Could this be why....

[sarabeth87]

I will be 19 next month and I have never been in the hospital. My lung function just recently started declining, but I've now got it back up to the low 90s. My brother, Travis, is in the same situation as me. Well anyways, here's my question...
We grew up on a "small farm". About 90% of the food we ate came from our own garden and our own animals we would have slaughtered. We ate black eyed peas, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, corn, pork chops, bacon, sausauge, and ground beef or ground deer from our own farm. I know we sound like hicks, but taking care of animals and doing the garden is my daddy's passion. Since I've moved out, about 99% of the food I eat is from the grocery store or eating out and I started getting sicker. I'm just wondering if the way we ate could have anything to do with our health?

 

[JazzysMom]

IMHO yes this can make a difference. Much of what is in the stores either lacks the full vitamin potential or has so many preservatives that it almost counteracts things in a way. My family is a farm family tho I personally never actually lived on the farm. My brother runs it & my nephew & his daughter who only eat what they grow on the farm are the healthiest out of all of us. Granted they dont have CF, but the idea is the same.

 

[Landy]

I would think that would definitely help...eating organic food with out hormones, chemicals, pesticides, etc.
I also wonder if it's proven if CFers that live in the country or in small farming communities do better than big city CFers due to environmental issues? I grew up in a small town with no manufacturing plants....mostly farmers in the surrounding area. I'm not sure if that made any difference or not.
It's probably just the luck of the draw as to how CFs due in various environments.

Edited to add: I'm glad you got your lung function back up!!! Keep up the hard work<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[Ratatosk]

A guy I work with who had a heart attack a few years ago and has fluctuated up and down significantly weightwise in the 15 years I've known them told me last year that he and his wife have switched to organic meats, fruits, veggies and milk and have found that they feel much much better.

 

[catboogie]

sure sara! you are what you eat, afterall. i am a big believer in nutrition and eating organic and locally grown food. now that you are not eating that food there could be a difference but i would think it would be a subtle rather than a sudden change.

i am not sure how your farm was run but there are a lot of long-term elevated risks for farmers who work with pesticides and stuff like that. hope that isn't the case for you down the road and that you can get back and stay feeling great!

laura

 

[sarabeth87]

since it was a small farm, we didn't use many pesticides. i moved out last September, right after Katrina hit us and that's when my health started declining. It hasn't been much, but enough for the doctor to threaten to admit me.

 

[thelizardqueen]

I would definitly say your good health came from how you grew up and what you ate. Maybe you should try eating organic foods? They have less pesticides (if any), less preservatives, and are much healthier for you!

 

[BigBee]

Sara,

My Dad lived his whole life on a farm. Like you, growing up he ate almost exclusively homegrown food/meat. As an adult, most of what he ate was from their own farm, or neighboring farmers (such as meat and eggs). After they stopped milking cows, my parents bought organic milk. He and his doctors really believed the excellent nutrition, lack of pesticides/hormones, and lack of processed foods were a big contributor to stacking the deck in his favor. So, IMHO, I really believe that food quality makes a big difference.

Glad your lung function is improving!!

 

[EnergyGal]

I agree that eating healthy has made a huge difference in my health. Especially being a transplant patient with the drugs that I have to take daily, I like to balance out the side effects by eating as healthy as i can. I say buy organic when you can.

 

[Scarlett81]

sweetheart......ABSOLUTELY!

I grew up on a farm too,<img src="i/expressions/beer.gif" border="0"> and though my FEV1 isn't as high as 90 like you, I think I'm pretty healthy also. What's funny is-after I got married and moved out (off the farm) I noticed that I felt more tired-like all the time. A little more sluggish.

My mom made everything homemade-ice cream, butter, all our bread was homemade, all our vegetables were home grown, beef too. That way of life is just better. But its hard. Lots of work.

I try to buy at least all my dairy products organic local. Even mass produced organic products aren't great always. To buy all the produce (veggies) organic is just too expensive. And I try to do as much of my meat organic/free range ans possible. Though that is expensive too.

Tell you what-buy a PETA video. Learn about how disgusting chicken farms are-(and I know, I grew up out in Pennsylvania chicken farm country!). You'll never eat mass produced chicken eggs again. Trust me. Organic local eggs are best.

I was in France for a long time a few years back. And in France-they don't use preservatives in their foods, or artificial flavorings either. The meats aren't raised and processed like they are here. I felt so good! So did my husband. We felt satisfied after we ate-not that full feeling. Food went down easier. We even lost a few pounds there.