When I first found out that I had Melanoma I wanted to do as much as I possibly could to help my cells become strong – to give them a chance to fight Cancer cells when they appear.
I did my research, found my superfoods list & was aware of the chemical impact of organic & non organic vegetables….but organic vegetables cost so much more. So since then we have included organic where possible…but focussed more upon eating the items on the list than who grew them!
Sweet Potato is one of the Superfoods recommended for fighting & preventing Cancers, particularly Skin Cancer.
As a family we have very much adapted our diet to include as many of the Superfoods on as frequent a basis as possible. This isn’t really that difficult – the list is on the Cancer Diet & Lifestyle Page above….you will probably find that you eat most of them already. The little people are great vegetable eaters…in fact last week the little Mr turned down seconds of meat in preference for “Broccoli trees”.
A month or so back I watched a video online of a young girl’s Sweet Potato growing project. (I have put a link to the video below) Shockingly she struggled to get the Supermarket bought Sweet Potato to grow roots. Even more shocking was the fact that the supermarket “organic” option only fared slightly better.
Watching that video though put a little nagging voice into my head….if the chemical Bud Nip / Chlorpropharn can stop a vegetable growing …if it can affect a natural process in such an obvious way…what on earth is that chemical doing inside my body…or the little peoples?
Of greater concern was the missed message …why did the Supermarket “organic” sweet potato not grow as well as one from a farm shop? The rules regarding chemical use are strict…the wording is much like any beaurocratic document…open to manipulation. Contrary to popular belief an item deemed as organic does not have to be grown Chemical or Pesticide free…just that the chemicals or pesticides used must be derived from natural sources.
A part of me wanted to ignore the video…after all ….it came from America & I am in the UK….the UK have different regulations on Chemicals don’t we? We are stricter aren’t we? I actually read a document from the UK Pesticide residues in Food committee (I know! Me!)…and chlorpropharn is used in our farming processes too….it is used across the world in varying strengths.
The quest for food…the need to feed the millions is greater than the need to protect us from the chemicals we force into our systems.
I know I risk becoming a bore & perhaps you are not as concerned by the chemicals on & in your veg as I am…but I truly believe that we need to take some responsibility for our own health. Particularly those with Melanoma…we can’t have “drugs” until our Cancer progresses…we sit in a limbo land where we watch & wait….we don’t know how long that will be…it could be 2 months…it could be 2 years….BUT during that watch & wait time surely we should do whatever we can to keep that timeframe as long as possible. A food fight in a good way…without too much cleaning up!
So my little family are going organic in the only way possible.
The front garden is going…to be replaced with a vegetable patch.
It will take time and a lot of physical labour.
It will be excellent for the little people to watch things growing…we had already planted seeds last weekend & they were delighted to see the tiny broccoli & sprout shoots peeking out of the soil.
The hard work will hopefully produce a bountiful supply of home grown totally organic vegetables….potato, sweet potato, broccoli, sprouts, carrots, parsnips, swede, beetroot, cauliflower, kale, spinach, tomato, sweetcorn, courgettes, peas, green beans….and hopefully a few strawberries & raspberries too!
I spent the weekend digging & expect to be out there again most nights this week after work & supper & running club, rainbows, beavers, parents evening!!!!…..ok….the digging might wait until the weekend!
The only pause in my outdoor garden digging will be on Thursday when there is a different type of digging…gentle plastic surgeon fingers & scalpel removing a couple of moles from my back. I can’t complain…I would have them all taken off if I could!
Here is that Video link as promised :
http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/a-little-girls-experiment-will-change-the-way-you-think-about-food/