Composting Yields Great Dirt… but it’s a lousy lifestyle.

I stand in awe of the “black gold” that is created within our compost pile. My husband fastened 3 pallets together and what happens within those walls is pure magic, yielding nutrient rich soil to grow flowers and vegetables. 

​It isn’t really magic though… it’s just the decomposition of carbon and nitrogen. We throw a lot of junk on that pile- banana peels, lettuce scraps, apple cores, grass trimmings, crispy fall leaves… and the smuck from the chicken coop. ​
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While there is a true science to composting, one can still end up with some good dirt by breaking all the rules. If only the pursuit of health could be so easy. If only we could give ourselves the scraps left over at the end of the day and end up with a charmed result. Health however isn’t attained and maintained that way. 

Now, there will always be days where we don’t drink enough water, supper consists of half a chicken nugget stolen off a kid’s plate before it hits the garbage can, and sleep is four hours of tossing and turning before rolling out of bed to start the grind all over again. On days like this, we’re treating our bodies like a compost pile, giving ourselves whatever is leftover and praying it will heat up and turn into something worthwhile. 

Our bodies need hydration, nutrient rich food, and rejuvenating sleep to sustain us. On your own personal health journey, I hope you are experiencing fewer “compost” days and more days of “optimal.” Optimal: nutrition, movement, supplementation, emotional support, cognitive functioning, and rest. 

One step at a time, one decision at a time, and one “get up and dust yourself off” moment at a time, Integrative Family Medicine is here to partner with you on your health journey: from primary care to mental health; pediatric sensory classes to health coaching and IV/IM nutrition. Composting yields great dirt, but it’s a lousy lifestyle. 

Sara Lynn, RN, BSN
“If you don’t invest in your health, no one else will.”