I just came back from spending a wonderful week in Western Massachusetts, where I attended a program at Goldthread Farm to learn about medicinal herbs. The main goal of the program was to provide us with a basic knowledge of herbal medicine so that we could start integrating their use into our lives. The instructors were wonderful, incorporating a mixture of lectures, herb walks, and farm work. I also met a lot of very nice people-- 4 of whom were also nurses!
The highlights for me were: learning about tulsi, the "holy basil", while drinking freshly harvested tulsi and ginger tea; picking off and eating goji berries during an herb walk around the farm; taking part in the distillation of lemon verbena into essential oil; tasting herbal honeys; daily delicious lunches prepared by an amazing cook; a group trip to Northampton for dinner; and getting to know the lovely lady whose house I stayed at during the week.
I've learned a lot of new things this year, mostly about farming and growing vegetables, but I also really wanted to know more about herbs in particular. Yes, vegetables are good for us. And eating more of them (and subsequently, less meat) has made me feel a lot better in general. But there are so many plants-- even culinary herbs and spices that are already in our kitchens-- that can help us keep healthy and prevent us from getting sick. Of course there's no substitute for Western medicine when you're very ill, but in general, herbs and plants can help us keep up our immunity and defend against common ailments.
This all brings me to the root of why I stopped working at the hospital this year and started working on a farm. Apart from wanting to know where my food comes from, what goes into the soil and how to keep it healthy in order to produce nutrient-rich food, I also want to do everything I can to keep myself from being on the patient side at the cancer center where I worked. Two people who were present at my wedding were patients on my floor. Both have passed away. I took care of one of them during her last 3 nights, and I have to say-- now that I am no longer working there-- that those were the hardest shifts I ever went through. I had never felt so drained. So much that after that, I realized I couldn't work at a cancer center anymore.
There are so many things out of our control-- our environment, upbringing, genetics, etc. But what we eat, even if we can't know where it all really comes from, is our choice and is one of the ways we can actively take part in maintaining health. Sounds simple, but it's really something I never thought too much about before. But I am paying more attention to how different foods make me feel after a meal. Coming from a family where we primarily cook and eat Chinese food, which is also food that I enjoy indulging in, I just try to find a balance. And now I know I can also do small things each day, even if it's just brewing a cup of mint tea after dinner!
The cheddar is especially good, from 
