It’s Time to Fight Back!
There is actually quite a bit that we can do to improve our over-all health without having to depend on vitamin companies that might not be around much longer. There are simple changes we can make, nothing dramatic, which can make all the difference in the world. What we must ask ourselves is this: Just how important is our health? What are we willing to sacrifice in order to have good health?
Are we willing to sacrifice convenience? In this fast food nation in which we live, where we are used to instant this and instant that, are we willing to take the time to prepare real food? Just how sick and tired are we of being sick and tired? Are we fed up enough that we are willing to get up off the couch and do something about it? Or are we still looking for that miracle pill that will make us exactly as we envision ourselves? These are serious questions that need honest answers.
If we are ready and we are willing, the next thing we need to do is figure out where to start. I can give you ideas, suggestions and tell you what has worked for me, but ultimately the decision is up to you. Well, you and Adonai. I don’t know what each of my readers is up against. Some are dealing with chronic illnesses and have to be very careful while others can eat anything, but they want to make smart choices not only for themselves, but for their families as well. Only Adonai knows what ails you. The doctor you have seen your entire life doesn’t understand you as well as our Heavenly Father. He created us, He knows what’s wrong with us, and He knows how to fix us. So first and foremost we must seek His guidance.
The advice I give is just that: advice. This is what I have learned in my search for better nutrition. This information is very generic; it is not sensitive to any one particular condition. Some of my suggestions may not work for you; some may be exactly “what the doctor ordered.” Each one of us is unique and therefore each of our diets should be unique as well. There is no magic formula that will work for everyone, and truly only God knows what is best. Prayerfully ask Him where you should begin.
Once you begin, take baby steps. Don’t rush into your kitchen, throw away half of the food and run out to purchase all organic produce, etc. Your family might just go into shock! Or they might rebel. Or your body might go into shock and leave you feeling worse than you did before you started. We can get excited, but let’s not put the cart before the horse.
The most important thing we can do for ourselves, and our families, is to make a conscious effort to read labels before we buy. A good “rule of thumb” is this: If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it. Take the time and do the research and find out what all these additives are and what they are doing to our bodies so you know what to avoid. This has become second nature to those with food allergies or intolerances; it should be for all of us. Get the kids involved. Educate them on the effects of these additives and they will hunt them out for you. Eventually we want to get to a place where if there is a label on the food, we don’t eat it, instead only eating that which is still in its natural state until we process it ourselves.
There is power in the dollar… it is called “purchasing power” and it goes farther than we think. As we purchase more healthful foods and less junk food, the price will go down and the supply will increase. I do believe it is called, “The law of supply and demand.” Let’s use this law to our full advantage. Support your local farmers by purchasing directly from them when at all possible, especially if they use organic farming methods. Farmers (as well as truck drivers) are the backbone of this country and should be treated as such.
Stop purchasing prepackaged meals and start cooking. Take the time to pack a lunch instead of picking something up along the way. If you plan your lunch the night before, it only takes a few minutes to put it all together in a small cooler. If you do, you will find that mid-day stretch isn’t so bad… especially if you packed yourself an apple or some yogurt. They are much better for you than that bag of chips that are full of MSG. If we make more than we need, we can freeze the leftovers for another meal when time is of the essence.
Planning ahead is the key to success. You have to know today what you are having tomorrow so that you can begin preparing. We also need to invest in a good freezer and make sure to have plenty of pantry space. Buying in bulk when products are on sale and freezing or storing them in the pantry will greatly reduce the grocery bill. Taking a roast out the night before to defrost is not that difficult, as long as we are thinking ahead.
We need to relearn some of the old ways of doing things. We need to understand that “newer” does not necessarily mean, “better”. Grandma knew what she was talking about all those years ago when she said, “With all this new-fangled gadgets and gismos, soon folks won’t know how to do for themselves any more!” Well folks, that day has come.
Some of those new-fangled gismos are making us sick as well. Over 90% of homes in America use the microwave in some aspect of meal preparation, whether defrosting, cooking or reheating, without knowing the dangers involved in microwave usage. When foods are microwaved, the nutrients within the food are seriously depleted because microwaves destroy cell walls. We really have no idea what the long-term effect of eating cellular damaged food will be on our bodies as no studies were done prior to the marketing of these gizmos.
