Junk out, good food in. Part 1 the begining

So you want to eat healthy!  Congrats. Now where to go?  Navigating the world of healthy can be such a challenge. You are just getting started and you get bombarded with information. It can be so overwhelming.  The messages go something like this.  "Eat more fruits and veg, but not just any fruits and veg; make sure they are whole, organic, certified, blessed by the chief of______"   "No GMO foods" and you don't even know what a GMO is. Then there are Soy foods.  Some say they are the devil, and some swear they are made in heaven.  There is a an entire list of ingredients to avoid (which varies from person to person).  And this is just the beginning!

You meet up with people doing all these special diets that they swear by, but they don't seem to include foods you recognize.  It seems like everyone has a different opinion about the subject. Eat this, avoid that.  Everyone is willing to give you advice. Everyone is saying something different. It is so overwhelming, but you know you have to do something because what you have been doing is not working. You take it all in. You pump yourself up.  You can do this. You think you have formulated a plan. You have a list of the Do's and Don'ts. You are ready.

You have done it; you have thrown out all you junk food and you are ready to make a big change. You venture out to the grocery store and try to navigate a healthier you, starting with the big banners across some of the packages claiming health benefits. You turn over the package and find it full of those things you are supposed to avoid.  But you are so confused, it says healthy things across the front.  You try your best, but your eyes are beginning to blur, and your brain is boggled by the long list of ingredients you can't pronounce  in some of the "healthy"  products. You end up throwing a few packages of overpriced stuff into your cart (because it might be healthier). Then you stop by the produce section. Upon looking at the price of organic produce you leave without anything because it seems that $5 for an organic apple is too much.

You get home and try to eat that healthy stuff you just bought (which is somewhat tolerable), but not like what you are used to. You tell yourself "but I am getting healthier so it is worth it right?"  A few hours later you are craving your favorite food, but it is not in the house because you threw it out. You end up on a midnight run to the store because you can't stand it anymore. Maybe tomorrow you can try again. You realize that it is tomorrow already and there is nothing in the house that you want eat.  Maybe this healthy thing is not for me.

Your first attempts at getting healthy have been a failure.  It is so confusing to know which way to go. There is so much information out there and everyone seems to disagree as to what is healthy and what is not. Your trip to the grocery store have not been helpful. It seems that everything there entices you to put the wrong things in your cart. You are grumpy and unfulfilled because you have tossed out all your comfort/go to foods. What are you going to do?

Maybe, the answer is in the health food store. It is full of good things.  It will be easy to make good choices there. As soon as you walk in the door you know you have made a mistake. Everyone  is still enticing you to buy their product. Some of these packages have even more health claims on the labels than the grocery store. The trouble is; you don't even know what half the products are. You look around trying to find something familiar to grasp too. All your favorite brands are not here, they are replaced with products heralding healthy sounding names. You find a few things that sound good, toss them in your basket and move on to the produce isle.  You find a bit of organic fruit that looks pretty good plus it is on sale, so it is a bit more of a tolerable price.

Now, if only you can remember the name of that "stuff " the Doctor on TV or your friend told you about. You find it, but now you are thinking, "What am I supposed to do with this?"  You toss it into your basket and head to the checkout. At the checkout you chat briefly with the cashier asking them what to do with that "stuff" you just bought. They give you some suggestions (most of which you understand), you nod your head and out the door you go.

Now you are home and staring at the stuff you bought.  You decide to enjoy the fruit you purchased. It tastes just like the other fruit that you have bought on occasion. You think to yourself, "What is the big deal, I can't tell a difference."  Later that evening you decide to cook that "stuff" that you hear is so healthy.  You remember what the cashier said and attempt to cook it.  When it is done, you timidly try it. Maybe its not so bad, but I miss my ________. (fill in your own blank). You begin thinking about it and your mouth starts to water.  Now your heart is racing and you think that you have to get it.  It is looking like another late night run to the store for that favorite food. You have a choice to make.  Do you go on trying to get healthy, or do you give into your cravings and go back to what you know?

Tune in next week as we explore the world of Junk out, good food in part 2

Am I a Grinch because I do not participate in Elf on the shelf?

Once again I am faced with the challenge of making sure that my kids get the message that Christ is the center of Christmas. This year is especially challenging as everyone seems to be talking and doing "Elf on the Shelf."  

It seems that every year Christ gets pushed further and further out of the picture. People have replaced their nativity sets with Santa, reindeer, snowmen, and elves. Nativity sets adorning front yards (even at churches) have been replaced with these other symbols of Christmas. Schools can no longer teach about the true meaning of Christmas. The only place to really teach this is in the home (and a bit in church).  Society may be pushing Christ out of Christmas, but not at my house.  

We usually leave most of the Santa Clause and other things to Society. It is hard to avoid it. Everywhere we go people ask the children, "What do you want Santa to bring you?" or, "Are you being good for Mom so that Santa can come this year?" I do not bring it up, only if the children do. I do not make a big deal about it, but I do make a big deal about Christ at Christmas. We do not only read the token story on Christmas eve. We talk of his birth, we talk of him his life his ministry often, not just on Christmas eve but all through the year. At Christmas we get a real treat we get to fully celebrate his life and ministry. It makes me so happy. He is truly the guest of honor at his own birthday celebration.  The Nativity sets adorn the house. They are the crowning jewels of our décor.

I will make it a point to teach my children of the real miracle of Christmas. It does not lie in Santa bringing toys, or a magic elf that wakes up and causes troubles while you sleep. The miracle happens in the quiet moments when we realize that Christ is our Savior. At our home we make sure that the entire season is about him. It is in the songs that we sing, it is in the things we talk about. We talk about the symbols of Christmas, from the star, to the candy canes.  I make sure to talk about these things to my children and make that the focus of our joyous celebration. I have also slowed  down my Christmas activities the last few years. We keep the season extremely simple so that we have time to enjoy the sights an sounds of the season.


