Food for Life Part Two

So, if you've been waiting for this second post, you've been waiting since the end of January! My life has been FULL, FULL, FULL! I think it's been a good thing, because in the last couple of months I've gotten more information and made some adjustments to my eating habits:) I want to share some of those with you today.

If you haven't read Part One, start there, which is here.

When I first embarked on this new healthier lifestyle I was 99% vegan. Vegans don't eat anything that once had a face or came from a mom and a dad...or anything derived from something that had a face or mom or dad:) For several weeks my exception was honey. Honey isn't vegan and I consumed it several times a week.

In every aspect of my life I believe in balance. I want to steward my body the way God intended for it to be stewarded and there were some disconnects with eating a vegan lifestyle and walking in freedom. I had an inner conflict which asked the question, "if I'm not suppose to eat meat or animal products, why did God make them?" He also made our bodies with enzymes and acids that specifically are there to break down animal protein. This left me in a quandary. The science in documentaries such as Food Inc. and Forks over Knives were contradicting what I felt Holy Spirit was trying to teach me. Science should compliment faith, not talk us out of it. Which led me to some very valuable information I want to share with you today.

The problem with the Standard American Diet (SAD) isn't with our consumption of animal products...it's with how those animals are raised and fed that is the problem. For example, cows were made to consume grass. They have four stomachs to complete this process! Grass fed cows are leaner and meat from them is easily digested by humans. Hmmm....only about 3% of our beef in America is grass fed. This throws a serious wrench in the studies done in Forks Over Knives...one reliable nutritionist I follow states the statistics and study samples in FOK were all done using corn fed beef! Although I am a fan of FOK and have learned much from their program; I don't call that a balanced study.

Now, friends and readers, I'm not trying to stir the pot with this post or start an argument...I just want to present you with information with the goal of being balanced in perspective.

In talking with people I have found the whole prefers corn fed beef for taste. Yes, grass fed beef is blander...but I have never liked fatty meat, so I actually prefer it:) It is just a matter of recalibrating your taste buds...if you detox from processed food and fat, chances are, your taste buds will adjust.

With all this being said, I now have in my weekly diet grass fed beef, hormone free/antibiotic free chicken or wild caught fish. There are days I don't consume any animal protein and others where I have it with both lunch and dinner. Why? Because I believe God made them for us to eat. He never intended for our cows to be fed corn, our chickens to be injected with growth hormones and be housed in cages or our oceans to be toxic waste dumps! God also made our bodies to produce an enzyme with the sole purpose of excreting B-12 from animal protein. In a vegan lifestyle B-12 has to be obtained from a supplement. I'm pretty sure they didn't have supplements back in Bible times:)

I have opted to stay away from dairy products. Through this journey I have discovered dairy is incredibly bloating and hard to digest. It is also mucous producing. Occasionally I will have some cheese on pizza, but I always seem to regret it:) Nutritional yeast has become an excellent replacement for parmesan cheese. You can even create a vegan cheese sauce using tahini and nutritional yeast (along with a few other ingredients.)

The bulk of my food intake still consists of fresh fruits and veggies. If given choice of meat or a vegetable plate, I will go with the veggies every time.

I've lost over 20 pounds since embarking on this journey to health. People want to know what diet I'm doing. I always tell them it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle. It's my desire to bust the lie the enemy has told us through the media, the latest diet trend, etc that losing weight is about counting calories, carbs or fat. If you want a temporary solution to weight loss, you can buy into that lie...but if you want a lifetime solution to health, eat nutritionally balanced!

I haven't looked into the science of what I'm about to say, but I firmly believe hunger is the body's way of telling us we need something nutritionally speaking. When we answer our body's cry of hunger with empty calories (such as a 100 calorie snack pack or rice cake) we are only temporarily appeasing it. In a couple of hours you will be hungry again because the nutritional need your body was crying out for wasn't met. Change your focus to eating nutritionally packed foods...I challenge you to try out my theory for two weeks and let me know what you think!

I hope this post has answered some questions or given you some "food" for thought...pun intended!

Good choices in all aspects of life is a goal I have. Stewarding my body is an act of obedience. Walking in complete freedom in Christ in this life He has given me is an absolute PASSION of mine...and this makes MY SOUL SING!

Food for Life-Part One

This blog post stems off of one I wrote a few months ago. If you haven't read Chunking the Junk, here is the link.

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.)

Food Inc.

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!

Chunking the Junk

Sometimes you just have to sit down and type! I've been wanting to organize my thoughts on what I am going to share with you today, but I realize that's probably not going to happen...so here goes it!

If you are my Facebook friend you've probably not escaped the fact I have been on a journey to healthier eating. As I read new information I have shared snippets with you through my status updates. Some of you are interested and others have laughed at me, it's okay, I'm laughing with you:)

Let's start by making this point clear, I AM NOT AN EXPERT AT ANYTHING. I'm not a doctor, nurse, nutritionist...shoot, I haven't even bought any books on the topic....yet. So, what I share with you here will be based on what I have tested personally or what has resonated with me from my research and reading online.

