What are we really eating and putting in our bodies?

[Tricia Lea]

I was watching Food Inc. on Netflix.

Has anyone else seen this about our nations food supply? I have been watching aome movies about healthier eating and rewatched this this afternoon. They tell us to eat healthier but then put unhealthy stuff in our foods.
What are your opinions of what we are eatng, the chemicals we put in our bodies. Even medecines that may help one condition but cause other problems.
Why is it we are supposed to be more advanced in medecines and health care today. Suposidly better foods but yet we have more health problems today?
Any thoughts?

[Lynx]

Oddly enough I am reading this thread while munching on Fritos (tm) dipped in homemade pimento cheese.  I prefer Fritos because I can pronounce all the ingredients (all three of them.)

If you want to be healthy, read the ingredients.  Almost everything in the vending machine at work (including any Fritos except for regular) has a very scary tale to tell on the back of the wrapper.

This is also a good reason why I stick to my homemade sourdough bread.  I know what goes in it.  Well, that and it tastes much better than ole spongy, floppy store loaf bread.

[Tricia Lea]

How much of what we are eating is making us sick?

How feasible is it to eat more natural and organic foods. If you are on a limited income its expensive. Here's something else from a cousin of mine on FB who responded to the post on this I made there

Its not just food and medication that's harming us, though... Look at the label on your shampoo/conditioner bottles, lotions and anything else that comes in contact with your skin. Our skin is our largest organ and it is extremely porous, as we all know. It absorbs so many of these unnecessary chemicals on a daily basis and deposits them directly into the bloodstream, in addition to the chemicals from our food and medications. Not to mention pollution in the air we breathe! I have personally started making my own natural shampoo, conditioner and face wash (yes, my hair is clean!) and I have replaced my lotion with 100% pure olive oil (love it).

What changes can we make to live healthier? We may try to loose weight to exercise but what other methods should we be following.


Looking for thoughts

[Lynx]

There is a book called What Would Jesus Eat (no, I'm not kidding) you might be interested in.  Also a book called Eat This, Not That.  Should be able to find both on amazon.

[The Purple Fuzzy]

I think Mellow Yellow started that other thread for some of these reasons.
http://godplace.com/forum/index.php?topic=31492.0

[Lynx]

 

Merge?

[Melody]

This is a soap box subject for me I'm afraid.  Not for those who are also trying to be healhty but for the ones that think we can live like the world but not expect to get sick like the world.

Man got off track when he started doing things to food that changed their very molecular make-up.  Like homogonized milk, and we wonder why people get lactose intolerant.  Like sunblock, and we wonder why more people than ever get skin cancer.  It's becoming more and more evident that some of the ingredients ie: chemicals, are causing the skin cancer.  Yet, guess what?  The skin of a tomato has the very properties that cause our skin to be tolerant to the sun.  But what happens when we eat alluminum tainted canned tomatoes that have to kill the enzymes in order to preserve them?  Enzymes are what help our cells reproduce.  It's said that our cells are constantly reproducing that every 7 years we essentially have a new body. 

The simplest way to eat healthier is to look to the Bible.  We were made from the dust of the earth, and the nutrients we need are found from plants that soak up ground nutrients.  God said he was sending Israel to a land of milk and honey.  So these two things are good for us.  God all throughout the OT supported being an omnivore and that didn't change in the NT but in fact expanded to include animals that were banned before.

We know that giving thanks for our food cleanses it, but that doesn't mean eat whatever we want b/c we also know that our bodies are the temple of the HG, and should be stewardly w/ them.  Even the scripture, "bodily excercise profitteth little." acknowledges that it does profit!

The more whole foods we can eat, the better.  With as little processing and cooking as possible for plants and thoroughly cooking for meat.  We are not to eat blood, so that covers that.  For most people, this is going to require time, and a entirely different mindset.  We have to go at our own pace or we'll give up and go back to eating whatever tastes good, and be defensive when we get sick as if it really is just some random thing.

I'm somewhere in the middle of this journey.  I'm not a health nut by far.  We, after 2 years of working on being healthier, have stopped ordering pop @ restaurants.  We already do not buy it for home but it was like our "treat" when we went out.  But as long as we continue to eat such modified junk, our tastes will continue to crave that.

I heard/read about an experiment last year on rats/mice.   They let the rat eat junk food for a prolonged period of time. Then one day, they simply gave it a piece of fresh broccolli.  The rat wouldn't touch and chose to instead starve to death.  The research was about how processed food's chemical reaction to our bodies is much like a drug. 

