Are almost all of your family and friends afflicted with a health condition of one sort or another, or suffering from a life threating disease? Winona Keims’ are, and she and her husband Rock are feed up with our current food system and are angry with leaders like Michelle Obama who talk about healthy food, but yet do nothing about the potentially dangerous ingredients allowed in our foods and Monsanto’s seemingly endless crusade to get its patented GMOs into every item in the grocery store. We received a moving and inspirational video from Winona today and we wanted to share it with you – our Calton Nutrition family. When we got the letter that Winona sent along with her video it brought tears to our eyes. People like Winona are the reason we do what we do. Being a writer is not the glamorous profession many think it is, especially when you write books on nutrition as we do. We put years of our lives (literally) into writing each book, all the time hoping that someone, somewhere picks it up, reads it and is somehow affected in a positive way. You spend weeks on the road doing countless television and radio shows, at all hours of the day and night, hoping that you explained each point just right, that your words successfully conveyed the message you intended, but the fact is, you don’t really know. So thank you Winona and to all of you who have taken the time out of your busy lives to let us know what Naked Calories and Rich Food, Poor Food have meant to you. You are our warriors out there in the world. The fight will be long and hard, but it is a fight that can and must be won, our health and the health of our children is at stake. Keep fighting, and know that we are always right their by your side.
We would love to hear from you too. You can send letters or videos to us HERE.
Along with her video Winona sent us this expanded letter.
June 30, 2013
My name is Winona Keim. I am a 61 year young wife, Mother of 3 and Grandmother of 8.
My husband Rock, and I have always eaten what we THOUGHT was very healthy. And to one degree, I know we were. I can our food, cook and bake mostly from scratch, I make our own bread. We’ve always prepared most of our own food, but occasionally I would fall off the “chuck wagon” and buy quick foods from the store. Rock, is the second youngest of 6 and I am the second youngest of 5 in our respective families.
My Mother had her first heart attack in her late 40’s. My Father had a massive stroke at age 55, from which he never recovered, but lived another 19 years. Alcoholism runs in my family. My risk of heart disease runs high. Rock’s dad had his first heart attack in his 50’s, had a triple by-pass at age 61, he was diabetic and he died at age 69 from heart complications among other things. HBP runs high on his Mother’s side as well as Thyroid disease. Rock’s risks run high as well. So I have always had an interest in eating healthy AND natural. We don’t eat beef, we live in the Rocky Mountains, and we are blessed to have elk meat on our dinner menu.
Out of 6 kids on my husband’s side, there is mild to moderate obesity, every sibling has either HBP or Thyroid disease or both, and both of his brothers are diabetic. Rock is free from everything so far, and is not on any medication. Out of 5 kids on my side, one sister had a triple bypass, the other sister has COPD and HBP, as well as a 40 % blockage in one carotid artery. One brother has HBP and sleep apnea. I am the only one not afflicted and not on any medication.
I never considered that WHAT we were eating to be a problem, as long as it’s healthy. Then one morning my life was forever changed. I crawled out of bed and sat on the couch to a freshly poured cup of coffee, (I have a wonderful hubby) and Rock said “I saved something I want you to see!” We watch Fox News with our morning coffee. He re-wound the DVR to a segment with Jayson and Mira Calton. As I listened I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! I was speechless! And then when they talked about Azodicarbonamide, I said “STOP! Rewind that! I want to know what that word was!” I went straight to the fridge and pulled down a brand new, unopened loaf of Roman Meal bread! I was SO angry as I sought out that word! YES! It was there! I suddenly felt so violated! I threw it in the trash! We finished watching in total shock! When it was over Rock looked at me, I’m sure my mouth was still hanging open, and he said “I thought you’d like that!” Are you kidding me? Never mind the cost of the food I’m going to throw away! I just feel downright violated! And MAD!