When people ask if we are doing Elf on the shelf I just smile and say no. There is no need for me to do that. There is no need for me to glorify yet another part of Christmas that seems to push out Christ. People seem to get offended that I am not playing into Christmas fun and they accuse me of ruining Christmas for the children.  "We do it for the children" they cry. They find a lot of fun and  joy in creating yet another "magical moment." They thrill in seeing the children's faces when they "believe" that the Elf or Santa are real. It is fine, and I do enjoy hearing my children whisper to one another about if Santa is real or not. It is one of the simple Christmas joys. I have slowed down enough that I can enjoy those moments, but on the other hand.....


People have accused me of being a Grinch and a scrooge because I am not willing to go to extremely great lengths to expound my children's belief in Santa and Elves. "Elf on the shelf is so much fun", they  cry at me. "Your children are missing out on the fun!"  "You have to have a picture with Santa each year!"  I do not! I will not! This is not who I am nor what I stand for. CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT CHRIST; and I will always make sure it is the focus of our Christmas, I will go to great lengths to share with my children a testimony of Christ. It is far more satisfying to see the look on a child's face when he or she realize that Jesus Christ lives and is their Savior, as opposed to when they believe that Santa or an Elf are real. This is real, true, Christmas joy. This is what Christmas is all about. Realizing that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that he has given us a wonderful gift. It is not elves, Santa, reindeer, snowmen, etc. It is about a miracle that happened far away in Bethlehem and a knowledge that our Savior Jesus Christ lives and loves us. I will always go to great lengths to ensure that my children know that this is the meaning of Christmas. So go ahead, call me a Grinch or a Scrooge because I do not follow the traditions of society. Society does not seem to care anymore about the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; but I do, and that is what I will teach my family about Christmas.  So go ahead and choose for yourself what traditions you want for you and your family;  But as for me and my house we will serve the lord.  Joshua 24:15

healing, more than just symptom relief

Wow! what a journey it has been that last couple of years.  I was having several symptoms and issues. I was not feeling quite right. I went to see a doctor. When I called to make an appointment they asked, "what are your symptoms?" When I blurted out seven or eight things, I was told to pick the top three because there was not time to address all of my issues in one visit. I was told that the doctor would address the top three things and then we could make subsequent appointments to address the remaining issues. I attended the appointment and was told that two of the issues were not really anything to worry about was given a prescription to help with the third issue and sent on my way.  I felt that I was just a face in the crowd dismissed with,  "you are getting older, it is all a normal part of aging. Come back and we will find some prescriptions for the other items on your list" Following this experience and others, I did not return to that doctor nor to traditional healthcare.

Traditional healthcare has gotten out of hand. It is all about management of symptoms. Healing is not really  in our medical vocabulary. management of symptom is the main focus of attention.  It is all about what symptom can we manage with this drug or that drug. There are very few doctors that look for the underlying cause of symptoms and actually try to heal and get rid of the symptoms rather than manage them.  It has become a game of what symptom do you have? Let's see what pill we have for that?  Healthcare workers  have become pill pushers to the max.  We cannot blame the doctors, nurses and health care workers. they have been trained that way by the drug companies and society itself. 

Our society has come to believe that a drug "Band-Aid" is enough. Cover up the symptoms and it will heal on its own. Getting to the root rather than covering up symptom after symptom is crucial, yet that is not the way we are trained to think about it.  There is an old Chinese proverb that says "For acute pain and symptoms treat the branch, for chronic conditions treat the root"  We are treating everything at the branch level. There are very few that are looking for the root cause.  It takes time and energy to find the root, and it usually requires change.  So often it seems easier to slap on a bandage and hope for the best. Change is not easy.

So often we are resistant to change. We go to the doctor and think to ourselves, "I hope he doesn't tell me that I have to lose weight, or eat better; I know that already,  I just want him to  give me something to feel better."  I went in wanting to feel better. The answer that I was aging normally and that I could come back often to the doctor and get prescriptions to manage my symptoms was not acceptable to me. I did not want to come back again and be told that it was normal aging.  I did not see it working for others. I saw more pain and more pills.  It was a path I did not want to be on.   I chose a different path.  I started to research my symptoms.  I invested some time and energy into finding out what was going on with me.  I made myself priority for a short while.  

 I came to the conclusion that I had a thyroid issue. I had seen it with so many others. Go to the doctor get on thyroid meds for life. That was not acceptable to me.  I just felt that it was not the answer. Sure the drugs would help for a while, but I did not want to be just another number in the crowd. I did not want to be on a drug for life. I started on some natural things. They helped but I still felt that it was not enough.  Although it was natural, it was still  just symptom relief. I needed to know what the real trouble was. My body was not working properly  and I wanted to know why! I got upset about it.  In a process of learning and discovery, I  found that my Adrenal glands were fatigued from taking over for the thyroid, and that my mineral levels were low, and so on. The more I dug, the more I discovered that there were big troubles brewing waiting to show new signs and symptoms.  My body was failing and I wanted to know why. I needed to find out what the trouble was.

 I have kept on digging, learning. I have become my own health advocate. I now know that the root of so many of the problems and symptoms that are showing up in my life are due to my digestive system being out of sorts.  (It was not normal aging and not perimenupausal symptoms like people were trying to tell me). My digestion has been out of sorts since early childhood and became more out of sorts after having three babies close together.  I feel that many of the things now showing up in my life are due to the fact that I have not been getting the nutrients out of my food. My body is starving for nutrients.
  
I HAVE FOUND AND EXPOSED MY ROOT TROUBLE, NOW ON TO THE HEALING.

 It is a process.  There are many changes to be made. I am well on my way I have made some great dietary strides I am eating better but it is not as effective as it should be because I am digesting only a small portion of it. Once I get to where I am digesting better my body will have what it needs to heal.