Organic stuff IS expensive, I can't hardly ever afford it.  But I am where I am and I pray over my food and God knows I am seriously trying to be stewardly.  I have found that when we eat real food, that we eat less and feel more satisfied.  That's a selling point for me. Also, there are a lot of simple things we can replace junk with.  For instance, making homemade ranch dressing is about the simplest thing there is. 

That's all I have time to say for now. It's a subject that is more than just "eat more fruits and veggies.  But if that is where one is at, then that is all one really will listen to anyway.   

Later I'll share some things I've learned if you guys want?  For example: baby carrots are not really baby carrots but ugly carrots cut down and dipped in chlorine for longer shelf life.  That made me irritated, so no more regular "baby carrots" for us.  We like regular carrots just fine anyway.

I don't think vegan is the way to go as produce isn't the quality it once was.

[Tricia Lea]

It started off as me trying to just loose weight,. I had cut out soft drinks and honestly I started feeling better, I thought I would start drinking some diet sodas, started feeling sorta yucky again . Got to looking how diet drinks are just as bad if not worse due to ingredients like aspertain.
Then how things like MSG are affecting us. And MY, I don't think it would  be feasible to go completely healthy eating as in organic completely, but I am trying to make changes and while I love meat and could probably not go completely vegetarian I do want to cut my meat consumption back.
1 year ago I took no meds on a regular basis and in the last year I have been put on metformin for diabetes, A high blood pressure med, a statin for cholesterol ( my cholesterol isn't high but my Dr says diabetes and cholesterol go hand in hand so she put me on a low level drug). I also am on prescription potassium and vitamin d pills.
I just wonder how much of these meds can I get off of by healthier eating and exercise and just cutting out the junk

As far as the baby carrots, I recently heard the same thing, I found baby carrots here by earthbound farms (an organic farm) that are the same price as the regular ones. I emailed earthbound to see if they use chlorine,.

I am trying to take small steps to a healthier lifestyle and hoping that helps things

[sunlight]

all of the meds you mentioned are in one way or another directly related to what you eat... (or dont eat.) I dont see why you would not be able to get off of all of them by changing your diet. :grin:

my 2 pennies...

[World Traveler]

Breakfast this morning: Milk (2%), apple sauce, four slices of toasted raisin bread with lots of real butter (not margarine), and chili staight out of the can.
Yum! Yum!
Lets see... I have my grain group, meat group, fuits and veggies group, and dairy group. Yep, eating healthy. :-D

[Melody]

Tricia, I've heard too many people now that have gotten healthier and taken off the meds to think anything otherwise. 

Diet foods are worse for you than real food anyday. You will lose weight by switching to diet pop while aspartame clogs your arteries to a heart attack.   

The problem is what people consider real food.  It makes no sense to trade one form of chemical food for another, simply to lose weight.

We need to only take in good fats, carbs and sugars, and then discipline ourselves to not over indulge in them.  I'm learning, and thus the recipes thread, that health doesn't compromise taste!  Real food tastes far better than diet food, any day.

Examples.  When I make mashed potatoes, I leave the thoroughly scrubed skins, on.  I also peel and cube 1 sweet potato (roughly 1/2-1/3 of the overall mashed potato amount) in w/ the regular potatoes.  It doesn't taste like sweet potatoes, but it looks like cheesey potatoes.  That way, we're getting tons more vitamins, making it a far more profitable carb. 

When I bake that requires eggs, I substitute 1 egg for 1T ground flax w/ 3T water.  You mix that up and let it set for a few minutes while you're mixing other things.  It has the same consistancy of an egg but has a bunch of vitamins and the omega 3 that fish is praised for.  It has almost 0 taste.

I substitute oil for applesauce often.  I try to use sunflower, almond, or peanut oil when I can afford it, for things like frying.

Since I found out I am gluten intolerant, my carb intake has been greatly reduced.  I don't own a scale but I can tell that I've lost weight.  Mind you, my carbs before were good ones like whole grains, oats, barley.  But I noticed they actually were taking up too much of my diet.  And so it makes sense that I would get intolerant as I was imbalanced.  God made our bodies pretty amazingly.  It's also connected w/ me not having enough probiotics.  Which again, I'm not great about eating yogurt, buttermilk, that help digestion.  Now you'd think I would've looked into it earlier due to upset tummies.  But I just figured I was fighting a sickness or ate something not fresh enough, (like chinese food, yet soy sauce has gluten in it) If left undone, gluten intolerance can lead to leaky gut. eeew! 

