I have a confession to make—I was that kid—the annoying one who always asked that dreaded question: But why?
At times my parents or teachers thought I was being difficult or belligerent, but my question was actually sincere. I needed to know why about pretty much everything. Once I understood something I could then evaluate if it made sense to me and fully get on board. Even with my faith and church teachings, I needed to question everything and doing so built a stronger faith, based on understanding and not just blind obedience.
Taking everything at face value—never really my style.
But then again…as I look back there’s been a whole lot of stuff I did take at face value, without questioning, for a very long time that I’ve come to think more deeply about and question: the food pyramid, the moon landing, the narrative explaining the 911 attacks that offered no adequate reason why Building 7 fell down without being hit by anything, and a whole lot of medical, health, and diet advice and fads. The last few years brought into blinding relief just how much I didn’t question and should have.
I’ve struggled with some health issues like so many people—particularly fatigue. I remember in my 20s going to the doctor and him saying, “Allison you’re always complaining you’re tired”—to which I replied in exasperation, “Well yeah, why can’t you tell me why?” There’s that question again. By my 20s, I had very adeptly managed to squeeze it in twice in the same sentence (but I guess I shouldn’t brag.)
Now this is going to seem like a tangent, but stay with me a moment. A friend of mine recently turned me onto milling my own grains. I had never even heard of such a thing. I’ve done the whole gluten-free journey (my niece has celiac disease so I was very familiar), but I was still feeling crummy and tired most of the time. As my friend talked to me about the benefits of actually milling my own grains—that whole grains are chocked-full of nutrients, particularly B vitamins, Vitamin E and a whole bunch of minerals, I started to listen and think.
I had discovered that sour dough bread from a local organic bakery was not only tolerable, but actually made me feel pretty darn good. I had just, a couple of weeks before, asked my functional doctor if I really needed to avoid gluten. Her reply was a question, “How do you feel when you have it?” To which I replied, “Usually not bad.” So, she said, “Just avoid glyphosate,”—that horrible pesticide that conventional wheat is soaked in multiple times when grown and harvested, that wreaks havoc on your gut, is super toxic to nearly every organ in your body, and is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” It’s banned in Europe but permeates nearly everything we eat here in America. It’s no mystery why so many people are sick and tired here in the US of A—if you stop to think about it.
The most thought-provoking argument my friend presented was this: Bread has been a staple in all cultures for thousands of years, referred to as the “staff of life” in the Bible, and suddenly, in one generation, it’s public enemy number one for so many people. Could milling whole, organic grains actually be healthy? Is the glyphosate-soaked flour sitting on store shelves for months, after having all of its nutrients stripped out then reinserting chemical versions, be the real problem? I needed to make sense of this. I’m just so weary of all the fads—lectins/no lectins, keto, grain-free, carnivore, paleo, raw food, vegan. Argh! There’s a lot of people making a lot of money out there. Maybe common sense needs to step in here.
Again, in case, I’m losing you, this blog is not actually a sales pitch for milling your own whole grains. It’s just my most recent, mind-blowing revelation that I never saw coming but makes such surprising sense, (as if what God designed should actually be “surprising.”)
So, I bought a grain mill, and ordered organic, non-GMO, glyphosate-free grains. I, now, make my own hamburger rolls and bread. Toast with grass-fed butter is my new health food (there is a God and He loves me!). I feel better than I have in years. Not hungry between meals, no longer fatigued, lost a few pounds and have kept them off and am enjoying one of the simplest pleasures in life—good old bread and butter. This after a long odyssey of trying to find every substitution, smoothies, protein powders (talk about processed food!) and gluten-free alternatives that were actually loaded with seed oils which cause massive inflammation. Back-to-basics is working for me and it floors me that I never thought of it on my own. Now, it may not be for everyone, let me be very clear on that, but that’s not really my point.
It’s simply this: Question everything, my friends. Everything.
Does everything you’re being told actually make sense? Like if you drop a thermometer and the mercury rolls out, call the hazmat team, but if you inject it directly into your bloodstream, or your infant’s—it’s not a problem. Please start to question stuff.
When it comes to food, if God designed it—fruits, vegetables, pasture raised eggs, grassfed meats and dairy—is it more likely to be healthy, than the “health food” highly-processed in a lab, by a food industry known to include pesticides, preservatives, toxic dyes, and chemicals and additives that make their foods more addictive?
So, what does this have to do with your mental health? (I finally got here…) Well, a lot.
Are you depressed because you have an SSRI deficiency? Or could there be nutrient deficiencies, poor-eating habits, lack of exercise, unresolved trauma, poor parental examples, a negative mindset, or a lifestyle that’s diametrically opposed to God’s laws and wisdom? Or maybe you’re being poisoned by toxic foods?
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there is never a place for medications so please don’t go off any medications without thoroughly discussing it with your doctor and therapist. Withdrawing cold turkey can be dangerous and you need an alternative plan in place first. But folks, there’s reasons that underlie every problem that need to be understood first, before assuming medications will solve all your problems—no matter how happily they dance in the commercials. Medications may be helpful at times but have significant side effects that are rarely considered and when they do occur, new meds are often prescribed to handle them, with more side effects and before long you can lose sight of the basic issues that caused the depression in the first place.
We need to reclaim common sense here when it comes to mental health, look at root causes and apply timeless biblical principles and the wisdom of the Church.
Start with Sunday. Observing the Sabbath, not doing unnecessary work or shopping and prioritizing rest and family can have a huge positive impact on your mental health and set you up for a better and more productive week. It’s just common sense…and a biblical mandate. Let’s get back there and actually make common sense common again.
If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s this: Question everything. Accept nothing at face value. Seek understanding and think for yourself. This is the road to true freedom and peace. (And if you decide to mill your own grains, send me your recipes!)
Allison is also the Founder and President of www.CatholicTherapists.com, and CatholicLifeCoaches.com, which provide nationwide networks of screened and dedicated Catholic therapists and Catholic life coaches.
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