Fat. Well, this word probably means something to you. So many people battle with fat in one shape or form(no pun intended). I personally know so many people who are concerned with their weight and try numerous "diets" to try and lose weight. Let me say this first...I am not trying to be the skinny chick who tells everyone else how to lose weight. I don't care if you are overweight, I just want to puke out some information on healthy fats, which may shed some light on a few misconceptions.
The media tells us that in order to be thin we must eat a low fat diet. So what do we do? We go out and buy margarine(I'm shuddering) and skim milk(chills up my spine). We buy everything we can find that is labeled low fat and no fat, thinking it will work. So wrong. We are being so mislead. Thanks be to God, He lead me on a search to find healthy fats.
What are healthy fats? Well, like most subjects, you can go as shallow or as deep in to this subject as you would like. I'm going to point out some of the basics. And if you haven't already, I encourage you to do the research on your own.
Ok, so healthy fats....let's go. We all need two different kinds of fat for our bodies to function properly. These essential fatty acids are the building blocks of our health. They are Omega 3 Alpha Linolenic Acid(ALA) and Omega 6 Linoleic Acid(LA). LA is found in safflower, sunflower, hemp, soybean,walnut, pumpkin, sesame, and flax. Safflower and sunflower are the richest source of LA. NA is found in flax, hemp seed, canola(rape seed), soybean, walnut and dark-green leaves. Pretty much, you need good fats in your diet for your body and your brain to function properly. So what are the good fats? Well, I'll list a few for you. First, please listen. If you are eating good fats, it's not going to make you more FAT. Obviously, as with everything in our diets, moderation is the key. With that said, healthy fats are properly eliminated and metabolized by our bodies. It's used! For good!
So, healthy fats: cold pressed oils are best, by far. These are not oils you are going to find on the shelf at the supermarket. You will have to find these at a reputable health food store or online. This is where your research will come in to play. If it's important to you, do your own research. For cooking, I use either coconut oil, olive oil or good ol' real butter. Don't forget, good oils and butter take some doing to find. In our family we also drink raw cows milk which is an excellent source of healthy fats and enzymes. But, that is a whole other blog post.
What about those bad fats? Margarine, refined oil, pasteurized milk. Margarine is hydrogenated. Hydrogenation is a way of making vegetable oil harden at room temperature. Small particles of nickel or copper are added and the mix is heated to very high temperatures under pressure for up to eight hours while hydrogen gas is injected. This process destroys the essential fatty acids in the oil and replaces them with deformed trans fatty acids. I'm sure most of you have heard about how bad trans fats are for us. Margarine is the devil masked in a golden tub in my opinion! Refined oil is similiar to the margarine, in that it is horribly processed to the point that it is no longer beneficial, but harmful to our bodies. Pasteurized milk...again, another blog post. However, I will say it's bad stuff. Look in to it.
I think that many of us have been led to believe that the less fat we eat, the better. I know I've been there. It's not so. Our body and brain NEEDS fat to function. Good, healthy fat. I didn't even mention meat and processed foods. My hope would be that everyone would take some time to think about how and where they are getting their fats and how that might play a part in the health of their family. There is a lot to learn. I'm still learning, that's for sure. Good luck.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Pass the Salt Please
Did you know that not all salt was created equal? I always thought salt was salt, until I came across information that forever changed my salt eating habits. Most of us know that salt is in most everything we eat and that on average we eat way too much of it. For the most part, we eat too much salt because of it's use in preserving all of those lovely convenience foods we all love. Ugh.
Go look in your cabinet. Did you see a round canister with the little girl on the front with an umbrella? Yeah, well, throw it out! Seriously! THROW IT OUT!
Here's why. The salt you buy at Safeway, or WalMart is processed. Shocker! Table salt is put through a very vigorous refining process that takes all of those awesome minerals right out of it. All four cationic electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium) are available in unrefined salt, along with other vital minerals your body needs. John Kennedy said it like this:
". . .all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And, when we go back to the sea. . . we are going back to whence we came."-John F. Kennedy
To sum it up, we cannot survive without salt. Our bodies need it. Salt has gotten a really bad rap. Like all things that our bodies need to survive, too much or too much of the wrong kind can be problematic. So, where do you go from here? Well, I can tell you that the salt I buy clogs up my shaker and has black specks in it. Some of it is pink.
