There is an interesting trend going on here locally, as well as many other communities across the United States. It is a deep sense of need to return to our ancestral roots – to doing things as our ancestors did. To connect with them through genealogy, through reconstituting their ways of food preparation, their values, and the hard, but simplistic lifestyle they seemed to have had.
We are fortunate to have so many modern conveniences. We no longer have to spend nearly the entire day in food preparation, darning socks, and walking miles to get anywhere. We have come so far in the last two hundred years. But with that, we have lost some essential elements that we pay a price for. Our health, for one!
As many more people join this movement to learn some of their ancestor’s skills, but with modern conveniences, the time spent in the kitchen isn’t always as satisfying as expected. When desiring healthier and more basic skills, the confusion can mount – what kind of flour do I use? Whole wheat, kamut, spelt, rice, buckwheat, coconut flour and other grains are gaining in popularity – especially with the increase of gluten intolerance. But how do I transition from white flour to these other superior grains? Then there’s the sugar. Honey, white sugar, or artificial sweeteners? In the natural sugar category there is organic cane sugar, raw sugar, Demarara, Sucanat, Muscavado, Turbinado and coconut sap sugars. Which do we choose, which is best, and how do we transition from the junky kinds? Last but not least there is the fresh whole milk versus pasteurized milk dilemma.
The other challenge lies in the desire to do more while we fight the time constraints at the same time. We want to grow our own garden, maybe try our hand at a few chickens, or raise the more preferred pasture-fed cattle for our family. There is something deeply satisfying about raising our own food. Maybe it’s in the genes. There is something extraordinarily satiating when you dip into a bowl of yogurt you made yourself, or a hot bowl of soup you made the old-fashioned way – with homemade chicken broth. You can just feel the warm, soothing, nourishing sensations as it trickles down your throat.
I’m astonished at the number of people I meet who are seeking for this deep nourishment to body and soul. They want to care for themselves on a whole new level. But many don’t know where to start, or are frustrated with lack of education.
©2011 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
