Happy 2021! I would imagine that I am not the only one happy to see 2020 gone! What a crazy year! After struggling to make things work in my market garden / CSA business while also maintaining a fulltime job as a Registered Nurse, I am taking the step forward for a new year and a new business plan!
Some of you have already expressed interest in continuing to participate in the Nosh Box CSA. I am somewhat saddened to announce that I will not offer a CSA in the coming year. I say “somewhat” because when I initially started my business, it was with the idea of using my experience as a Registered Nurse along with my experience of a lifetime of growing healthy food (and what I have learned through SPIN farming over that past 4 years) to help others lead healthier lives.
In the process of working fulltime in the hospital and fulltime for about 9 months of the year, in growing food for the local food hub, farmers market and most recently my Nosh Box CSA, I’m finding that I, myself, cannot sustain a healthy lifestyle working so many hours a week.
I was losing 2 nights of sleep most weeks during the 13 weeks of Nosh deliveries trying to make it all happen. Not to mention no down time for relaxing, and my structured exercise program was impossible to maintain. Have I mentioned no vacation since 2016? Working hard and working “out” are not the same thing. Downtime and hobbies are necessary things to incorporate into a healthy lifestyle.
I want you to know that gardening and making healthy and delicious food grow from a seed in the soil, is one of the most satisfying experiences you can have. It is my passion to grow and find ways to preserve healthy food and also herbs that can be used to both flavor food and used medicinally instead of reaching for a pharmaceutical.
That said, I am a nurse and do not advocate throwing western medicine out the window. I would, however, love to be able to slow down the amount of business cardiologists and neurologists are getting in the form of coronary artery disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Healthy food and exercise are a huge component in avoiding those illnesses in addition to staying healthy during a pandemic. Not to mention the relaxation and almost spiritual experience that can be achieved by growing it yourself. If you can’t grow it, there are great sources for acquiring it locally without stepping foot in a grocery store. I know people . . . let me introduce you to them!
This year I will be moving my business in the direction of teaching others how to do what they can for themselves, and how to get what you can’t grow from healthier sources, supporting your local small businesses in the process.
We will take frequent walks through my zone 5 midwest gardens discussing how you can grow the things you love in a very small space.
I will also be writing on a variety of diets and their pros and cons. Which diets I advocate as the healthiest from my own prospective in working in cardiology most of my nursing career, and in avoiding the Alzheimer’s disease that my mother suffered and ultimately died from.
I’m not here to claim perfection. I love sweets and treats (anything with frosting is a weakness for me) as much as the next person. I have learned, however, how to decrease my intake of sugar and, in doing so, have found that things I thought I loved so much, on the occasion that I do indulge, no longer taste as good as they used to and are therefore not worth the calories.
I truly believe it’s ok to indulge once in a while. What is Christmas without sugar cookie cutouts and homemade fudge? But what you put into your body on a daily basis is what most likely determines how healthy you are.
The subject of health is bigger than just food. Exercise is a big deal. Sleep, downtime, and time with family and friends is so important. The effects of the current pandemic is huge in causing a host of health problems. Drive by a fast food restaurant around a normal meal time and just look at the number of cars flowing out into the street waiting in the drive thru line now that indoor seating is banned. Depression is also a problem as people are not getting out of their houses or engaging with other human beings.
You will find I am not an advocate of social isolation. Have you wondered why there have been so many non covid related deaths?
So I hope you will take some time to read and or watch what’s coming to MTHTZ in 2021. Arm yourself with a healthy immune system. This pandemic isn’t over and I would not be surprised if it continues to mutate and change as we find ways (vaccines you’ve heard tell of) to combat it’s current form. I, for one, will be interested in what research will show of its effectiveness as the virus changes. I hope for good news on that front but only time will tell.
So, in the meantime, if you’re thinking of strengthening your immune system and growing some of your own veg this year, don’t delay in making a plan and getting those seeds. Now is also the time to start looking for canning supplies. Remember the shortages of seeds, canning jars, and lids in the past year?
To get you started you can check out an old article on this website on no dig gardens. Proof that you don’t need big equipment to get started. Even if all you have is a balcony or patio, you can still grow using containers. You would be surprised how much you can do in a small space!
Take control of and responsibility for your health. If you think eating healthy costs too much, I just want you to understand that you can either pay for your health now in the form of healthy food and activities, or you will pay for it later in the form of copays and deductibles from your health care providers.
Get ready to take this virus on and stay healthy in the coming year!
© 2021, Pamela. All rights reserved.