Listen, if your interested, do the research. The more research you do, the better product you will find. Do not be fooled by the sea salt you find in the store, it is not what were talking about here. It's just a marketing ploy. You can find good salt at reputable health food stores and online. Look for unrefined salt. Your body will thank you.
Go look in your cabinet. Did you see a round canister with the little girl on the front with an umbrella? Yeah, well, throw it out! Seriously! THROW IT OUT!
Here's why. The salt you buy at Safeway, or WalMart is processed. Shocker! Table salt is put through a very vigorous refining process that takes all of those awesome minerals right out of it. All four cationic electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium) are available in unrefined salt, along with other vital minerals your body needs. John Kennedy said it like this:
". . .all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And, when we go back to the sea. . . we are going back to whence we came."-John F. Kennedy
To sum it up, we cannot survive without salt. Our bodies need it. Salt has gotten a really bad rap. Like all things that our bodies need to survive, too much or too much of the wrong kind can be problematic. So, where do you go from here? Well, I can tell you that the salt I buy clogs up my shaker and has black specks in it. Some of it is pink.
Listen, if your interested, do the research. The more research you do, the better product you will find. Do not be fooled by the sea salt you find in the store, it is not what were talking about here. It's just a marketing ploy. You can find good salt at reputable health food stores and online. Look for unrefined salt. Your body will thank you.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
It's about time.
I got baptized at church today. What an amazingly awesome experience. I have to be honest. I wasn't overly excited about the idea of being baptized. I didn't fully understand the concept and dismissed it as something unneccesary. The fact that I HATE water also didn't help. Either did the fact that at our church they completely dunk you! Dunk sounds wrong, but you know what I mean right? Well, just when I think I had managed to justify my way out of being baptized for the past 2 years, our Pastor just HAS to announce that he wants to do a baptismal service and Jesus HAD to lead me to say "me please!".
So, Palm Sunday. Not a better day right? When I started learning more about baptism I came across scripture like this:
► Romans 6:3-5 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
► I Peter 3:21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you also - not the removal of dirt from the body, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, it saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
► Galatians 3:26-27 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
► Mark 16:15-16 And he said unto them, Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, and he that disbelieves shall be condemned.
When I heard the choir sing right before the baptism, it ALL made sense. The song was amazing. I then realized that what the Pastor was saying about baptism applied to me too(duh!). I was doing this not only because I should. It was an act of obedience to God. It was a testimony to my faith, an announcement to the body of believers that I believe! it was really awesome how God brought the importance and significance of it all to me right before I went up to be baptized with the others. It was a great experience and huge blessing for me. It really signified for me my walk with Jesus. He brought me to him 2 years ago. I'm so insanely thankful.
The church even brought the kids from their classes to watch the baptism. The feeling I had when my kids talked to me about it was indescribable. I pray I get to see those precious babies be baptized someday and cheer from the pews, thanking my Savior.
So, Palm Sunday. Not a better day right? When I started learning more about baptism I came across scripture like this:
► Romans 6:3-5 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
► I Peter 3:21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you also - not the removal of dirt from the body, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, it saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
► Galatians 3:26-27 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
► Mark 16:15-16 And he said unto them, Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, and he that disbelieves shall be condemned.
When I heard the choir sing right before the baptism, it ALL made sense. The song was amazing. I then realized that what the Pastor was saying about baptism applied to me too(duh!). I was doing this not only because I should. It was an act of obedience to God. It was a testimony to my faith, an announcement to the body of believers that I believe! it was really awesome how God brought the importance and significance of it all to me right before I went up to be baptized with the others. It was a great experience and huge blessing for me. It really signified for me my walk with Jesus. He brought me to him 2 years ago. I'm so insanely thankful.
