What's Old is What's New.
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Written By: Jen Nolan, Oncology Nutrition Consultant, Reiki Master, BS, MS, ONC, TAP
I had the pleasure of traveling to Kansas this Spring and attended the 50th Anniversary Gala to celebrate the amazing Riordan Clinic. I was asked a question that evening, which I answered without pause. “What’s new in the world of nutrition these days?” Instantly the answer came to me…”What’s NEW is what is OLD.”
To me, it isn’t all about the newest research, the latest and greatest bio-hack, a strict and often “fad” diet, or a magic “this will fix everything” pill. To me, it’s about going back in time and learning from our history, our ancestry, and how things were done before we had every technology under the sun available to us. Later in the evening, as we listened to the speeches at the gala, they took us through a story of three generations who have shaped the Riordan Clinic these past 50 years.
What can the newest generation carry through from the first? The sweet documentary they showed told the story about a time when there was a giant garden at the clinic, and the land around the buildings provided a calming natural environment not only for the patients but the staff and many native animals. There was a restaurant onsite providing healthy food options to the community. The clinic continues to do a tremendous job understanding what really matters in health care. The whole person. The terrain. The connection. And what they call co-learning, which is a partnership between clinicians, staff, and the patient. I am thrilled they also recognize what matters in food. The whole-real food. The Terrain of the food. The Connection with the food. I am proud and honored to be recently named Nutrition Advisor to the Riordan Clinic and am excited to see them grow forward while also looking back to what is old.
From my time with the Riordan Clinic, I traveled directly to my dear friends’ farm - it is honestly the most magical land in the hills of Kansas. Yes, there are actually hills in Kansas! This visit drove my answer home even more. In some ways it is like a step back in time. They get up when the light comes, when the animals make their calls. They eat three balanced meals per day and eat with the daylight. They source their food right from their land, and what they don’t grow or raise? They barter with other locals who do. It’s a beautiful system. It’s not easy. They work HARD. They eat with the seasons; they nourish their nervous systems with daily floats in the pond. There were five baby lambs born in one day while I was there. And in turn, a couple of chickens met their demise overnight. It’s a true witnessing of the circle of life before your very eyes.
I was utterly in awe of it all, and I could feel any stress I had when I arrived literally dissipate with each moment of being there. Every year, Gail and Lynnette host a gathering at their farm called Field School, and it’s happening this Fall. I am so excited to be back in this magical land, learning, sharing in community, feeling nourished from head in the clouds to toes in the soil. If you’re interested in learning more or attending, you can read about it HERE.
