How Soil Health Affects Your Health: What They Don’t Tell You About the Ground Beneath Your Greens
We often talk about clean food, clean water, clean air.
But what about clean soil?
At Fasting in Paradise, we believe that true wellness doesn’t start with what’s on your plate—it starts with what your food is grown in. And most modern soil? It's depleted, disrupted, and drowning in chemicals. The health of our soil directly impacts the nutrient density of our food, the strength of our immune systems, and the vitality of our bodies at the cellular level.
If you’ve been eating “healthy” but still don’t feel well… this might be why.
A Quick History: From Rich Loess to Ruined Land
Long before industrial agriculture, the native grasslands of North America were home to some of the richest, most biodiverse soil on Earth. The loess soil—a deep, mineral-dense layer formed over millions of years—nourished entire ecosystems. When early settlers arrived, the land was so lush, their tools could barely cut through the turf.
Then came mechanized farming.
In the mid-1800s, John Deere revolutionized agriculture with the first steel plow—ushering in large-scale tillage. It made farming faster. But it also:
Disrupted natural soil structure
Depleted essential nutrients
Exposed living microbiomes to sun and wind
Triggered massive erosion
The result? The Dust Bowl of the 1930s—a climate and health crisis that killed thousands and devastated the land. And we’re still paying the price.
Modern Farming Is Still Wrecking Our Soil (and Our Health)
Even today, tilling remains a common practice—breaking apart soil, exposing it to erosion, and killing off the very microorganisms that make nutrients bioavailable to plants—and eventually, to us.
But tillage was just the beginning.
The Post-War Chemical Bomb on Our Farms
After WWII and Vietnam, leftover war chemicals were repurposed into fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. What started as occasional use has become the norm: over 4 billion pounds of these substances are now sprayed on U.S. crops annually.
One of the most notorious?
Glyphosate—the active ingredient in Roundup.
Originally used as a “spot treatment,” glyphosate is now blanketing everything from wheat and oats to sugar beets and landscaping. It’s been found in:
Nearly 40% of water samples tested in the Midwest
These chemicals don’t stay where we spray them. Spray drift, groundwater runoff, and deep water contamination have created over 400 oceanic dead zones—lifeless areas where nothing can grow.
What This Means for You
When soil is stripped of its life, so is our food.
Crops grown in degraded soil have fewer vitamins and minerals
Glyphosate exposure is linked to cancer, hormone disruption, infertility, and developmental issues
The CDC has found pesticide residues in nearly every American’s body
Infants are born with a “chemical burden” passed from their mothers
Even in tiny doses, these toxins can interfere with your body's endocrine system, immune response, and cellular regeneration.
This isn’t fear—it’s fact. And it's one of the reasons why Fasting in Paradise exists: to give your body a break from the overload.
Why We Care So Deeply at Fasting in Paradise
Our retreat is about more than fasting. It's about removing toxic inputs—starting at the root.
We source clean, chemical-free nutrients. We purify water and air. And we educate guests on how soil, toxins, and food quality impact energy, immunity, and long-term health.
Because your body isn’t broken—it’s just burdened. And healing starts by clearing what’s not serving you.
Want to Learn What Clean Really Feels Like?
Join the Fasting in Paradise waitlist and be the first to experience a space where your body can finally breathe again. No chemicals. No overwhelm. Just science-backed detox in a spa-like sanctuary that honors your health at the cellular level.