 What about you?  Are you becoming your best health advocate or just going with the system?
What is the root of your troubles?  Are you on a path to great health?  leave a comment below so that we can all learn together.
 images courtesy of Bing images 

Be still and rest

The art of being still/quiet is something that is being lost. We are bodies in motion and we tend to be in motion all the time. We are constantly going even in our sleep. Our young people are experiencing sleep issues. Many young people are even texting in their sleep. As adults we are not getting enough restful sleep. So many experience sleep apnea. I see it on Facebook. I find many of my friends online making comments like this "can't sleep again, Why am I awake, sleep, I need sleep" and on it goes. Many can overcome sleep/resting issues simply by changing a few behaviors. 

 Meditation and Yoga have been key for me. I find that the resting part of yoga is nearly as important than the yoga poses themselves. I am beginning to understand the wisdom that was given by the Lord in Exodus 23:12 "Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day though shalt rest"  Rest is an essential state of being. Our bodies and brains are not made to go, go, go all the time. It is so not healthy for us. Many other cultures still have a rest period as part of everyday life and culture, but here in America we all seem to live the life of "New York the city that never sleeps".  It is becoming the United States a nation that never sleeps.

I have found that turning off all the distractions and taking a few minutes to get ready to sleep is very helpful. A regular bedtime routine is really important. I have found a few minutes  of deep breathing and relaxation really helps me to get into sleep mode. I have also found a sleep position.  After I breathe and relax a few minutes I put my body in that sleeping position my brain says "OK time to sleep now".

Photo courtesy of public domain image

They are just little things that make a big difference. It eliminates the tossing and turning for hours. I love that I can get to sleep alot sooner. I used to get in bed and my brain would start up I would spend over an hour thinking  about all the things that I missed doing during the day. Then I would go into a state of "oh I wish I could sleep, come on sleep brain". I would routinely spend two hours or more trying to fall asleep. I have found that a few minutes spent in quiet/ still time will save me hours of sleeplessness and I feel more rested. 

Resting our brains and bodies on a regular basis is super important to our well being. If you want to be more productive at work, before you get that afternoon slump take five to ten minutes and close your eyes, take some deep breaths and regain your focus. If you can get out into the sun and let the light "recharge" you it is even better.  It is more effective than fighting off that afternoon slump. It is invigorating and once again, a few minutes spent in quiet time will save hours in the long run. 

Now it is your turn, how to you find rest and repair for your body and soul? Leave a comment below for others to be inspired.  

Don't worry we got a pill for that.

As seen on a T shirt advertisement for a clever chiropractor

I take aspirin for the headache caused by the Zyrtec I take for the hay fever I got from Relenza for the uneasy stomach from the Ritalin I take for the Short attention span caused by the scopederm T's I take for the motion sickness I got from the Lomotil I take for the diareah caused by the Zenikal for the uncontrolled weight gain from the Paxil I take for the anxiety from the Zocor I take for my high cholesterol because diet and exercise and regular chiropractic care are just too much trouble.

It is incredible we get so many commercials on television for these drugs where they spend the entire time listing the possible side effects that these drugs may cause. Magazines are full of three page ads explaining the side effects of their prescriptions. Sometimes I think I would rather live with the symptom than live with the side effects of these drugs. Oh, and then there are the new drugs that you didn't know you needed until you hear it on the TV.  The commercials go something like this, "Is your bellybutton misshapen, we can fix it. Is your big toe a little too large Dr John's shrinking cream will have that big toe back to the right size within two weeks time." You go to the doctor and it is like this, "You only take three prescription drugs? I will help you keep up with the Jones' who take seven prescription drugs a piece." Oh you have a family history...... you better take this pill "just in case".  And now there is, "You have Pre-whatever they think you might get"

Family history and genetics are only a very tiny part of the risk factors for so many of the preventable diseases that we worry so much about. (Did you catch that..... preventable diseases). Yes, Diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity, autoimmune diseases, and many forms of cancer are preventable diseases.  These things can be prevented and even reversed by treating the body well. Your food  and lifestyle choices can help or harm you. I choose to eat food that is nourishing and helps my body to run well. I am starting to be actively engaged in my health. There are many things I can do to prevent getting these dreaded diseases that those who sell the test equipment and prescriptions have convinced us all that we are going to get. They have convinced us that it is all a matter of time until we all get these diseases and there is nothing you can do. I call bullcrap on them. It is hard because society is so overwhelmed with this stuff that makes it easy to live the bad lifestyle and seeming impossible to escape.  But it can be done. 

I agree with Hippocrates. Let medicine be thy food. Eat well and live well.  

Come back often here at life less hurried for tips and tricks on how to live a healthy lifestyle in an unhealthy world. 

Rethinking real food.

Growing up in the eighties and early nineties we got a  message burned into our brains. FAT IS BAD, FAT IS EVIL. The message was everywhere.

see, hear, speak nothing of high fat foods, only low fat varieties

 It was all over the news, billboards, books, and infomercials showing us how to knock out the fat. Everywhere you turned you saw and heard about the benefits of a low fat or non-fat diet. The saying was "Fat is what is making you fat". We all followed these crazy low fat diets and what happened? We all got fatter and we still screamed for more low fat foods because doctors and health Gurus are telling us that low fat is the way to live. Food producers trying to keep up with the demand were loading up food items with sugar, salt and all kinds of flavorings and chemicals to make up for the lack of fats. It is not a good combination for health yet people still believe that low fat is the way to go because it has been beat into our brains that low fat is the way.

One of things that I am having the hardest time with is rewiring my brain to believe that FAT IS GOOD. It has been so ingrained in me that any and all fat is bad, I have struggled with buying those "high fat" foods. I have started buying whole milk and yogurt and real sour cream. Butter, and cream (which were so against the rules) are now a staple in my fridge.  I have started cooking with real olive oil and coconut oil.  I have added nuts, seeds and avocado as the major source of the fats in my diet. I feel better and my brain is working better because I am fueling it with the fats it needs to thrive, yet I still struggle with the thoughts that it might be bad for me because it is so ingrained into my brain that fats are bad.

