As Spring began and I was walking through Anderson's Garden Center to plant my garden, I began to get overwhelmed with options for soil. Me, not being a master gardener, couldn't help but wonder why there were this many options for dirt. I mean, it's just dirt. As I roamed through the aisles, I noticed that some dirt was fortified with phosphorus, and some with calcium, etc. I went with the standard I knew best, Miracle Grow. It's got everything, right?
It hit me on the way home, that we are much like plants. If your tomatoes are lacking calcium, the leaves will be pale and curled and you will have black spots on your fruit. Yes, tomatoes are a fruit. If your peppers are lacking phosphorus, you'll get small, hard, extremely dark green leaves that break off easily when handled. Humans that are deficient in nutrients exhibit different symptoms. Lack of Iron = pale skin, lack of B12 = fatigue, lack of Magnesium = muscle spasms. There are obviously more symptoms related to each of these deficiencies and it can be very difficult to tweeze out where those symptoms are coming from. So, many of us just take a daily Multivitamin (Miracle Grow) to cover everything. But is it enough? Are you truly targeting the underlying cause of specific symptoms or keeping your levels just high enough to feel healthy? Are you truly getting all of the vitamins AND minerals you need?
The produce we consume on a daily basis have all been depleted over time, whether through modern intensive agricultural methods, over tilling of land, or by soil erosion. That, and the cellophane wrapped foods we buy in the grocery store (which is not real food) subsequently leaves us all depleted of vital nutrients needed to help our bodies function. So, now what? Well, there are several things you can do. You can begin by choosing only organic produce and staying away from as much fake food as possible. A diet rich in whole foods increases your nutrient intake dramatically. Also, if you are going to take a multivitamin or mineral supplement, search for high quality and natural ingredients without fillers. You can also get a nutrient test to see your specific levels of each nutrient.
On minerals: Our bodies are made up of 102 minerals. The average person gets about 10 of these in their daily diet. Irish Sea Moss contains 92 of these minerals. And, if you add bladderwrack and burdock root, you get all 102 minerals.
What kind of garden are you planting on a daily basis? Remember, your body is not just dirt. It's soil. And, if you give it proper nutrition, you will truly yield the best fruits from your labor.
