Why I CARE what I am putting in MY body

"Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine, And Thy Medicine Be Thy Food." - Hippocrates

We have been making some major lifestyle changes and the biggest one would be that of our food intake. I am going to pose a question that I want you to contemplate while reading this. What are YOU putting in YOUR body? Now, I am sure that you have casually thought about that from time to time, but have you really considered what is going into your body?

I am going to share with you why I CARE what I am putting into MY body from now on!

I guess I can technically say that it's not my body, but rather God's. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Have you stopped to ever fully think about that verse? I mean, I have heard that verse so many times but it never became real to me until of recent. How am I glorifying God in my body if I am not taking care of it? When I say "taking care of it," I am referring to: getting enough sleep, exercising, living a balanced lifestyle, and eating foods that are wholesome and nutritional.

When I think about this I am free. I can stop dwelling on and thinking about my body as my own. I can stop wondering what other people think about "my body," since it's not really my body. It's so easy to forget that I am a chosen person. I am special. I need to honor God in my body here on earth. Here's something to ponder. Would I feed my dog (if I had a dog) oreos, chips, cupcakes, cake, twizzlers, candy bars, candy, pop, lots of pizza, and not ever take him on walks? Absolutely not! I would feed him good, wholesome food and walk him daily because that's what we are supposed to do with our pets, right?

So, why is it so hard for us to stop and think about ourselves for a moment and what we are putting into our bodies? We would never feed our pets that kind of crap. Why do we do that to ourselves? I am so glad that I have that realization now. I am going to put into my body what is good for building me up nutritiously, exercise regularly, and try to maintain a somewhat stress-free lifestyle. I will say no to things if I know that I cannot handle it, if it comes before my family, or if it's just not good timing. I will commit to things that are encouraging to me, motivating to me, and wholesome friendships.

A.J. and I have changed that of our eating behavior. We are eating a more raw foods diet. Thus meaning, at least 50% of our foods are raw fruits and vegetables. There is a documentary that we just recently watched that I would encourage any and all of you to watch. It is called "Food Matters." It really rocked my world. There is also a blog from someone involved with "Food Matters" that I agree with that shares with you our decisions on eating lots of raw fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and drinking lots and lots of water. Her blog is this: http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/2010/02/food-matters-documentary-my-review.html.

We are trying very hard to stay away from hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils and from ingredients that we don't understand what they mean. We are trying to stay away from processed food and boxed meals. Yes, I understand... you are thinking, "what about convenience?" I know. I was there once. But- NOT. ANYMORE.

Let me share with you a bit about hydrogenated oils from just a little research I have done. Hydrogenated oils are trans fats. They are like poison to your body. Your body cannot handle these fats very long. That is why we see so many diseases including type II diabetes, hyperinsulinemia, coronary heart disease, breast cancer, other types of cancers, autoimmune diseases, many food allergies, many other allergies, multiple sclerosis, and many, many more. Were you aware that soon after food companies started using this toxic oil, substantial increases in several different diseases started occurring all over the place? They also interfere with your very own bodies ability to ingest and use the good fats.

What's even worse is that most partially hydrogenated oil is partially hydrogenated soybean oil. That is not a good thing at all because soybean oil depresses the thyroid--which drastically decreases your energy level, makes you not want to exercise, and essentially makes fatter in the long run!

Unfortunately, the FDA has also renamed "partially hydrogenated oils or hydrogenated oils" to be mono- and di-glycerides. Also- most of the deep fried foods in fast food restaurants and most restaurants are fried in hydrogenated oils. Isn't that a scary fact? We cannot get away from them! What happened to the basics? What happened to taking a little more time in preparing our meals? Why is it all about convenience and fast food? No wonder Americans are so obese, childhood obesity is at its highest and that more and more the Medical profession is having to "name" diseases and allergies because of these "new illnesses."

Even if you do read labels, it could be useless. You just have to know what is in them. Unfortunately, the way the label law works, the product can still have a significant percentage of trans fat, and still claim "0%".

"Warning: Do not eat foods that contain partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated fats. These fats are found in all kinds of packaged and junk food. Food manufacturers really don't care about your health when they add hydrogenated oils to their foods.

Good clean vegetable oils are hydrogenated to create shortenings and margarines. Vegetable oils are partially hydrogenated so they can be added to many foods since they become a source of cheap fat and increase the shelf life of the food product.

What do hydrogenated oils do? When healthy oils are processed through bubbling hydrogen at temperatures up to 210 C, un-natural fatty acids are created that are called trans-fatty acids.

Your body is unable to use this un-natural fatty acids so the liver sees them as toxic waste and proceeds to detoxify and eliminate them. Trans-fatty acids are one of the most toxic wastes that can be inside your body. Trans fatty acids, also, can block your body's use of the essential fatty acids.

Hydrogenated oils also have all of their nutrients removed during their processing. This forces removal of vitamins and minerals from your body to help digest the stripped hydrogenated oil.

