Restoring Healthy Through Nutrition

Today, I am thinking about salt.  I have tried to reduce the amount of salt in my diet.  Eliminating salt is difficult to do when I am tasting my homemade soup and the addition of salt makes the soup taste SO much better.  Months ago, when checking resources of information about salt, I discovered that unrefined salt is better because it has naturally occurring trace minerals which are good for the body.  With the discovery of unrefined salt, I changed over to a brand that was affordable and natural.  However, I still feel convicted about the consumption of salt in my diet.  I think that salt is contributing  to  inflammation in some of my joints that were affected by a serious motor vehicle accident a few years ago.  (The other conviction is caffeine - but I can only stand to face one sacrifice at a time.) Salt content is out-of-control in processed foods, restaurant foods and kid-targeted foods. The Center for Science in the Public Interest...

America is the heartburn nation.  The pharmaceutical companies have targeted the market with medications to reduce acid or the production of acid in the gut.  But what causes heartburn to begin with?  Why does the medication work for a little while and then a newer, stronger medication is needed to keep the pain in check? Unless you try an elimination diet, there is no way to  be completely certain of the root cause of heartburn.  The causes can vary, depending on the person.  Food intolerance sand food allergies seem to be surfacing among many individuals as the food industries continue their relentless amending and "refining" of perfectly healthful food. Some encouragement for heartburn victims - You have a smart body!   Your digestive tract is telling you that you are eating non-edible, food-like substances and that it can't use what you are eating.  Your body is giving you intelligent information in response to what you eat.  Th...

This topic does not specifically target dietary issues, but rather a need to be well informed in order to perform an act of self-defense.  Please consider and weigh the options when faced with a vaccination decision.  The following videos and links barely brush the surface of information available.  Whatever you choose to do, vaccinate or not, do it as a well informed individual. Dr. Pam Popper: Children's Health, Diet and IQ and Advice about Gardasil http://www.wellnessforum.com/ When a mystery illness of 12 New York school girls hit the news, there were many health scenarios posed as possible causes.  Shortly after the EPA and other agencies were called in to investigate and substance abuse eliminated, the story went silent and we have heard nothing of the possible conclusions.  Listen to the news broadcast on the following link as a few "experts" evaluate the mystery illness.  Notice, in the interviews, the comments about the girls having something ...

Christmas Day - December 25, 2012 Shall I choose my physical life in pursuit of better health or shall I choose the eternal fate of my soul?  If I must choose only one thing, I will forsake my body - and all else - in favor of the eternal state of my soul.  In speaking of spiritual life, Jesus said (according to the gospel of Mark 8:35-36), "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.  For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?"  There is nothing greater to be gained than to inherit eternal life.  To inherit eternal life is to lay down faith in one's own life  (lose your life)  and place faith in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, thus allowing His Spirit to dwell inside the soul. To have the Spirit of God dwell in one's  soul is to have life and peace.   The greatest desire of mankind is to know the love of God and to ...

Cancer?  It's nothing to be upset about.  Cancer cells occur in our bodies all the time.  As the following videos will explain, cells with faulty or damaged DNA (potential cancer cells) are a common occurrence in the composition of tissue cells.  This is why God designed cells to be repaired or to self-destruct.  When cells are lacking vital nutrition, they can't make the necessary repairs and will sometimes forget to flip the "self-destruct" switch.  As the faulty cell continues to live on and to duplicate, a tumor will eventually appear.  Oh, and by the way, damaged cells are at the source of many diseases - not just cancer.  It makes sense to me that sick people can experience renewed health when they provide their bodies' cells with proper nutrition through a plant-based diet.   The following video is an excellent explanation of what cancer is and how we should change our lives to prevent or reverse it.  Dr. David...

