will give you a slice of input from my perspective.
I became a vegetarian in 1979, sort of. I’d had digestive issues since I could remember, and my doctors did not have an answer for me; so I decided to try eliminating meat. But I was still a teenager, and didn’t know much about being vegetarian. I’m sure I ate quite a lot of hidden meat and meat broth at family gatherings and parties, never being the wiser. People didn’t know what to do with me when I showed up for a meal. My boyfriend’s aunt went to a lot of trouble to make me a lovely cheese soufle. (Good thing I wasn’t vegan!)
Home Grown Produce
The problem with my diet in those days was not so much the absence of meat, but the lack of nutrients. I was still eating a lot of pizza, cinnamon rolls, and other junk food, along with a fair amount of homemade foods that were decent but still not so nutritious. Eventually, when I was expecting my first child, I began to crave meat intensely. My 7-year stint as a vegetarian was over.
Here’s the thing: people who do well as vegetarians eat nutritious foods! I’m talking about foods that are loaded with antioxidants, or essential fatty acids, or polyphenols, or fiber, or some other beneficial nutrients. These are the foods that, if you shop at Whole Foods, rank high on the ANDI scale. We sometimes call them “superfoods.”
Kale- a perfect ANDI score- is nutritionally dense.
Vegetarians typically leave meat (including fish and chicken) out of their diets. Pescatarians include fish, flexitarians eat mostly vegetarian, but will include the “no no” foods on occasion, as I understand it. Then there are the vegans. When I first heard about this way of eating, I could simply not believe that anyone would voluntarily give up cheese and ice cream!
Vegans do not eat any animal products. That includes, eggs, honey, gelatin, and things most people never think about. Some people choose veganism for health reasons; many go this route for philosophical reasons. Ultimately, some people thrive as vegans; some do not. This is where bio-individuality comes in.
So what’s my opinion? Well, ironically, I now eat some meat, though I am very particular that it be mostly local, and always humanely and naturally raised. (I know that the word “natural” means absolutely nothing on a label. When I say it, I mean that the animals eat pretty much what they would in nature, and are allowed to be outdoors and behave as nature intended.) I am not really eating dairy products, the thing I thought I could never live without. I occasionally eat sheep yogurt; but I do not seem to tolerate much dairy.
Cows eating grass, as they are intended to do.
I think it is important to state my opinion as to sustainability. I agree with many vegans when I say that the way we are currently raising animals and farming is not sustainable. It won’t work from an environmental perspective, nor from a health perspective. I applaud people who raise any of their own food, support local growers, or raise animals, even for food, in a humane and compassionate way. I encourage my clients to be connected to their food–know where it comes from and even form relationships with farmers and growers.
If you are interested in trying vegetarianism or veganism, get some good info and some support from a friend or health professional. Give it a good try, at least a month. See how you feel. It can be very therapeutic to eliminate animal products. People have lost weight and recovered from serious illnesses by doing this for a time, or permanently. Check out Neal Barnard M.D. and his 21 Day Vegan Kickstart by clicking here. Also, take a look at Brenda Davis R.D. by clicking here. Both of these people are well respected and knowledgeable vegans. For cool vegan superfood recipes, David Wolfe is a favorite of mine.
April Icicles
A couple of weeks ago, I took my dogs for a walk the morning after a snow storm. The sun was bright, and there were icicles everywhere, sparkling and dripping. I gave my son, Lee, a call. He has been taking some lovely photos lately, and I know he had some new equipment he’d like to try out.
The result was the following series of photos. As I mention from time to time, beautiful imagery is nourishing to my soul. Art of any kind has the ability to speak to something deeper than words can reach. So, even though this post is not about nutrition, exactly, I thought you might enjoy it, too.
Lee is now doing real estate photography, portraits, and special interest. You can contact him at FreemanFrames@Gmail.com.
Even If You Hate The Gym, Get Moving!
Now that spring is here, I feel more at liberty to discuss the topic of …dare I mention the word?…exercise. My clients seem to be all over the map as to their feelings toward this subject; I have learned to tread lightly! It seems that while we all know it’s good to be active, and to limit the amount of time we spend parked in chairs or other pieces of furniture, some of us don’t like the gym, can’t stand most sports, and shun even the word “exercise.”
Then there are those who avoid the gym for a different reason. They reason that it is an artificial environment where people execute contrived and unnatural activities. They prefer hiking, biking, swimming in the river, and other such virtuous exercise. Yet, many people who use this line of reasoning have confessed to me that they often don’t actually get outside more than a few times a year.
Plan a hike with friends-
you’ll be more likely to keep your exercise date.
Hey, I can’t make you do what you really don’t want to do. But all the green vegetables in the world won’t make you healthy if you’re going to spend all day every day sitting at a computer (which is where I find myself more & more!) How can you motivate yourself? Here are a few suggestions.
1) Take the first step (literally). Sometimes when I’m immersed in a project, I have to force myself to rise from the chair, or step away from the desk, and head toward the door of my house. Once I take a few steps in the fresh air, it is so refreshing that I naturally want to go for a walk or run.
