Dr. shortage!

A doctor shortage is on its way according to the front page of September 9th USA Today! What can we do to get our family ready for this challenge? As we learn to watch the things that we are eating and drinking we will feel a renewed sense of balance and well being! Teaching our families about proper hygiene, a diet of whole live foods, a good mulit vitamin and returning to the water that our bodies are thirsting for will put us back in charge of our grocery and medical budgets. Going back to using the medical system only for emergencies, and learning the basics for good health will restore your confidence as dr mom.

Detox

There seems to be two groups of people today- the ones who go to great lengths to protect themselves from the toxic world we live in and the ones who say “something is going to get me so I’ll just live for today and hey whatever!” What if you could bring a balance to those mindsets and live in the wisdom the Lord has called us to? What if doing some simple detox’s could keep our system balanced and help us to stay more alert, level our moods and ward off the bugs that tend to infiltrate our work space and homes? Research bentonite clay- it comes in many forms and is called the ant of detoxification. It can carry out 100x its weight in toxins. In my recent studies on nutrition I have found heavy metals, which are coming at us from many different directions, are wreaking havoc with our cells. Since all disease is cellular malfunction, only when our cells are compromised does our immune system go down. As good stewards of our body and mind, let’s do all we can as the Lord gives wisdom and understanding to keep our bodies running at optimal performance!

Learning to read labels

There is amazing freedom in learning to read food labels. Once you have established your, “I will not go there” list, you are saved from a plethora of unnecessary calories. Many items have gone right back on the shelf as I read through the list of ingredients, saving me many unwanted calories and possibly a head ache due to additives and preservatives. Things to avoid are hydrogenated oils, monosodium glutamate, corn syrup and corn syrup solids, artificial flavor and color, BHT, vitamin A palmatate, aspartame, asulfame K. These are the main culprits in throwing your system into a tailspin. Actually shopping the perimeter of the grocery store is your best bet. Big dollars and empty calories lurk in the center isles of the grocery store. Produce, meat and dairy should be the main fare as you peruse the store. This takes a lot less time and money as you shop. As we learn to save time and money in the store we have more time to prepare those delicious and nutritious meals that will give us and our family optimum nutrition
For fun and easy recipes go to fln.org kitchen page click on recipes

Diet is a four letter word

Diet is a four letter word! I have tried almost everyone you can imagine. Since there is no way you can live on the restrictions of a diet for long periods of time as soon as you return to your former eating habits, the weight returns. As the pounds and frustrations set in, you will find yourself adopting another fad diet, hence the term yo-yo dieting. We need to establish permanent life style. It is easier than any diet you will ever attempt. Simply begin by writing down everything you eat for a week or two. You will be amazed by the empty calories that sneak in unnoticed. Now begin to weed out the stuff you can live without. Going back to the basics is always a great place to start. Water should be our main beverage, that is simple. Breakfast does not have to take a ton of time. A good whole grain cereal, or perhaps muffins that were made the night before and a small glass of 100% juice. Starting your day on the right foot nutritionally will make the rest of the day run much smoother

Bad habits

Bad habits rob us of our joy and peace! 15 years ago confined to a recliner my emotions were all over the place, I was in constant pain and miserable! When I started my own household, I threw the eating habits that I had grown up with out the window. Whole foods where exchanged for quick processed foods. Water was exchanged for soda and dessert was Hostess Ding Dongs. A friend came to visit and was astounded to see a once vital woman in this shape. The corn syrup solids that I had been consuming at a startling rate had gummed up my colon causing a myriad of problems. We needed to start cleansing immediately. By the end of the first week the lower back pain was all but gone. By the end of the third week my energy level was returning and the changes over the following 8 months were nothing short of a miracle. The positive and upbeat me was back and it felt great! Lifestyle change not diet is the answer. Learning to read labels and understanding your cravings will release a powerful new you. Making some simple changes in choices will radically change your life for the better.

Do I need vitamin supplements?

So many ask the question, "If I am eating 'well', do I still need vitamins?"
Here are some interesting statistics:

• On any one day, an estimated 45% of people don't consume any fruit or juice and 22% don't eat any vegetables.
• Less than 10% consume the recommended 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables.
• Only a third of the population consumes foods from all the food groups on a typical day, with less than 3% consuming foods from all the food groups in at least the recommended amount.
• Many diets contain half the recommended amount of magnesium and folic acid; as many as 80% of women who exercise may be iron-deficient; and their average calcium intake is 636 mg per day (2/3 the RDA).
• 71% of males and 90% of females consume less than the 1980 recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin B6.
• The average calcium intake of teenage girls resembles that necessary for 3-5 year olds.

So where do you fit into this equation? Are you eating even close to the RDA standards? If not, do you need supplementation? What are the best supplements? What happens when you are deficient? Those are questions we answer next time....

How to change cravings and begin to eat healthy!

So many of you are trying to eat a healthier diet but I hear in the background about so many cravings. If you cleanse the pallet and change your insulin output for a short concentrated period of time you can reverse the pattern in your life of cravings and sugar highs and lows.

Doing the lemonade diet is one way to help this process. If you can do it for 3 to 5 days those processed foods and diet sodas will no longer be appealing to the taste buds. Respond to that and do not force it until it does taste good again out of habit. Beginning to eliminate those things from your diet will now be easier.

Our bodies are so smart, they will tell us what is good for us and what is not. We we simply must take time to listen. It is the same with the Holy Spirit: respond when you are prompted in your heart and mind. Habits that have gripped us for years will fall to the wayside. There is great freedom in living this disciplined life.