The Sun Provides Vital Nutrients: Foundation Five
Foundation 5: The Sun Provides Vital Nutrients That CANNOT Be Duplicated by Science.
Fire is an extension of SUN. Fire is the source of the primordial light.
“The Sun is the only true source of energy on Planet Earth” (Moritz, 2009). Supplements are not a comparable source of these nutrients. Nutrients that come from sources that are sun fed are superior to those found in supplements. When the energy from the sun talks to the energy within plants, fish and other animals that eat wild foods, the result is nutritious foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are an integral part of cell membranes throughout the body and affect the function of the cell receptors in these membranes. They provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation. They also bind to receptors in cells that regulate genetic function. Likely due to these effects, omega-3 fats have been shown to help prevent heart disease and stroke, may help control lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis, and may play protective roles in cancer and other conditions. Under most conditions, the human body can make most of the types of fats it needs from other fats or raw materials. That isn’t the case for omega-3 fatty acids. These are essential fats—the body can’t make them from scratch but must get them from food. Foods high in Omega-3 include fish, vegetable oils, nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds, flaxseed oil, and leafy vegetables. In a Harvard study that looked at the risk of premature death, older adults with the highest levels of omega-3s from fish lived, on average, 2.2 years longer (Maggie Moon, 2019).
It is important to note that a food is more than the sum of its nutrients, and the plant chemicals (aka phytonutrients) in complete food may work synergistically in ways that we do not yet fully understand.
Big pharma and its collaborators (e.g. medical community) would have us believe that the light from direct sun is dangerous, that without wearing sunscreen we are putting ourselves at risk; that Ultraviolet (UV) light is the major cause of skin cancer, and thereby, by sitting under the sun, we are exposing ourselves and our loved ones to a horrible death. Yet the facts show quite the opposite, more people are dying of cancer each year yet UV radiation has gone down. Scientific studies measuring UV radiation from 1974 to 1985 demonstrated a decrease of .7 percent each year, and continued afterward. One million Americans are being diagnosed with some form of skin cancer each year, yet UV light is decreasing; most interesting is the fact that these deadly forms of skin cancers occur in places that rarely if ever see the light of day (i.e. rectum, vulva, vagina, mouth, respiratory tract, GI tract and urinary bladder). How then, can we link UV light from the sun to skin cancer?
A study conducted in 1998 had determined that “genetically modified food may damage human health. Around 60 percent of food products found in supermarkets–from hamburgers to ice cream–may contain ingredients that have been genetically tampered with” (in Moritz, 2009).
Ana’s Reflection
Fire is an extension of the Sun. In sacred ceremony, I learned that Fire is an extension of the Sun. The Fire in ceremony extends to the fire in our kitchens. The fire in our kitchens reaches into to the fire in our bellies, our digestive fire, agni. Our digestive fire churns the foods we eat creating fuel for the energy to sustain our bodies. These elementals are so powerful! We haven’t yet said enough about them. As I’ve engaged ceremonial practices that allow me to be with the ceremonial fire and be with the sun as it rises, I always leave feeling so much better. I’ve gotten to see both sides, knowing how good it feels to be around these elementals, and knowing how it feels when I am not being mindful about my relationship with the fire and the sun. As my exposure to blue light increased, I started to notice how it was negatively impacting my circadian rhythms, my sleep cycles and my mood. Since it’s been Winter here, and we’ve had a lot of rain, I was spending more time indoors, with very little exposure to Sunlight and more time on the computer as my online workload increased. The combination of disrupted sleep from the blue light of computers coupled with very little sunlight, has been a recipe for disaster. Just with a few days of sun gazing and the beginning of Spring, I already feel better, noticing the positive impact on my mood within 2 days. So the fire in the kitchen too, is an extension of our sun. Here, the magic happens of nourishing our bodies, creating beautiful recipes, and remembering that our culinary herbs are our best friends providing us so many healing benefits. The mint that I’ve grown in my garden, is so good for settling my stomach and supporting my digestion. The cumin, turmeric, curry & black pepper that I sauté with ghee to make my yummy curry mushroom dishes is divine when it warms up my digestion and supports my immune system at the same time. So I remember again, that every day is ceremony and this is where the real work is!
Reflection: How do you feel as the seasons change from more sunlight to less sunlight and back again? Are you getting your Omegas & Vitamin D? What is your relationship with sun, fire & the fire in your kitchen?
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