2) Make a plan that involves someone else. Meet a neighbor & go to a yoga class. Make arrangements for childcare. Even send an e-mail or facebook message to your sister in another location, agreeing that you’ll hold each other accountable. Agree to message each other each day/week about your exercise or activities. Here’s one that’s really hard to get out of: promise your kids you’ll go hiking or swimming together & put the date on the calendar.
Your kids (or your friend’s kids) won’t let you forget!
3) Try adding 1 or 2 minute bursts of activity, several times, into your daily routine. Maybe do a few stretches in between e-mails, or some calf raises or warrior poses in between errands.Click here to learn a quick move that will strengthen your core & help prevent back pain. This exercise is from Dr. Eric Goodman, a really well-rounded health professional trained in several areas, including chiropractic.
4) Get into a routine. Do whatever it takes to accomplish this! Set an alarm–or several. Plan to be active in some way most days. Regard it similarly to showering or eating. Once you do this for about a month, it will be SO much easier to stick with it. You will feel better, and you will be in the habit. If you miss a day or a week, don’t waste time feeling guilty; just start today, whatever day it is. Don’t feel bad about what you can’t do; focus on what you can do.
5) Read. It’s not very physically active, I know. But if you are motivated by what you read, it can help a lot. I get excited when I read other people’s testimonials of transformation. You may be motivated by reading about the health benefits of Zumba or team sports. If reading doesn’t thrill you, maybe watching a movie will do the trick. “Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead” is a very inspiring documentary about a guy who starts a whole wave of health transformations, starting with himself. Click here to visit the website & view it for free.
6) Consider what it will mean for you to be healthier. Write down on an index card what great thing you will be able to realize by getting stronger, more flexible, and having more energy. Put it somewhere you will see every day.
Post a note reminding yourself what’s in it for you.
7) Hire a health coach! Visit my website (click here). I’ll be happy to speak with you in person, by phone, or Skype. Together, we’ll get you to move so you can enjoy better mood & better health.
Favorite Spring Super-Smoothie
Strawberries are in season! I just received a quart of organic strawberries in my bi-weekly produce box from local provider Green Buffalo. According to a flyer that came with my strawberries, more than half of 7-9-year-old kiddos say this is their favorite fruit. Good choice! A cup of these berries has plenty of antioxidants like Vitamin C, fiber, and only 55 calories. And since they taste fabulous, I decided to come up with a smoothie recipe featuring strawberries.
Strawberry Green Smoothie
All of my smoothie these days are “Nutri-Blast” smoothies, which means you can really only properly make them using a Nutri-Bullet. I’ve had lots of cheaper blenders, and ended up with unpleasant chunks in my smoothies. These handy machines really do a good job of pulverizing everything I put in, which makes it possible to sort of hide good stuff like super-foods in the blend. (A Vita-Mix works too; but I do not have one.)
Each of these Nutri-Blast recipes starts out pretty much the same: fill the cup 1/2 full with green leafy stuff. In this recipe, I use Swiss Chard, because it is huge & beautiful right now! Be sure to rotate your greens every few days, as each kind contains different nutrients, & also different anti-nutrients. (To learn more about this, click here to see a 9 minute clip from the Renegade Health Show.)
To the Swiss Chard I added a bit of cilantro, a chunk of cucumber, a tomatillo, and 1/4 of an avocado.
I nearly always shred up a bit of root veggie to put into a smoothie, usually beet, carrot, or in this case, yam.
Shredding the yam helps it incorporate well & minimized wear-and-tear on the blender. I ended up with around 1/2 cup.
Now comes the fruit. No need to trim the green tops of the berries. I did trim off a couple of mushy brown bits though.
This completes the produce pile. Yum!
The next step is to add the liquid. I found some lovely peach Kombucha I made a month or so ago in my fridge. I don’t like a really strong taste of kombucha in the smoothie, so I added about 1/2 cup.
Home made peach kombucha
Next, it was time to add one of my favorite products: So Delicious coconut creamer. I put in about 1/4 cup. I also added a bit of water, to bring the level of the liquid up to about 2/3 of the level of the produce.
coconut creamer
The last thing to go in was a little handful of goodness consisting of flax seeds & pistachios. Cashew butter is great in this recipe too; but I ran out yesterday. You could also add mace at this stage (which I also did yesterday.)
pistachios & flax seeds
Blend & drink. Happy Spring!
Isn’t Gluten-Free Eating Just a Fad?
Over and over I hear this question. I understand why, too. Everywhere, food labels advertise “gluten-free!” even on items like honey or yogurt. And often, gluten-free labeled foods have a higher price tag (sometimes ridiculously high!) It could seem like someone decided to try to capitalize on this eating trend with the objective of making a bundle of profits from the unsuspecting health-seeking public.
There’s a certain ring of truth to this idea, of course. Gluten-free does not always mean “healthy.” Far from it! Many gluten-free packaged goods are full of sugar and/or are highly processed, and can even be much less salubrious than their “regular” counterparts.
