Primary Food

Tennessee's graceful trees and blue skies feed my soul.

Primary Food is one of the core concepts taught by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and one that resonates with me. Basically, IIN teaches that the food we put in our mouths is secondary to the rest of the nourishment we receive from our lives. Emotional and spiritual well-being impact our physical health. 

For me, getting adequate Vitamin D by spending time outdoors is crucial to my well being. Connecting with the natural world--hearing the birds twitter, cows moo, leaves rustle and hens cluck; seeing plants leaf out, bud, grow and pass; and feeling the sun or rain on my skin--is deeply important to my feeling connected with the earth. Nature's music feels my soul.

When I pass graceful trees, or admire the vast expanses of sky that Tennessee affords me, I thank my Creator for the natural gifts that surround me. There was a time in my life when I was too busy to take note of natural beauty, or--if noted--to pause to give thanks. Since making the effort to build conscious gratitude into my repertoire, I am healthier, more grounded and infinitely happier.