Podcast Episode 16 – It’s Time to Heal – A Message from Shonda

Shonda (00:00): Hey everyone. This is Shonda here, and I just wanted to take this time to bring you a happy new year message and the message is it's time to heal.

Shonda (00:24): Hi and hello. Welcome to the real food and drinks lifestyle podcast. We're building a community to talk about nutrition, lifestyle choices, and just feeling better. This is Shonda and this is Patryce. Let's just be real. [inaudible] Here's our disclaimer. We do not professionally practice in any of the various subjects that we discuss. We are only sharing our personal experiences with you to a healthier lifestyle. Please do your own research before taking part in any of these practices.

Shonda (01:09): We've had a pretty rough and tough 2020, and it has flown by due to COVID still causing many issues and problems in our life. I just thought that it would be a very good time to focus on our health. Very often, that is a new year's resolution. And I think it's a really great one, especially due to the circumstances that we find ourselves in. Now is the time to heal because it's time to take our health seriously, you know, especially those that are knowingly dealing with a chronic disease. It's time that we do the research that we need, that we seek others to see what they've done to solve the problems. There are solutions and whatever it takes, we need to convince ourselves that it's possible for us and that we can do it just like others have done. We can also do the same and heal our bodies.

Shonda (02:09): Okay. The COVID-19 virus has revealed that many are not in a healthy state. So yes, in addition to those who are knowingly fighting against a chronic disease, there are still some who are not in a healthy state and maybe don't quite know it yet. And here are some things to consider if you're not quite sure, do you have digestive issues? Maybe these digestive issues aren't enough to have you going to the doctor, but they're troublesome. Perhaps you have seasonal allergies. Perhaps you have rashes that are showing on your skin, but you're just dealing with all these things. And it's no big deal. Well, hey, these many times are big deals and they're just the precursor to other chronic diseases. This is just the first step, a hint that lets us know that something is going wrong. What about an additional step that can help us deal with the chronic disease so that we're not in as much trouble if we have to face COVID-19,

Shonda (03:17): The medications are dealing with the symptoms, they are not solving the problem. The problem is still happening. You can't see it and you can't feel it, but it's still there because as soon as you stop taking those medications, it's very evident. Okay? So from my point of view, there is a lack of quality health care. Doctors are prescribing meds to take care of symptoms, but ignoring the true problem, which is our diet, our Western American diet. Did you know that many cultures prior to being introduced to our Western American diet had diets that were heavily loaded with plant foods? And just a bit of animal foods scattered in there. If at all, you know, we live in a country which is for many abundant and it's abundant in meat products and cheese products, you know, milk and dairy. But that doesn't mean that we should be consuming these products in the quantities that we're consuming them.

Shonda (04:21): So my question to you is, do you really want to continue to take prescription meds to support a diet that is not serving you well? Okay. So is it that you don't believe in the power of food because the power of food can heal. The power of food can cause these illnesses or it can cause healing. Or is it just that you don't want to give up your current foods that are causing the issues? I'm asking you this in the most loving way that I know, perhaps you have never even thought about this. Perhaps you just feel stuck or like there is something that you cannot do to help yourself. That's tell our doctors, Hey, I'm about to do something to get off these medications and I'm going to need your help. And if the doctor isn't willing find another doctor.

Shonda (05:11): There's a doctor network through the physician's committee of responsible medicines. They also are accepting tele-health calls. So I just urge you. We cannot wait on a vaccine. We want to be healthy, instead. We don't want to depend on a vaccine. I'm not saying don't take the vaccine. But what I am saying is if you're going to take the vaccine, we also need to take steps toward health that can help us fight the COVID-19. Make it, make our immune system even stronger. So this is just an introduction to the new year. There's a link below. Tell us what you need. Tell us what kind of recipes you need. Tell us what kind of resources you need to find in order to make the next step, because your next step can start right now today. It can start with your next meal, by taking a daily walk, by getting more sleep, by seeking more education about COVID-19 and all your health concerns.

Shonda (06:11): There's information out there. And when you start looking for the truth, you will find the truth. So I want to urge you to take it in your own hands. Be... Be your own healthcare advocate, decide that you want to know the truth, decide that you're going to try to make a difference in your own health care. Our hope is that you will begin to research healthy alternatives. In addition to conventional medicine, as a reminder, there are links below to get you started. And also we should just that you begin to follow some of these plant-based doctors. So you don't miss their content. Be a student of theirs. Listen, to find truth within what they have to say to us. We want you to be healthy, to experience freedom from fear, to feel confident, to feel empowered. It's not that we do not respect COVID-19 yes, we must do what we can.

Shonda (07:11): We will continue to wear our mask and social distance. This is a way that we love our neighbors. We love those around us because we don't want to spread the disease, especially to someone who's going to have a difficult time fighting the disease. But we want you to also feel and know that you're doing the best that you can in order to build up your immune system. And that's all that we can do. And then we leave everything else in God's hands. So Happy New Year, and let's make this the best one ever. It's time to heal. Thank you all for joining me today. Next week, we will have part two of "A time to heal", which will be a message from Patryce.

Shonda (07:58): Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy today's podcast. Remember you can catch show notes and additional details at realfoodanddrinks.com under the podcast menu. Also subscribe to our podcast, if you aren't already a member of our community. And if listening through Anchor, please send us a message of topics you would like to hear us have conversations about until next time. Let's just be real.