It's Not Just Physical

How we see ourselves plays a huge role in what we become. It's important to rationally understand that while we are a work in progress, our worth is beyond measure.

If we truly value ourselves as we should, we must seek for the very best for ourselves and loved ones, so with no regret whatsoever, I have ditched the fat lifestyle for a happier, more fit and healthier one.

little girls photo / fat vs muscle photo

"Let Food Be Your Medicine", Hippocrates

Netflix is running several documentaries regarding eating and health, which I have watched with great interest. So much so that I am on a juice fast after seeing the results that Joe Cross had in his quest for improved health that he journals in "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". In two days I have lost 5 1/2 pounds and I feel great.

But I just finished watching Frontline's "The Medicated Child" (also on Netflix) and I could hardly believe what I saw! Well, actually, I can believe it, but it breaks my heart and makes me angry at this "system" that most of us have been taught to trustingly and innocently follow trying to take good care of ourselves and our families.
I don't profess to be any kind of an expert but as a thinking individual who has been reading alternative health care books for decades I am so very saddened by the fact that America's children are paying such a huge price.
It is my hope that anyone who reads this little piece will consider the insight of Hippocrates who said "Let food be your medicine", and may I add that in doing this we should also consider removing the non-foods, like chemicals, the over-processed and artificial substances from our diet at the same time... or sooner! In "The Medicated Child" not one word is ever mentioned about diet or eating more fruits and veggies. Instead children are filmed eating ice cream and corn dogs and they don't know why they're sick!!
Many thanks again to you Netflix and film producers and yes, some doctors too, :) who put forth time, money and effort to educate individuals and parents on this vital issue, through programs like "Food Matters", "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and " Forks Over Knives". At some point we may hopefully come to realize that our medical profession is wonderful when we need help after we've been injured but most know very little about how to get and keep people truly healthy.
In my humble, albeit emphatic opinion, why not try cleaning up our diets and doing a bit of reading in order to know for ourselves how to cure what ails us. Better yet, how about preventing those ailments altogether.

Healthy Fats

Remember how in the old days Grandma liked getting out that spoon for the kids' weekly dose of cod liver oil?! Our bodies need small amounts of these healthy fats daily. We know Omega 3's are important and high amounts are found in Fish Oils and by eating foods like Salmon, Walnuts, Flax Seeds, and Veggies like Broccoli and Spinach.
I personally have believed for several years now that added fats in capsules or that come by spreading or pouring are not the best way to go; that foods were meant to be eaten in their whole state, as they come, wherever possible.
It is important to use moderation in our food choices, and it's vital to our well being to include a few foods that are rich in healthy fats such as Avocadoes, Walnuts, and Olives. These seem to have gotten a "bad rap" when it comes to dieting, but in my experience, these foods, when eaten in moderation, in no way interfere with losing weight, in fact, just the opposite.
Replacing the oil in baked goods with applesauce works very well but Olive Oil and Coconut Oil may be the exceptions to the rule when looking to add fat in cooking. Olive Oil and Coconut Oil have impressive lists of health benefits, in fact there are some who even take 3T. of Coconut Oil a day to aid with weight loss! If you choose to add coconut oil to a recipe, measure slightly less. And remember, Coconut Oil does not harden with higher temperatures so you can even fry foods in a little of it.
For me, I don't take doses of just fat, I'll take the Walnuts or Avocadoes or Olives, thank you! But again, when I eat popcorn I drizzle on some melted Coconut Oil and sprinkle it with Real Salt. YUM!!

FoodMatters

Right HERE you can watch a documentary entitled "FOODMATTERS". (Click on "The Film" and then "View From Online".) It's extremely informative and even life changing as it reconfirms for me the commitment I made many years ago to live healthier.
My own food choices are a challenge but not so much when I'm out there researching the reasons for eating right. Those reasons are compelling.
From time to time I have been asked to share the things I've learned about health and what part food plays in it, hence my little "Happy Eating! ~ From My Kitchen" blog. As it turns out, I'm finding that I want to do this for myself as much as for others because the huge side effect is that I am thrown back into reminding myself of where and why it all began for me and what makes it so very important.
Over the years, as I've put many of these changes away from the Standard American Diet into place here at home I've become my own living proof of some things that work to prevent sickness and promote wellness. So I'm grateful for what's happening. It is my hope that perhaps others might benefit in the sharing as well.
Food really does matter. (Where the apple comes from)

Water

H2O. It's at the very foundation of the pyramid. Everyone requires it. But the water that's available to most of us has had chemicals added to it in order to make it pure. What does that mean?

Logic tells us that if chlorine - a toxic poison - is put in there to kill harmful bacteria, that even in small amounts, it's probably not too good for us either!

Then there's synthetic flourine or flouride. Flouride is a waste product of aluminum and is toxic. Too much fouride causes the teeth to turn a mottled brown. It also contributes to alzheimer's. Paul Bragg's book on Water is an eyeopener!
I figure that anything we can do to make an improvement on our health is valuable. Bragg advises investing in a water distiller. We have chosen to go with an on-the-counter purifier. We had an Amway E-Spring but wanted to find a smaller, less expensive but still high quality unit that would remove not only the chlorine and flouride but much more, and we went with the Aquasana; our water is not just better tasting but cleaner, too!
Bottled water has the drawback of leaching plastic from the bottle. When I take water with me, I refill the bottle from the purifier so the water is fresh.
And if you're going to infuse your water with oranges, strawberries, cucumbers, or edible flowers, etc., you'll want to be sure to wash them. :) Here's to your health!

Picture and Info Source here

The University of Michigan has nailed it!

(Shouldn't this be a preventive?)

Welcome!

...to my little how-to infoblog!
My daughter, Suzanne told me of an idea she heard about called How-To Tuesday, where participants share what they know on their blog, with links so that interested readers can enjoy finding out what others have learned. So far I've posted 2 "How-To's" there but I seriously didn't think I had all that much to share. Then I wrote a list and came up with over 30 blog possibilities, and only 4 of them were non-food related!
Now here I am beginning a new blog, excited to be helping others as well as myself to a healthier lifestyle. It is my hope that here you will find interesting reading as well as answers to how you may tweak your diet for the better without having to take as much time and $ in the learning as it took me. Enjoy, and...

HAPPY EATING!

Picture and Info Source here