Add a little love...er, nutrition.

     I have some very picky eaters in my family.  I have a 5 year old who doesn't eat anything with sauce or cheese on it, so that leaves out your typical kid foods!   It is a struggle that every mom goes through, wondering if her kids are getting enough nutrition from chicken nuggets and Kraft mac-n-cheese. 

     A few years ago, I came across a cookbook that told about hiding different vegetables in "normal" meals in a way that would not be detectable to the typical child's taste.  This lady had a whole system of pureeing various vegetables once a week and freezing them in portion sizes and then using them in her various recipes.  Seemed like a lot of work, but I did like the idea of adding nutrition to every meal. 

     I can remember how my mom dealt with picky eaters when I was growing up.  I recall she would juice fresh green beans and put it in spaghetti sauce.  She would make jello and add yogurt to it (yummy, I may have to ask her about that to try on the kids!), or make special "cookies" with wheat germ and bran in them!
As we got older, we were wise to her tricks, but we also learned to like the good food she cooked and could tolerate a small portion of something that wasn't our favorite.
     So, our next simple step to healthier living, is to try getting some good veggies or protein in your picky eaters by adding it to something they normally eat.  My kids love veggies, but don't like a lot of protein, so I often add refried beans or puree'd black beans to spaghetti sauce.  I've made brownies with spinach and carrots in them and chocolate pudding made with avocado.  I've juiced fresh carrot and celery juice and made jello with it.  I add ground flax and oat flour to cookies and banana bread. I have a great recipe for sweet potato pound cake that everyone loves-- and I make it with whole wheat flour and coconut oil!

     One of my favorite ways to get my kids to eat good vegetables, is to let them eat them in a different way than they normally do.  My kids love frozen peas fresh from the freezer, or a slice of raw sweet potato.  We have eaten carrots with peanut butter raisins on it (celery,too). I just recently found out that my kids love beets, I guess just for the purple color! 

    I would recommend the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (Yes, married to Jerry).  She is the queen of hiding veggies in things.  Her recipes are a little dry because she also cooks extremely low fat (not the best for you-- as we will discuss another time), so instead of using egg whites and lowfat margarine in her recipes, I use whole eggs and butter.  Some of the baking recipes are a little dry and could use another egg or some buttermilk or oat flour to moisten things up. She does tell all about making the puree's in advance and freezing them, if you are interested in that.  I came across another book recently titled How to Cheat on your Man (In the Kitchen) by the Sneaky Chef.  Most of those recipes are things that guys would love with a little extra love added in there!

     I would love to hear your ideas on getting your family to eat right, or some favorite recipes that have some extra goodies added in!

Our Daily Bread?

When Jesus prayed "Give us this day our daily bread", I'm pretty sure this wasn't what He had in mind.  I've often wondered why they named it "Wonder Bread".  Perhaps it's because "it's a wonder it can even be called bread" or "I wonder how they make it" or even, "It's a wonder people can even survive on this".
     When you go down the bread aisle in the grocery store, you are faced with a multitude of choices.  Maybe for those of you who are thrifty, it's not hard at all, just look for the cheapest price.  Or, you may be loyal to a certain brand or a particular flavor/texture.  Perhaps you peruse the ingredient list or the nutrition facts.  Whatever you do, there is always a choice.
     Bread is the main staple to everyday mealtime in most homes. Even in every country there is some form of bread that is the foundation of every meal.  Flour is made from many different grains or plants and formed into some kind of flour to make a loaf, or patty, or tortilla, or biscuit.  So, it is appropriate that Jesus included this in His prayer.
     My simple challenge to you who are desiring to make simple changes in your diet, is to look at the bread you are eating.  We will talk about homemade bread in the future, but today, just look at the ingredients on your loaf of bread.  If the list of ingredients is a mile long, then there are too many additives and preservatives in it. What is the expiration date on it?  How long does it sit on your counter before it goes bad?  Homemade bread only lasts a few days. How much fiber is listed on the nutrition facts?  A good loaf of bread will have at least 3 grams per slice.  Be wary when reading the nutrition facts. Often, it lists the serving size as 2 pieces, so the fiber would be less per slice.
     Now, look at the piece of bread itself.  What color is it? If it is white, then it's not the best thing for you.  The flour in it has been processed and bleached so much that it can't even be called wheat anymore. Remember this old adage "The whiter the bread, the sooner you're dead"!  You need the whole grain bread that includes the fiber from the wheat in order to keep you running smoothly and keeping healthy!  Just because a bread looks brown, does not mean that it is whole wheat.  They often add coloring to the dough to give it a "healthy" look!  So, the next time you buy bread, look for bread that looks natural, includes whole grains and has at least 3 grams of fiber per slice. It may cost a bit more, but in the long run it will be worth the extra time and money knowing that your family is healthier.
     A side note to my missionary friends, I would highly recommend finding out what the local people you minister to eat for bread.  I believe that God has given everything people need in a certain area for complete nutrition.  Now, if you are in the city, follow the guidelines above.  If you are in a tribal situation, seek help from the people.  Eat how they eat.  Ask them to teach you how to make their bread, and in turn you may have an opportunity to introduce them to the Bread of Life!
     We will discuss homemade bread in an upcoming blog, but for now, try something a little healthier!