The following list has been taken from a book on nutrition for children which I highly recommend:   Disease-Proof Your Child , by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. "The Five Most Dangerous Things To Feed Your Child Butter and cheese  - full of saturated fat and fat-delivered chemical pollutants Potato chips and french fries - rich in trans fat, salt, and carcinogenic acrylamides" (my additional reason added here - also contains blatant or hidden MSG) "Doughnuts and other trans fat-containing sweets - rich in trans fat, sugar, and other artificial substances Sausages, hot dogs, and other luncheon meats - contain N-nitroso compounds that are potent carcinogens Pickled, smoked, or barbequed meats - places you at risk of both stomach cancer and high blood pressure" Children eating 12 hot dogs or more per month are 9 times more likely to develop leukemia.  Also, children who eat hot dogs one or more times per week are at higher risk of brain cancer.   http://www.preventcan...

There is no need to be concerned about refrigeration when you pack this "tuna sandwich" for the road!  Try it in a wrap, on top of salad greens, stuffed in a hollowed green pepper, or eat it plain for a satisfying taste of the sea!  Make the "sauce" a little thinner and mix it in with some cooked macaroni for a cold pasta salad. Mock Tuna Salad 1 Sweet onion 6-8 stalks celery 3 C cooked garbanzo beans drained 2-4 (according to taste preference) sheets dried Nori seaweed       (or use 1/4 C alternative edible seaweed flakes) sauce 2/3 C walnuts 1 T vinegar 1 T raw honey 1 C cooked garbanzo beans 2 tsp prepared mustard (or 1/4 tsp ground mustard seed) 3/4 tsp salt pepper to taste 1/3 C water In a food processor, pulse onion and celery until minced or desired consistency for "tuna" salad.  Place in a mixing bowl.  Put 3 C cooked garbanzo beans in processor and pulse until a crumbly consistency, leaving a few beans in 1/2 sized or 1/4 sized ...

Beans take some getting used to, when they have been ignored in the daily diet.  I must say, that I used to blame beans for intestinal problems in the past.  Since changing to a plant-based diet, I now know that my intestinal problems were caused by processed foods, dairy and meat.   There are some really great benefits from consuming beans.  I encourage everyone to work at including them in their daily dietary routine!  Here are some reasons to eat beans: High in dietary fiber .  Increasing fiber in your diet will keep your intestinal tract clean for good bacteria to live.  It also shortens the duration of time that digested food remains in your GI tract, reducing your risk of colon or colo-rectal cancer. Source of protein.   The number of grams per cup varies within the many varieties of beans.  In general, beans contain between 12-15 grams of protein per cup.  Some soybean preparations contain far more protein.   Rich in min...

Support  is essential to success w hen a person is sick and he or she wants to try the natural route to healing,   The spouse or a close family or friend can be the true key to making the program for healing work.  In our case, Adam was willing to try eating a plant based diet to see if it would assist healing.  Without understanding the full extent of benefit from unified support, we began the cancer journey by having separate meals.  I cooked for my husband - usually beans salads and vegetables - while I continued to eat red meat and dairy. Once we had listened to the messages of McDougall, Esselstyn, Barnard and Campbell, I was on board to give the plant based diet a try for myself as well as for Adam.  It was then, that my husband's condition really started to turn around toward wellness.  We read all the labels, talked about meal ideas, shopped together with our nutritional needs in mind and spent time sharing the responsibilities in the kitchen. ...

Maybe cancer is not an issue for you, but certainly you know someone who has battled cancer.  Here is a good check list of information to help you prevent cancer in your own lifetime. The main cause of cancer is diet and lifestyle.  The time to fight it is NOW!  To follow the links for these recommendations, click on the individual recommendations or go to the website through the following link. http://preventcancer.aicr.org/site/PageServer?pagename=recommendations_home Recommendations for Cancer Prevention These ten recommendations for cancer prevention are drawn from the WCRF/AICR Second Expert Report . Each recommendation links to more details. Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight. Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day. Avoid sugary drinks. Limit consumption of energy-dense foods. Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes such as beans. Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid pr...