Dairy farmers know that fat is good. They just supply what the public market is demanding. We are demanding low fat dairy products so they keep supplying them. It is so ingrained in us. Low fat dairy is being sold to us for our children's health telling us that our kids will get fat if they eat full fat dairy, but know this, a calf that is not fed enough fat will die. Mother nature made milk as a good start for growing babies. Even our own babies need the fat and nutrition in mother's milk to survive. We need fat to survive. Our brain is sixty percent fat. We need the essential fatty acids for our brain to engage properly. So many are getting the wrong fats and an overload of them. We are getting plenty of fat into our diets, yet our brains are starving  and crying for fat because we are not getting the right fats that our body and brain can use.

We need real fats, the fats produced by nature itself. Olive oil pressed right from the olives, coconut oil squeezed right from a coconut, avocados, nuts, eggs, seeds etc. These things I understand. Many of the other oils I choose not to use as often. Soybean, canola, cottonseed and many other oils are so unnatural. Take some plants that have a relatively small amount of oil in them and grind them up, mix them with  toxic chemicals  and put them under extreme pressure in order to extract that small amount of oil. Then it goes through a whole process of heating and more pressure and more chemicals to clean and deodorize it so it does not taste and smell of all the chemicals. Take this highly refined oil and run electricity through it along with other stuff to hydrogenate it and you have something that our body does not know what to do with, yet we eat this stuff by the boatload. Nearly every packaged product on the grocery store shelves (and many in the health food stores) contain hydrogenated oils. These are the bad fats that we should avoid and for good reason, yet so many of us are eating a ton of these processed fats because they are hidden and we do not see them and do not really register that they are there.

Because it is so ingrained in us that fat is bad, we are eliminating the added healthy fats  (the ones that we can see).  It is easy to eliminate those things we see.  so many  people avoid things like avocados, nuts and eggs which we really should be adding to our diets.  "They are high in fat,  so I can only eat them occasionally." Yes they are high in fat, but it is the good fat that our body is trying so hard to get into the brain. We should be eating so much more of them and so much less of the junk we are eating.  So many avoid cooking with butter or olive oil and use a nonstick cooking spray which I avoid like the plague (more on that in another post). Learn to cook with real fats. Avoid the processed foods. Just about any food that comes in a bag, box, or can that is ready to eat will have some form of these over processed oils in it not to mention the preservatives. We need to eat food as nature made it, not as man made it.

I have had to work hard on eliminating these negative thoughts about fat. It is getting easier  because my brain and body are saying "thank you." I am feeling so much better because I am eating well. I will continue to eliminate the junk that does nothing to fuel my body and brain.


photos courtesy of Microsoft images

shared as part of real food wednesdays

The skinny on trans fat part 2

In case you missed it here is the link to skinny on trans fat part 1


The early 1900's brought about many changes in our food system. The quest for cheap food has brought about changes in the last 120 years that are icredible. Margarine was just the start, it was followed by Crisco, corn syrup, artifical sweetners and a myriad of other things.

 Crisco was developed by Proctor and Gamble who were brother in laws making soaps and candles. The cost of making of these items had been driven  up by a lack of tallow and lard. During this time cotton was big buisness. Procter and Gamble bought out eight cotton mills, the wheels began to turn, and with the help of a German scientist E.C. Keiser they were able to harden the cottonseed oil turning it into something that would work for making soaps and candles. This was great until they realized that the candle making business was on the decline due to this thing called electricity.

What next for the two brother in laws? There was a shortge of lard and butter.  People were starting to use this stuff called margarine instead of butter, why not sell this refined cottonseed oil that resembles lard as an alternative  at a fraction of the cost?  In a pure stroke of genius, they developed a cookbook to be given away with the cans of stuff called Crisco. Of course every recipe in the book contained Crisco. Homecooks loved the stuff. It was convienent and easy. They did not have to render out the lard and strain it to make it ready for cooking. This stuff was great. It was shelf stable and didn't go rancid like lard did.

 First margarine, and now Crisco or hydrogonated oil. The popularity of these products  was really growing.  Hydrogonated vegetable oil was quickly making its way as a staple in the American diet.  In the meantime, heart disease started to take hold of the country. The government started looking about for what may be the cause. One thing they looked at was the introduction of hydrogonated oils into the food system. Could it be the trouble? It sparked a debate over healthy fat and unhealthy fats that still rages on today.

Dr Fred Matteson (who happened to be working with Proctor and Gamble) along with others, presented the US Government with research (The lipid hypothosis)  that seemed to point a finger at animal fat as the troubles causing the increase in heart disease. It was adopted by the goverment and the heart association. The heart association began to recommend that people consume less animal fats. All over the United States people started eating less animal fats. Low fat dairy had taken over and less butter was being used. Butter was being replaced by margarines made with vegetable oils as opposed to the original margarine.

Heart disease continues to rise along with obesity, and diabetes. Maybe this lipid hypothisis is not really it. Maybe it is these hydrogonated fats that are clogging our arteries and causing us troubles. By this point it has gone crazy. The governement is researching which fats are good, which ones are bad, and the public decided that all fat is bad, thus the lowfat craze that swept the country a number of years ago. This was not the answer, people go even fatter on these low fat diets and heart disease is still not slowing down. So we are back to square one.

The people are begining to wonder what is going on. They are so confused by the information out there. Margarine is good one day and bad the next, the same with butter. The war between butter and margarine is getting old. It has been going on for so many years off and on. The only thing that has changed is that the American people are getting fatter and heart disease is still rampant. If is is these hydrdogonated fats causing troubles, we need to be concerned about more than just margarine and butter. Hydrogonated  vegetable oils have became big business. Mass food producers are making all types products using hydrogonated vegetable oils. It is cheap and has a long shelf life.

