Avoiding the after Christmas blahs....

     Yes, it's that time of year when everyone is having a party and you are invited. All that sugar and cream cheese and candy starts to take its toll on you and by New Years, you wonder why everyone is sick. Of course, when crowds of people get together, there is bound to be a virus floating around, but there are some things you can do to avoid what I call the "After Christmas Blahs".

#1.  Try to keep the sugar to a minimum. We all love to show off our culinary skills this time of year, and all of those traditional recipes are loaded with sugar.  Every gift you receive has something sweet in it.  When you are at a party or get together, don't load your plate with sweets.  Maybe try one or two of them so you don't overdo it. Even the drinks are loaded with sugar and will give you a high that will make you feel great at first, and then drop you later.  Remember that white flour, corn, potatoes and white rice also turn to sugar in your system, adding to the problem.  Some of the signs of sugar overdose are: dry mouth, dizziness, sleepy or sluggish feeling, and a  headache on your forehead.  Some things you can do to quickly bring your blood sugar under control are: drink a large glass of water, take a jog ( or some other form of exercise),  or eat some protein (nuts, eggs, cheese, meat). Cinnamon is also great for  regulating blood sugar.  Take a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon in unsweetened apple sauce to help keep your levels normal.  My mother-in-law also gave me another suggestion.  She is freezing some of the holiday candies that she was given and saving them for later so she doesn't overdose on them now!

#2.  Eat something raw with the meal.  Those veggie trays are there for a purpose.  Eating something raw with all of that junk will add some raw enzymes to your digestive juices to keep things working. You will also benefit from the antioxidants that will keep your immunities up!  Carrots, celery and raw broccoli are also great sources of fiber to keep things running smoothly.

#3. Prepare for battle. You know that there are viruses and bacteria floating around you, so get your body ready to fight.  Start taking Vitamin C to boost your immunity.  If you feel like you are about to come down with something, start taking nature's own antibiotic: Garlic.  Taking 2 or 3 pills (Kyolic is a good brand at Walmart, doesn't make you smell like you have been eating garlic!) a day will help your body fend off the sickness and may even end one that has already started.  If you feel a sore throat coming on, drink hot tea with honey. The honey will soothe your throat, and the "hot" will help to kill the infection. Salt water is also a great virus killer. Gargling  with it (1 tsp. salt per 1 cup water) or using it in a nasal spray will fend off an infection and will quickly dry up mucous.

#4. Take advantage of your vacation time. In other words: RELAX.  Take that extra nap or sleep in some of the mornings.  We all stay up and out too late during this time of the year.  Not getting enough sleep is another way to make you more prone to illnesses.  If your body is tired, it doesn't have the energy to fight and it won't. 
 
#5 Fill your plate with better choices. Bean dip and salsa with corn chips is better than potato chips and sour cream dip.  Whole grain crackers and cheese will fill you up and keep you filled up much better than chocolate cake and ice cream.  Veggies and fruit will keep you energized and healthier and won't drag you down like punch and cookies.  Keep the sweets to a minimum and fill up on the better choices.

#6.  Watch out for food poisoning.  That crab salad or pasta dish may have been sitting on the table for an hour or more.  Be careful.  Mayonnaise can go bad very quickly.  If you are the hostess, place salads like these on ice so they can stay cold. We are very careful about paying attention to this in the summertime because of the heat, but when you get a large group of people in one area, the room can get just as warm as summer heat!  Make sure that food is properly cooked to the correct temperatures.  According to guidelines for safe food handling, meat dishes need to be cooled as quickly as possible.  Consider the food you serve if you are going to something where you know it will be sitting out for awhile. 

#7.  Don't gorge yourself.  Eat slowly, and chew your food completely.  When you feel satisfied, stop eating.  It is at these times of the year that the food is out all evening and we keep grazing the entire time and make ourselves miserable later.  If your stomach is too full, it can't do its job and you will end up feeling sick and possibly even getting sick.  Use a smaller plate (it tricks your brain into thinking you are eating a lot!), take tiny portions if you must try everything, and don't stand near the food!  If it is out of your line of sight, you will be less tempted to grab some!


     Of course, even when taking all of these steps, there will still be sickness floating around.  But, we may be able to avoid some of the down time by making smarter choices and being prepared for sickness to come.  Who knows, maybe you will be one of those who don't get it this year!

  

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!

The Bread of Idleness

     I did a study in Proverbs 31 several years ago.  I came to verse 27 that states "She looketh well to the ways of her household and eateth not the bread of idleness".  We all have read that verse before and thought that  Solomon's mother was drawing a picture to help get her point across: this woman is so industrious that she will not partake in idleness.  But, what if the writer literally meant a kind of bread?  I looked up "bread" in my concordance and each time it is used in the Old Testament it refers to literal bread!  So, what is the "bread of idleness"?
     Let's think about the times that this woman was living in.  They didn't have a local Walmart. Obviously most things were handmade in the home kitchen.  But, I can imagine the market place did have baked items for sale.  It would have been easy to let someone else take care of making the bread for  her household everyday. Those of you that make your own bread know that it is a time-consuming task. So, the "bread of idleness" is store-bought bread!!  The woman spoken of here in Proverbs 31 was so committed to giving her time to her family and was against anything that would take away from what is best for them, that she refused to even eat of that bread!! 
      Think about the foods that are available to us today.  We have become a nation of convenience!  Anything that advertises that it will save us time is a real temptation.  Store shelves are packed with foods that are ready to serve, or "just add water" or "heat and eat".  So, are we guilty of eating the food of idleness?
     Our next simple step to eating healthier is to make something homemade.   Ready-prepared foods contain so many preservatives and chemicals to keep them from spoiling, and often they have been so processed that most of the good nutrients are gone.  So, try something homemade.  There are hundreds of recipes out there for homemade salad dressings, seasonings, breads, sauces and condiments that are so much better than what you get off the shelf.   If you don't know how to cook something "real", ask someone who does. You most likely know an older lady who is a great cook and would be thrilled to teach you.  Learn the lost art of making pie crust (you will NEVER buy a premade one again!) or gravy.  Forget the dried potato flakes and surprise your family with real mashed potatoes. Ignore the cheap mac and cheese and try a homemade version.  If you feel brave, try some homemade bread.  Your family will never be the same!
     Here is one of my favorite homemade recipes that is so much better than the store-bought version.
Homemade Taco Seasoning:
 3 Tbsp. chili powder                2 Tbsp cumin                  2 Tbsp seasoning salt (Lawry's)
2 Tbsp. oregano                       1 Tbsp garlic powder      1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp. paprika                           2 tsp cayenne pepper      6 Tbsp cornmeal
Combine all and store in a jar in the refrigerator.  Use approximately 2 Tbsp per pound of hamburger. 
I  just sprinkle it over the top of my meat after it is browned, add a little water and let it simmer a few minutes.  It makes it great to adjust a recipe, too. If you like it spicy add more mix, etc.

P.S. I noticed in the concordance that Proverbs also mentions the "bread of wickedness".........hmmm.  'Might have to look into that one.
    

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