How Being Conscious of Earth Healed My Body

Garden fresh lunch for healthy eating with holistic health coach Brooke Freeman

Simple idea: contemplate where each meal comes from

As you sit down to enjoy a delicious meal, do you ever contemplate how all of that food reached your plate? The sweat and tears from the farmers, who worked hard all year to produce a bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables; the stress and pain from the farm animals who were shoved into small spaces in order to meet the demands of the world’s love for meat; the unthinkable grief experienced by a mother cow, as she watches her baby calf being taken away from her, so that her milk can be sold to fill up your cup.

Holistic Health Coach Brooke Freeman from Essentially Infused Home

These thoughts were never a part of my awareness. I indulged in my foods, enjoying every bite; never questioning if chemicals were sprayed on my produce, if precious trees were being torn down to make room for more ranch land, or of the pain my food had to endure in order to satisfy my cravings.

Garden fresh foods for healthy eating with health coach Brooke Freeman

All of this changed for me about four years ago. My son had chronic ear infections and strep throat. By the time he was 3 years old, he was going under general anesthesia for his second round of ear tubes and to have his adenoids removed. He had eczema, stomach issues, food allergies and was sick often. I had red, dry skin, constipation and a spare tire around my waist that was a permanent part of my body despite all my efforts.

Still, with all this, looking into nature and looking into what I was putting into my mouth never crossed my mind. It wasn’t until my youngest son had a reaction to a vaccine that I stopped and really evaluated our way of living. I remember thinking to myself, “ I am the mother to these children and it is MY job to protect them.” From that moment on, the hotdog and boxed Rice A Roni diet my kids were on, was no longer going to make the cut. Spraying chemical aerosol “Lemon Fresh” cleaner all over the toys that my baby put in his mouth (because they “kill 99% of germs”) was no longer going to be the norm.

Garden fresh salad for healthy eating with holistic health coach Brooke Freeman

As I gained appreciation and respect for the earth and all of God’s creations, I became more aware of my body’s needs and how I was feeling. I suddenly realized that my body was in need of a HUGE change and how I was feeling was not “normal”. Feeling exhausted, drained and overly stressed was not an inevitable curse of motherhood. Needing wine to relax my body in the evening and drinking coffee in the morning to help the drowsiness was NOT how I was meant to go through life.

Garden fresh lunch for healthy eating with holistic health coach Brooke Freeman

I began learning about our food system and paying attention to the toxic chemicals that are sprayed on our produce. I learned about the abuse and unsanitary conditions that most farm animals suffer throughout their entire lives, and decided to no longer contribute to their suffering. I realized that every decision I made, had a trickle-down effect on our earth. Were the daily choices I was making loving the earth and healing my body? Or adding to the deteriorating health of our earth and bodies?

As a family, we started supporting our local organic farmers and avoided contributing to businesses that sprayed herbicides, pesticides and toxic fertilizers. I no longer purchase meat, unless I know the animals are humanely raised, able to eat grass throughout their lives, and not injected with steroids, growth hormones or antibiotics. I eat what is local, seasonal and fresh as much as possible, and eat more from the earth and less from a manufacturer. When my kids get sick, I turn to nature first, by giving my kids elderberries, cilantro, cinnamon, local honey, lemons and a diet low in processed sugar & processed foods.

Garden fresh salad for healthy eating with health coach Brooke Freeman

I made the commitment to love the earth I live in and in return, the earth is healing me and my family. This is an ongoing journey. I am not perfect, only trying to do the best I can and help raise my family to be better to the planet and more thoughtful than I was! My journey is something I love sharing and I now spend my time helping others learn about health, so they can become the BEST possible version God created each one of us to be.

Brooke Freeman, Integrative Nutritional Health Coach and Founder of National Freedom Farm, guest writes on For Animals For Earth about healthy lifestyle choices, being conscious of the earth, and sharing healthy eating with kids.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi! I am Brooke Freeman from Natural Freedom Farm. I am a wife, mother of two and I am passionate about learning and teaching people how to live their healthiest life.

I graduated from IIN as a Integrative Nutritional Health Coach, and I am currently going through a program to specialize in Hormone Health. My passion is teaching children and adolescents about health & wellness, and I want to be a part of breaking the cycle of childhood obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases due to the broken food industry, causing poor nutrition in our society.

My husband Mike and I have started a Non-Profit organization called Natural Freedom Farm where we teach children and teens how to take control of their health through education, gardening and being in nature.

Alongside education and hands on learning, we allow those we are mentoring access to organic produce that is grown on our land. We believe that planting the seeds of health and wellness into our children can change this generation and future generations to come.

Email: naturalfreedomfarm@gmail.com

Website: NaturalFreedomFarm.org

Instagram: @NaturalFreedomFarm

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