GROWING YOUR OWN GARDEN AND STORING FOOD

There is something I didn't include on my WORD OF WISDOM post, and it is about growing your own garden and storing food. This is part of the Word of Wisdom as well, as been counseled by the prophets, but now it is under danger of being banned by the government. I want to start with a quote from President Spencer W. Kimball:

"The Lord has urged that his people save for the rainy days, prepare for the difficult times, and put away for emergencies, a year’s supply or more of bare necessities so that when comes the flood, the earthquake, the famine, the hurricane, the storms of life, our families can be sustained through the dark days. We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees—plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments or condominiums can generally grow a little food inpots and planters. Study the best methods of providing your own foods. Make your garden as neat and attractive as well as productive. If there are children in your home, involve them in the process with assigned responsibilities.

CACAO

Cacao, cocoa, or raw chocolate, is the second SUPERFOOD in the list. What? Chocolate is healthy? Really? Yes, and no. Cacao is healthy in its raw form, and I will list all the properties it has in just a minute, but the commercial chocolate we can buy at the normal grocery store is not healthy, in fact is very unhealthy, for many reasons.

First of all, commercial chocolate is just a reflection of chocolate, since most of those products at the store only have a very low percentage of cacao on them...so the higher the percentage, the less unhealthy the product is. Second, the way they prepare commercial chocolate kills the majority of the properties of cacao. They follow a roasted, boiled, heated, process that eliminates almost all the good properties of cacao. Third, all those products, come with their share of unhealthy additives, preservatives, and empty calorie ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup, refined sugar, and many other "bad stuff". So if you ever had any hopes that I was gonna tell you that your usual chocolate candy bar you have everytime you visit your favorite insurance agent (inside joke), or everytime you wait for your car to get washed, or anytime you open your pantry and think nobody is watching...then you're gonna have to wake up from your dreams, cause they are NOT healthy!