John Suavecito

Hello Kai,
You asked some great questions and came up with some interesting points of view. Many of your questions have been answered if you read through the other threads in this forum.
Thanks,
John S
PDX OR

This is my solution to the problem

This is a great permaculture movie.  From Mercola's web site:

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/08/how-industrial-agriculture-destroys-soil.aspx?cid_source=dnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1HL&cid=20200208Z1&et_cid=DM450933&et_rid=806725961

John S
PDX OR

Hello,
The reason I started my last post with "Yes", was because I was agreeing with Jane, and thought she had good ideas.  My point was that experimenting to see what works,  would help. I don't understand why Jane thought that the main point of my post was to criticize her idea.  My view is that with intractable problems, many experiments are useful. People who become healthy seem to build many little positive habits over time and they become so automatic, that they have forgotten that they made the change originally.  Saying that one thing, like "Never eat meat", or "Only eat plants" or "Never eat carbs" will work, are single solutions. In my opinion, one single solution will rarely be the kind of thing that moves someone all the way into wellness.  I was modeling how applying some of the ideas that Jane and others had used could be helpful with the experimental approach that I was advocating.  The OP never said that she was eating mostly carbs or oatmeal.  She was asking about what fruits or herbs could help.  Cranberries are a fruit. Chives are an herb.  They are both nutritious.  I also agree that adding more whole plant and fungi foods are the main way to build a healthy gut microbiome, and that will be very likely to help.
John S
PDX OR

This outstanding movie is back on for free from Mercola:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/08/how-industrial-agriculture-destroys-soil.aspx?cid_source=dnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1HL&cid=20200208Z1&et_cid=DM450933&et_rid=806725961

I dare you to watch it.
John S
PDX OR

Yes, and there's also a big difference between just eating a huge white potato by itself(who would ever do that?), and eating a small red or purple potato and mixing it with chile, yogurt, chives and other green leafies. They slow down the glycemic spike significantly and add flavor and nutrition. Also, there's a big difference between eating instant oatmeal with sugar in it, and scottish or rolled oats with walnuts, craisins, and black strap molasses.  Experiment with what helps you recover!
John S
PDX OR

Great example of using earth works to help the farm and the ecology.
John S
PDX OR

I urge you to think of each new practice as an experiment. You will probably make many types of tea. Usually called infusions. They are made quickly.  Decoctions take longer because they are usually tougher material, like twigs, bark, or roots.  You will probably feel just a little better with each practice you adopt, but over time, it will be huge. The experiments that worked will become habits, and you won't even realize that you are doing something anymore. They will be automatic.  You will probably start to notice plants and mushrooms and learn to ID and forage them in your area.  Then you will learn what you can cultivate in your climate and space.  You will probably find good herb stores online and in person.    Perhaps friends will allow you to cultivate something as well.  You will get better, not just from the nutrition and medicine you are taking, but also from the innumerable instance of removing bad interactions from your body. I have read of countless instances in which some med depletes a mineral, vitamin or necessary human substance which then prevents your body from healing naturally.  The med model is to keep you on meds.  They need you to do that to keep their corporate shareholder value. You do not need that. You need to become healthier over time.  
John S
PDX OR

This Native American professor is urging people to try to understand and appreciate the invasive plants:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/earth-day-indigenous-scientists-academics-and-community-members-take-the-lead-in-environmental-causes-1.4605336/every-plant-and-animal-is-useful-to-us-indigenous-professor-re-thinking-how-we-deal-with-invasive-species-1.4605344?fbclid=IwAR1ppK1uJeP2hHaUpxU5vXW27SH5DAwG4GmKU0qb4nQqVh42wjnUyTtqAEI

John S
PDX OR

One of the basic ideas that is mentioned as a reason why people live so long and healthfully in the Blue Zones is what you're saying, Jay.

You have to have a reason to wake up in the morning.  Something that makes you happy, that makes you feel like you make a difference, like your life has meaning.  For some that's a spiritual or religious experience.  For others, it's a service activity, like helping the poor or people who are in institutions.  For some, it's making a type of art that makes them happy, their grandchildren, their group of friends who they hang out with.  It could be a lot of things, but you need to have a reason why your life has meaning.  In the US, the average life expectancy has decreased for the last 3 years, largely attributed to deaths of despair.  People feel like there is no point to their life.  They aren't connected to others in a way that makes life better.  Yes, nutrition and exercise are important. But they aren't the whole thing.
John S
PDX OR