"Regenerative:
To use a resource in a way that restores and enhances
biological, psychological, social and cultural function."
I aim to be solution focused towards holistic change that regenerates systems on all levels and layers: biological, ecological and the wider embedded system that holds the entire web of life and humanity on this biome we call Earth. At the core of this transformation is soil-centric and gut-centric restoration. Like how restoring health to the soil addresses soil microbial activity, the gut microbiome is at the core of the health of our human system. Desertification means dead soil and no ecosystem. Gut microbiota underpins body ecology, too.
Soil health and gut health.
The state of our soil, and the state of our gut health has left us at the brink of ecological and human health chronic disease crisis.
We have destroyed the biological activity of the soil, rendering it useless at providing nutrient-dense, mineral-rich foods that feeds our health. We have destroyed our guts through lifestyle practices and environmental toxin exposure, like glyphosate and anti-microbial products. . Both need repair, care and restoration. Both are inter-dependent. The practices that bring about both are interlinked and interdependant. The problems is the solution. Creating and cultivating biological capital"...Biological capital is formed when management – whether natural or human-designed – promotes rather than destroys life. This sounds a little sophomoric but is actually profound. Amazing things happen when management fosters well-being of all parts of the soil-plant-animal-wealth-human complex...." "...Biological capital is formed when management – whether natural or human-designed – promotes rather than destroys life. This sounds a little sophomoric but is actually profound. Amazing things happen when management fosters wellbeing of all parts of the soil-plant-animal-wealth-human complex...."
Soil-Centric Earth Care While fertile soil is essential for sustainable earth-care, it is also the foundation of food quality and so self-care. Nutrition and soil science may sound like completely separate disciplines, yet I believe nutritional education should start with soil science, and that only looking at the final end-product - food - is like looking at the tip of the ice-burg and ignoring the much larger complexity in which it is embedded. When choosing foods to eat, we need to not just question that particular type of food, but how it was produced, and on what kind of soil. Rather than being myopically food-focused, a more nuanced thought-process concerning knowing where our food comes from and how it was grown or raised becomes the starting point.
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Has our earth become less sacred?
Have our bodies become less deserving of care? When I observe our current collective state and the status quo of disease and degradation patterns, this is a byproduct of operating out of certain beliefs, paradigms and systems that seem to say these things. "The earth is not sacred, the health of our physical bodies or our consciousness are less important than the speed of our intellectual and technological advances." I see a fragmented lens of disconnection to what sustains us, what keeps us whole and what made us human. We need to keep evolving, I'm all for progress, but like you can tell how tall a building is going to be by how deep they are digging the foundations, maintaining and strengthening our foundation and connection to our roots is essential for going forward. The soil is sacred. The dirt is gold. Not in some esoteric, hippie woo woo way but in a real, grounded, urgent and alive way. It is the basis on which all thrives. When we neglect our basic fundamentals, the whole system is compromised from the ground up. Maybe there are not 1000 things "wrong" or corrupt, but a reductionist perception that corrupts everything higher up. Sacredness in the way I am referring to it has nothing to do with religious dedication, but all to do with re-connecting to the whole, understanding how things work together through the lens of a systems paradigm that can help heal bodies, minds, souls and our soil |
Gut-Centric Health Care
Our gut lining is essentially what regulates the outside from the inside of our body. When we have increased intestinal permeability, things that shouldn't get into our system get in and can provoke an excessive immune response. Constant immunologic responses can lead to a chronically inflamed state, metabolic dysregulation and excess fat accumulation due to the viscous cycle of inflammation and adipose tissue cytokine release. It is essentially a state of stress. So how do we calm the fire of inflammation and regulate our intestinal integrity?
A few key factors that can lead to intestinal permeability:
-Vitamin A deficiency
-Glyphosate exposure
-Gluten
Restoring the intestinal barrier with a focus on deep nutrition, and most importantly avoiding inflammatory triggers while restoring nutritional status, inflammation regulation and full function becomes the foundation for everything else to fall into place.
A few key factors that can lead to intestinal permeability:
-Vitamin A deficiency
-Glyphosate exposure
-Gluten
Restoring the intestinal barrier with a focus on deep nutrition, and most importantly avoiding inflammatory triggers while restoring nutritional status, inflammation regulation and full function becomes the foundation for everything else to fall into place.
Resources & Links
- https://soilsolution.org/
- Allan Savory and the Savory Institute
- Regenerative Farming
- Kiss the Ground