Month: March 2018

FRUITS & VEGETABLES – How do fruits and vegetables help improve your health, immune system, etc.?

The food list below will be a staple in the Health Fact Tips. The list in each blog will be short – so you won’t be overwhelmed with information:

• APPLES: Protect your heart; Prevent constipation; Block diarrhea; Improve lung capacity; Cushion joints.
• APRICOTS: Combat cancer; Control blood pressure; Save your eyesight; Shield against Alzheimer’s; Slow aging process.
• ARTICHOKES: Aid digestion; Lower cholesterol; Protect your heart; Stabilize blood sugar; Guard against liver disease.
• AVOCADOS: Battle diabetes; Lowers cholesterol; Helps/stops strokes; Control blood pressure; smooths the skin.
• BANANAS: Protect your heart; Quiet a cough; Strengthen bones; Control blood pressure; Blocks diarrhea.
• BEANS: Prevent constipation; Helps hemorrhoids; Lowers cholesterol; Combat cancer; Stabilizes blood sugar.
• BEETS: Control blood pressure; Combat cancer; Strengthen bones; Protects your heart; Aids weight loss.
• BLUEBERRIES: Combat cancer; Protect your heart; Stabilizes blood sugar; Boosts memory; Prevent constipation.
• BROCCOLI: Strengthens bones; Saves eyesight; Combats cancer; Protects your heart; Controls blood pressure.

Add any or these foods to your menu as they apply to your health issues, and start (if you aren’t already) reaping their benefits.

SALT –
In one of my earlier blogs I talked about ‘salt’. This tip reiterates the good and the bad about ‘salt.’

Salt is an ingredient used in every recipe for food preparation, and processed food you purchase in the grocery store. How does it affect nutrition and aid or not aid in weight loss?

Refined salt is a TOXIC substance but why? Our bodies, in reality, need salt. The media have us believing we need ‘refined’ salt. It is the ‘refined’ salt that is the problem and causing the health issues many folks experience today. The WHY? Because is contains anti-caking agents, some of which are linked to heavy metal toxicity and kidney problems. Refined salt also contains a common preservative called ‘sodium acetate’…which may also add to the problem of high blood pressure and kidney issues.

Research tells us that there is an alternative to ‘refined salt’….What is it? UNREFINED SEA SALT! Unrefined sea salt is natural and is actually good for you. Unrefined sea salt helps balance your blood sugar, helps to keep your bones strong, regulates your metabolism, and boosts your immune system, etc. It also contains nutrients and minerals and over 80 trace minerals. When you buy sea salt be sure you check the label for “UNREFINED”, as some sea salts are still ‘refined’. I have become a label reader – something I used to never pay any attention to. It was a wise choice.

You decide what is best for you…keeping in mind ‘health, health, health’.

BOWELS!
There is a lot of controversy on the ‘bowels’. Should you or should you not have more than (1) bowel movement per day?

Because of the long and absorbing nature of the small and large intestines, it is vital that a person has at least (1) bowel movement a day…but better yet to have more than (1) one. Two to three bowel movements per day will not impair you and, in fact, are best.  When you allow your bowels to back up, your small and large intestines reabsorbs toxins, poisons, acids, etc. As well, the bowels if they don’t move often enough develop layers of impacted fecal matter that poisons the system and hinders proper absorption of nutrients.

Quoting Dr. Robert Morse N.D., “Because of dairy products and white flour products which act like “glue” in the bowels, we develop a thick “rubber-like substance all through our bowels called mucoid plaque. This causes inflammation, pockets, mal-absorption, constipation or diarrhea, ulcers and cancer.”

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SPEND TIME REBUILDING AND REVITALIZING YOUR BOWEL HEALTH!

Here in Florida, the growing season for food, which I specifically enjoy planting and reaping the benefits of, is the winter months from October to April. As the years are passing I am finding out that some of what I planted in past years are not growing as well, or not at all.  By doing a lot of research, I  have concluded – it had to be because seeds and plants sold today – more than in the past – have all been genetically modified. Another way of hiding that fact is the use of the word ‘HYBRID’. Since the FDA does not force companies to say their products are GMOS, very few plants have GMO on the labels. The word ‘HYBRID’  is used in its place and is how the plant is described on the label. According to the Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, ‘hybrid means: “an offspring of two plants of different species or genera.”  This, in my mind, is another way of saying ‘altered‘. Is that not what Genetically Modified is?  I find that ‘hybrid’ plants grow only  (1) one crop or picking of the vegetable. e.g. Once I pick the tomatoes the plant dies. Once I cut the Kale it doesn’t produce more. Years ago when the tomatoes were all picked and the plant looked ragged I could cut it down and it would grow right back up and produce even more tomatoes than before. I could cut my kale plants to the ground and they would keep on giving me more kale. Now, with the ‘hybrid’ or GMO plants, once the crop is harvested, the plant dies, and cutting it down for it to regrow doesn’t work. According to the media hype, ‘HYBRID’ and ‘GMO’ are suppose to mean ‘bigger and better’. You can’t prove that by me.

Even though I knew about GMOS and the down side, I never thought the influx of GMOS would inhibit the selling of non-GMO products. I thought that we, the people, would have a choice. However, I am finding the Big Money Companies (e.g. Monsanto) and the Government joined forces to take that choice away.

