1. Something I am excited about…
We do not have room in our yard for a garden, but each year a patient of mine gives me some type of plant. It usually ends poorly. This year, however, the tomato plant and pepper plant that she gave me are both thriving. I am excited to cut into one of those beefsteak tomatoes once they are ripe. Thanks, Helen V., for continuing to bring me these plants! I’ll be happy to be able to share a thriving harvest instead of a wilting mess. One thing I did with this one is add one tablespoon of baking soda to the soil. Why? Because the best tomato I have ever eaten came from another patient (thank you, Connie D.!), and this was the one thing that I know she did differently. Really hoping it helps. We really have no room for a true garden, but I think we figured out a space and a way to put in three planter boxes for next year. Nothing like knowing EXACTLY where your food comes from. I know it’s not super impressive for all you gardeners out there, but I’ll post the pic of the tomato and pepper plants below…
2. Quote I love… and have given more thought to this week…
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”
-Joseph Campbell
Ponder on that one for a while!
3. Wellness tip…
Something that Lana and I are paying more attention to is seed oils. If you read food labels, you will often see seed oils as part of the ingredients….oils such as palm, corn, canola, cotton, soy, sunflower, and safflower. And they often show up even in so-called health foods. Highly processed seed oils overload us with omega-6 fatty acids, which can cause inflammation and contribute to other diseases and conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer. Our much healthier ancestors had an omega-6:omega-3 ratio of about 1:1. Today our ratio is about 20:1 because of the high processing of our foods. We need to increase our intake of omega-3’s (avocados, fish, fish oil, grass-fed meats, etc.), but we also need to REDUCE our consumption of omega-6’s. Of course, the research is mixed, with some saying seed oils are not a problem, but my guess is that those studies are funded or influenced by the seed oil industry (surprise, surprise!). The bottom line is that the human body will do better without those toxic seed oils, especially in the amounts that we consume. We read labels very carefully and choose healthier options with good oils/fats or no oils at all. For example, since we snack on mixed nuts regularly, we now buy organic, dry-roasted nuts. These do not have any oils at all (but they are not easy to find). And since our family occasionally eats potato chips and tortilla chips, we are careful to choose brands that have very few ingredients and only use avocado oil or olive oil. You can click here to read an article with more info about seed oil facts and dangers. And see the image below for a quick summary of oils…