The church even brought the kids from their classes to watch the baptism. The feeling I had when my kids talked to me about it was indescribable. I pray I get to see those precious babies be baptized someday and cheer from the pews, thanking my Savior.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Personal Hygiene
With that title, I feel like I should tell you about how to wash your private places... but well..that's kind of part of what I am about to say. For awhile now, I have changed most everything that our family puts onto their bodies in terms of personal hygiene. I guess I could ask you a question. Why would you put something on your body that you couldn't injest, or that has pretty scary warning labels on it? We have been led to believe that the products we buy off the shelf at WalMart are safe because, well, how couldn't they be, right? Wrong. Sooooooooo wrong. Nearly every single product you buy off the shelf at WalMart is laced with harmful chemicals. In the interest of time, I will only cover two of the numerous chemicals, but understand they are too numerous to list. If you haven't already, please do your research and find out this information for yourself.
Triclosan. The definition of triclosan might as well be horrible. Triclosan is found mostly in hand soaps. It's the "antibacterial" agent that is supposed to keep us from having any bacteria on our hands and bodies. I mean, God forbid we be exposed to any bacteria. Give me a flippin' break. Triclosan is a harmful chemical. Believe me, if triclosan were needed to protect us from harmful bacteria my family would be sickly and/or dead. My kids play outside our house with every form of feces you could imagine. My daughter has been known to eat chicken food, pinecones, sand, poop, dirt, sticks, etc, with every animal imaginable running around. If your a germaphobe, stop! You are creating your own worst nightmare.
Sodium laurel sulphate. My personal favorite. This is a foaming agent found in everything that foams pretty much! From toothpaste to shampoo. It's also a harmful, cancer causing chemical. Read the labels of all of your hygeine products and you will find this chemical. Research it. Find out for yourself and decide if it's something you want to put on your body...or your childs body.
There are alternatives, plenty of them. They are harder to find, often times more expensive and you have to read the labels. There are plenty of "natural" and even "organic" brands that still put this chemical in their products. You are being scammed in to believing that the products you use are safe. Nearly all of them are not.
I know there are some of you reading this who have already discovered these facts and are using healthy products in your home. Spread the news. If you aren't, please consider this information. We are what we put on and in our bodies. If you look in to this, I can't imagine how you wouldn't want to find alternatives. If you are interested in changing, there are numerous websites available through a simple google search that will lead you wherever you want to go. Some of us don't want to make our own toothpaste, deoderant and shampoo and that is ok, there are good brands out there. I prefer to buy some things and make others.
Triclosan. The definition of triclosan might as well be horrible. Triclosan is found mostly in hand soaps. It's the "antibacterial" agent that is supposed to keep us from having any bacteria on our hands and bodies. I mean, God forbid we be exposed to any bacteria. Give me a flippin' break. Triclosan is a harmful chemical. Believe me, if triclosan were needed to protect us from harmful bacteria my family would be sickly and/or dead. My kids play outside our house with every form of feces you could imagine. My daughter has been known to eat chicken food, pinecones, sand, poop, dirt, sticks, etc, with every animal imaginable running around. If your a germaphobe, stop! You are creating your own worst nightmare.
Sodium laurel sulphate. My personal favorite. This is a foaming agent found in everything that foams pretty much! From toothpaste to shampoo. It's also a harmful, cancer causing chemical. Read the labels of all of your hygeine products and you will find this chemical. Research it. Find out for yourself and decide if it's something you want to put on your body...or your childs body.
There are alternatives, plenty of them. They are harder to find, often times more expensive and you have to read the labels. There are plenty of "natural" and even "organic" brands that still put this chemical in their products. You are being scammed in to believing that the products you use are safe. Nearly all of them are not.
