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…of my motto here at All Things Health.
If God created it, it is good for me; if man has changed it then it is bad for me.
If we start to think in those terms choices become clear and we can end all this confusion. The more you read about nutrition the more you will see contradicting opinions. One group says saturated fats will kill you, another group says they will heal you. Who do you trust?
I Timothy 4:1-5 says that in the last days a great apostasy will take place and people will preach that we should abstain from foods that God created. Well, the vegetarian/vegan movement has been preaching that for a while now, that we shouldn’t eat meat, some go as far as abstaining from anything remotely associated with animals such as honey (because it’s made by bees). That really narrows your choices. Doctors are telling us that saturated fats and cholesterol will clog our arteries and that we shouldn’t eat red meat very often. Many people won’t eat eggs because of the cholesterol. Nutritionists will tell you that you can increase your protein intake with protein powders and protein bars. If we have ailments we are given pills, be they drugs or mega-vitamins. How can we cut through all the nonsense? Verse 4 and 5 – EVERY creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Now I think that a lot of people have taken these verses to mean that they must pray at every meal and ask God to bless the food they are about to eat and they think that this means it won’t harm them. There are natural laws of sowing and reaping, just like the natural law of gravity. We can’t throw a ball up into the air and pray that God will keep it up there. It’s going to come down because of the natural law of gravity. We can’t ask God to bless our processed non-food and expect that we won’t reap unhealthy lives from consuming it.
Deuteronomy 6:16 says, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”. Jesus quoted this verse when the devil tempted Him to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the temple. We can not knowingly do things that we know will hurt us (or bring us bad health) and expect God to protect us. God will not be mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (Galatians 6:7).
When we choose foods, we must ask ourselves, “How far has this food (or supplement) come from God’s creation?” In your babysteps toward healthier eating, try to start thinking in those terms.
This article was originally published on this blog on August 20, 2007.
I took my son to his homeschool PE class today. Quite literally two-thirds of the class was absent due to sickness, or being afraid to expose themselves to sicknesses. It seems each year the germs get worse and worse. But there is no reason to fear. Arm yourself with this powerful medicine:
Coconut Oil!
It sounds strange, but this healthy oil is a powerhouse. It fights viruses, bacteria, and even yeasts/fungus (think candida, or athlete’s foot, etc.).
As I mentioned here, Hippocrates (460BC – 377BC) said, “Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food.” Apparently the Chinese have this same philosophy, too.
Coconut oil is food, but it is a powerful medicine. We take it at the first sign of a cold or flu and in our experience it has drastically cut down on recovery time, sometimes in less than 24 hours. In the past I have been down with the flu 10-14 days, and nothing natural I tried was working (before finding coconut oil). I used to take massive doses of vitamin C (now I know that will only work with infection, whereas most issues are viral), I tried oscillococcinum, echinacea, goldenseal, and another herbal tincture that slips my mind right now. None of them ever worked (for me, they may work for some, but not for me).
Click on these articles to read more about coconut oil:
‘Tis the Season – How I Beat the Flu with Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil – How to Take It and Where To Buy It
This post is part of Natural Cures Blog Carnival on HartkeisOnline.com. Go check it out to learn about more natural remedies for colds and flu.
This is a fabulous book with fabulous photos! I love beautiful books! But really, the information in this book is great, too. You can see why blueberries are so good for us, and what are the best fats to eat, and so much more. The thing I love most, is that Jonny Bowden is promoting whole food. Remember–If God created it, it is healthy; if man has adulterated it, it is not.
Here is what I’m reading this month:
First, a testimony of healing to encourage you – Robin Sampson’s Heart.
Next, a topic near and dear to my heart – Healthcare – this author makes some very good points.
This week I rendered tallow, following this recipe. I was amazed how easy it was. We made homemade fries in it and they were great!
Next, a warning about soy and birth control pills. This is great example of following your gut instinct despite what the doctors are telling you.
And finally, another recipe I tried, whole wheat crackers. These, too, were super easy to make. This is a soaked wheat recipe, so the phytates will be neutralized in the wheat. I really probably spent about 5 minutes in the evening mixing them, then they sit overnight, and another 5 minutes rolling them out the next morning. They bake in about 10-15 minutes.
My kids loved them with cheese slices. There are a couple things I will tweak, but I will be making them again and again.
The UPS man came by the other day. Here’s what he brought me:
From VitaminShoppe.com -
KAL Nutritional Yeast Tablets – a food source of vitamin B. Bs are beneficial for lots of reasons, but for me they reduce stress, keep me from being as irritable (my kids appreciate that), and keep me upbeat. You can read more about nutritional yeast here.
Concentrace Minerals – minerals are vital to health. I add a few drops of this to each glass of water I drink. It makes my water taste so good. Click here to read a primer on minerals.
