Letter From Nana

He who Eats Healthy Stays Healthy.  Well, not necessarily.   It is important to eat healthy. Our diet is essential to our overall well-being.   But there are other things we need to do as well as eat right: the body needs sunlight, the body needs oxygen, and the body needs water; the body needs sleep; the body needs to connect to Nature; the body needs a belief system.   

It's not possible to have a whole new lifestyle Overnight. It must be accomplished over time.

To be honest, it's a lot of work, and it may not be easy, but it is worth it. Small changes we make each day will make a big difference in how we feel and how we navigate This Thing Called Life. When we begin to see the results of our lifestyle changes, we are further motivated to take the next step. We become exhilarated, hungry, and excited. 

The most important thing which can affect our health both positively and negatively is food because eating is something which we do several times a day. The importance of healthy food is exemplified by an Ayurvedic proverb: When the diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; when the diet is right, medicine is of no need. Without good nutrition, our body is more prone to disease, infection, fatigue, and poor performance. The medical literature tells us that the most effective ways to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and many more problems are through healthy diet and exercise. All of us need to know what to eat when to eat, and how much to eat. 

For those of you who desire to study herbs, I strongly suggest you find a few in your local area based on what you can grow and what you can observe around you.  Become familiar with them. 

It is far better to learn the many faces of one herb than a single face of many.

There are over three thousand herbs globally, with over one hundred in any given locality. Forty to fifty of these are globally significant.  Each herb can serve many issues, so get to know a few intimately and stick to those growing in your particular locality. 

A good place to start may be your very own kitchen, with cloves, oregano, thyme, black pepper, turmeric, parsley, garlic, and onion. Get to know them, respect them, and allow them to serve you. Psalm 104:14 says herbs are given for the service of man. They enhance many food flavors and general well-being, reconnect you to nature, and nourish your soul.

The NLM In Bethesda, Maryland, is an excellent source for getting motivated to start on your herbal pilgrimage: NIH.gov, ncml.nlm, Medlineplus.gov.erb

Of course, you will then want to get to know herbalists past and present to further your relationship with the natural world around you and put to best use what your pilgrimage has awakened you so far. I began with a book by Jethro Kloss (paperback, of course), Back to Eden, Released in the year of my birth, 1939.  It admittedly was not an easy read for me, yet it was extremely difficult to let go.  I was smitten. 

I studied Herbalism under Rosemary Gladstar, an American herbalist, author, and educator who is known as the godmother of modern herbalism. 

 You don't have to take an herbalism course to use herbs and natural food for yourself and your family. Anyone and everyone can do that. You just have to know where to start. Hopefully, during your time with Nana's Greenhouse, you will get the impetus to begin a better lifestyle for you and your family.

Green blessings,

Lillian/Nana