First foods is the First Nation diet prior to colonization. It exemplifies the physiological, biological-epigenetic and social emotional inner-connection for whole health wellness and inner personal sustainability.
First foods in particular act as a sense of belonging since foods are a major part of culture. To heal from depression, first foods sustains one’s sense of belonging and positive mental health, awakening their inner-ancestors through epigenetics, and gaining inner-personal resilience and conditioning factors of origin for whole health sustainability.
First foods can minimize the effects of the 5HTT-LPR Polymorphism, (studies were written about in the 80’s and then through the early 2000’s) or the “mutant gene”. In which people of color, Indigenous People in particular carry. The neuro-biological effects of foods multiply neurotransmitters 10x more than your brain neurotransmitters. The 5HTT-LPR polymorphism gene is a serotonin transporter. Serotonin is necessary in your brains chemistry to avoid depression and or anxiety ridden mental defamations or negative states of mind. This particular Polymorphism inhibits regulatory deposits or balance of serotonin for the brain, unless the person is part of a “collectivist” culture. Meaning when you are part of a collectivist culture, you will not be apt for depression and or anxiety ridden mental illness. We are made of minerals, waters and metals just as the land is made of. We must eat what we are naturally made of. We are also made of cells and the cells have DNA, then DNA has epigenetics. Epigenetics are on top of our DNA and become activated when something in our environment is “familiar” to our ancestral experiences: whether its direct or indirect events, implicit or explicit memory, environmental factors can be foods, music, nature, person(s), events or experiences.
One’s First Foods also provide many nutritional benefits, physical benefits…as our ancestors did (hiking miles carrying a 270, harvesting bear root in the cold rain while laying on the mountain with my granddaughter, and witnessing her first “happy hands” as her little digits clutch a huckleberry, feeding her ginormous little spirit…) emotional and spiritual (hiking as a family to gather fresh water form the source of the four mountains with 12 of my kids) benefits. Being able to practice the old ways of undressing and processing our hunt, our animals, deer, elk and honoring them as our ancestors did. The simple acts of harvesting, gathering or cultivating First Foods holistically fulfills a healing.
Nuts/Seeds
Vegetables