The Raw Truth

Beginning a meal with something real, You won't believe how much better you feel!

We've all heard it before: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."  Some may scoff at this "old wive's" tale, but it holds a simple truth: raw fruits and veggies keep you healthy!  Our second simple step to improving your general health is to add something green or raw to every meal.  Now, when I say "raw", I mean fruit or veggies, not meat, or cookie dough, or anything undercooked.  This simple habit was instilled into me by my mom when I was very young.  Every sack lunch I ever took to school had an apple or carrot sticks in it.  But, why raw?  Aren't cooked vegetable just as healthy?  Let's look at the advantages of raw fruits and vegetables:

#1 Raw fruits and vegetables have digestive enzymes in them.  So, in other words, it's like they are already partially digested for you and they assist your stomach in digesting the other food you have consumed.  Anyone who suffers from regular stomach pain could help themselves by starting every meal with some raw apple or pineapple.

#2 They help build strong and healthy teeth.  Ever noticed pictures of tribal people in other countries?  They have never even heard of a tooth brush, let alone the thought of using one, yet they usually have beautiful white, straight teeth.  How does that happen?  Their main diet consists of natural, unprocessed foods that require more chewing and contain good nutrients for strong teeth and jaws.  As a child, I had extremely crooked teeth coming in after I lost my baby teeth, but I believe that all those apples in my lunches every day helped to realign my teeth and make them straight again-- without the aid of braces! As Ogden Nash so poignantly put it "Celery raw develops the jaw...".

#3  They help to keep you happy.  Seriously!  Leafy green vegetables contain a lot of b vitamins.  A lack of these essential vitamins can make you nervous, irritable and often depressed!  So, forget the Zoloft, just add some fresh spinach and romaine lettuce to your diet!

#4 They help keep you young looking.  Here's another crazy idea, forget Botox, just keep eating those leafy greens!  They are full of compounds that help prevent wear and tear on  your skin.  They help repair your cells as you get older.  Studies have shown that men and women who ate the most green leafy vegetables had the least wrinkles!

#5 Many, many other benefits: We all know that veggies contain plenty of fiber to keep things moving, lots of vitamin C to keep us from getting sick and lots of brain power to keep us smart!

So, try it today.  Just simply adding a small amount of raw fruits and vegetables to every meal, will make a big difference in how you feel! 

Friday's Flop

A lot of blogs that I read have a special category for special days.  So, in lieu of the circumstances today, I think I am going to designate Fridays for flops--that is flops that happen in my week to remind me that I am human and still learning. Today's flop was banana bread.  The last time I made it, it was an even worse flop, so this one isn't quite as bad. Don't get me wrong, I usually have banana bread turn out perfectly, but these last 2 haven't been so great.  The last loaf I made didn't even get done in the middle, at all.  I had read that if you put a SMALL bowl of water in the oven with it, the crust won't get so brown.  Notice my emphasis on "small".  Yeah, I chose a large bowl and sat it underneath the loaf.  It checked out great with a toothpick, but the lower half was just like hot lava, only a different color.  This time, I used a much smaller bowl and made sure it was done, it just didn't come out of the pan very well.
     This makes me rethink that dream I've had of opening my own bakery.........or baking Christmas gifts.........or even having company over...........sigh, at least it will still taste good.

When someone gets sick..........

