The experiment that changed my view of nutrition
My husband had for many years had problems with his palms cracking open and could have multiple open sores in both hands, all the time (see upper picture on the right).
Both painful and dangerous, given the risk of getting bacteria into the wounds because you use your hands for everything. The only thing that helped was cortisone creams but as soon as he stopped, the sores came back.
Now he wanted to find another solution.
As an experiment, he started drinking a vegetable smoothie for breakfast every morning. After a few weeks, the sores had disappeared (see bottom right image)!
The most interesting thing is that we were already eating vegetables before, both for lunch and dinner. But that amount was not enough. It was only when he increased the amount that his body got enough to heal itself. If he stops drinking the smoothie, the wounds come back immediately.
Not only that, but there were other positive effects that he had not anticipated.
My partner has previously had every illness the children have brought home from preschool and school. He could hardly start exercising before he got sick again. But since he started drinking smoothies, he has only been sick on occasion.
To be able to easily take breakfast to work, he started making a little more so there would be enough for me too. I was sceptical at first. I am almost always hungry. Would a smoothie fill me up? Doubtful.
Despite my fears, it was the opposite. I became fuller and my mood became more even and cheerful. I used to easily get irritated, shaky and weak when I was hungry.
(anyone recognise this?) but the very first day I started drinking
vegetable smoothie, this disappeared. I just say wow! Every day it becomes
easier and more enjoyable when my mood doesn't drop when I'm hungry.
As if that wasn't enough, I also had some unexpected effects. My stomach started to function better (I've always been a bit constipated and sometimes in pain) and I had less pain during my period.
From this experiment, I learnt two things:
one is that the amount of vegetables plays such an important role in our health, a little is good but a lot is much better.
The second thing I learned is to experiment and be open for what you can learn. I wasn't expecting any effects, but rather worried that I would get hungrier. I'm really glad that this worry didn't stop me from trying.
And I see the same thing in the hundreds of patients I've met over the years, those who dare to try to make changes often find that things get better and that what they were worried about wasn't true.
But although I saw this in my patients over and over again, it was only when I had my own experiences that I really understood the meaning.
What have you learned about how you function when you've made dietary changes in the past? Or have you not thought about it or tried it? What would you like to try now?