I know there are some of you reading this who have already discovered these facts and are using healthy products in your home. Spread the news. If you aren't, please consider this information. We are what we put on and in our bodies. If you look in to this, I can't imagine how you wouldn't want to find alternatives. If you are interested in changing, there are numerous websites available through a simple google search that will lead you wherever you want to go. Some of us don't want to make our own toothpaste, deoderant and shampoo and that is ok, there are good brands out there. I prefer to buy some things and make others.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Entitled
Are we really entitled to anything? We act like we are. Some more than others. The state that our nation is in with all of the entitlement programs there are. It's a tough subject. There are many programs that do a lot of good for good people, but for the most part, they breed entitled, helpless people who get trapped in a cycle. They don't know how to do anything for themselves anymore and become comfortable with settling for less. I want to be mad at these people and sometimes I am. But when I really take time to think about it, I feel pity for them. It may seem as if they are getting a "free ride" and "handouts", but they are missing out on something huge. I have a husband who works and provides for our family. We don't have a lot, but we have enough to get by with what we need and a few added blessings. There is little more satisfying for a man than being able to provide for his family. On the flip side, a woman gains great satisfaction from taking care of her family and having a husband who values the family and provides for their needs. The people who are on these entitlement programs miss out on that. God created us for something so much more than that. He created us for so much more than this!
When I was reflecting on this issue, something struck me. It made me wonder what the USA would be like if we didn't have these entitlement programs. Where would the USA be? How would the people survive? Could we survive? What would happen if the government ran out of money today and all these programs were shut down overnight? There would be a lot of shock, a lot of devastation, but what else? Would people rally together to take care of their own? Or are we so far displaced from compassion, our humanity to care for those that would be hurting? Would we sit and watch as all those "entitled people who had it coming" suffered? I would like to think I wouldn't. I would like to think I would take it as a call to action. I know that personally, this entitlement problem has dulled me. I have allowed it to give me the mindset that the government will take care of it.
We can't settle for this. Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Believer or not, are you willing to do that? We are all human. I believe in Jesus. God created us all, imperfect. Many of us are hard to love, period, but God calls us to something more. We are to help our families and our neighbors.
Personally, I am so blessed. I know that if I went through a hard time my family, friends and church family would see me through it. I know that not everyone can say the same. But...why not? Although my family is blood, I also have a church family who would see me through ANYTHING. Something to consider.
Thoughts?
When I was reflecting on this issue, something struck me. It made me wonder what the USA would be like if we didn't have these entitlement programs. Where would the USA be? How would the people survive? Could we survive? What would happen if the government ran out of money today and all these programs were shut down overnight? There would be a lot of shock, a lot of devastation, but what else? Would people rally together to take care of their own? Or are we so far displaced from compassion, our humanity to care for those that would be hurting? Would we sit and watch as all those "entitled people who had it coming" suffered? I would like to think I wouldn't. I would like to think I would take it as a call to action. I know that personally, this entitlement problem has dulled me. I have allowed it to give me the mindset that the government will take care of it.
We can't settle for this. Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Believer or not, are you willing to do that? We are all human. I believe in Jesus. God created us all, imperfect. Many of us are hard to love, period, but God calls us to something more. We are to help our families and our neighbors.
Personally, I am so blessed. I know that if I went through a hard time my family, friends and church family would see me through it. I know that not everyone can say the same. But...why not? Although my family is blood, I also have a church family who would see me through ANYTHING. Something to consider.
Thoughts?
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Hippies WERE Right
They were right about a lot of things ya know. Well, at least in my opinion. I know, I know, so some of them smoked weed. Well, no one is perfect and not all hippies got stoned all day long. In addition, I am talking about the good old hippies, not what people might associate with chaining themselves to trees or extreme animal activists. The hippies I'm talking about are passionate, but peaceful. Moving on now. When I think of a hippy, the first things that come to my mind are Goodwill clothes, caring for the earth, gardening and an overall sense of well being. Let's break those attributes down.
Goodwill clothes: The hippies really don't seem to care that their clothes aren't on the cover of a magazine or brand new. There is something to be said about this. Where have we gone wrong. Most people believe that they have to dress a certain way or have a certain brand to be accepted. Personally speaking, most of my clothes are given to me or bought from Goodwill. There are a few brand new "splurge" items hiding in my closet too. But...I would be lying if I said I don't think about what I wear. There are thoughts that go through my mind as I'm walking out of the house, wondering what some people might think. I hate it when I find myself worrying about what other people think. It's a waste of time and we shouldn't. The truth is, we are bombarded through the media that in order to be someone you have to look a certain way. Unfortunately, in most cases, people are treated differently when they don't dress "trendy". You can't blame most people, after all they are brainwashed in to believing that how you look is what is most important.