Hydrogonated oils are in nearly every food item on supermarket shelves in America. If these products are the problem how do we solve it? There are really no alternatives to hydrogonated fats, except for going back to animal fats. The food producers cannot afford to really change and start using animal fats again. It is too expensive, and a large portion of the public is convinced that animal fat is bad for you. The Heart association and others have been sold on the lipid hypotthosis, they have endorsed hundreds of products containing these fats. They are the main endorsers of many of these products. They have to save face. They cannot come out now and say, "Oh we may have been wrong."  Hydrogonated oils are really here to stay unless there is another major breakthough. We are started down a path and there is no turning back.

 What to do; you can't ban all hydrogonated fats. It is not fesible. The government  needed a solution. This is the the solution and the theory being pushed on the public, There is already information out there about about good fats and bad fats.  The public seems to understand. They have been told of good oils and bad oils; saturated, vs unsaturated, and pollyunsaturated oils.  There are some  oils that are labeled and widely accepted as healthy. Let us used this to our advantage. Let us  hydrogonate some of those oils that have been designated as the "good oils".  We can tell them that hydrogonated oils are not that bad if made with the right kinds of fat.

The term trans fat is born and popularized. Trans fats are now the bad ones. They are the kind of fat you want out of your diet. Trans fats are made by hydrogonating the wrong kind of oils. Hydrogonated fat are acceptable as long as they are made from the right kind of "healthy oils". It is working well. The public eats it up. Trans-fat takes off as the bad villian in the fat world. The public starts crying, "We want better health, we want better labeling on products, we want to know what kind of fats we are eating. Out with trans fat." 

After quite and extensive debate about what kinds of fats are acceptable and the levels that will fit into the requirements, they make it mandatory to label trans fats. Those who read the banners on fronts of packages and see "no trans fat" are happy. The public is apeased for now. But where does it go next. The people are not going to be apeased for long they are going to figure out that the a label that reads "no trans fat" is not non fat It still has hydrogonated fat and it is not really any better for you.  It is like the labeling of corn syrup. The label can say "no high fructose corn syrup" and there is still corn syrup in it, just not the high fructose kind.  The regulation and labeling of products is not in favor of the consumer. It is all about big business.

Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are still going to ravage this country until we get back to the basics. Until we get back to a society that regularly eats real food that comes from the farmers field and not from a factory.    

For a full lengh tutorial on trans fats and how they have changed the world, check out these two  links....wikipedia on trans fat  and Weston a price foundations Oiling of America.   There is  more information than most people will ever need on the subject in these two articles.

Working my spirit while working my body

I have recently taken up step aerobics as part of my New years resolutions. You can read about this at the links below
new years resolutions part 1
new years resolutions part 2

During the process, I got tired of the same workouts. Once I knew the steps, I decided that I could write my own routines and do my own thing. I began to search out songs that would motivate me. I was finding songs with lyrics that I was embarrassed to have my children listening to, but there were others that were seemingly alright.  It was later on when I found myself busily humming and singing  some of these songs  and realized the lyrics (although not bad) were not encouraging or uplifting to me. I made a choice to search out some better music. I decided to find myself some good Christian songs that I could feel great about working out to.

I started with some of the songs I already knew from listening to K-love radio. I expanded and found more artists and songs. The songs I have chosen for my workout list are happy and upbeat with a good message. I picked the ones with a strong eight beat pattern which works well for the step aerobics. I also picked songs that have verses and then a chorus that I can sing to. Many have lyrics that stick in your head. I love that I have good lyrics running about my head.  Here is a list of songs that I use when I am working out.

Christian good moving music That I use for  my step aerobics

Good to be alive Jason Gray

Move Mercy me
This life Mercy me
In the blink of an eye Mercy me

Jesus culture Chris Quilala

Give you glory Jeremy Kemp

What if his people prayed Casting crowns

Father spirit Jesus Casting crowns

Shine Newsboys

I am free Newsboys

Your love never fails Newsboys

Not ashamed Newsboys

Busted heart king (shine on again) King and country

Life song Casting crowns

Father spirit Jesus Casting crowns

The alter and the door Casting crowns

   Promises Sanctus real

Me without you Toby mac

Get back up Toby mac

Open the eyes of my heart Sonic flood

   Write your name upon my heart Sonic flood

No chains on me Chris Tomlin

Your grace is enough Chris Tomlin

Forever radio remix  Chris Tomlin

Survivor Mathew West

Next thing you know Matthew West

Good morning Mandisa

Live like that Sidewalk prophets

Today is the day Lincoln Brewster

Love the lord Lincoln Brewster

   Beautiful one By the tree

Amazing life  Britt Nicole
Hang on  Brit Nicole

Our love is loud David Crowder band

Red letter day  Newsong
Finding who we are  Kutless

Trading my sorrows  Derrell Evans
Reach  Peter Furhler
Happy day Fee

If we are the body Casting crowns

Update:  as I am getting stronger  and can move better, I am needing quicker moving music.  This makes me very happy. I will have to update later on as I find some quicker moving music to keep up with my fitness training.


Slower cool down songs / Plus some of the songs I just love the lyrics and message that it leaves with me.

Remind me who I am Jason Gray

Strong enough Matthew West

Stronger Mandissa

Already there Casting crowns

Blessed be your name Tree 63

Who am I  Casting crowns

Holy one Casting crowns

Voice of truth Casting crowns

Untitled hymn  Chris rice

Come as you are Pocket full of rocks

My Savoir my God Aaron Shust

If these songs are not your style you can check out some other artists

Bethany B at life unexpected had some ideas

http://ramblingsofamomster.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-go-to-clean-workout-songs.html

Some artists she has picked  for her workouts are....

Lecrea

Trip Lee

Jimmy Needham

Kerri Roberts

Becka Shae

 Je’kob

Group 1 crew

Some other Christian artists that you may try are.....

