Naturopathic

I am inspired to be my naturopathic me like the Sumatran orangutan. Native to tropical forests in Indonesia, Borneo, and Malaysia, this great ape nourishes her body—11,000 calories per day, with a rich variety of fruits, seeds, plants, bark, honey, and insects; the natural way. She is so keenly attuned to her nutritious needs and the growth cycles of local forest food that her diet changes according to the month and her mood. The orangutan knows how to locate and to forage nearly 317 different forest plants, fruits and seeds for her food. She’s innately aware of which vegetables and roots are in season for some naturally intelligent reason. Clearly fruit, as observed by biologists in her poop, dominates herVit-C rich diet 90%… and that’s a good thing wherever she went, as her poo-poo is healthy too-too for dispersing fruit seeds everywhere in the forest, it’s true. Lastly, there’s one more curious naturopathic move the orangutan will make. Again, as food is also medicine to her, she’ll sometimes ingest a mud pie made out of soil and rock, why? Well, biologist say that if the orangutan could talk, she would likely relay that her “geophagy” behavior saves the day from toxins, bacteria, and disease at play in her gut because she ate some bad nut.

Reflection: Do I listen to my body and feed myself nutritious food that feels like medicine? Do I make sure that I take my daily vitamins, especially Vitamin C to keep my immune system strong?

Challenge: Forage in your local market or grocery store for nutritious, in-season fruits, seeds, and vegetables this week with the mindset that you are hunting for food that looks, feels, and tastes like medicine.