Esther Marshall

This article was inspired by a recent discussion on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/home-education-sa about food intolerances.

I believe that by removing or greatly reducing all stresses from our and our children's bodies we can tolerate all kinds of foods much better. We are having reactions because our poor bodies are having to work overtime to battle things like:

• not enough water;
• too much sugar and refined foods;
• not enough roughage and natural unprocessed foods;
• electromagnetic energy;
• radiation;
• unfamiliar chemicals our system has to work out how to eliminate, store or combat;
• plastic fumes;
• exhaust fumes;
• gas fumes (from stoves etc);
• chemicals within food that is grown in unnatural circumstances;
• food additives;
• too much alcohol;
• overeating;
• toxic household and cosmetic products.

Combine this with mental and emotional stresses, not enough sleep, irregular sleep and eating patterns, and our bodies are really fighting uphill. We actually don't exercise enough because we don’t have the energy – we don't have the energy because our bodies are working too hard within.
It's a vicious circle with the big rich businessman at the top and the unsuspecting consumer at the bottom.

We need to go back to our basic requirements in life – good food, lots of water, shelter (adequate warmth or coolness), love, rest and simple satisfaction of small achievements. Nurture ourselves. Eliminate or reduce the stresses as much as possible and we can tolerate natural foods again, and enjoy feeling energetic with a sense of inner peace. Gee, I sound like a real hippie!

Our children are worse because we have an accumulation of these things within us, then we pass it on to them, then their bodies are bombarded with twice as much as we had as children.

I feel like I'm stating the obvious, we all know this, but sometimes we get caught up in the world of consumerism and ambition (it's human nature), and forget the simple things in life. We're smart enough to figure out what's best for our children's education. Let's be smart about our lifestyle and reap the benefits.