This was the video the sent Adam and I off "the deep end", so to speak.  With my background in science (just a bachelor's level) and his experience with cancer (literally), we felt that a plant-based diet made perfect sense.   FAT Hypothetically speaking, if I hold a stick of butter, animal fat, in my hand, it will not melt.  If I put coconut oil or another plant oil in my hand, it would melt and could be absorbed into my skin.  It made sense to me that plant oils can remain fluid in the blood vessels, can be used for energy and metabolized for the body's benefit.  Animal fat clogs arteries and contributes to elevated bad cholesterol.  Fat also adds unnecessary calories with very low nutrient density.  Most of the fat that Americans consume come from animal fats, trans-fats and refined oils.  There is a great deal of value, however, in the naturally occurring fats of nuts, seeds and foods such as avocado and coconut. Eating the dangerous fats...

These pancakes make a hearty side to a winter meal!  Or use them as a bread replacement for packing "to go" nut butter sandwiches.  The oat flour and honey in the recipe gives it a delicious "graham cracker" flavor. This recipe makes a mix that can be stored in a gallon sized bag or jar.  Just make up the desired amount of mix with an equal portion of water.  One cup of mix with 1 cup of water makes about 6 pancakes. Vegan Pancake mix 7 cups whole wheat flour 1 and 3/4 cups oat flour (oatmeal ground to flour in a blender) 4 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder 3 tsp salt 1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil (or oil of choice) *add cinnamon, ground ginger root or vanilla when mixing pancakes for flavor varieties Mix in large bowl, "kneading" lumps by hand until mix is a crumbly consistency.  Store in zip lock style bag or air tight storage container.  To make pancakes, combine equal parts of mix with water.    Allow dough to rest ...

Before cancer Here we are, "topped out" at our largest size and feeling very sick on our SAD diet.  We didn't know how good being healthy could feel.  We didn't know that the food we ate had EVERYTHING to do with our health.  I didn't know that my endless hours of time in the kitchen was completely undoing our health in the name of "homemade, home canned and home grown."  Dairy, butter, cheese, sugar, fruits and vegetables that were canned to "death", meat at every meal and eggs on a regular basis were staple foods for us.  We ate salads. . . . topped with processed croutons full of terrible oils and salt, shredded cheese, and full fat ranch dressing chucked with hidden MSG.  I'm embarrassed that we lived like this and I am very regretful that our kids were subject to our way of eating, too.  I could have offered so much more for our children in order to build their health and to enhance their understanding of "real" and unprocess...

A giant bowl of vegetable chili is one of my very favorite meals!  There are so many ways to tweak this recipe, that you could almost make a couple of changes and have a completely different meal!   Eat this on top of a bed of rice for a "Mexican gumbo" Add some mushrooms, some cooked macaroni, and omit the corn for a simple and satisfying vegetable goulash Add some shredded cabbage, dry barley and a little extra water.  Simmer until barley is tender and enjoy a delicious version of cabbage soup!  Vegetable Chili 3 quarts (12 cups) tomatoes - with skins and seeds or as desired 1-2 sweet peppers, any color, chopped 3 medium sweet onions, chopped 6-8 cloves garlic, minced 4-6 carrots, sliced 2 cups cooked beans - small red, kidney, or other desired bean 2 cups frozen sweet corn 1 T oregano 2 tsp dried basil 2 tsp ground cumin 1 to 2 tsp chili powder (to taste) 1/2 tsp (or more) of cayenne pepper 1 or more tsp salt 1/4 cup nutritional yeast - optional 2 T vinegar - this...

What is a pre-biotic?   A pre-biotic is simply dietary fiber.  Fiber is naturally occurring in the legumes, fruits and vegetables of a nourishing plant-based diet.  The function of dietary fiber is to act as "brushes" in the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract).  As the fiber scrapes by the villi of the intestinal wall, sticky debris is removed to expose GI tissue to the current nutrients passing through -thus benefiting nutrient absorption.   Pre-biotics provide opportunities for pro-biotics.   Good bacteria (which are beneficial to immune protection, digestion of nutrients, production of vitamin K and much more) are allowed the opportunity to adhere to the intestinal lining after it has been "cleaned" by fiber.  These good bacteria, or probiotics, also provide protection against: urinary tract infection, auto-immune diseases, ulcer-causing H. pylori bacteria, and esophageal conditions.  For more information and videos regarding probiotics...