If you are my Facebook friend you've probably not escaped the fact I have been on a journey to healthier eating. As I read new information I have shared snippets with you through my status updates. Some of you are interested and others have laughed at me, it's okay, I'm laughing with you:)
Let's start by making this point clear, I AM NOT AN EXPERT AT ANYTHING. I'm not a doctor, nurse, nutritionist...shoot, I haven't even bought any books on the topic....yet. So, what I share with you here will be based on what I have tested personally or what has resonated with me from my research and reading online.
Of course, like any subject there are varying opinions on the topic of what to eat, what not to eat, etc. I'll leave those arguments to the "experts." If anything I am sharing this with you because if you only make one healthier choice from it I have been successful. Sharing, inspiring and encouraging...it's what I do and it's part of who God made me to be!
A couple of months ago I purchased a Vita-Mix high powered blender. I had been eyeing (okay, coveting) one for over 5 years when I first saw it demonstrated. Couldn't talk my hubby into the purchase (they're not cheap, think investment here.)
With hubby convinced and vita-mix in hand I went in search of some yummy smoothie recipes. I stumbled upon a whole new world of green smoothies. Drinking my greens was a new concept to me and I liked it. I like them so much I now have one every morning for breakfast!
As I learned more about fruits, veggies and seeds and their nutritional value I came to the revelation God has provided us everything we need to live healthy, disease free lives...but it's all in our choices. There is healing in food.
If you've been around My Soul Sings you know I am passionate about inner healing, aka healing of the heart. God is all about our health, from the inside out...healthy food choices are a great way of taking care of what He gave me, so I can not only have life to the full (see John 10:10) but live life to the fullest and have life to give to others in need of it.
No, I am not a vegetarian or a vegan...yet:) I don't believe it's wrong to eat meat. In fact, I believe the Bible gives us the freedom to eat it. You don't have to agree with me here...that's not the point of this post.
Google and I have become fast friends on this journey. I started looking up the health benefits of items I had hardly given a second glance in the produce department. Here are some of the tidbits I have put into practice and seen results from:
*Did you know that eating fruit after a meal will lead to bloating and gas? Fruit only takes about 20 minutes to process and reach the stomach. It's best to eat fruit early in the day, and especially not after a meal in which you've consumed meat. Most meat takes hours or longer to digest. Put fruit in behind that and it ferments before it ever reaches the stomach. Traffic jam! Not only is the result bloating and gas, but you've missed out on the nutrients in the fruit! Here I was eating fruit with my meal hoping to add fiber to my diet to prevent constipation and in actuality I was only making my condition worse! I have tested this. I am now a believer. Enough said!
*Artificial sweeteners are the same as drinking battery acid. They cause joint pain and aches. I haven't had a diet soda or artificially sweetened drink since last week. No joint pain whatsoever this week and no ibuprofen either...WIN!
*First thing in the morning, drink a tall glass of water with lemon juice in it. I usually use 1/2 lemon or more per 24 oz tumbler. Lemon is very cleansing and is an anti-oxidant which rids your body of free radicals which cause sickness and disease. Think of this morning ritual as a cleansing of the pipes so to speak!
*Greens, greens, greens! This is why I like green smoothies so much. I would probably never eat a big bowl full of kale in a salad, but put a few leaves of it in a smoothie with some mango and I can drink it up! Greens are also full of water; water that has already been purified naturally.
*Studies have linked a low fat diet with a tendency toward depression. Our bodies need good fat! Remember the fat in a doughnut is not equal to the fat in an avocado! I have to wonder if craving sweet junk food like chocolate ice cream or cake when we are feeling down is our body's way of saying, "I need fat!" The junky fat may satisfy and comfort for the moment, but a diet with a balance of healthy fat could make a difference for a lifetime!
I have an app on my iPhone called the green smoothie app. It has recipes for green smoothies, soups and raw puddings. What I love most about it is the nutritional information on a wide range of fruits, vegetables and greens. It tells you what they are good at preventing and/or treating. Great find for $1.99!
If you want to be entertained, as well as have a wealth of green smoothies recipes at your fingertips, check out www.blenditandmendit.com. My younger daughter likes to sit with me and watch her video tutorials. We like her enthusiasm, it's contagious:)
I also have learned quite a bit from www.greensmoothiegirl.com. In fact, I am planning on purchasing one of her books soon.
If you are interested in making some healthier choices, and have questions, feel free to ask me. I might not have the answer, but I may can help you find one! So many health issues can be cured and/or reversed by making changes in our diets. I want that, don't you?
Today in my breakfast smoothie alone I had 9 servings of fruits and vegetables. The FDA recommends 5. This afternoon as I have written this post I enjoyed a snack size smoothie containing one peach, about 2 cups of frozen honeydew, spearmint leaves and one whole romaine heart. It was very refreshing on this hot day and tasted great! Much healthier than what I use to choose as a snack:)
Well, that's about all I have to say on the subject for now. If you found your way to this blog through a search engine please know you are welcome here, but the topic of this blog is not usually health, nutrition or green smoothies. My Soul Sings is a place where I share my journey and relationship with the Creator of the Universe and Lover of my soul...Jesus. But what better way to honor Him then by honoring my temple (body) and what goes into it. I want my outside to reflect what's on the inside! I have been saved, healed and delivered...from the inside out and that makes my soul sing!!!!!
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