Health
In the last year I have made incremental changes in my diet in an effort to renew the long term cellular level damage that has accumulated as a result of bad eating habits and alcohol consumption. The cumulative effect of consuming less than natural, and processed food is difficult to measure. The warning signs and indicators show up later in life, when its more difficult to rectify the damage.
Now is the time to begin to make more conscious and deliberate choices about feeding your body, because, it turns out that “you are what you eat” is a true statement after all!!
Being lactose intolerant poses a challenge for me, in a world (and household) that is dairy based. A gallon of milk to me looks like poison, and yet I buy at least 4 gallons of milk (and pounds of cheese) each month to satisfy the dairy eaters in my home. I find myself struggling to find recipes for meals that everyone can eat and enjoy, or be forced to make separate dishes. Until I can convince my family that dairy is bad for everybody, I am forced to do the lactose shuffle.
And now that I am making these incremental changes toward a healthier diet on top of my lactose intolerance, I’m catching a lot of flak at home. Some of the food that I’ve been cooking lately has been outright vegetarian.
My teenage nephew who lives with me and is finding the diet transition unbearable. He has lived with me for 4 years and loves foods that I never cooked anyway, like fried chicken, and fried pork chops, etc. I have watched in horror over the years as he spreads huge gobs of margarine over everything, from toast, to whatever else. Recently he declared (loudly) after rejecting my stir fry dish, and looking in the refrigerator: “I don’t know what is going on, but I need MEAT!!!”
OMG, it was so HILARIOUS, I’m still laughing about it weeks later!!! But I guess he must be serious because he’s been going to the grocery store on his own, buying porkchops and other stuff I never buy. And I have been giving him permission to cook his own horrible meals. So now he’s been frying porkchops and chicken in my kitchen. I hate the smell of frying oil, and I used to get sick from smelling it when I was a child. Although I will occasionally eat fried foods when someone else cooks it, which is rare. I just don’t see the appeal, especially since I am aware of the free radical damage it causes as a result of the molecular break down of heated oil at high temperatures.
As for my nephew, the poor guy, I feel bad for him for two reasons: 1. Because he feels tortured in my home, especially when it comes to healthier food. And, 2. I can only imagine how damaged his arteries are from his poor eating choices. The doctor already told me he had high cholesterol, at one physical a couple of years ago. I stopped buying margarine altogether because of the astonishing rate at which the tubs would disappear. If he lived in his ideal household he would definitely be obese, and well on his way to heart disease. Everything I advise him not to consume heavily falls on deaf ears. (Like salt and high sodium hot sauce on EVERYTHING). Oh well, you can lead a horse to water…
I came across this great recipe for milk and gluten free banana nut bread, and I’m so excited about trying it out: Banana Walnut Bread with Garbanzo Flour
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This page is dedicated to holistic health tips…Energy Management. Special tips to help you find the right physical health and energy level you need to maintain the lifestyle you desire.
OK…So, I have had a personal theory on health that I call E3 or Essential 3 which stands for Body, Mind and Spirit. In my mind you have to work at having a good balance with these three areas of your life. When there’s an imbalance in one area it affects you in another, so it’s a good idea to spend quality time developing these three areas equally.
BODY – Exercise. Exercise…If you consider yourself burned out like me, exercise doesn’t have to be a dirty word. Find an alternative to the usual running, speed walking…etc. (Personally after doing these things for umpteen years I’ve lost all the discipline and interest in my traditional exercise) Any way, if you mix it up you won’t get bored and give up. P90x is a great program that mixes it up. My buddy Schon looks like a million bucks FOR REAL after using this program. I’ve known him for many years, and it’s amazing to see him with the body of a greek god. If you want everybody to salivate over your body…p90x is definitely the program. As for me, I’m going to try yoga, bike riding and maybe a dance class in between my running/walking attempts.
Optimize your body’s output/energy level by feeding your system quality foods.
MIND - Feed your mind by reading up on subjects that interest you, and even explore things that don’t. Spending time browsing at the Library or Borders or Barnes and Nobles is a great way to get started. Only buy books that really strike a chord with you, because you may find yourself buried in books. Moving with them is no joke, so I rarely buy them anymore. Read appropriate self help books…like the ones I recommend in the MUST READ page above. It’s amazing the things you can improve with a little self-study.
SPIRIT – Daily meditation is a wonderful way to get in touch with your spirit and gain clarity about your self and your purpose. It takes some discipline to truly get quiet and meditate. If you are tense, or your mind is focused on something else, it can be difficult. I’ve found great success when I put the effort in. Answers to pressing questions become more clear. (Once I had the best revelation in meditation. You know that old saying “Fight Fire with Fire”? It came to mind, while meditating on an issue I was having, and it became clear that it’s the wrong approach. Fight fire with Water is the better way.)
Missing Vitamins and Minerals Things many people are missing in their diets Magnesium, Vitamin D
Holistic and Herbal Remedies Healthy alternatives to remedy common ailments like cold, flu, headaches etc.Apple Cider Vinegar, Vitamin