I immediately started going through everything in the house and panty! Then I started looking at my herbs, vitamins and then I looked at my brand new bottle of Aleve! I think that’s when it hit me the hardest. The one thing I use for that occasional headache, I can’t/won’t take anymore because it contains Titanium Dioxide!!! I wanted to know. WHY? We threw away a lot of food that day, including that brand new bottle of Aleve! And I went to the computer and pre-ordered the Calton’s newest book, Rich Food Poor Food. I might have ordered it before I went through the food, I was so mad at the time, I’m not sure!
First I got mad at the FDA. Then I got mad at Monsanto. Then I got mad at the government! Then I even got mad at Michelle Obama! How dare she go around this great country and police our foods and do NOTHING to stop the insanity of the FDA and what is allowed into our food, our cupboards, our pain medication and even our vitamins!
Cambell’s, Hunt’s, Kraft, Kellogg’s, Post, Heinz, so many brands! Why? Why? Don’t you care what you feed your own family? If so, then why don’t you care about what I feed mine? Do you have any idea how violated I feel right now? Probably not, and sadly you probably don’t even care. It seems our country has become so much more consumed with money, power and profits than health.
I volunteer at the local food bank. One day after a long shift at the food bank, I brought home a quick frozen dinner. We warmed it up in the oven and as we started eating it, something just didn’t taste right. I went to the package, read the label, and I told Rock “don’t eat another bite, throw it away!” Everything in there was bad! I didn’t have my E-book, Rich Food Poor Food yet, but I had written the names down from the Fox News program that the Caltons were on. After that show, we paid close attention, but this day I was just tired and hungry! We threw our dinner away, and opted for something else. It might have been a bowl of cereal! At least it wasn’t loaded with chemicals!
After that we really started to pay attention, we read labels. I even took my case to the people at the food bank. Ken and his wife run the local food bank, we attend the same church. Ken was recently diagnosed with early diabetes, so they are working on healthy choices for him. But he wasn’t so aware of artificial sweeteners! That is when I started talking to them about the choices we have to offer our community families. And I contacted the wonderful Caltons! I told them my dilemma and that I wished I could afford stacks of their books! We need to get the word out! Well I won’t share here what they did do for me, but it was amazingly awesome! And I am spreading their word!
I discovered that we don’t get many choices from the main Food Bank of the Rockies. We get what we get and we don’t throw a fit! Well I do! It’s sad, and as I told Donna, just because some of these people may not care about their choices, we should. But we are limited as to what those choices are. That is sad. And that frustrates me with Mrs. Obama. She is in a very powerful position to help fix the food problem!
But until then, we have wonderful teachers, such as the Caltons to open the eyes of the public. And I support their efforts. I am spreading their word any way I can, including my Face Book page!
Until we have a government that cares more about the health of the American people than the lobbyists and their pockets, we all need to band together with people like the Caltons, and take a stand against what the food manufacturers are putting into our food and beverages AND our medications and vitamins!
Rock and I are changing the way we eat. We are paying close attention! And in that process, we are also losing weight! Not because we stopped eating, but because we started eating the right things. Rock has lost 15 lbs and I have lost 7 lbs. I’m drinking cucumber water, half a gallon a day. I don’t like plain water, and we don’t drink soda pop (with the rare exception with a pizza). We’ve all but cut wheat out of our diet, an occasional loaf of homemade bread, and sometimes homemade cookies. I’m looking for a source for non-GMO wheat. I have a couple apps on my iphone, to help out with locating non-GMO products.
We will continue the fight. We won’t give up. I am buying the book Rich Food Poor Food for my kids. I want them to read it and hopefully start paying attention too.
Thank you Jayson and Mira, for all that you are doing. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, for opening my eyes to what I was really eating, even though I thought it was already healthy. I pray that God will keep you both safe in all your travels as you teach and share your knowledge with others! And I pray that God will open people’s eyes and ears to seeing and hearing your words of wisdom!
God bless you both!
Love, from the bottom of my healthy heart,
Winona Keim