Magnesium Capsules – I started taking these after researching adrenal fatigue. I’m still taking them to be proactive. The above mineral primer includes information on Magnesium.
Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra – fabulous probiotic! You really get what you pay for. I decided to save a little a while back and bought a cheaper brand. They did not do for me what these do. When I was still dealing with dermatitis, and after I used up all the cheap probiotics, I ordered these. After taking one pill I noticed a difference in my hand. I don’t even think we fully understand the role of probiotics in our body. They aid digestion and help with intestinal issues, but beyond that, many, many issues are rooted in intestinal health. When our gut is out of whack, the rest of our body is. Probiotics help heal your gut. Dr. McBride has discovered that autism and even dyslexia are rooted in gut health. Click here for a great article about probiotics.
Maca Capsules – I have heard great things about this herb. Click here to read more. I have heard that it is great for your adrenals and even though I have been healed, I want to be proactive and prevent future flare-ups. I have been extra tired lately and am hoping these will give me energy. I have been taking them four days now and am feeling pretty great. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence. I’ll have to see if it lasts. Click here to read one woman’s experience with maca and click here for more information.
Papaya Chewable Enzyme Tablets – I take an enzyme supplement because a few months ago I had a few episodes of intense intestinal discomfort. It happened three times and was horrible. They would last about an hour, but then I was still weak for a while afterwards. My husband discovered years ago that enzymes cured his IBS, so I figured they would help me for whatever this issue was. I bought these chewable ones for the kids. My son has had a few of those episodes like I had in his little life. So he is really the one I bought them for. (On a side note, as I write this I am thinking that I do not recall him having any stomach aches while I gave him coconut oil regularly. I haven’t been giving him any the last couple months and he has had two stomach aches. I am going to start giving it to him consistently again.) You can read about enzymes here.
From Green Pastures –
Blue Ice Cod Liver Oil – this is the best source of vitamins A and D you can get. Amazingly, this cod liver oil doesn’t taste bad and I’m not just saying that. :) Since I have been taking cod liver oil, I have noticed that I don’t ever really get sick and when I do, it’s incredibly mild and doesn’t even slow me down. Cod liver oil is a preventative measure and coconut oil is for fighting sickness when it hits (among other things). Read more about cod liver oil here.
Virgin Coconut Oil (for friends, I still have about a gallon) – You can read about my experience with coconut oil here.
Hippocrates (460BC – 377BC) said, “Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food.” I really try to keep in line with this. However, our modern food supply is very, very deficient, supplements are sometimes needed. The best supplements to buy are those that are from food. Not just natural, but an actual food item, like the yeast tablets and cod liver oil. These are called superfoods. They are food items that are packed with nutrition. As always, remember My Motto. This holds true for vitamins. If it is a chemical version of a vitamin, our bodies won’t absorb it. If it is a compound taken from food, it still isn’t very good, it’s missing all the other parts. The best is in it’s whole food form, with all of its cofactors and such present. There are things that scientists still haven’t even discovered about vitamins, but God knows just what your body needs.
I have been happy overall with my garden this year. I have plans to expand next year. I am going to try square foot gardening.
Here is a selection of photos from my garden.
Here is the dill. As you can see, it went wild!
I harvested the seeds. I wish I had dried some leaves. I will have to do that next year. I like to use that in my homemade dip. I also dried a lot of basil.
I grew butternut squash, by accident! The seeds came up from my compost. When it sprouted, it looked just like the cucumber I had growing in the pot, so I didn’t pull it.
I ended up getting two small squashes from that plant. They were both the size of my hand. They each made a nice lunch portion size for myself. They were delicious!
These are my Purple Beauty Bell Peppers. I thought they would be sweet, but they taste the same as green bell peppers. However, I noticed a couple turning red, instead of purple. I let them stay on branch until they were almost completely red. I picked them last night and ate them in a salad. They tasted great, as sweet as red bell peppers should be. Next year, however, I will be growing red peppers. We just like them better.
My tomatoes have disappointed me. I did not know that heirloom tomatoes are known for cracking. The first few that ripened were so bad I couldn’t eat them. There seem to be plenty now that aren’t cracked. I hope they stay that way. :) Plus, my attempt to keep away the Tomato Hornworms with my Marigolds has been unsuccessful. The marigolds didn’t get enough sun, they were too close to the tomatoes. I have found a few big, fat worms–they make me so mad!
Of course, we had to grow some flowers. We planted a couple of giant sunflowers for fun. And a row of zinnias to cut and make arrangements with. I love the zinnias because they are so easy to take care of and they attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
I harvested plenty of cucumbers and made homemade pickles. I had an abundance of basil and made lots of pesto. Click here to see my post on pickled jalapeno peppers. However, I did not know much about cilantro and didn’t get to harvest much before it bolted (flowered). I do have a second batch growing now, so I hope to harvest before the frost.