You know why I found all this out?  Cause I break out terribly, practically like a meth addict.  And I've been praying for God to heal my skin.  NO acne products have ever worked for me. Some things seemed to help for a short time, then Wham! my whole face hurts.  Being "allergic" to gluten is what's making me break out!  They're not even zits really but I had just assumed.  When I took out gluten my skin immediately cleared up.  When I've had gluten (I'm weak, it's a hard food to cut out) literally within the hour I get a big ole sore on my face.  It looks like a mean zit that you can't pop but it's red and painful! 

As vain as I felt praying about my skin, I thank God He answered my prayer.  It wasn't a miraculous healing, it was the kind that empowered my life and increased my faith and helped me know Jesus a little better.  I don't want to be ignorant and full of faith, that just doesn't balance well.

[Melody]

There is a book called What Would Jesus Eat (no, I'm not kidding) you might be interested in.  Also a book called Eat This, Not That.  Should be able to find both on amazon.

I have a "Eat This Not That" book, it's a fun conversation piece.  It has a little info on it that's helpful but not much.  Mostly because it's approach is strictly from a caloric view point and not a natural health one.  So it will recommend a low calorie chemical drink over a chocolate Naked juice that's 100% natural and not from concentrate.  Even though the bananas in it give it the sweetness rather than sugar.

Protein Zone Banana Chocolate has no added sugar or preservatives – ever. Additionally, every 15.2oz bottle of Protein Zone Banana Chocolate contains:
30g soy and whey protein
1 banana
12 cocoa beans
Lots of white grapes
A hint of coconut

Also packed with plenty of potassium, iron, and vitamin C, Protein Zone Banana Chocolate will be joining the original Protein Zone, a sunny blend of pineapples, oranges, apples, bananas, and coconut.

But because of the protein, this drink was considered the lesser of another that had almost no calories or vitamins & is also less expensive. This is the world we live in where it is better to be skinny than healthy. So sad.

[iridiscente]

I heard/read about an experiment last year on rats/mice.   They let the rat eat junk food for a prolonged period of time. Then one day, they simply gave it a piece of fresh broccolli.  The rat wouldn't touch and chose to instead starve to death.

This sounds like some of my students at school... sadly enough!

I LOVE the fact that fresh produce is so cheap here. We went to the store this weekend and bought a cart FULL of fresh produce for $25.

[YooperYankDude]

I heard/read about an experiment last year on rats/mice.   They let the rat eat junk food for a prolonged period of time. Then one day, they simply gave it a piece of fresh broccolli.  The rat wouldn't touch and chose to instead starve to death.

This sounds like some of my students at school... sadly enough!

I LOVE the fact that fresh produce is so cheap here. We went to the store this weekend and bought a cart FULL of fresh produce for $25.

:like: 

I remember the time we walked down to get fresh mint... that was awesome!

[Tricia Lea]

I have mostly cut out sodas except for an occasional diet  soda an have been taking fruit like apples and oranges and veggies like carrots and celery for lunch to school
still hopin to loose ore weight

[Lynx]

Funny I should check this thread right when I'm eating homemade mushroom soup with cornbread... 

[Melody]

Hey Tricia, I thought you might enjoy this article:
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/coconut-oil-why-it-is-good-for-you-and-where-to-buy-it

(btw, how do people post links that don't appear as the address but some title instead?)

Coconut Oil: Why it is Good For You and Where to Buy it

I'm often talking about coconut oil around here.  I use it for baking.  I use it on our skin.  My favorite lotion bar is made from coconut oil.  I highly encourage eating coconut oil and letting coconut oil help heal your system!



Today I'd like to answer a couple of frequently asked Coconut Oil questions...

Why is coconut oil good for you?

Coconut Oil is a saturated fat...something we're told today to stay away from.  My research has taught me to disagree with this.  I'm not afraid of saturated fats.  Please read this well written and well researched article, which explains saturated fats and coconut oil way better than I ever could! http://www.coconut-info.com/coconut_oil_why_it_is_good_for_you.htm
Coconut Oil:  Why it is Good For You

Coconut oil is a stable fat, which means that it doesn't go rancid easily like unsaturated fats do.  (Unsaturated fats, like canola and vegetable oils, go rancid within just a few hours of being produced.  This means that they are already rancid by the time they make it to grocery store shelves.)  Those living in tropical climates, consuming large amounts of coconut oil have low rates of heart desease, cancer and colon problems.  Coconut Oil can actually help you lose weight and fight infections.  It is anti-fungal.  It has the ability to keep your thyroid healthy.

Where can you buy Coconut Oil?

