| Changes in the quality of the World's food supply. |
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Dave Brown
Senior Member
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Posted: 28 Apr 2005 01:05 pm |
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For more than a quarter century I've been sifting through nutrition information trying to find the best explanations as to why humanity is experiencing so much obesity, chronic disease, and mental illness. In the course of my investigations I have learned that the human body is almost infinately complex in terms of its biochemical structure. Living organisms are also infinately variable in their biochemical makeup. That's why a cow can identify its offspring by smell or bloodhounds can tree a mountain lion or track a criminal to his hideout.
One person observes this complexity and tells himself that this must be the product of intelligent design. Another views the same phenomena concluding that, over time, a series of chance chemical reactions is responsible for the beauty and complexity of the natural world. Each believes, with equal ferver, that his viewpoint is the correct one. Neither can validate his viewpoint through scientific investigation. So one thing is certain. There is no accounting for belief.
Many people draw conclusions as to what constitutes the "proper" diet from their own experience and that of people similar to themselves. However, in this world of biochemical diversity, it is a mistake to recommend a one-size-fits-all approach to achieving sound health or promoting weight loss. There's room for a multitude of approaches as long as the food meets two criteria. It must provide adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients and it must be appropriate for individual biochemical makeup. In simple terms, one man's meat is another man's poison.
Peter, the originator of this forum is different from me. I eat a high-fat diet that includes generous amounts of butter, sour cream, cottege cheese, yogurt, hard cheese, eggs, and red meat. Because most of this sort of food is difficult and expensive to obtain in its most nutritious configuration (organically grown/raw/ unprocessed), I also eat plenty of vegetables that I raise in heavily composted soil.
My theory of establishing sound health without resorting to expensive supplements is to load my garden soil with nutrients. Since plants take up nutrients (and toxins for that matter) in proportion to what is available in the soil, introducing extra minerals can make a difference in the quality of virtually every kind of food grown in a garden. For example, soils of the valley where I reside are deficient in selenium. If cattle, horses, and sheep are not given a supplement containing this element, they are at risk for developing cardiomyopathy, otherwise known as white muscle disease.
It's not clear whether this selenium deficiency is due to failure to replenish pasture land with mineral rich fertilizers or if there exists an actual generalized soil deficiency. Apparently deer and other animals, free to roam and forage outside the boundaries of established pastureland, don't experience problems associated with selenium deficiency.
Most of my compost is made using leaves and grass clippings. Up to a third of the dry weight of a leaf is mineral material.
An efficient technique for enriching soil with leaves alone is stone mulching. I spread 4 to 6 inches of wet leaves around the base of my fruit trees and cover them with stones. Earthworms feed on this material continually through the warm months, aerating the soil, and distributing worm castings in the root zone of the trees. Stone mulched trees grow 2 to 4 times faster than unmulched trees in the neighborhood and need far less water. The technique can also be used for raspberries, strawberries, corn, beans, virtually any sort of shrub or row crop - if enough stones and leaves are available. New leaves are added in the spring or fall.
My gardening efforts seem to be paying off. My family is genetically prone to arthritis and joint problems. Stiff knees and joint deterioration have been a problem for my father and a younger sister. My knees became stiff and painful starting about ten years ago. These past five years, however, have seen steady improvement in joint movement, and the pain is completely gone at this point. My sister continues to have problems and my dad uses a cane or walker most of the time.
Hope someone finds this information helpful.
Dave Brown
Last edited on 1 May 2005 02:27 pm by Dave Brown
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