Making the connection between food supply and human health/quality of life will transform your life. While not exhaustive, these are some of the common effects that environmental toxins (food, water, products) have on our health:

Autism (increased prevalence)

Alzheimer's

Asthma

ADHD

Cancer

Cardiovascular issues

Childhood cancer

Childhood obesity

Reproductive problems

Respiratory diseases

Heart difficulties & disease

Obesity

Hormone interference

Influences growth and development

Immune dysfunction

Autoimmunity

Allergies

Cognitive deficit

Mood changes

Neurological illnesses

Neurological diseases (Parkinson's, MS, Alzheimer's)

Developmental disabilities (Cerebral palsy, autism)

Changes in libido

Reproductive dysfunction

Glucose dysfunction

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Myalgic encephalomyelitis

High blood pressure

Diabetes

Teratogenicity and other allergens

Physical deformities

Behavioral or mental disorders

Reduced IQ

Cell damage

Interference with genes

Gene expression

Scoliosis and neural tube defects

Birth defects

Congenital eye abnormalities

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Infectious diseases

Acute illnesses like heat exhaustion

Heat-related illnesses during heat waves

Developmental disabilities in children

Low birthweight

Low sperm counts

Low testosterone levels

Preterm delivery

General mortality

Stillbirths

Genital malformations

Undescended testes

Reduction of breast milk nutritional quality 

Infant mortality

Life expectancy

After pregancy: short and long-term hypertension, diabetes, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, breast cancer later in life

SOURCES:

TOXICOLOGICAL AND TERATOGENIC EFFECT OF VARIOUS FOOD ADDITIVES: AN UPDATED REVIEW https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9249520/

HUMAN EXPOSURES AND HEALTH https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/human-exposure-and-health

INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH TRACKING https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/tracking/tracking-intro.html

ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE, PART ONE: THE HUMAN BURDEN OF ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS AND THEIR COMMON HEALTH EFFECTS https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10696119/

THE MANY HEALTH RISKS OF PROCESSED FOODS https://www.lhsfna.org/the-many-health-risks-of-processed-foods/#:~:text=Heavily%20processed%20foods%20often%20include,high%20blood%20pressure%20and%20diabetes.

Ah, Turkey Day! For most, it's a day of indulgence, feasting on the classic bird. But what if your dietary needs lead you on a different path, one less traveled? Those of us following a grain-free diet due to autoimmune conditions or personal preferences might find the typical poultry options troublesome. But fear not, I have an exciting solution for you: Leg of Lamb.

Now, this isn't just any leg of lamb recipe. It's one that's earned a special place in my family's heart and on our holiday table. Only a few times a year, when we're lucky enough to get our hands on our cherished grassfed lamb from our favorite local farmer, does this delectable dish make an appearance.

In its rarity, it's an event—an anticipated joy. Yes, it takes a little extra elbow grease, but I assure you, every second is worth the burst of flavor and the health benefits it brings.

This recipe is adapted from "Roast Leg of Lamb with Herbs in the Style of Castile" from Stanley Fishman's masterpiece, Tender Grassfed Meat. Here's my spin:

Ingredients:

• One 100% grassfed leg of lamb roast (Smaller sizes work amazingly well)
• 100% grassfed natural fats: beef, bison, lamb, water buffalo (I suggest combining at least 1/4-1/2 cup of two)
• Raw, unfiltered, organic olive oil (1/4-1/2 cup)
• Organic fresh herbs: thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, parsley (a handful of sprigs)
• Organic garlic (2 cloves, quartered lengthwise)
• Organic salt

Preparation Steps:

1. Start a couple of days ahead by thawing your precious 100% grassfed leg of lamb roast.

2. As the anticipation builds, melt 1/2 cup (or more) of at least two types of 100% grassfed fats. My favorites are beef fat, lamb fat, bison fat, or water buffalo fat.

3. In the meantime, engage with your roast. Make several incisions across the lamb, deep enough to reach the center.

4. Now it's time to fill those incisions with the flavorsome garlic slivers. On adventurous days, I've been known to sneak in some herbs into the slits. The result? Unforgettable!

5. Sprinkle your roast generously with organic salt, and begin the anointing process with your array of oils.

6. Give your masterpiece a well-deserved rest, let it marinate in the fridge for up to two days, allowing the flavors to truly fuse.

7. Finally, the cooking. This roast welcomes versatility. You can follow the book's method or slow roast in a covered roasting pan for 8 hours. Either way, it's a treat to your taste buds!

Book's Cooking Method:

• Allow the roast to sit at room temperature for at least an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Position the roast over the stripped stems of the herbs and rosemary sprigs.
• Pour any remaining marinade over the roast and roast for 15 minutes.
• Baste the roast with the pan drippings, reduce the heat to 300 degrees and cook for 30 minutes.
• Baste again, and then cook for another 30 minutes. Your roast should now be a juicy, tender delight!

