"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Lao Tzu wrote those words of wisdom in the Tao Te Ching around 300 BC. And in my life today, in the year 2024, those words couldn't be more true.
From childhood, I was raised to use food to satisfy my appetite or appease a craving. But I have since learned that food can be a powerful means of fueling my body with the nutrition it needs and that it can also aid in healing those conditions for which I have been diagnosed. If I choose healthy foods, I have found that I can maintain my body in a healthy state that will let me live my life to the fullest.
Through much necessary research over the years, I have found that many of the foods available on grocery store shelves today contribute in a detrimental way to my overall health - from worsening the health conditions I already have to exposing me to harmful additives that can contribute to illness and further health complications.
Make America Healthy Again is more than just a catchy slogan. In my opinion, it should become a widely incorporated way of life for this great country. I have believed this for a considerable amount of time now.
We, as a people, should educate our children and adults about healthy foods, healthy ways of preparing foods, and healthy choices in food snacking. At the same time, we as a nation should be fully educated about our individual healthcare and the role that medications play in our health, as well as any natural alternatives available to make ourselves as healthy as we can be. That also includes the water systems of our cities and towns.
But just as important to our health as food, water, and medications are, I believe it is also as important to include becoming healthy in mind and spirit.
In all of these areas, I have personal experience. It has been a journey of many years, born from the necessity to become healthy. That entailed becoming aware of the role foods play in my health, which meant being constantly aware of the difference between whole, natural foods and those with many artificial and harmful additives. I found it just as important to be aware of how medications affect my health, the safety of the water sources I ingest, and the need to keep my mind and emotional well-being at its utmost best.
I can point to the moment when I first became aware of foods' role in my health. In 1997, I had a miscarriage. During the course of the two months that I was pregnant, something inside of my body changed. I became very sick and lost 40 pounds. I was given my first colonoscopy, and the results showed that I had developed a lactose allergy.
Lactose is the sugar found naturally in cow's and goat's milk. All cow and goat milk-based dairy products contain lactose. Products on the market, such as Lactaid milk, are milk-based, with an added lactase enzyme to help the human body digest lactose if there is an intolerance. Those with either an intolerance or who have been classified as having an allergy to lactose do not produce enough of that enzyme.
Scientifically, lactose is a class of sugar called a disaccharide, meaning it is made up of two linked monosaccharides—glucose and galactose. Here is a scientific diagram of a lactose molecule.
While using Lactaid milk, ice cream, or even buying over-the-counter lactase enzyme supplements to take before a meal may work for some, those products are not a simple answer for others. I found this to be true for myself.
I think that one of the many ways to make the people of this great country healthy again is to give them the tools to take their good health into their own hands. As I said, education is vitally important, and a part of that is sharing the experiences of those who have had success. And from my experience, I know we as a people can accomplish that goal.
At the time of my diagnosis, I was told to simply avoid dairy products. I was given no further instruction on how to make myself feel better and become healthy again. That was the beginning of my first experience reading the labels of every food product I considered buying. Hand in hand with that was the research I did to educate myself on all dairy sources. I began to cut every one from my diet. Because I was so horribly ill-feeling, I was desperate to do anything to feel healthy again.
Back in the mid-1990s, there was not a whole lot of information out there about lactose or lactose intolerance. Thankfully, I was able to find the names of dairy sources other than the standard butter, cream, and milk. Whey, casein, calcium caseinate, and milk powders are all forms of dairy that the average shopper may not be educated about. And yes, some dairy products, and many “non-dairy” products, actually contain lactose itself as an added ingredient. Even some margarines on the market contain dairy.
After I cut every source of dairy from my diet, it took me four and a half months to start feeling better. This process ultimately left me feeling healthier, and surprisingly, I felt very empowered to take my health into my own hands.
This was just the beginning of my journey to knowledge and better health, and I look forward to sharing more about it in the future.
