Last week was challenging. We became ill after eating a beautifully prepared homemade salad. For years, we have been meticulous about washing fruits and vegetables, so we were surprised that a simple bowl of “healthy” food could make us, especially my immune compromised husband so sick. As I searched for answers, my research led me to information about the Cyclospora parasite, its symptoms, and the sometimes lengthy recovery it can cause.
The experience reminded me that even our healthiest choices are not always within our control. We can carefully select fresh ingredients, wash produce thoroughly, and prepare meals at home, yet nature sometimes has other plans. It was a humbling reminder that food safety extends far beyond our own kitchens.
My journey toward understanding healthy food and inflammation actually began more than twenty years ago. After reading one of Dr. Andrew Weil’s books on food as medicine, I started paying close attention to food processing, ingredient labels, and the connection between what we eat and how we feel. That book changed the way I shopped, cooked, and thought about nutrition.
My interest in healthy eating naturally led me to regenerative gardening. I discovered that the health of our soil and the widespread use of factory farming methods have a profound impact on the quality of the food we eat. Wanting to nourish the earth as well as myself, I began composting. Not only did it dramatically reduce the amount of trash we sent to the landfill, but it also created rich, beautiful soil that transformed my garden.
My chickens eagerly greet every fresh addition to the compost pile. They peck, scratch, and turn the pile with far more enthusiasm than any garden tool. Their industrious work has scattered seeds throughout the garden, rewarding me with volunteer tomato plants that were never intentionally planted but have flourished on their own.
Each spring I welcome fleabane and dandelions as signs of a healthy ecosystem rather than weeds. After more than thirty years without herbicides or weed killers, they have become part of the living soil that supports everything else. Long ago, I replaced most of my lawn with flowers, herbs, and vegetables using the lasagna gardening method, layering organic materials to build fertile beds instead of relying on chemical fertilizers.
Through the years, my rabbits and chickens have become some of my greatest gardening partners. Their manure provides a steady source of natural fertilizer, enriching the soil season after season. The more I have learned, the more I have come to understand that healthy food begins long before it reaches the kitchen. It starts beneath our feet, in living soil cared for with patience, compost, and respect for the natural world.
While I know there are no guarantees, I still believe that nourishing our bodies with fresh, minimally processed foods is one of the best investments we can make in our long-term health. This recent illness hasn’t shaken that belief, but it has reminded me that healthy eating also requires an awareness of foodborne illnesses and the vulnerabilities that can exist even in the freshest ingredients.
