Today I read a beautiful obituary about a woman who grew up on a farm between Longmont and Boulder, had many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. She “died of natural causes at age 109”…
 

Now I’m going to assume a great deal… I bet she ate well, grew up on vegetables straight from the ground, butter, milk and meat from pastured cows, worked and played outside in all sorts of weather. Maybe she ate plenty of cookies too. Understandably, things were different for her as a child and young adult, there was more land and less people. Did she continue eating well after the food industry started manipulating food decades ago?
 

The purpose of this article is to provide readers with resources that help answer questions about food. A common statement is how information about food changes all the time. The egg and cholesterol is a perfect example of “data” changes. Data is in quotations because inaccurate information has been delivered by industries that are not necessarily interested in health. It is important to find out where the information comes from, and who pays for the research. The following website offers current and historical research articles: https://www.seleneriverpress.com/historical/
 

I’d like to provide as many reputable and honest resources as possible. I recently discovered a documentary called “Magic Pill”. It is not about pills at all, it thoroughly follows children, adults, families and large groups of people from this and other countries to document the changes in their health after providing them with nutritional information. The changes are amazing. An excellent local resource is through the Raw Milk Association of Colorado, http://www.rawmilkcolorado.org. Also, speaking directly with farmers in your area is probably the most informative. The Farmer’s Markets are out in full force, please visit and ask questions! A few more resources include the following Weld County residents:
 

Ty and Page Turecek are a great local resource for your questions about beef:
www.theviewfromunderacowboyhat.com
 

Joy Erickson is a great local resource for your questions about milk, pork, honey, eggs and dog treats:
(970)556-4481
milklady2007@gmail.com
 

Another way to think about food is by looking at how it grows. “The energetics of food” was discussed during our Chinese medicine nutrition class. We were taught to notice the behavior of plants and animals. For example, chickens are talkative and move quickly, cows more slowly, buffalo can be still, but run suddenly and quickly. The behavior of an animal, it’s “energetics” reflects how it will affect the person or animal that eats it. Examples of this in the plant world are the comparison of root vegetables that grow under ground and leafy vegetables that grow upward. Both chicken and the leafy greens that grow up and out give that same up and out effect, which is more outgoing, social, yang. Root vegetables and beef are more grounding and quiet, or yin. The same goes for how foods are cooked, or processed. Soups and stews that are cooked slowly on low heat all day in a crock pot have a more calming, grounding energy, especially a beef, carrot and potato stew. Leafy greens that are sautéed quickly over high heat enhances their up and out, or yang energy.
 

With food energetics in mind, let’s think about margarine and some vegetable oils. Margarine and most vegetable oils are processed under extreme heat and pressure. Generally, people already feel a lot of pressure and stress. In addition to the energetic effect, the nutritional value is also degraded. When foods are manipulated under extreme heat and pressure, the beneficial nutrients are no longer available. What’s left behind are fats that are no longer able to be assimilated in the system and must be excreted as toxins by the liver and kidney. Plants that easily give up their oils are olive, avocado and coconut. The importance of food was heavily emphasized throughout the Chinese medicine and acupuncture education. We were encouraged to ask about a person’s digestion because the function of this system impacts everything from muscle to brain function and everything in between.
 

Last but not least, money and food are topics that come up together. My family has noticed that it is actually more cost effective to purchase directly from farmers. For example, larger amounts of beef once per year from a small farm is not only more cost effective than purchasing smaller portions from grocery stores, but the quality is much better. The same goes for milk. The quality of milk is much higher than what is offered at grocery stores and the cost is the same. The only personal opinion I’ll give in this article is that I enjoy knowing who the people are that work so hard to provide quality food. I’ve learned a great deal from them.
 
Thank you.