This is where you find hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils,

* 40% of all foods in a grocery store

* 95% of all cookies

* 75% of chips and crackers

* 70% of all cold cereals and cake mixes

* 80% of all frozen breakfast foods

* in most microwave popcorn

* in many salted peanuts and other nuts

* in most candies

* most restaurants that fry foods including donut shops shortenings

* and the list goes on and on "(1).

As I was saying earlier: there were many diseases that came about from this toxic poison. I am sure we have all heard of diabetes and how it definitely "runs in the family." Or, that's what we have all been told for the past however many years. Let's take a look at this next part on diabetes and the effects of hydrogenated oils in you. You may want to share this information with your loved ones and friends. It's horrific how toxic this oil is to you.

"During the late 1930's and early 1940's, a dramatic increase was seen in the following diseases. First was a disease that looked like diabetes, acted like diabetes, but was not caused by a deficiency of insulin. The medical profession was dumbfounded. All they knew was that a person produced enough insulin, but it was not effective in reducing sugar in the blood. They did not know what caused the insulin to be resistant. The medical establishment named this new disease non-insulin dependent diabetes, type II. The second and third diseases that increased dramatically were heart disease and cancer. This is the period also where new diseases which fell into the auto-immune classifications were being seen for the first time and named. The medical profession also did not know what was causing these new auto-immune diseases. They placed blame on the faulty genetics of the immune system. There is a correlation here. The increase of these new diseases began shortly after the introduction of hydrogenated oils in the food supply.

During 1973 to 1994, there was an increase of 364.3 various cancers to 462.0 various cancers per 100,000 population, a 22% increase. This information is available from the National Institutes of Health. More alarming is that from 1973 to 1992, an increase from 364.3 various cancers to 530.33 cancers per 100,000 population was seen. This was a 31% increase, an additional 9% increase from the previous years.

Heart disease is now claiming over 750,000 lives a year. The fusing of certain metals such as aluminum into the oils could very well be the reason why they are detecting high levels of aluminum in people. We all know about the link of aluminum to Alzehimers and cancer. We also know what lead poisoning does, especially to children. Non radioactive cobalt, the kind used as a catalyst in these oils is a component of vitamin B12. Some studies suggest that too much of this type of cobalt can cause cell destruction and nerve disorders. In addition, the fatty acids have been changed molecularly in which the body doesn't know how to properly metabolize them. Hypercholesteremia, ( high cholesterol or triglycerides) is a early warning sign that you will develop hyperinsulinemia. This disease produces too much insulin. The insulin is not effective in reducing sugar in the blood.

At the turn of the century, there were 2.8 diagnosed cases of diabetes and its' associated diseases. In 1949, this figure jumped to 16.4 per 100,00 population. This is a 585% increase in 50 years.

According to the National Center For Health Statistics

• In 1985, there were 36,969 deaths caused by diabetes.

• In 1995, there were 59,085 deaths caused from diabetes.

In ten years, this is 59.8 % increase, or roughly 6% per year. This increase of deaths caused from diabetes cannot be blamed on genetics. It can't be blamed because of people having bad genes. When you compare the substantial increases in the death rates today as to death rates before the introduction of hydrogenated oils in the food supply, anyone can very easily see the correlation. Nor does it have to do with newer diagnostic means or treatments of the disease. Deaths are deaths." (2).

That is what I have learned about hydrogenated oils. It is really saddening to think that the majority of the foods that I used to buy had this in it. Now, I have drastically made some changes in that area. But it is still hard. I am searching for a bread that is free of dairy and those oils. Talk about difficult. Looks like I am going to have to resort to making my own bread. I feel much better about that in the long run. I would rather know that every single ingredient in my bread or whatever I choose to make will provide me with as much nutrition as possible.

I believe America has become such a fast paced country that we always having to be going, going, going and doing, doing, doing. Can we not just "stop and smell the roses" for a mere moment? Can we not plan ahead? Can we learn to say no to things and start saying yes to priorities in our life? I mean, I think about my own life. For example, I make a menu for the month. I write down what I need for that week and purchase groceries off that list. I know what I am going to make so there is no question or doubt in my mind. I won't have to think, "let's just order take-out, go to the fast food restaurant, or order in a pizza." It's already right there in black ink on my calendar. It's about planning ahead.

Now you may be saying, "Planning ahead? I don't even have time to get 5 minutes in by myself. How can I plan ahead? How often do you watch T.V. during the week? How often do spend on Facebook? How often do you do activities that are useless or a waste of time? I am guilty!!!! I often tell myself that I don't have very much time and am too busy. All it takes is reorganizing my schedule and saying no to things. Saying no to Facebook because I need to play with my kids. Or saying no to the T.V. so I can spend time with my husband communicating with him. Or taking a little time to clean up. Those are all things I am guilty of. So, I do understand. Planning ahead is difficult, but so much easier in the long haul!

Now I understand that may be difficult for some families who are constantly on the go with their children in sports, plays, music, and etc.. But, again, plan ahead. If you want to make it easier for yourself. Plan a couple meals through the week that include slow cooker meals. Prep the night before and throw it in the following morning. Have your husband or children help you with cutting fruits and veggies after work/school. It teaches them to be responsible and is less work on you. (I know that may be hard for people like me who like things done a certain way, but hey, it's less stress on you).