Zoe Girl

Jaci Velasquez

Point of Grace
Audio Adrenaline

DC talk

Delirious
Skillet
Tait
KJ-52
Mary-Mary
Matt Kerney
Jamie Grace
Stacie Orrico

Now that I have good music, working out can be good for my body, brain, and my spirit.

I hope this helps some of you who also  may be struggling with the same things.

Leave a comment below letting others know who you are listening to.

navigating a world of "eat this, not that"

How does one begin to navigate the world of nutrition and health?

I have been blogging for about a year now.  I write about living a good life. For me, a large portion of it is whole foods. I am in awe at the amount of information that is out there. Someone looking to "eat better" can get overwhelmed in a real hurry.  If you look up real food or healthy eating on the Internet you get so many different opinions and differing strategies. everyone is yelling "EAT THIS, NOT THAT!". It seems that there are so many rules, regulations, must haves, and can't haves. It makes you just want to give up and go back to what you were doing; even if it is not working.  It is all overwhelming and many give up before they even begin. 





I have found some things that have really helped in the beginning stages of trying to break free from the cycle of processed foods. 



1. First and farmost, turn off all the voices. You hear so many things out there, and it gets so confusing. There are many people out there promoting their products, book or program. Turn it all off for a while. Listen to your inside voice. Once everything esle is quieted down you can hear that innervoice that will guide you. Until then......

2. Start by increasing the amounts of fruits and vegetables in your diet. A fruit or vegetable at every meal or snack. Reach for a fruit instead of candy. You can train yourself and kids to do this. I wrote a three part series on taming the sugar beast. The first key was to increase your  fruit consumption. Buy a heap of produce and keep it in sight. Spend a little time cutting up the fruits and vegetables, put them in containers ready to go. This really helps in getting a real food dinner on the table in a hurry.

 I always start in the produce section of my grocery store. I fill up half my cart with produce. I end up in the frozen food section and find some more frozen fruits and veg. When I am done 3/4 of my grocery cart is fruits and veg. You may look into a produce share, a CSA group, or a co-op. This way you can get more fruits and vegetables into your diet. I will include some links below for help in this area

3. Do not worry just yet if your choices are not perfect. By choosing fruits and veg you are making a better choice. Later on, you can worry about if you are making the best choices as you search out info on locally grown and organic produce. We are just now starting to worry about where our produce is coming from. We had to start by getting whole foods on the radar, We are just now getting to a point where we can worry about all the details to make it better.  

4. Stick to the simple foods. Some of my best recipes are very simple and simply prepared. There are times I go to great lengths to prepare a fancy feast, but most often my meals are simple and tasty. I consider myself a peasant type of cook. I cook with what I have on hand and available to me. Sometimes the simple things are the most pleasant.

5. Begin to overhaul your family favorite recipes. One example could be taco night. It is easy enough to replace a portion of the taco meat with lentils. Spice it up, and it is hard to tell they are there. We make alot of casseroles and stir frys adding a ton of vegetables instead of so much rice, potatoes, or pasta. A vegetable lasagna instead of  meat and cheese. We have added whole grain flours to our baked items. You get the idea.

We have cut down the amount of starchy side dishes. Instead of an extra large portion, we have cut it back to maybe half a portion and serve a salad with it. Salads can be made of just about anything. We have been learning to make salads with whatever fruits, veg and whole grains are cooked and ready in the fridge.  Sometimes the meal consists of a lean meat, and two types of salad. No starchy side dish. I still struggle with the thought that I need a starchy side dish, but I am getting the hang of it. We did not get there all at once, which brings me to the next point.

5.  Start small  You do not have to do it all at once.  If you overhaul  the kitchen and start on a totally brand new way of eating all gung ho; it usually ends up going the way of  the New years resolution. It lasts a few days or weeks, but then fades quickly. The trick is to find a way of eating that will sustain and nourish you for the long haul.  Keep alot of the old stuff you love, but make it better. You do not have to make it so healthy that people will not eat it.  Up the nutrition where you can. Sneak nutrition in. Smoothies are a great way to sneak in fruits and vegetables. Pasta sauce can disguise alot of vegetables if you puree them in the food processor.
Eat smaller portions of those things your body craves, and more of the things that your body needs. We have found that we are craving less and less of the processed foods, even finding some of our old favorites disgusting.

6. Once you start eating fruits and vegetables your brain will start thinking clearly. With a clearer brain, you will be able to navigate the information better. Your cravings will be less of a controlling issue, and you will be able to make better choices. I no longer feel like a rat in a maze. I am no longer subject to candy and sweets. As a family, we are getting clearer in out food choices. We are finding things that help us to feel better in body, mind and spirit. You will find a way of eating and living that works for you and your family too. Start with some real food, then you can find the path that works for you.




Robb Wolf why a CSA and how to find one

bountiful baskets

local harvest.org

tame the sugar beast here at life less hurried

Do you enjoy eating?

When was the last time that you sat down and enjoyed a meal?


For some of us the answer is easy and as close as last night, but for way too many of us the answer is alot further away. Some are thinking back .....Christmas or maybe.... Thanksgiving? some are saying to themselves; "Have I ever really enjoyed a meal?"

                                                               
What makes a meal enjoyable? Sometimes it is the company; but many times it is the fact that we slowed down enough to enjoy it. We tend to live in a grab and run society. We wolf down our food and rarely take time to taste it. When you think back to those times you really enjoyed a meal; how did  it make you feel? How did it relate to your senses?  It seems like when we slow down and enjoy our food all our senses are used and engaged.
                                                                                                                           © Anetta | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images


ENJOY FOOD WITH ALL OF YOUR SENSES

As I attended chef school we often talked about you eat with your eyes first. It was a common saying in our class. This is true, as a chef we like to get the customers attention. But have you ever been disappointed by something that looked really good, but failed to deliver on flavor? My Grandma was a good cook, it did not always look "good enough to eat", yet it was tasty. What about smell? When the bakery wafts out the smell of fresh baked bread or cookies, how does your body feel, how do you react? What about the crunch of chips, or the smooth cold taste of ice cream?  Life is meant to be enjoyed. Food is meant to be enjoyed and used in the body, but too often we slurp it down with no real thought and no real enjoyment. Eating with all your senses (and doing it often) can lead to a good place in life.

