First, let me make this blatantly clear...I am NOT an expert. The information I will share with you today is the result of hours of research and practical implementation. It's one girl simply sharing with you her journey to healing, wellness and wholeness of body.
To say I have come to the final conclusion on the topic of healthy eating would be at least, ignorant; and at the most, arrogant. I will present to you some conflicting views and I invite you to do what I did, discover what works best for you and your family.
It all began with the purchase of a high speed blender, which led me to discover green smoothies. With the discovery of green smoothies I started researching different fruits, vegetables and herbs and found there truly was healing in food. Hippocrates said it best, "let thy medicine be thy food." He was on to something and it's time for America to wake up and take nutrition seriously! What we eat is killing us, literally!!!!
Many months ago I inquired of my doctor what could be done about the edema (swelling) in my ankles and fingers. His response was, "Nothing. It just comes with age and let's face it, Amy, you're almost 40." This was not okay with me!!!! Seriously, I'm fine with turning 40. I love wisdom and the wisdom that comes with maturity. 40 is alright with me:) But, I wasn't okay with being told it was just part of age.
Of course you know at some point I'm going to bring Jesus into this story, because He is the reason for my very breath. I take scripture seriously when it tells us Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly. I take it seriously when it said by His stripes we were healed. I take it seriously when it said Jesus became the curse for us and took our punishment. I take it seriously when hanging on the cross Jesus said, "It is FINISHED."
What does all that mean? To me it means I can not blame everything bad in this world to the fact it is fallen. The world might be fallen, but I have accepted the gift of salvation which means IT IS FINISHED. I call this living on this side of the cross...I'm not under the curse anymore and if you are a believer in Jesus, you aren't either. Can I get an AMEN!?!
Which leads me to choices. You and I are free to make our own choices. You have a choice what you put in your mouth. Through this journey I have realized what makes me truly free is the freedom to say no to liberties that lead me to bondage. Yes, I am free to eat cake and ice cream...but am I truly free if it leads me to obesity, diabetes and heart disease? Sounds like bondage to me!
Would you put diet coke in your car instead of gas and expect it to run? Of course not! But the average American does that everyday with their body. What we eat is our bodies' fuel. You can't put in junk and expect optimal performance.
Our bodies have the amazing ability to heal and restore, but they need the proper nutrition to do so.
So, through all this I have discovered we have it all wrong. Counting calories, carbs, fat, etc, is NOT the answer! Yes, you might loss weight using these methods, but are you healthy? I kicked dieting to the curb and made my focus good nutrition. Asking the question, am I giving my body what it needs through what I eat? Amazingly, I'm never starving and have lost about 15 pounds! I even have dessert several times a week (healthy dessert, of course.)
For those of you who exercise like it's a full time profession so you can gorge on donuts and fried chicken, more power to you. An accident in 2000 left me with nerve damage in my left leg, so exercise is more challenging for me. Don't get me wrong, exercise is GREAT and WONDERFUL...I'm just saying good nutrition should be its mate:)
After receiving multiple inquiries about my journey, I decided to write a couple of posts and outline what I've done. If you are interested in this lifestyle I advise you to take it S-L-O-W-L-Y! Make changes gradually. Cleaning out your pantry before you acquire some new options will leave you discouraged and more prone to wander back into old destructive eating habits.
Where to start? I started by eliminating soda and artificial sweeteners. Next, I eliminated processed foods. I started buying organic canned beans with no salt or sea salt. Beans are about the only item I purchase now in a can and I plan to eventually eliminate those and buy dry beans in bulk.
Replace breakfast with a green smoothie. There are other breakfast options, but I find the green smoothie to be filling and easy. Even with children you can throw in some spinach and mask it with fruit such as banana and strawberries. Spinach and romaine are the mildest greens to use.
Water, water and more water! Adding fresh lemon juice to your water is a great way to cleanse the liver and it is alkaline to the body. Having a ph balanced body is optimal for preventing disease and healing it. An acidic body makes it prone to disease!
Replace iodized processed salt with sea salt.
Fall in love with fresh produce. Eat a green salad before lunch and dinner. It's great fiber and will help facilitate digestion of heavier foods to follow. "If your salad ain't big enough for two, it ain't big enough for you!" At home I eat my salads from a serving dish:)
To avoid boredom with your salads make sure to have a variety of greens to rotate...anything but iceberg makes for a healthy, vitamin packed salad. Romaine, kale and mixed baby greens are my three favorites. I also use spinach and cabbage. Make your own salad dressing using little to no oil. My favorite right now is lemon juice, pure maple syrup and freshly grated ginger. Sometimes I add some Bragg's Liquid Aminos. Goes especially well on mixed baby greens or kale with plenty of sesame or sunflower seeds sprinkled throughout!
Organic vs Conventional. I use mostly organic greens. There are certain fruits and vegetables you want to buy organic, if possible. If using conventional and it's an item you can peel, you should do so. An example would be cucumbers and apples. The peeling holds so much nutrition, but the chemicals and wax used in conventional produce aren't worth the toxic risk. Here is a list called the dirty dozen.
Ok, so try some of these changes. I don't want to make this post too long, because nobody would want to read it:) I will come back and give you more tips...I promise not to wait too long!
In the meantime here are some great resources you should check out:
Forks Over Knives (documentary and book with recipes)
www.youngonrawfood.com (I'm not 100% raw, but her recipes are really good.)
www.kimberlysynder.net (Her book the Beauty Detox Solution is fabulous.)
I, personally, have decided to eat very little meat or animal protein in general. I have an occasional piece of fish, hormone free chicken or grass fed beef. There is a study on eating by your blood type. I am type A and according to this study I do best eating a vegetarian diet. In looking at the research presented in The China Study and Forks over Knives it's hard for me to conclude that eating meat is the best for our overall health, with the statistics on heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc and the mortality rates associated with these diseases. I'll let you decide for yourself. If you do eat meat, remember smaller portions and grass fed beef are better choices.
What have I seen as a result of these lifestyle changes? Weight loss, edema is gone and I can wear my wedding rings again, heartburn gone, no headaches, better sleep, clear head (will talk about this in a future post,) and no more constipation!!! Prior diagnosis of osteoporosis has been downgraded to osteopenia (pre stages of osteoporosis.) Yes, I have had medical treatment for this, but I'm convinced it will continue to improve with my diet changes (more on this later too.)
I found it encouraging to realize once I detoxed from sugar, salt and processed junk my taste buds awakened to the wonders of real food. This stuff simply tastes amazing! Creator God is an awesome chef, a culinary genius! Why did we ever mess with His design? Hmmm.....
Guess I should give you the surgeon general's warning before I sign off...this lifestyle is a personal choice. You can't and shouldn't force it on anyone. My older daughter has chosen to adopt it with me. My husband and younger daughter have not. That's okay! I can still present them with healthier alternatives when cooking at home without violating their right to choose:) Some people don't understand. They see it as rigid and legalistic. Each person has to come to revelation on their own. My purpose in sharing is to simply give you some tools for success should you decide to make some changes.
Because popping a pill for this and that, IS NOT OKAY WITH ME! How about you? Want to get healthy in 2012? Equipping my body to bring glory to Him through Life! It makes my soul sing!
