Tempting with Food

     I read something interesting this week that was quite a revelation. In every instance in the Bible where Satan came to personally tempt someone, he used FOOD to tempt them. In the Garden of Eden, he tempted Eve with the fruit. In Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, he tempted with bread. How interesting that our appetites are one of our most vulnerable areas of life. Satan knows how to stop your ministry!! How many missionaries do you know that have had to leave the field because of health issues that could be simply prevented by following a limited, healthy diet?? Yet, we continue to fill ourselves with sugar. When visiting missionaries, we fill a suitcase with their favorite junk food. We stock up on pharmaceuticals, ignoring the plethora of side effects from the chemicals. God, our Creator, knows best how our bodies operate. He has provided ways to heal through the things He created in this world. Yet, doctors have become our gods. We take their word, their prescriptions, their advice before ever consulting the One Who created us. We are reaping what we have sown. Cancer, diabetes and obesity are taking over. We are filling our bodies with preservatives, drugs and chemicals with no thought for the consequences.

      I have been amazed to see the ways that God has provided full nutrition in areas of the world where you would think that some certain nutrients are lacking. For instance, I have friends who are missionaries in the Baffin islands, way up near the north pole. Nothing green grows there. You can't get fresh, green leafy vegetables. There are times of the year where they never see the sun. Yet, they eat large amounts of fish-- chock full of the vital vitamins A and D and healthy fats!! They also harvest wild blueberries that grow on the frozen tundra. Super nutrition!! I would encourage people living in foreign countries to adopt the local diet. Limit processed foods and sugar. Eat whatever grows naturally there. Get sunshine often. Ask the locals what they use for healing common maladies. I just read recently about Dengue fever. The one thing that greatly helps to relieve the symptoms and helps the healing process is papaya fruit and leaves. Isn't it interesting that the countries where Dengue fever is prevalent are places where papaya grows in abundance?? Is it any wonder that cancer is very uncommon and almost non-existent in 3rd world countries? Have you ever noticed that tribal people have beautiful white teeth, even though they've never even seen a toothbrush?? Just something to think about.............

Foods that heal: Avocado

     On my journey into new areas of health and healing,  I have found a new favorite food.  I had very seldom eaten avocado in the past.  Occasionally I would have some in a dip or guacamole, but I never considered it health food.  With my new diet that I have been on, I have been encouraged to eat avocado.  So, let's explore the benefits of this fine food!

     At one time, doctors discouraged the consumption of avocados due to their extremely high calorie content. An average avocado contains over 730 calories and packs a huge dose of fat, at 30 grams per serving.  What we are beginning to understand is that these kinds of calories and fat are good for you and your brain!  Remember, your brain is made up of fatty tissue and needs fat to keep it healthy.   Many health conscious  moms are now using avocado regularly in their infants diets because of the super healthy nutrition found in them.
     The fat content in avocados actually helps your body function in a more efficient way. Those who suffer from diabetes related illnesses often  tend to develop high levels of triglycerides, a type of blood fat that may contribute to heart disease.  When you replace bad carbohydrates with good fats, especially those found in avocado, the dangerous fats in your bloodstream tend to decline. Also, the oleic acid found in this fruit  helps to control many of the symptoms of diabetes. In addition, the oleic acid can also help your body get rid of excess cholesterol!
     Avocados are high in potassium, which is great for helping those who suffer from high blood pressure. In fact, one serving of avocado contains about 15% more potassium than a banana!
     One of the tricks in dealing with avocados is determining when they are ripe. When you find them at the grocery store, choose ones that feel very firm, almost hard.  I bring them home and store them in the fridge.  I keep one on the counter until it feels soft underneath the tough, leathery skin.  Then I halve it, take out the pit and the skin peels off very easily. 
     Since I have been trying to include avocado in my diet, I have tried many different recipes to make it palatable, instead of just a chore to eat. I have made many recipes for guacamole and avocado dips, which were good, but who wants to eat dip all the time?  Well I happened upon a recipe for a healthy version of the shamrock shake--of all things!  And the main ingredient? Avocado, of course, to make it a beautiful shade of green, and fill it with all sorts of nutrition.  The added bonus: my kids love it!  I am so pleased to find a good way to use this amazing fruit.  Enjoy!

Healthy Shamrock Shake

Add to blender:
1 3/4 cups milk (I use non-pasteurized, fresh milk. You can also use almond, rice or coconut milk)
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
2 1/2 to 3 Tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
1 cup ice cubes (I used about 8 cubes)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract ( I used a few drops of peppermint oil)

Combine in blender until smooth. Enjoy!

Variations:  We tried it with orange oil instead of the peppermint.  The result tasted just like an orange dreamsicle (though green!).  I have also added berries or yogurt to make it more like a smoothie.
    

Salt is good???