F O O D

Eat Fat, Lose Weight by Mary Enig & Sally Fallon

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

Know your Fats by Mary Enig

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price

Good Calories, Bad Calories OR Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes

Fat and Cholesterol are GOOD for You by Uffe Ravnskov

Primal Body, Primal Mind by Nora Gedgaudas

Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan

Real Food by Nina Planck

Traditional Foods are the Best Medicine by Ronald Schmid

Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson

The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain

Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

Twinkie Deconstructed by Steve Ettlinger

The Dorito Effect by Mark Schatzker

The End of Overeating by David A. Kessler

C O O K I N G

Tender Grassfed Meat by Stanley Fishman

The Grassfed Gourmet by Shannon Hayes

The Butcher's Guide to Well-Raised Meat by Joshua and Jessica Applestone

Nom Nom Paleo Food for Humans by Michelle Tam and Henry Fong

Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darrina Allen

In the Green Kitchen by Alice Waters

Digestive Health With REAL Food by Aglaée Jacob

Think Like a Chef by Tom Colicchio

What to Cook and How to Cook It by Jane Hornby

The Way to Cook by Julia Child

The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver

Mastering Knife Skills by Norman Weinstein

The Flavor Bible by Andrew Dornenburg

T O X I N - F R E E   L I V I N G 

Slow Death by Rubber Duck by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie

Sicker Fatter Poorer by Dr Leo Trasande

The Obesogen Effect by Bruce Blumberg

Our Daily Poison by Marie-Monique Robin

Our Stolen Future by Theo Colborn 

Countdown: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race by Shanna Swan

There's no getting around the biological fact that WE ARE ALL MADE OF CELLS and our cells interact with EVERYTHING they come into contact with: food, air, water, clothing, household items, earth, animals, invisible microbes EVERYTHING! So, we are only as healthy as what we allow our cells to come into contact with! 

So you might be thinking: "What does that mean for me? For my family?" In our modern world with so many wonderful inventions and technologies, what it means for all of us is that we have a lot more considering to do. 

From now on, CONSIDER the world as you navigate it! It is a fun game for all of us! What exactly is that? What is that made of? What are those particles? What are those ingredients? Is that something natural? Is that manmade? Is this safe? Could this harm my health?

Use your senses too! Start looking at items and smelling items. If your nose smells something dangerous, the nose KNOWS to keep your cells away from it! And remember, lots of everyday items have HIDDEN ingredients like obesogens (chemicals that cause obesity and other health issues) or fire retardants (extremely toxic and harmful to humans) or forever chemicals (that persist FOREVER continually harming humans) or more!

The easiest route is to keep things natural. Just like our food, if you can't see and smell that this item comes from a natural material then it might just be safest to avoid contact with it. It's as easy as inviting your WONDER and AWE as you go through life! Thinking about each person, object, and item as you meander on your way makes life safe and fun! 

• tempeh (Indonesia)
• poi (Hawaii)
• kimchi (Korea)
• injera (Ethiopia)
• doogh (Iran/Syria/Lebanon)
• chutney (India)
• sauerkraut (Europe)
• cucumber relish (United States)
• miso (Japan)
• kombucha (Russia/Ukraine)
• sourdough bread (Europe/United States)
• crème fraiche (France)
• salami (Europe)
• lutefisk (Norway)
• kiviak (Greenland)
• worcestershire sauce (England)
• cod liver oil (Scandinavia)
• yogurt (worldwide)

Even more foods that have been fermented:

• eggs
• fish
• garlic
• mustard
• ketchup
• salsa
• vinegar
• seaweed
• acorn
• nuts & seeds
• rhubarb (must be cooked first)
• potatoes (must be cooked first)
• shrimp
• cauliflower
• radish
• squash
• chorizo
• mushrooms
• celery
• corn
• blackberries
• hibiscus
• beans
• peanuts
• peas
• lardo
• passion fruit
• grains
• tofu
• carrots
• ramps
• walnuts
• lettuce
• peppers
• herbs
• figs
• quince
• persimmon
• lemons
• beets
• asparagus
• onions
• tea leaves
• wild rose
• chiles
• lemongrass
• shallot
• honey
• salmon
• carrots
• fennel
• milkweed buds
• seagulls
• shark
• tuna
• scallops
• squid
• ginger
• grape leaves
• taro root
• orange marmalade
• apricot butter
• cocoa
• coffee
• soy sauce

Is happiness a moral obligation? Here are some tips & tricks for feeling happier:

bored: learn something new, go outside, read a book, visit a museum

lonely: read a book, visit a museum, go to a place of worship, join a Meetup group, visit an animal shelter, adopt a pet, volunteer, get a pen pal, join a community garden, start a community garden, go to a movie, go to a concert, go to a coffee shop or the library, go grocery shopping or a park

critical: find something positive or good about the situation; direct the mind to something pleasing

discontented: deliberately think happy or positive thoughts; direct the mind to a happy memory or take action to advance in a positive direction (start a project, learn something, contribute to well-being somehow) 

fear: take a small step in overcoming the fear (public speaking: share an idea with one or two people); replace the fearful thoughts with deliberate thoughts of success and faith

Forest bathing - or surrounding yourself in nature - has many benefits for human health:

-improvement of weakened immunity with an increase in the count of natural killer (NK) cells, which are known to fight tumors and infection

-increased relaxations of the body due to increased activity in the parasympathetic nervous system

-reduced stress of the body due to a reduction in sympathetic nervous system activity

-reduction in blood pressure after only 15 minutes of forest therapy

-reduced feelings of stress and a general sense of well-being

-reduction in blood pressure after 1 day of forest therapy, which lasts up to 5 days after therapy