Model Your Health After the Amish
I have been reading a lot lately about how the Amish are much healthier than most Americans. They have one of the lowest cancer and autism rates in the nation. It makes me stop and wonder what they are doing that is so different than the rest of the country.
Could their stress-free simple lifestyle be the reason? I would bet to guess that it has a lot to do with it! Whatever it is I know I want to model my family’s life after their wisdom.
Here are just a few things we are doing the “Amish” way to try to stay healthy:
- Know where our food comes from.
We avoid prepackaged and processed food as much as we can. We grow most of our own food using as few chemicals and pesticides as possible. By raising our own meat, we know that our food is natural and GMO-free. We rely on eating food when it is in season and can the excess to eat all year long. We bake and make all we can from scratch. We have broken our addiction to pre-packaged food. - We try to avoid harmful fats.
I stay clear of using vegetable oil as much as I can and stick to the healthy fats from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish. We drink raw milk, butter and eat fresh eggs. I know that the milk we drink is from grass fed dairy and contains a lot of fat-soluble vitamins such as A, E, and K2. I bake with lard we process from our pigs and make our own farmers cheese, sour cream and butter from raw milk purchased from a local dairy. (One Ash Plantation) - We stay physically active.
It’s pretty hard living on a farm and not be physically active. Gardening, cleaning stalls, hauling wood and homemaking is a fantastic exercise program. Even though we do own cars and don’t walk everywhere like the Amish, our lifestyle keeps us fit and healthy. - Stress-free living.
Experts have linked stress to be the culprit of most health problems. I know that when we moved from the city to the country and eliminated the job stress from our lives our overall health improved. We have slowed the pace of our lives and are living a toxic-free self-sustainable lifestyle.
We are always looking for ways to model our lives after the Amish. I know I’ll never live without today’s modern technology, but I try hard to follow their simple way of life to keep my family healthy.
Thanks for stopping by!
Tracy Lynn
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Good Morning Tracy, I also feel just living a simple and not a fast pace life has many health benefits. But as we remove some of those bad fats and cook from scratch with healthier choices all make a difference. I also find great peace in knowing God has numbered my days!When our children were small we drank raw milk. We have chickens so we do have fresh eggs!
Thanks for your topic today, we always need to be reminded to eat well and get some exercise.
Blessings, Roxy
Thanks Roxie…I do believe it is the small changes we make that do make a BIG difference.
Some people think the lower autism rates also have to do with not vaccinating.
That’s not true at all. People who are amish can still have autism, and many amish communities do vaccinate!
Recently I visited an Amish farm with my daughter (now an adult). She was purchasing raw milk, yogurt and eggs. Good nutrition has been a life long quest for her, battling food allergies and intolerances. In hindsight I believe that the MMR vaccine contributed to her gesture-intestinal troubles.
You know staying active is really great advice. I think a lot of people have jobs where they just sit all day. And that is so draining.
You have some great ideas and helpful hints there, we believe drinking raw milk is a good thing – although our government is trying to ban it. Thank you for sharing at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings
Thanks for sharing this wonderful list on the Art of Home-Making Mondays Tracy! 🙂
Thanks so much for linking up at RCH Awesome Life Friday. This is a great post!
What an inspiring post! I’ve never had raw dairy. You just can’t find it here. Hoping to be able to one of these days! Following you on G+.
Love this post Tracy. There has always been something about the Amish that draws people and I think their simple lifestyle has much to do with it. We could learn so much from them in so many areas. I would love for you to share this over on our Simply Inspired Wednesday Link up. I think it would resonate with my readers – – Have a great weekend. ~Victoria
All good and healthful thoughts and actions !
Simple living, eating right, loving the people in our lives, staying active, taking time to think and meditate — these are good practices that many, in all walks of life, are living.
Indeed, they are commonsense practices that some have never abandoned, and many are rediscovering. Learning how to integrate sense and wisdom into the culture and time in which we live is indeed a challenge, but one well worth taking on. (And as you observe, you won’t fit in when you do so — which isn’t such a bad thing, at all!)
I love this…loving the people in our lives!
I love knowing where our food comes from whenever possible. I get so tired of having food recalled for listeria and other awful things.
HI Tracy,
the Amish sure do live a pretty natural life. Sometimes is not possible to live completely like they do or would I want to but learning to live much simpler sure is a wonderful idea for everyone. Living int the country and free from so much huzzle and buzzle makes a big difference in stress levels and ultimately our health.
It all sounds so simple Tracy, but can be a struggle to put into practice, or at least maintain. The advantage the Amish have is they live in a community of like-minded families. We need more communities to support a slow, simple, healthy lifestyle. Thank you for your words of wisdom and inspiration.
Michelle…I have been striving to surround myself with people who feel and think just like me. We all can have that tight-knit community just like the Amish if we form friendships with those who support our desire to live a simpler life. Wouldn’t it be great if we all lived close by each other so we all had a stronger support system!
Great post! I would guess that their avoidance of vaccines has something to do with it as well.
I have heard that and have to agree. I have not heard of Amish suffering from Autism.
These are great little tips/reminders. Staying busy and physically active is so important and not just the modern gym ways either. Even a little walk a few times a week is good for the body, mind, and soul. I love getting out with the boys for a little walk around the block or up to the park. Not to mention cleaning the house! And I strive to make just about everything from scratch. It brings me such pleasure to know I have this skill, plus I know what the ingredients are, and it can be so much easier to know where our food comes from! 🙂
I couldn’t agree more…it brings me such pleasure cooking everything from scratch and not being reliant on the grocery store. Sometimes it is the simple things in life that brings us so much pleasure.
I usually feel much healthier when I am less stressed. There is something to it. Thanks for sharing on #FridayFrivolity
Such great advice that everyone could benefit from. Thanks for sharing at Funtastic Friday!
We do so much better at staying active when we have outside chores to do!
Thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday! Have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
We’ve made great strides in those areas, but it’s a constant struggle.
I truly admire the Amish and their way of life. I visit Lancaster, PA when I can. It brings me peace. My grandparents raised pigs and chickens. Fresh eggs were readily available, and they used lard for many of their dishes. Especially baked goods. I so miss them and their homestead. I do garden and preserve, but I really need to improve my physical activity. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your posts. They inspire me. Thanks for sharing on Sunday’s Best.
Great tips – especially knowing where your food comes from!