     What is the first thing you do when you or someone in your family is coming down with something?  Run to the doctor, or make an appointment? Do you watch what they eat and try to get something healthy in them?  I usually watch for a few days, doing what I know to take care of the symptoms. If it continues longer, I start doing research from my limited library of nutrition books and then do a few searches online. If I start to get concerned, I call my mom.  She is my emergency "dial-a-doctor" when I have run out of ideas. Then, if things are really a concern, I will make an appointment with our doctor.
     I would like to encourage you (and convict you, as I have been convicted!) to turn to another avenue before taking any steps.  As Christians, our obvious first step with any concern should be to turn to our Heavenly Father and ask His will.  Prayer should be the automatic reaction to sickness in our family!  James 5 specifically addresses this area and reminds us that " the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up" (verse 15). So often we turn to our own means and our own ways to take care of our problems, yet, God often sends these problems just to remind us to turn to Him!  It's so simple, yet so easy to forget in the midst of care and concern.
     I have been teaching a teen girls' Sunday School class and we have been studying the names of God. I was excited to find in Exodus 15:26, that God refers to Himself as "I am the LORD that healeth thee".  He has created our bodies, He has given us the ability and the know-how to heal, He is the Great Physician and He knows how best to help us fight the sickness!

Water, water everywhere.....

     I'm going to start with the most basic healthful thing you can do to improve your life: drink water. All throughout Scripture we see the importance of water and its cleansing abilities.  Most of you remember from 5th grade science, that the human body is made up of 70% water. So, why do we struggle to drink it?  Well, we have been inundated with soda, coffees, teas, and other flavored drinks so that water doesn't taste good anymore.  We also have these wonderful FDA guidelines that inform us that the water has to have fluoride and chlorine and all that other stuff in order for it to be "good". So, then it tastes terrible! What can a person do?
     First of all, water is the essence of all life.  It is necessary for all life to survive.  You can't survive more than a few days without water.  Most ailments come as a result of not drinking enough water!  By the time a person feels thirsty, they have already lost over 1% of the water needed for the body to function. Water is essential for energy (in fact, if you are tired or hungry, that is usually an indication that you need a drink!)  and for healthy blood pressure.  It will maintain weight, control hunger, keep a healthy cholesterol level, even help you think clearly! Most of us, when we are thirsty, turn to sodas or tea to hydrate us.  Most of those drinks have caffeine in them which is a diuretic, meaning that it prevents the water from traveling to the parts of the body where it is needed. So, when you have downed your soda, you need to drink two times the amount of water to make up for it! 
     So, how much should you drink a day? I would recommend that you take your body weight and divide that in half, then drink that many ounces, gradually over the day.  If you don't like the taste of it, add lemon and little bit of sugar.  I don't recommend these powdered additives, mainly because of the artificial sweeteners (another day, another blog!). If you have the resources, purchase a water filter or purifier.  I recommend the Berkey filters that are sold on ebay. A reverse osmosis system is also good.
     I would also recommend some reading at http://www.watercure.com/.  There is some amazing information there about things that can be cured (AIDS, cancer, asthma, arthritis, to name a few) just by cleansing your body everyday with pure, fresh WATER! 
    By the way, if you don't like the taste of water, you'd better get used to it.  It's what we drink in heaven!

"Let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17


    
    

Welcome, to me....

Yes, I am welcoming myself to blogging.  I have read many blogs over the years and have always wanted to write one.  I believe that my theme will be a help to many.  I have always had an interest in simple nutrition and the importance of being responsible for my own health.  Of course, I do not claim to know everything, not even close!  There is so much to learn, and so much to discover.  I'm thankful to be living in an age when we have so much information literally at our fingertips!  I grew up in a pastor's home and had constant exposure to missions and missionaries. Over the years, the same scenario has been repeated in the lives of many missionaries, that of having to leave the field because of health reasons.  I believe that this is an area of our lives that Satan wants to attack, and he knows our weaknesses, especially foods!!  I am hoping to have a source for missionaries to glean from to find simple cures, helps and suggestions for common problems that they face on a daily basis.  It is easy to keep the American mentality of running to the doctor everytime there is a problem, taking medications that just cover up the symptoms, and then hoping the problem goes away.  Now, for a disclaimer, I am not a vegan or vegetarian, nor do I eat all organic foods and grass fed beef or free-range chickens.  I know that these are best, but I can't afford them!  So, I just want to do my best with what has been given to me and use the knowledge I have and the experience of myself and others to help out with simple cures, preventative helps and easy ways to keep you and your family healthy!  Welcome to you, too!