Or, if you are one of those people who like to really plan ahead, try this out. After purchasing your groceries, come home and prep all your fruits, veggies and anything else that can be in the fridge cut up and ready for the week. If your veggies need diced, cut, julienned a certain way for your meals that way, do it ahead of time. Think how much easier that could be on your busy week.

Now, onto drinking water!!!! Water gets overlooked so many times because people just don't "like" it or it's too plain. As a society, we have become accustomed to having to have so much flavor in things and we have lost the sense for real wholesome, healthy basic foods and drinks. Water can do wonders to your body. I have always been a big water drinker so this wasn't very hard for me. However, what was difficult was getting up in the morning and drinking three 13oz. glassfuls of water before I have eaten a single thing. That's difficult. But I am doing it! Talking about washing my system clean before indulging in my nutritious breakfast. It is a great way to clear your body of any toxins too.

"Water acts as a healing tool for people who suffer from kidney stones. It helps dissolving calcium in the urine. So if you have at least eight glasses of water on a daily basis, then you are automatically reducing the risk of stone formation. Another health benefit of drinking water is that this prevents urinary tract infections in both men and women via flushing out the impurities from the system.

If your body gets dehydrated there are chances that viral disease may infect body. Water can also reduce frequent attacks of colds and other common illnesses on the body. Cancer patients are said to recover more quickly via drinking more water on daily basis.

Keeping your body hydrated will help flushing out the drainage from allergies and colds that usually stick to throat and lungs. This makes cough more productive. Lips often suffer from cold sores. This is reduced if you drink adequate amount of water.

(I cannot even begin to tell you the ungodly amount of colds my children have gotten this winter season. It is ridiculous. I should have kept a tally going. The best part of it all though. I haven't had a single cold in over a year. Now there were 2 different times when I thought I was coming down with one, but I kept on drinking lots and lots of water, hot tea, and taking lots of Vitamin C. Guess what, I never got one! You would think that me being around colds as much as I have this year, I would have gotten at least one. Nope. Sure didn't! I know it is because of all the water I am drinking and just taking better care of myself.).

What most people fail to understand is that lack of water in their body results in dehydration and also results in many hurdles for the process of blood circulations. These problems are not the only ones that results due to less drinking water. This also causes the brain to be less active than usual and makes the body feel tired more than usual.

Usually, water acts as a natural remedy to achieve a super glowing skin. Most people are ignorant of the skin benefits of drinking water. Since, water flushes out the toxins and waste from the body, acts as a body purifier.

(I have definitely noticed my skin much clearer than normal. I have always dealt with imperfections, so to speak. So that is a great thing)!

If you are worried of your body weight, then you should ardently focus on drinking water. Hot lemon water will help losing weight faster. It also facilitates in keeping your heart healthy. Hence, it is very necessary to drink lots of water and other fluids throughout the day. This will enhance your mind and body fitness.

I have to throw this out there: I have always been very self-conscious about my self-image. You know what is amazing? After changing our diet: I have rarely felt insecure about the way I look. I know that has a lot to do with God helping me in that area but I also know that it is because I am doing everything I can to eat healthier, take care of myself, and drink lots and lots of water!

Experts rate water as the second oxygen to the body. It is impossible for a person to survive more days without water. It is found in abundance on earth and even inside our body. You would be surprised to know that about 60-70 percent of body weight consists of water and it is extremely necessary for performing daily functions.

As an adult, you should drink about more than eight glasses of water each day. If you are in to a good amount of physical activity, you need to drink more of water to meet your body requirements. Remember that you tend to lose a good amount of 2.5 liters of water each day via urination, bowel movements and perspiration. You need to make up for this loss. Try to take regular water breaks." (4).

You want to know one major side effect that I have found from changing my eating and drinking habits? I have so much more energy. I don't feel bogged down by all those additives and other crap in the pre-packaged and boxed food. I feel healthy and full of life. Who wouldn't want to feel that way? I mean, if you are the type of person who is constantly feeling sluggish (ask my husband- he often felt that way), than try this. Try eating healthy, organic fruits and veggies and drinking lots of water. And, yes, this does include taking pop, coffee, and other bottled juices out of your diet. Now, if you own a juicer and can make your own juices- great! I am actually looking into purchasing one. So, if any of you have one that you really like and would like to recommend, I would love to know.

My husband, A.J. would be the first to tell you how great he feels now. He often has stomach issues, (IBS), and this different lifestyle is really helping him out too. He has so much more energy at the end of the day. It is so wonderful to see him more rejuvenated as well. It gives me a boost of adrenaline just seeing him more energized.

Well, I think that is all I have to say about food today. I am sure that I will have much more to add on another time. I think one of my next blogs will be about Vitamins and their effects on your body!!!! I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts about this as well. And, if you have any questions, I would be more than happy to answer them to the best of my abilities.

Thanks!

(1). http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rudy_Silva

(2). http://www.dldewey.com/hydroil.htm

(3). http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/2010/02/food-matters-documentary-my-review.html

(4). http://ezinearticles.com/?Drinking-Water-Health-Benefits-Most-People-Dont-Know&id=1101179