When the dill was done producing, I pulled them out and planted carrot seeds in their place. I was so happy that they sprouted and were thriving and then I discovered that they are not carrots, they are dill!!! The dill reseeded itself. So no carrots this year, but more dill. This time around I will dry the leaves.
I made a second attempt at growing a pumpkin. This time I planted in a spot that gets more sun and warned my husband not to run over it with the lawn mower! I planted it around July 1st. It seemed a bit wilted for a while, so I worked in some bone meal (but now I think it was from the excessive heat). It is doing great now (see below), but no pumpkins yet.
I did notice some mildew on my pumpkin leaves. I heard of a natural remedy of 1:9 parts milk to water. I sprayed the leaves with this mixture and they started looking better, but then we started having a really rainy season, so that’s not helping.
My cucumber vines really slowed down producing so I took them out and planted more seeds. I was happy to see that the harvest time was short, only 50 days. So, come October, we’ll be making more pickles. (Hopefully. The little sprouts seem to be slow-growing, probably the lack of sun from all this rain.)
I’m thinking of trying out a fall batch of lettuce when I pull the pepper plants out. And I really want to plant some garlic. It has to be planted in the fall. I will probably put it in when I pull the basil out.
Anyway, that’s my update. I hope it is encouraging to you. I don’t really know what I’m doing. I just check out some books from my library, do some research online, ask friends’ advice, and experiment. You can do it, too! Just give it a try.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
Well, I didn’t pick a peck of peppers, but I did pickle them. I have six quart jars full of jalapenos, lots of garlic, some onion, and some mustard seeds. I have never done this before, so I hope they turn out good. As you can see some of them have turned red. I love the color they add to the jars. I followed my basic sour pickle recipe, with the changes noted above. I also ran out of celtic sea salt and had to use some of my kosher salt for the brine.
Since I won’t be canning (heat processing) these peppers, they will remain alive. They will be full of life-giving probiotics. If you want to learn more about that, check out the book I recommended recently.
Look for my garden update coming soon.
If you haven’t noticed already, I highly recommend Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, with Mary Enig. This book is available at my local library, it just might be available at yours.
This book opened my eyes to a lot of things. But I must say that the first time I checked it out, I was overwhelmed and didn’t even read it. It is so thick. Then I learned that it is mostly recipes. The portion on nutrition is only the first little bit, maybe 60 pages. That was doable to me. I have read that portion, now, over and over, each time gleaning new information.
The authors cover everything you need to know on the subject of fats, carbs, protein, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, and more.
This is a general resource that everyone should check out, whether you’re just starting to eat healthy, or you grind your own wheat and make your own bread. 
This is something new I’m doing. I am going to issue a new challenge every month. The challenge will be for 7 days.
This month’s challenge is to cut out High Fructose Corn Syrup. Now this is only for 7 days. You will want to start checking your labels to see what foods have HFCS in them.
Why? Why do we care if there is HFCS in our diets? Isn’t it just sugar? A little sugar does no harm, right?
Well, all sugars are not equal. The closer a food is to how God created it, the better it is for you. Natural sugars contain enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Refined sugars are stripped of all that and rob your body of those things as they’re digested. If we’re going to chart things on a Great-Good-Bad-Worse chart, sugar would be bad, but HFCS is worse. You can’t make this stuff in your home kitchen. It actually takes battery acid to make and is reported to contain levels of mercury. Read this article on that subject.
Most of the junk food my generation grew up on was loaded with sugar, but the same foods today are loaded with HFCS instead. Could there be a link with this change and the rise in obesity rates?
So check your labels. I challenge you to cut this one ingredient out for just 7 days. Let me know if you have questions. Get creative. Remember, I didn’t say you had to cut out all sugar. If there is a food that you like that contains HFCS, make it from scratch with sugar instead.
I will report back here at the end of the 7 days and let you know what I’ve had to cut out. (Yes, I’m sure I’m ingesting some HFCS, too!) See you then!
A new feature here, I want to point out good articles from my fellow bloggers. Theses caught my attention this month:
70% of U.S. Children Have Insufficient Vitamin D – report from Cheeseslave.
We can learn a lot from history – Lessons on Real Food from 100 Years Ago, from Food Renegade.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop has posted a really great article about gut health, a passion of mine - Gut Health 101: 6 Questions and Answers About A Strong Immune System and the GAPS Diet
Two posts from Nourished Kitchen have caught my eye - Iron Deficiency and the Breastfed Baby and Water Kefir: A Quick Tutorial. What is water kefir? It’s a fizzy drink that’s full of wonderful probiotics, apparently tastes milder than kombucha and is easy to make. A great substitute for soda pop. I need to try this soon.
And finally, a recipe – Rustic Fresh Tomato Tart – from The Nourishing Gourmet. This looks so yummy and I love the photos!
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