Of course, like any subject there are varying opinions on the topic of what to eat, what not to eat, etc. I'll leave those arguments to the "experts." If anything I am sharing this with you because if you only make one healthier choice from it I have been successful. Sharing, inspiring and encouraging...it's what I do and it's part of who God made me to be!

A couple of months ago I purchased a Vita-Mix high powered blender. I had been eyeing (okay, coveting) one for over 5 years when I first saw it demonstrated. Couldn't talk my hubby into the purchase (they're not cheap, think investment here.)

With hubby convinced and vita-mix in hand I went in search of some yummy smoothie recipes. I stumbled upon a whole new world of green smoothies. Drinking my greens was a new concept to me and I liked it. I like them so much I now have one every morning for breakfast!

As I learned more about fruits, veggies and seeds and their nutritional value I came to the revelation God has provided us everything we need to live healthy, disease free lives...but it's all in our choices. There is healing in food.

If you've been around My Soul Sings you know I am passionate about inner healing, aka healing of the heart. God is all about our health, from the inside out...healthy food choices are a great way of taking care of what He gave me, so I can not only have life to the full (see John 10:10) but live life to the fullest and have life to give to others in need of it.

No, I am not a vegetarian or a vegan...yet:) I don't believe it's wrong to eat meat. In fact, I believe the Bible gives us the freedom to eat it. You don't have to agree with me here...that's not the point of this post.

Google and I have become fast friends on this journey. I started looking up the health benefits of items I had hardly given a second glance in the produce department. Here are some of the tidbits I have put into practice and seen results from:

*Did you know that eating fruit after a meal will lead to bloating and gas? Fruit only takes about 20 minutes to process and reach the stomach. It's best to eat fruit early in the day, and especially not after a meal in which you've consumed meat. Most meat takes hours or longer to digest. Put fruit in behind that and it ferments before it ever reaches the stomach. Traffic jam! Not only is the result bloating and gas, but you've missed out on the nutrients in the fruit! Here I was eating fruit with my meal hoping to add fiber to my diet to prevent constipation and in actuality I was only making my condition worse! I have tested this. I am now a believer. Enough said!

*Artificial sweeteners are the same as drinking battery acid. They cause joint pain and aches. I haven't had a diet soda or artificially sweetened drink since last week. No joint pain whatsoever this week and no ibuprofen either...WIN!

*First thing in the morning, drink a tall glass of water with lemon juice in it. I usually use 1/2 lemon or more per 24 oz tumbler. Lemon is very cleansing and is an anti-oxidant which rids your body of free radicals which cause sickness and disease. Think of this morning ritual as a cleansing of the pipes so to speak!

*Greens, greens, greens! This is why I like green smoothies so much. I would probably never eat a big bowl full of kale in a salad, but put a few leaves of it in a smoothie with some mango and I can drink it up! Greens are also full of water; water that has already been purified naturally.

*Studies have linked a low fat diet with a tendency toward depression. Our bodies need good fat! Remember the fat in a doughnut is not equal to the fat in an avocado! I have to wonder if craving sweet junk food like chocolate ice cream or cake when we are feeling down is our body's way of saying, "I need fat!" The junky fat may satisfy and comfort for the moment, but a diet with a balance of healthy fat could make a difference for a lifetime!

I have an app on my iPhone called the green smoothie app. It has recipes for green smoothies, soups and raw puddings. What I love most about it is the nutritional information on a wide range of fruits, vegetables and greens. It tells you what they are good at preventing and/or treating. Great find for $1.99!

If you want to be entertained, as well as have a wealth of green smoothies recipes at your fingertips, check out www.blenditandmendit.com. My younger daughter likes to sit with me and watch her video tutorials. We like her enthusiasm, it's contagious:)

I also have learned quite a bit from www.greensmoothiegirl.com. In fact, I am planning on purchasing one of her books soon.

If you are interested in making some healthier choices, and have questions, feel free to ask me. I might not have the answer, but I may can help you find one! So many health issues can be cured and/or reversed by making changes in our diets. I want that, don't you?

Today in my breakfast smoothie alone I had 9 servings of fruits and vegetables. The FDA recommends 5. This afternoon as I have written this post I enjoyed a snack size smoothie containing one peach, about 2 cups of frozen honeydew, spearmint leaves and one whole romaine heart. It was very refreshing on this hot day and tasted great! Much healthier than what I use to choose as a snack:)

Well, that's about all I have to say on the subject for now. If you found your way to this blog through a search engine please know you are welcome here, but the topic of this blog is not usually health, nutrition or green smoothies. My Soul Sings is a place where I share my journey and relationship with the Creator of the Universe and Lover of my soul...Jesus. But what better way to honor Him then by honoring my temple (body) and what goes into it. I want my outside to reflect what's on the inside! I have been saved, healed and delivered...from the inside out and that makes my soul sing!!!!!