Is regenerative healthcare the solution? After all, food is medicine.

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March 14, 2021

Although the United States is considered one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries, it’s certainly not the most healthy.

According to Bloomberg’s Global Health Index’s review of healthiest countries, we ranked 35th!! That is unacceptable. Sure we may be living longer, but are we healthier and happier than previous generations? According to the stats, we aren’t.

Only 12.2% of adults in the United States are metabolically healthy, meaning they have a normal waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, triglyceride levels, and HDL cholesterol levels and do not take any medication.
6 in 10 adults in the United States have at least one chronic disease.
4 in 10 adults in the United States have 2 or more chronic diseases.
1 in 2 people in the United States are taking at least one prescription drug.

We need to heal! We need to thrive, not just survive!

THERE MAY BE A SOLUTION. And it’s called REGENERATIVE HEALTHCARE.

Sure, I’ve heard of regenerative farming. And, I know the power of healing foods. I also know that toxins can decrease your health. But the term “regenerative healthcare” is new to me. It pulls it all together.

As Wendell Berry famously said: “People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health, and are treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to food.” This is what needs to change.

This is such an in depth topic, but let’s take a quick look at the board stroke differences.

>>> Conventional Healthcare + Conventional Food

Diet consists of mostly processed foods that are high in sugar, hydrogenated fat, and synthetic additives; Prioritizes high crop yields and a long shelf life.
Contains 6-38% less nutrients compared to food 70 years ago due to depleted soils. This results in “hidden hunger”, lacking nutrients despite normal calorie intake.
Puts pollutants and toxins in the soil, the air, the water, and our bodies. This can lead to inflammation and a variety of chronic health issues.
General lack of exercise in the modern American lifestyle and considering the percentage of digital tasks and jobs are on the rise.
Treat symptoms with pharmaceutical drugs.

>>> Regenerative Healthcare

Diet consists of naturally made, properly prepared, minimally processed, and fermented foods that are low sugar, contain healthy fats, and are easily digestible.
Produces nutrient-dense foods from nutrient-dense and biodiverse soils. A body will get what it needs to be healthy and feel full appropriately.
A holistic approach to farming that does not require toxins or anything synthetic.
Exercise is essential and prescribed for healing.
Treat illnesses holistically while addressing the root issue, only using pharmaceutical drugs when absolutely necessary.

Maybe it’s time for a new perspective...

How do you feel about your health? What are you doing to become healthier? Is regenerative healthcare part of your plan?

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Info sourced from:

https://worldhealth.net/news/bloombergs-global-health-index-2020/
https://beingbrigid.com/regenerative-healthcare/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30484738/
https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-use-therapeutic.htm
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-60-years-of-farming-left-if-soil-degradation-continues/
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/15/technology-is-dramatically-invading-nearly-all-us-jobs-even-lower-skilled-occupations.html

Opinion

Health and Nutrition

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Let’s take a look at what rennet is and why it’s used in cheesemaking, compare the different types of animal and vegetable rennets, check out the labeling requirements for rennet, and consider the potential health consequences. Keeping all this in mind, Miller’s Bio Farm aims to produce the most nutrient-dense, natural, A2/A2 cheese we can and gives you all the info you need to make the choice that’s best for your body!

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

It used to be true that, if your egg yolks were darker in color, then the better the egg's nutrition. Conscious consumers of the past would look for that deep orange yolk and stray away from lighter yellow yolks. It's sad, but this simply isn't the case anymore. Here's why you can't trust cheap store-bought eggs with orange yolks and need to know your farmer instead.

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

Did you know that, globally, pork is the #1 meat? According to the UN, 10% more pork is eaten compared to poultry worldwide. And, 50% more pork is eaten compared to beef worldwide. Wow! But, for some reason, this isn't the case in the US. According to the USDA, pork ranks #3 when it comes to meat. Americans eat 30% less pork compared to poultry and 15% less compared to beef. Why is this? Well, pork has gotten a pretty bad rep in the US. Of course there are some religions that prohibit pork, but that's not the leading factor. Some reasons why pork has a bad rep. 1- Too much saturated fat. The low fat craze started in the 1970s and fizzled out in the 1990s. It came from the belief that (1) fat makes us fat; and (2) that too much saturated fat = high cholesterol = bad things like heart disease and cholesterol. These myths have been debunked. Read more in fats and health blog post. The bottom line is that not all fats are created equal. Natural animal fats from happy, healthy animals are good. It's those highly processed hydrogenated saturated fats that are bad. In other words, eat all the pork fat! 2- Worry about disease. People still seem to think they can get sick from pork. There's fear of parasites (like the roundworm Trichinella spiralis that can cause trichinosis) or bacteria or other things. The reality is that getting sick from pork is really rare nowadays. If you cook pork properly, you don't need to worry about disease. Muscle meat (like chops or tenderloin) should be cooked to 145F. Ground meat and organs should be cooked to 160F. 3- Worry of bad ingredients. This only relates to processed pork like hot dogs and bacon and ham. There's truth to this one. Nitrates and nitrites, commonly used in curing conventional pork, have been shown to cause cancer and other health issues. And stabilizers, artificial colors, preservatives, and other additives have been linked to negative health outcomes, too. But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood. The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty". I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud. 6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome. It's high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins (particularly the "anti-stress" vitamin B1 - read more about thiamine and pork in this blog post). It's packed with quality, healthy saturated fats. And it's the most affordable meat and can be produced year round. This is why people around the world love pork. I think you should love pork, too! Miller's pork is not just any old pork. Here are 6 quick reasons it stands above the rest: 1- Woodland raised. Our pigs get plenty of exercise and forage for countless nuts and grubs and roots. This diverse diet gives our pork some extra flavor. And you can be assured that the environment is free of chemicals and is a happy place for our pigs to live. 2- Corn & soy free. This means low PUFA and no chance of GMOs. We haven't tested our pork like we did for our chicken and eggs. But, if we did, I assume we'd get similar results with our pork having balanced omegas and packed with vitamins and minerals. 3- Heritage breeds. Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives. We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar. No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs. We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). 😊 ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

Is regenerative healthcare the solution? After all, food is medicine.

Although the United States is considered one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries, it’s certainly not the most healthy.

THERE MAY BE A SOLUTION. And it’s called REGENERATIVE HEALTHCARE.

>>> Conventional Healthcare + Conventional Food

>>> Regenerative Healthcare

How do you feel about your health? What are you doing to become healthier? Is regenerative healthcare part of your plan?

More from the blog

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566