Caring for the earth: I firmly believe that caring for the earth is something we are all under the obligation to do. Now don't get me wrong, I am not perfect at this. The other day I used an awful oven cleaner and threw away a peanut butter jar. But, I do my best. You see, this planet was created by God. At the end of his creation he said it was "good". I feel as if God created this, why shouldn't I take care of all the beautiful things he made? How am I somehow exempt? Am I special? Nope. The hippies also knew that when you care for the earth, you appreciate it's beauty so much more.
Gardening: I'm going to try my hand at a real garden this year. I'm really excited about it. Hippies really had it right when they saw it prudent to have a vegetable garden. After all, in todays society, most people rely on huge producers to supply them with their fruits and veggies through the grocery store. The shift from home grown to mass production has really screwed things up in a major way. For the most part, these foods are not even close to the nutritional content of home grow, organic food. I mean, isn't that really what organic is...home grown. Without all the genetic modifications and harmful chemicals? I can't stand how unhealthy and nutrient deficient our food has become. The hippies, they knew that what you made yourself was the healthiest for their bodies and fostered self sufficiency at the same time.
Well, I guess this explains why hippies always seem to have this peace and sense of well being about them. They did a lot of things right. They didn't care about what others thought, they took care of their surroundings, tended the earth and filled themselves with excellent nutrition. Or, maybe it was the pot. ;)
There are so many other attributes to the hippies I didn't even touch on. Perhaps you would like to leave a comment about an attribute you find in a hippy you would like to talk about.
There is something to those hippies. Think about it.
Goodwill clothes: The hippies really don't seem to care that their clothes aren't on the cover of a magazine or brand new. There is something to be said about this. Where have we gone wrong. Most people believe that they have to dress a certain way or have a certain brand to be accepted. Personally speaking, most of my clothes are given to me or bought from Goodwill. There are a few brand new "splurge" items hiding in my closet too. But...I would be lying if I said I don't think about what I wear. There are thoughts that go through my mind as I'm walking out of the house, wondering what some people might think. I hate it when I find myself worrying about what other people think. It's a waste of time and we shouldn't. The truth is, we are bombarded through the media that in order to be someone you have to look a certain way. Unfortunately, in most cases, people are treated differently when they don't dress "trendy". You can't blame most people, after all they are brainwashed in to believing that how you look is what is most important.
Caring for the earth: I firmly believe that caring for the earth is something we are all under the obligation to do. Now don't get me wrong, I am not perfect at this. The other day I used an awful oven cleaner and threw away a peanut butter jar. But, I do my best. You see, this planet was created by God. At the end of his creation he said it was "good". I feel as if God created this, why shouldn't I take care of all the beautiful things he made? How am I somehow exempt? Am I special? Nope. The hippies also knew that when you care for the earth, you appreciate it's beauty so much more.
Gardening: I'm going to try my hand at a real garden this year. I'm really excited about it. Hippies really had it right when they saw it prudent to have a vegetable garden. After all, in todays society, most people rely on huge producers to supply them with their fruits and veggies through the grocery store. The shift from home grown to mass production has really screwed things up in a major way. For the most part, these foods are not even close to the nutritional content of home grow, organic food. I mean, isn't that really what organic is...home grown. Without all the genetic modifications and harmful chemicals? I can't stand how unhealthy and nutrient deficient our food has become. The hippies, they knew that what you made yourself was the healthiest for their bodies and fostered self sufficiency at the same time.
Well, I guess this explains why hippies always seem to have this peace and sense of well being about them. They did a lot of things right. They didn't care about what others thought, they took care of their surroundings, tended the earth and filled themselves with excellent nutrition. Or, maybe it was the pot. ;)
There are so many other attributes to the hippies I didn't even touch on. Perhaps you would like to leave a comment about an attribute you find in a hippy you would like to talk about.
There is something to those hippies. Think about it.
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