I've not seen high quality coconut oil in my local grocery stores, but I live in a fairly small town without a lot of options.  I have seen coconut oil at Wal-mart...and it works if I'm desperate...but it is far from great in my opinion.

I always buy my coconut oil online, as this is where I find the best prices.  High quality coconut oil may seem expensive, but I consider coconut oil to be a healing, whole food...therefore the cost is worth it!

A good price for high quality virgin coconut oil, according to what I have found, is around $14/quart.  I love it (of course) if I can find it for less than that!  I watch for it to go on sale and compare prices at any of the following:

~ Tropical Traditions  (If you're a new Tropical Traditions customer, read here about how to receive a FREE book explaining benefits of coconut oil and tons of coconut oil recipes.)

~ Mountain Rose Herbs (Can be bought by the gallon here, helping this purchase to be very cost effective.  Since Coconut Oil keeps for a long time...purchasing a gallon bucket is a great idea to help cut the cost!)

~ Amazon (Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil seems to be the best price at Amazon.)

~ Food Co-ops – If you're a part of a health food co-op, you'll likely be able to buy coconut oil through them.

What if I don't like the taste of coconuts?  Does coconut have a strong coconut flavor?

There are two types of coconut oil and both are good for you.  One tastes like coconuts, and the other doesn't!

Virgin (unrefined) Coconut Oil has a strong coconut flavor.  It is processed in such a way that helps it keep the coconuty taste.  I love Virgin Coconut Oil for baking.

Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil doesn't have a flavor at all!  It is processed differently, taking away any flavor, but keeping the nutrients intact.  I've almost always found this variety of coconut oil to be less expensive.  In fact, Mountain Rose Herbs has Virgin Coconut Oil for only $24/gallon + shipping...making it around $9/quart!!!!

How do I measure Coconut Oil for a recipe?

I addressed this question in my recent post:  How to Adapt a Recipe to Make it Healthier.  I encourage you to read this post, and read through the comments as many of you shared easy ways to measure coconut oil.  I pretty much just "eyeball it" when I measure! 

---------------

I'm not crazy about the taste of coconut.  However, there is a huge difference in taste in what I've bought before from the store and a fresh real coconut.  I've bought a jar of coconut manna (puréed and dried coconut) from that nutiva and it's not bad at all. I want to try expeller coconut oil next. 

[Lynx]

(Unsaturated fats, like canola and vegetable oils, go rancid within just a few hours of being produced.  This means that they are already rancid by the time they make it to grocery store shelves.) 

Some of those claims are a bit suspect.

[EricShane]

wow MY you really know what your talking about!!

MY What do you think about cleanses? And im not talking the "make money quick schemes" --- but like the stuff of Mixing Yucca juice with Plurisy root and stuff lol

[Melody]

I don't know about all the different cleanses there are out there.  But I've done some.  1 I've done is from www.colonix.com.  It's all natural & so gentle it takes up to 3 mo.  That makes more sense to me. We absorb all this junk over 20+ yrs & expect it to be gone in 3 days? I believe those are simply diarretics.

One thing I've learned is that if a cleanse really does its job, then it has also stripped us of the good bacteria in our digestion. We then need to replenish that or suffer from worse problems than before. Since so many different foods help detox our bodies I'm not surprised that there are a ton of different ways to go about it.

[Melody]

(Unsaturated fats, like canola and vegetable oils, go rancid within just a few hours of being produced.  This means that they are already rancid by the time they make it to grocery store shelves.) 

Some of those claims are a bit suspect.

Feel free to check out her sources.  Her family is doing above average while so many of us are still getting sick eating what we r told is "healthy."

[Babs]

and to add here MY there is a huge difference between a flush and a detox. colonix is supposed to be one of the best detox around.

[Melody]

True. I haven't done their detox, only the cleanse. I lost a little weight & everything felt better.  Unfortunately I didn't learn about the Necessity of replenishing the good bacteria & what do ya know, that is the cause of gluten intolerance.

[Babs]

yeah they kinda forget to tell you all that lol

find that taking 1 tbl spoon of braggs apple cider vinegar each day works as well as any flush or cleanser and does it a bit more gradual, so you dont loose so much of what you need to keep.

tastes horrible but its worth it. you can make homemade salad dressing with it, if you cant make yourself actually drink it lol

i used that a few years ago and within a year i had lost over 120 pounds.

[Melody]

My friend does that too! Only she adds it to a bottle of water.  I want to do it but I dislike vinegar So much!  I'm a wimp....lol.  I know I won't stay faithful to it.