EAT INTENTIONALLY

When we slow down and enjoy the food we eat there is something real that happens. First, we find the nutrition in the food. When we slow down and eat intentionally we tend to chew our food better. Food gets digested much better when it is chewed. We also tend to eat less. Have you ever sat down and ate the entire thing without even thinking, and you still felt hungry? When you sit down to eat a meal there is something that is triggered in the brain.When I started sitting down to meals, it was memorable; my brain would reset itself.  I used to snack about the day and yet my brain would tell me that I was hungry. It would send me signals that I hadn't eaten all day; and usually I had scarfed something else down before I realized that I had already been snacking all day.  I do not always take time to sit for meals, but I find that I do so much better when I do. It is becoming worth the effort for me and my family to sit down and enjoy meals together.


TAKE BACK YOUR LIFE!  ENJOY EATING AGAIN!

Put it to the test, Take time to enjoy your food. One person said she could enjoy desserts, she would just eat a small portion with her antique silver dessert spoon. It was small and dainty and it helped her to remember to take smaller bites. She would then savor each bite and enjoy dessert as an accompaniment to the meal and not the main dish. It worked for her. Focus on the food at mealtimes. Sit down to meals (even if it is only one meal a day). See if your body responds differently. It has worked for us. See what may happen in your own life. 

building a sense of community

It is spring! We are out and about in the neighborhood. It has been nice. This winter has seemed so long. I have missed socializing in the neighborhood. It seems like we have all been hibernating all winter. (I know I have). It seem that I have been very un-social lately. I get in my car, run my errands, get back in the car, back home. Sometimes we are the same with work. We go to work and back home; that is all.  We do not get to know anyone outside of the office and home.

There is something about getting to know the people in our neighborhood. There is something about a friendly smile, a nod, a wave. It seems that we are in such a hurry and so buried in our own little lives, that we do not take the time to get to know those in our community. We don't know our neighbors. We don't acknowledge those who serve us in our community. When was the last time you actually said hello to the cashier at the grocery store. Do you say hello; or do you just grunt at them like so many others?  Did you thank them for their service?  Would your mail carrier fall over with surprise if you gave them a friendly wave?

 It was not so long ago that these gestures were common. People smiled and talked with one another. They waved to one another. They knew each other. We knew knew those that served us, we knew the people in our neighborhood. Think back to childhood and that song on Sesame Street; "Oh the                is a person in your neighborhood, in your neighborhood,......... It's the people that you meet when you're walking down the street, It's the people that you meet each day" (Go ahead sing along I know you know it.)


Having a sense of community is good for us all. It helps build us socially and emotionally. I think all to often we feel so alone. We do not feel a part of anything more than the electronics that we surround ourselves with. We drown ourselves in the media, and it makes us feel worse than ever. We go to a doctor; get a prescription for a drug trying to make ourselves feel better; when what we really need is to get out and say hello to our neighbors. We are social creatures who have forgotten how to be social. We fool ourselves into thinking that we have connected on facebook and twitter. Although I have kept up with people on facebook, it is not the same as face to face contact.

So what do we do?  Get out and make some real connections. When you are engaged with a grocery clerk, or the cashier at the gas station, make eye contact, be sure to say hello, and thank you.  Say hello to people that you meet. Turn off the electronic devices and be aware of the people that are around you. I have a new goal and resolution, If I do not know the name of a person that I have seen about the neighborhood, I am going to introduce myself. I am going to make a point to get to know at least two people a month.



A number of years ago I read an interesting short story written by E. M. Forster. It is an interesting tale written in 1909, about a society that has come to a point where a machine has taken over their lives. It is written from the eyes of a young man, who wants to dream, who wants to have a life outside the  machine. He is looking for community and is not finding it. It is very interesting reading. Although it is science fiction, many parts of it have become reality.  I would encourage taking the time to read this little story. See what happens.

the machine stops by E.M. Forster

helping a picky eater

Having a picky eater can be a real challenge. There are some children (and adults) that are putting their health at a real risk by eating only one or two things. How do you help a picky eater and encourage them to enjoy a healthy variety of foods? I have some suggestions below.  

© Sorinus | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images



1. Don't be picky yourself. As a parent, you are the example for your children. If you are picky, they assume that they should follow suit and think that this is normal behavior. I have met families where the parents are picky eaters, they expect that the children to try new foods, yet they are unwilling to try new foods themselves. It does not seem to work.

2. Try it Tuesdays, new food Fridays etc. Pick a day to try a new food as a family. You never know; you may find a new family favorite. It does not have to be every week, but make it a part of the routine (every other Tuesday for example). A word of advice in this situation, make and enjoy a new food, but incorporate it in with foods that the family already understands and knows. For example. If you are going to try a new meat, serve side dishes that they love.

3.  Let the picky eater choose a recipe or new food to try. Letting them be in control can ease the tension and make trying new foods a more pleasant experience. Browse recipes together and let them help pick out the new food or recipe. My Nephew picked out radishes to try; who knew they are one of his favorite foods?  He did not know until he tried them.


4. Ask questions. One night at dinner, my daughter tells me she does not like the salad I made. Upon further investigation she was able to tell me that she does not like the strong flavor of raw onion in it. We made the salad again, we made it with a milder red onion and she decided that she liked it.  My son has a hard time with raw tomato and cooked green beans. It is a texture issue. I was able to talk with him and figure it out. Just a few days ago he asked if we could grow a bunch of green beans so that he could enjoy them raw. "when you cook them don't cook mine," he says. Which leads to my next point

5. It is the food, or the preparation technique? I love peas, but mushy, canned peas, I am not going to eat them.  Sometimes it is the food, and sometimes the way it is prepared. Beets for example, some people like them pickled and some like them plain. If you do not like the strong vinegar flavor, pickled beets may not be the way to go. I have a friend who likes cooked broccoli, yet she will tell you "raw broccoli tastes like grass." 

