Whilst enjoying a coffee in the local cafe, our CEO, Bob strikes up a very interesting conversation with a lady about seed nutrition. So interesting, in fact that Bob was keen to learn more!
Here is Frances’ story on how something as simple as little seed has helped her.
How Nutrition is Taking on Inflammation… and Winning
Who knew of the powerful role inflammation plays in almost all chronic conditions you care to think of, from arthritis to MS, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, Crohn’s… the list is endless. Who knew the body could be taught to heal itself far more safely and effectively than by taking medication? Who knew that eating 5 – or even 10 – a day, just might not cut it, and why? Who knew that a simple little seed like cumin could be such a powerhouse of healing? I didn’t know any of these things, but over the past year my life has changed as a result of understanding them better. Here’s my story.
Someone told me about seed nutrition after they heard me saying that none of the available treatments or medications had helped the osteo-arthritis in my hands. The anti-inflammatories stop working after a while, and also have vicious side effects on the stomach, which you can mitigate, but only by taking a medication which has been implicated in dementia. Steroid injections are painful and hit and miss. They don’t last long even if you are lucky enough to see some benefit, which I wasn’t. So at this point I was ready to try anything. And in this case ‘anything’ meant a 2oz sachet of ground seeds and seed oils, which I was advised to drink and apply topically.
Three days later the swelling in my hands had gone down and the pain had eased somewhat. But even more remarkably to me, was that a longstanding eye condition called blepharitis had started to resolve. This despite having tried a zillion treatments over the years: heated eye bags, drops, wipes, manual debriding to open the tear ducts, omega fish oil, laser treatment…. So troubled was I by this condition that I had tried everything. And now here I was, after three days of taking this natural, organic product, and my eyes were clearing, I could wear my contact lenses again, the discomfort had eased.
Both my hands and eyes continued to improve but I wanted to understand why this was happening. How could a product targeting my hands have such a profound effect also on my eyes? And so began my journey into inflammation and nutrition.
Blepharitis and arthritis both have inflammation at their root (as does any condition with ‘itis’ in its name, and many others besides). It seems we all have inflammation in our bodies pretty much all the time, the result of toxins in the atmosphere, stress, chemicals and additives in the food we eat, pollution, and so on. And the body’s ability to fight back has been steadily diminishing over the years, as pollution also takes its toll on the soil, along with chemicals, invasive farming methods and soil depletion, all of which means we would have to eat 43 bowls of spinach today in order to get from it the same nutrients you would have obtained in 1947. Yes, that does read 43, according to a study carried out by UCLA in 1997. That figure would probably be even higher today.
The reason I and many others I have since met had such a powerful reaction to these seed-based products is that they offer a highly concentrated source of food nutrition derived from the most powerful but ordinarily indigestible part of the seed, the husk. The seeds and their oil are then vacuum-sealed to prevent oxidisation. It’s a bit like an oil change for your car, taking out the toxins and general ‘gunk’ and putting back in the good oil that enables the whole machine to run smoothly. Originally developed by oncologists in the US looking for a way to combat cancer in children whose immune systems were utterly depleted by both their illness and the invasive and often toxic treatments, it was soon realised that these ingredients and products could hold the key to health and wellness in the general population as well.
Over the last few years, we’ve seen many new diets, including intermittent fasting, and movements away from processed foods, meat, fish, and so on, and now some signs of a return to older, more natural means of healing. The efficacy of cumin, for example, was an ancient secret – Tutankhamun was buried with cumin seeds! – but as more and more of us fall prey to chronic conditions and diseases such as cancer and dementia, and as we become resistant to the antibiotics on which we have all come to depend, the pressure is greater than ever to find a sustainable way not only of healing ourselves but of preventing some of these conditions in the first place. Natural remedies are going to have to be given a place alongside conventional pharmaceuticals.
This past year has been revelatory for me: I never appreciated the role inflammation played in laying us low; I didn’t understand why my body still craved food and didn’t feel full despite eating what I thought was a reasonable meal; I didn’t know about the power of such humble ingredients as black cumin, black raspberry, grape chardonnay seed, milk thistle, chlorella….
I also didn’t know until I saw its effect on my ADHD daughter, what a strong connection there was between gut and brain and how a simple pre and probiotic could soothe her brain and restore her ability to concentrate. I had a lot to learn! I still do, but each eye opening day is bringing me closer to better health and empowering me to help others heal themselves and stay well. I sleep better, I don’t get colds and other minor ailments, and my skin, hair and nails are all improved. The benefits keep on coming as I discover more of these almost magical ingredients and how they are helping so many of us lead the lives we should have been living all along. It seems that nature held the keys to wellness all along and we are only now rediscovering its incredible abundance of healing properties.
If you would like to know more about seed nutrition, please contact Frances on frances.gertler1@gmail.com