Teflon, the coating on our non-stick cookware, is leeching into our foods as well. This product has been linked to cancer, birth defects and organ damage, yet it is marketed as completely safe for cooking. What they don’t tell us is that it releases deadly toxins when it is super-heated, which happens much easier than one might think. When Teflon reaches 554 degrees Fahrenheit, it begins to release tiny particles. When it reaches 680 degrees, enough toxic gas is released to kill a bird in a nearby cage. If you cook in one of these pans for a half-hour or longer, the pans will easily reach these temperatures. We won’t get this information from a commercial.
Even aluminum pans leech into our foods, adding more aluminum to our already over-taxed system. This is believed to be one of the causes of hypothyroidism, and is suspected in Alzheimer’s as well. Aluminum poisoning can cause muscle weakness, bone pain, fractures that won’t heal, altered mental status, premature osteoporosis, anemia and a suppressed immune system.
By switching back to stainless steel, baked enamel and cast iron cookware we can easily reduce these toxins from our body while adding iron in its natural form (from the cast iron cookware), which will reduce anemia as well. Non-stick cookware might be easier, and cooks food faster, but it is not healthier for us. Slow cooked foods retain more of their nutrients, and when using cast iron, one is forced to slow down, which is also better for our digestion.
Unless you are terribly sick and need to make drastic changes immediately, following your doctor’s advice, take your time with all of the changes. Your body will go through a period of detoxification (which you can help along) when you might actually feel worse than you did before. This is natural. Yeast die-off, for example, might leave you feeling terrible for a couple of days, but afterwards, when you feel your energy returning and you begin to feel better than you have in years, you will be glad you didn’t give into temptation to eat more sugar.
Finally, we must not forget what we have learned thus far. We cannot expect the pharmaceutical companies to be looking out for what is best for us; they want what is best for their profit margin. It’s nothing personal; it’s simply business. The same holds true for the big food companies, like Kraft and Pepsi, and especially for fast food chains, like Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds. If they have to choose between good, wholesome ingredients and making a few extra dollars, big business will choose the dollar every time. That’s life.
We need to get back to the way things were done years ago, before Teflon and microwaves and TV dinners. Ever contemplate how we survived all those years without refrigeration? Without prescription drugs? Without pre-sliced bread? Not only did they survive, they thrived. Sure, there were childhood diseases that could take your child, but as we made it past each illness we grew stronger and healthier, not sicker.
Chicken soup, cold compresses, hot water bottles and lots of fluids will do more to fight viruses, aches and pains and the flu than all the pills in the world. Proper nutrition will prevent us from succumbing to these viruses and bugs. God created everything we need in the environment around us; we simply need to get back to the original source. We need to process food ourselves, using old-fashioned ways of preserving them. We need to find our traditional diet and get away from the SAD diet we now suffer from.
Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16)
The ancient paths were good; there was nothing wrong with them, so why change them? Just because some guys who have a bunch of letters after their names said so? That’s ridiculous! Our ancestors lived, and prospered, for thousands of years without refrigeration, microwaves or other fancy gadgets, so why can’t we? There is no reason other than our own stupidity. We simply don’t know how they did it. The art has been lost. Well, almost. There are still some who remember. There are some who still practice the ancient art of cooking and baking from scratch, the old fashioned way.
It is to these folks that we turn for our understanding and inspiration. We turn to pioneers like Dr. Weston Price, nutritionists like Sally Fallon, and even the lady down the street who has suffered for years from chronic pain but has recently found relief through diet and exercise. These people have an understanding that most professionals do not because they are looking at the person, not the illness.
The body is made up of many different parts and needs many different vitamins and minerals and nutrients to keep it functioning properly. When any of those nutrients are lacking, the immune system is compromised and we can play host to any number of illnesses. When the body has everything it needs to maintain a healthy immune system, it can fight off just about any germ or virus that tries to attack.
Whether you are sick and want to be healthy again, or are healthy and want to stay that way, there are many little things that we can do, and plenty of big things as well, to increase our immune systems and live long, healthy lives. We simply have to be willing to take the time necessary to purchase wisely, prepare properly and process ourselves the food we eat and serve to our loved ones. Once we make some of these changes in our lives we will begin to see the results, as will all those around us. Then we can truly be the witness to the world we were always meant to be.