The Canary in the Cage

In case you don't know this expression it started with miners - they would actually take a canary in a cage with them underground. Canaries are very sensitive to gas fumes and so if the miners saw the canary died then lickety split they would get out of the mine. It would save the lives of the miners. It was rough on the canary. This expression has been used since then to say when something or some event is a warning which should be heeded.

Like me you must have seen a disturbing number of young, seemingly healthy athletes performing on the field die. Tragedy. And puzzling in the extreme. The autopsy may or may not show something that tries to make sense of these terrible deaths. Our athletic children have become the canary in the cage - showing the effect of nutritional deficiencies - because they are challenging their bodies and pushing themsel to the extreme - when they don't have the necessary nutrition in their bodies to sustain the challenges they require of their bodies and it can end in tragedy.

For others it can just be a long slow "not feeling quite right." The food that most Americans are using doesn't supply what is necessary to run a body. Instead of having the priority of growing fruit and vegetables on soil that guarantees all the nutrients are there so that those nutrients then nourish the plants. Instead, that soil is forced to produce things that look like plants but with only 3 minerals in them. Ask your Grandma if a tomato in today's super market looks like the ones she had as a kid. Honestly, as a child, sitting myself down with a freshly picked tomato and a little salt was heavenly. Now they are often cardboard.

What does that mean? The food that most Americans are using doesn't supply what is necessary to run a body. Instead of having the priority of growing fruit and vegetables on soil that guarantees all the nutrients are there so that those nutrients then nourish the plants. Instead of that, the soil is forced to produce things that look like fruits and vegetables but with only 3 minerals. Ask your Grandma if a tomato in today's super market looks like the ones she had as a kid. Honestly, as a child myself sitting down with a freshly picked tomato and a little salt was heavenly. Now they are often like eating cardboard.

But the taste is the least of it -- although the taste, or lack thereof, is an indication of the lack of nutrients. All those minerals that used to be in the plants are what made it taste so doggone good. No wonder kids don't want to eat what passes for fruit and vegetables these days - as we say in chiropractic - it's innate - the innate wisdom of the bodies knows what is needed isn't there.

These "foods" have a long shelf life - you see nothing can grow on them - that is why they can last forever on the shelf. As a second generation chiropractor I grew up hearing "if the bugs cannot grow on - it neither can these kids."

Ok, so now what do we do. The warnings have been seen. And agri-business isn't going to protect you - their job is to make money - and that job they do well. Each of us needs to be responsible for ourselves and our families. Educate yourself.

First, buy locally - at a Farmer's market if one is available. Find and use your local health food store. Check to see where you can get local eggs, milk (depending on your state laws), grass fed beef and free range fowl. And if the deficiencies are long standing, then please check out my website (docmccullen.com) for additional ideas, as well as for assistance.

We have seen the canary in the cage - and if we are as smart as the miners then lickety split we will handle the fuel for our children and ourselves.

—Doc McCullen

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