6. Everyone must try the new food. This is the rule.  You do not have to eat a whole plateful of the stuff, but give it a try. At our house, it is a bite for each year old that you are. (they are small 7,5 &4). Find something that works for you family.

7. You are allowed to not like things, but only after you have tried it at least twice.  Giving the child the option to try it and decide for themselves if they like it or not gives them real power over the situation. They need to know that you are not forcing them to enjoy it, you are just giving them an opportunity to explore new options. There is a study out there that says that you have to be exposed to a food twelve times before you can really decide if you like it or not. I think this is bogus. After twelve times some people will give up and eat the darn food; they will tolerate it, not like it.

8. Be patient all these things. It takes time. Some foods you may grow into. Mushrooms is an example for me. I did not think I liked them when I was younger, but now I enjoy them on a regular basis.

I hope this encourages you and your family to get out and try some new foods.

Merry Christmas

“This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.”
~Howard W. Hunter

Thanksgiving ramblings

Thanksgiving, what thoughts does it evoke? Family, food, togetherness, thanksfulness, STRESS. For many people the stress of the holiday can overshadow what it is really about! 

I was reading in a magazine this past week. They had included  Holiday recipes and meal plans. One of the writers mentioned that she had come to the understanding that her holiday meals did not need to be elaborate. She made comment in this article that She did not need to create 6 side dishes; two well prepared dishes were more than enough.  I have taken that to heart this year as I am planning for Thanksgiving.  As I am planning, I am also paring down the menu. There is something about a simply prepared meal that is warming to the soul. 

 I am excited to have my husband's relatives over for the holidays. I am ready to enjoy the season and enjoy the good food. But more than that, I am looking forward to spending time getting to know them better. Developing a relationship with them is important to me. Nourishing my relationships is what I want to focus on this year.

IT IS NOT ABOUT FOOD, FOOD, AND MORE FOOD!  I remember a year where we ended up with more pies then people. How crazy is that, a pie for each of us and more to share! It was insane. Christmas was nearly as bad that year. It was overwhelming. That year my Mother decided it was enough. We spent the next few years getting it back under control.

BACK TO THE BASICS!
This year I am striving to get back to the basics of Thanksgiving. Enjoying the company and not worrying so much about the details. 

Now it is your turn. I would love to hear all your thoughts about the holidays! What are you doing to enjoy the holidays?  How are you managing (or eliminating) holiday stress?  Any tips or hints?  Leave a comment below
 

Avoid the Holiday insanity

                                                                         © Robert5061 | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

Does it seem like the Holidays hit you like a tsunami? Do you barely have time to recover when the shock waves knock you over again?

It has become out of control for so many of us. I saw a sign that said "Are you ready for Merry Hallowthanksmas?"  A few year ago my Mother said "enough is enough!" and the holiday season has been so much better for all of us.

Some tips for slowing down and elimintating stress from the holiday season.


Can you get together another time of year?

Is there a group of people you get together with during the holiday season that would benifit from getting together at a later date? Maybe you could suggest  something like, "I enjoy getting together with you, but the holidays are so busy for all of us. Maybe we could get together in February or March and do a Weekend brunch (or whatever seems appropriate for the group). I really want to spend time with you and catch up on what is going on with your life, I think we could do this better when we are not all so busy."

We had a Christmas party on Valentine's  day one year. Our freinds had a foreign exchange student at the time. You can imagine his surprise and perplexed look. "I thought Christmas was in December?" He didn't quite get it, but he had a nice time. We were able to really enjoy one another and it was a lovely party.


Gifts and more gifts oh my!

Instead of a pile of gifts so high they could reach to the moon and back. Let's settle down and give a few gifts and really enjoy them. I was surprised by a movie I watched recently. It was set in the wild west. It was Christmas. The main character was a young lady in her first year of marriage away from her family. She worked hard and made gifts for her new family, (the farmhands on the ranch). One of the older gray haired gentleman said "Thank you, this is the first Christmas gift I have ever recieved." It struck me. If we were to be transported back to that time, all the gifts for one family would fill that old farmhouse cabin and be spilling out the door. The family would have to sleep out in the barn with the animals. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by the river of gifts we cannot enjoy them, we get swept away.

Janice of celebrating family has written a great post detailing how they got away from the pile of presents. They made a move to real gift giving with a meaningful purpose.  The link to her post is included below
Celebrating family... gift giving with purpose

Do you really need to give gifts to your second cousin's dog?
How many neighbors do you really need to give to?
How about Teachers and others, could you recognize them and give them gifts later on?
A surpise gift in the middle of the year can go alot further than a token gift lost in the shuffle of a busy holiday season!

Non traditional gifts:

The promise of time spent later on.  
My parents speak the language of time spent together. Over the last few years they have given up the traditional gifts and spend the money on a summer getaway for us all. Christmas is a real joy, we get an envelope with a note that tells us what summer getaway Mom and Dad are planning.  It has really helped the stress level for my parents, and we get a chance to all get together again.

The gift of service.
Some of my favorite Christmas memories are the years that we gave service. We spent several years working on service projects instead of exchanging gifts one with another. Those things make memories.

Now is the time to re-evaluate. What are the things that are most important to you for the Holiday season?  How can you simplify the holiday season? Are there some traditions that can be simplified or eliminated? What are your biggest holiday stressors? What can you do to lessen or eliminate those stressors? What can you do to increase holiday joy?


Now it is your turn. Leave a comment below as to what you are going to do different this holiday season.