    

     It plainly states in Mark 9:50 that "Salt is good...." So, why are we warned about too much salt?  Why do people who have high blood pressure or have experienced a stroke go on a "no-salt" diet? Why do we have so many products on the shelf in grocery stores that boast low or no salt added?  Something does not jive here. 
     To get the real picture, we have to define what we mean by salt.  The salt sold on the store shelves has been processed and refined.  It has had iodine and other chemicals added to it to keep it shelf worthy and "FDA" worthy.  That kind of salt can cause problems. It has been harvested in salt mines as brine, which means the salt has been in water.  Chemicals are added to the brine to remove the impurities, which really are minerals which are beneficial to you.  The process in which the salt goes through ( heat and compression) molecularly changes the structure of the salt.  Then toxic chemicals are added to keep the salt from clotting.  The salt is now pure and white, but dead.  There are no  beneficial properties; no cleansing, healing ability.  The process also leaves an imbalance between the sodium and the chloride; an imbalance which many  bodies cannot deal with, often causing swelling in the hands and ankles and causing blood pressure to rise.
       The more I study and the more I learn, I am amazed at how much good can come just by keeping things balanced.  Remove one necessary item, and chaos can result.  God's original design for salt was that it included the important trace minerals that your body needs to keep things in balance.  An imbalance of minerals can result in many health related problems.  Because the earth is aging, many of the minerals in the soil have been depleted and therefore, they are no longer found in our vegetables and fruits.  So, it is important that we find alternative ways of getting those trace minerals back. 
     We all have a natural craving for salt.  Try popcorn without it and you'll see!!  We need the essential properties found in salt, but we need to find a salt that has not been so processed that is no longer salt!  Stores have started picking up on the salt craze.  You can buy real sea salt in many stores.  Even better is the salt that has minerals that you can see: for instance pink or gray or red salt.  They do have a stronger salt taste, but your body will appreciate the extra minerals.
      Another interesting fact about salt is that it can help your body absorb more water.   Just adding 1/4 tsp of salt to every quart of water you drink will help your body use the water it needs and will also add the benefit of the trace minerals.  Yes, it does taste salty, yet surprisingly still quenches your thirst. It just may take a little getting used to!
     If you have been told to go on a no-salt diet, I implore you to do more studying and read Salt your Way to Health by David Brownstein.  A no-salt diet will only bring an imbalance to your system and cause more problems.  Plus, how bland your diet would be without it!  So, remember that "Salt is good" and it is something your body needs.  Find some that is natural and unprocessed and you may see a change in how your body functions.

Storing up for the future

     If you knew that there was a crisis on the horizon, what would you do?   Think back to 1999.  Did any of you stockpile food and water just in case there was a computer glitch in 2000?   If there were some way to know if there was going to be an economic meltdown in a year, would you do anything about it?   Most of us would start some kind of action plan to start storing up supplies and necessities just in case.  If our favorite snack or cosmetic item or shoe brand were going out of business, we would try our best to find all we could locate to have a stash for future use.  It makes me think of Joseph in Genesis.  He knew about the famine coming and gave a plan to store up so that there would be plenty in the hard times.
     I believe that our bodies do the same thing.  If we are not getting enough of something in our diet, then our body starts "storing" it in different ways and in different areas.  Here are some examples:

*Water: Do you retain water?  Ever had water on the knee?  Most obesity is a majority of water retention.  If overweight people started drinking their 2 liters of water a day, they would see a huge change in  just a short time because they would lose the water that their bodies had been storing up for so long.  I once knew a girl who had been told by her doctor that she was allergic to water.  She was very young, and rather obese as a result. I cannot imagine what that doctor had been thinking.  The human body is made up of over 70% water, how could one be allergic to it???

*Calcium: Have you ever had kidney stones or heel spurs?  The body stores up calcium in these ways.  A doctor will tell you that you have them because you are getting too much calcium.  I doubt that any person living today gets too much calcium.  And, on a side note, if you are taking calcium, TUMS is not a reliable source of calcium.  There are only certain types of calcium that your body will use, and it needs other nutrients in order to use it.  Eating rocks and bones is not a good way to get calcium!

*Fat: Okay, those of you who struggle with weight issues, don't take this to mean that if your body is storing fat, then you should go buy some Krispy Kremes or something.  However, it may mean that you are not getting the right kinds of fat.  Your body needs fat.  Your brain is made of fat.  (Another theory of mine: have you ever seen a fat Alzheimer's patient?  Me neither. Pictures of brain scans of Alzheimer's patients reveal a brain that looks like it had dissolved.) The right kinds of fats (olive oil, coconut oil, animal fats) will help you lose weight!  A great book to read on this subject is Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Mary Enig.

     Most doctors believe that if your body is storing something up, then that means that you are getting too much of that thing.  However, I believe the opposite is true.  You are just storing up for the future, because there is a limited supply of what you need.  Think it over!