The botanical wisdom of my elders
I was very fortunate as a young child to have had elders share with me their love and knowledge of nature.
When I was a little girl, I used to spend time with my Mémé and my Tonton Chorles who lived in a little village in Alsace Lorraine, called Krautergesheim, the village of the krauts or the cabbage.
I remember waking up in the morning and jumping out of bed and running down the stairs to go to the barn.
I’d pick an egg that the hen had just laid, still warm in my hands.
Then, I’d go to the kitchen filled with the smell of freshly baked bread. My Mémé would be in the back of the kitchen milking the goat.
When she’d see me, she’d grab my egg, crack it open and whip it raw in a bowl and add little pieces of warm bread in it. She’d then pour me a glass of goat milk to go with her breakfast creation.
Living off the land
Everything we ate at my Mémé and Tonton Chorles’ home would come from their little farm.
Neither of them spoke French but I remember how happy I felt and how much love and care I experienced.
In 1977, my mom and I moved to Martinique.
There I met Man Sid, my adopted grandmother.
Man Sid was a hard-working, no-nonsense lady with a faith that could move mountains. She had built her own home and had a piece of land where she grew all her vegetables, fruits and legumes. She also had a shed outdoors where she raised hens.
She would take me to the land and teach me in creole about the properties of the vegetables and herbs she grew.
These beautiful, wonderful people taught me sustainable ecological agriculture before there was a name for it!
They taught me about our biological interconnectedness with nature.
Healing traditions like Ayurveda are the repositories of botanical wisdom!
Ayurveda, along with Chinese Medicine and Shamanic Medicine, is an all-encompassing system of thinking.
In its philosophy, it includes the health of the animals, the plants, the soil and the health of the forests.
Taking care of our environment is taking care of our physical, energetic, psycho-emotional and spiritual health and well-being.
The roots of all diseases
All diseases come from 2 roots: Deficiency or Excess.
We either lack vitality or we have an excess of toxicity.
Medicinal plants, that includes both food and herbs, are crucial for human survival.
Because they take care of our biological needs of nutrition and detoxification.
Something that even the most advanced pharmaceuticals cannot do!
4 easy practices to care for the planet and your health needs
Here are 4 super easy ways that you can fulfill your biological needs for nutrition and detoxification and support the planet at the same time!
# 1: Eat medicinal plants in their whole form
All plant foods are medicinal plants!
Therefore, by eating whole foods that are non-genetically modified and preferably organic or local ensures that you get the maximum nutrients and the minimum toxins.
Behind organic and local farming there’s a philosophy of living with respect for our environment and being in harmony with it. That philosophy is biological wisdom.
# 2: Consume less meat
Adopt a more flexitarian diet.
Meat production accounts for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gasses.
Animal agriculture is a leading cause of deforestation and the loss of precious bio-diversity.
Introduce more plant-based protein such as legumes and certain grains.
Incorporate Meatless Mondays!
# 3: Look for integrity
Be mindful and knowledgeable of the origin and production ethics of the brands you use for your supplements, essential oils and even spices.
Make sure that your supplement brand uses plants that are grown ethically and that are whole.
For example, turmeric, the whole plant, is more beneficial and less harmful long term than the curcuma extract.
Plants are seasonal, you should not be able to buy a particular type of essential oil all year long.
# 4: Cultivate the roots of Ayurveda
Don’t just eat the fruits of Ayurveda, cultivate its roots by planting your own medicinal herbs in your backyard or your patio.
Remember all plant foods and herbs are medicinal plants!
The basis of a healthy culture
To this day, my Mémé’s raw egg, fresh bread and warm raw goat milk breakfast was one of the best meals I’ve had.
When you incorporate these simple, easy practices, you celebrate the earth every day of your life!
“The basis of a healthy culture is having a healthy relationship to nature.” David Crow
Check out my new ebook, 3 Dieting Mistakes, to get more eating tips and have a more healing relationship with foods.
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