If you talk to the average gluten-free consumer, however, you get a pretty different picture. As a health coach, I can tell you that no one I know of sets out to become gluten-free just for fun. Usually, when someone has clear warning signals of gluten-intolerance or Celiac disease, there is first a period of denial. “Oh, I don’t feel too bad, really.” Following this is the cry “but what will I eat?!?”
Some stuff I can’t eat
Once an elimination diet has been completed, and it’s certain that the person must avoid gluten, there is usually a period of “cheating.” I know this only too well; my cheating days lasted for years. “I think I’m okay with just a little bit of gluten,” I’d say to myself. “This little handful of Cheeze-its won’t hurt me.” Oh brother…
When I learned the facts about what was really going on in my gut during these times, and when I considered the fact that, in spite of my hard work to correct my digestive distress, I still was actually getting worse, I had to admit it would be worth it to really try going completely gluten-free. Eventually, I was in so much pain that it seemed just plain stupid not to try it.
Something I can eat
For a person who is gluten intolerant, every ingestion of gluten is an assault to the gut, leading to hidden inflammation, a condition called “leaky gut,” compromised immunity, and many times, compounding the noticeable outward symptoms such as gas, bloating, pain, and elimination problems. Symptoms can also include brain fog, other psychological issues, and more. Once the intestines are letting undigested particles of foods through, into areas where they don’t belong, the immune system identifies these particles as “the enemy,” causing further inflammation and symptoms. There’s really no way to stop these results until the offending food is eliminated and the gut is healed. (Sugar can have a similar effect.)
Some more stuff I can eat
I’ve been traveling this road for my whole life. I can’t remember a time when my digestion has been good, until the past couple of years. Even though I never wanted to give up wheat & gluten, it’s been the best thing I’ve ever done for improving my health. Since I also had other sensitivities, and I wasn’t too systematic or diligent, it’s taken many years to get everything normalized for me. I can honestly say that I don’t miss the foods I live without, for the most part.
Unfortunately, more & more folks, including many children, are discovering that they are sensitive to gluten. This trend is unlikely to reverse in the near future. It is alarming to realize that since the early 1990′s, when genetically modified wheat made it’s appearance in America, wheat allergies have affected increasingly larger percentages of children. Other common allergens are also genetically modified, such as corn and peanuts.
So, not only is gluten intolerance not a “fad,” but food intolerances are on the rise, in general. As a health coach, part of my life’s mission is to be of service to people affected by these issues–and that’s lots of us! Contact me to learn more. I will be posting more on this topic in future blog posts.
Call Me an Environmentalist
I used to say, “I’m not an environmentalist. I just think we should take care of what we have.” Over the past several years, I have learned a lot more about not only the condition of the various areas of our planet, but also about the potential to restore damaged areas.
I am not a scientist or a farmer. I can barely keep up with my simple backyard garden and a couple of dogs. But what I have noticed is that what environmental groups have been claiming about the devastation from over-farming & over-grazing of animals, as well as the ability to restore areas through the re-introduction of native plants rings true. Even as children, weren’t we taught that erosion happens when areas lack vegetation?
The thing that has changed a bit for me is the idea that great good can be accomplished in a relatively short time frame. Today, I visited Dr. Mercola’s site and watched a video featuring the work of Dr. John D. Liu, who is a pioneer in the area of restoration. All over the world, Dr. Liu is helping to raise awareness and restore lands that have been barren due to many years of unbalanced farming & grazing. Click here to see this post of Dr. Mercola’s.
Dr. Liu also has a film called, “Hope in a Changing Climate,” which you can watch on YouTube by clicking here. He observes that vast amounts of land can and should be rehabilitated in order to restore communities where drought, flooding, and famine have dislocated many people. He also emphasizes that this is a global issue. “The entire planet must be functional,” Liu says.
This morning, I saw footage taken in Jordan in which a large area of land had been fenced off and protected for a few years. Next to that was land which was not protected. The difference was astonishing! Native plants had become lush and plentiful in the protected area. I also saw video taken in Ethiopia, where a community had been able to move back into their home land after a few years away, since vegetation was being restored. The growing plant life allowed rainfall to be absorbed back into the land, instead of running off and washing away.
It’s not that complicated, really; but it’s something I did not think about for a long time. In Rwanda, wetlands are recovering and hydro-electric power is once again replacing dirty diesel generators, which had to be used when the rivers became depleted. Clear streams of water are again being seen in Africa, and also in China, where Dr. Liu was first inspired by a project to restore depleted and eroded hillsides. The success of the Chinese delighted Dr. Liu and provided a model for his work.
As I watched all of this, I couldn’t help but think of driving through our own Midwest a couple of summers ago. Scott & I drove for 22 hours, from Colorado to Northern Michigan. We saw almost nothing but fields of corn and soybeans. It made me frustrated and angry to think all that represents in regard to our food supply and the way we do farming. But what I saw today gave me hope that perhaps attitudes are really changing. Perhaps we can begin to see more clearly the impact we are having on our country, our health, & our planet. Maybe we can work together to do better.