The public needs to be made aware of the truth. Monsanto and companies like it have been successful by covering up the FACTS! Many diseases today are linked to genetic modification. They include cancer, heart disease, auto-immune issues, Autism, leaky gut syndrome, just about every inflammation based diseases, and many more. The epidemic stage of these diseases have been brought on by the widespread use, of GMO-linked pesticides, and GMO modified foods, and seeds etc. reeking havoc from toxic chemicals. GMOS play a huge role in disturbing development, and will have generational ramifications. I tell you this in hopes of making you aware of the risks to you and your family. What do your children, grand-children and great-grand-children have to risk to be healthy and stay healthy in the years to come.

I hope you clicked on and watched the above video. I found it very informative in helping the public to understand more about GMO’s and, as well, verifies much of my research on the GMO subject. It also specifies which foods are GMO FOODS and explains why they shouldn’t be eaten. There is so much to be said about the ramifications of Genetically Modified foods…that it would take pages and pages of blog space. There are many YouTube Videos on the subject for your own checking.  Another good video that tells you about the history of the Monsanto Company is titled “Monsanto: The Company that owns the Worlds’s Food Supply.” The information is mind-boggling and scary.

Do you really want the government and company’s such as Monsanto controlling you, where you and your family’s health is concerned? Shouldn’t we all have a CHOICE?

I will keep on growing my food as long as I am able to do so and can find non-genetically modified seeds – not an easy task. I will be researching next, what are called ‘Backyard Food Banks’ – ways to grow your own foods and avoid governmental control.

I urge all of my readers to do their own research on other questions you may have on the subject of GMO’s. I have only scratched the surface.

 

 

GLUCOSE:  
Even though radiation omitted from mammograms causes some breast cancers and some women die from it….the consensus is that more lives are saved with mammograms than are killed by the radiation. (Ref: Life Extension Magazine). However, “though most victims lives are spared it is at a cost to include surgical mutilation, radiation injury to the chest cavity, systemic damage by chemotherapy and acute menopause by estrogen-blocking drugs.” At this point it makes sense to take preventative steps. There is an abundance of published research “linking high normal blood glucose levels to increased breast cancer risk. This information makes it important to maintain glucose at safe low-normal ranges. Also victims are subject to become diabetic. (check chart)
GRAPES: 
A superior food. Grapes, I love grapes. Grapes are slowly gaining scientific validation as a “top-notch defender against cardiovascular disease, cancer, and age-related cognitive decline.”

The benefits of grape consumption is they are composed of antioxidants called ‘polyphenols’, a cancer-fighting compound ‘resveratrol’, proanthocyanidins (concentrated in the seeds), and dense amounts of anthocyanins. The latest research would have us also believe it may also help promote eye health, including prevention of glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. (Study from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry)

A study from the British Journal of Nutrition tells us that “the grape juice’s ability to reduce oxidative stress in the brain might enhance memory and improve cognition with aging.”

Selecting and storing Grapes:

• Grapes are available all year round
• Choose fully ripe grapes that are firm and plump. (Black and Red grapes have the most nutritional value)
• Grapes should be firmly attached to the stem, wrinkle free, and not leaking juice.
• Store in a container or plastic bag in the refrigerator (I use the original bag the grapes come in, after I treat (wash) the grapes to get rid of the pesticides and chemicals that are on the grapes when grown, and then used again on the grapes, for preservation purposes, before the grapes sold to the stores to sell to the public. I wash the bag before I put them back in it.)

The grapes – when refrigerated will store for up to 5 days. To help keep their freshness, I put a sheet of paper towel in the bag. This helps keep them firm and they seem to store longer as well.

FRUITS, VEGETABLES, NUTS & SEEDS….          
In reference to my Detox Diet Plan –
Question? Why are fruits, vegetable, nuts & seeds special foods for dietary and detoxification purposes?
Answer: Because fruits, vegetables, nuts & seeds feed, energize and heal the body, each in its own special way. FRUITS: feed the brain and nervous system. VEGETABLES: feed the muscles and skeletal system. NUTS and SEEDS: are structural foods.

Raw fruits and vegetables vitalize the body. You should consider eating them raw as much as possible.  The ratio, if you must cook the vegetables should be 80% raw to 20% cooked (steamed only). My plan gives you an eating pattern to follow. In my plan, I do not recommend red meats due to their huge toxicity and acidic factors. They cause dis-ease (disease) instead of rebuilding the body.  If you must eat meat, I suggest that it be turkey, (preferable), chicken or fish. (not fried). These can be eaten along with a salad at the dinner meal. Homemade vegetable soup is also on the plan. Please no tomato soup because of the acidity. If you must cook the vegetables – STEAM, or SAUTE’ them. No Fried foods.  Focus on ‘low’ or ‘no protein’ type foods; no breads, no pasta or dairy (dairy causes mucus congestion and inflammation). Nuts are a good source of amino acids, and many essential vitamin/mineral supplements. However, eat them minimally as you will get all the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids the body needs in the fruits and vegetables. 

The plan starts with a 1 -2 day lemon water fast. This is for accelerating the detoxification process. Then…

Choose the cycle – a routine – for how you want to use this plan. Take it one day at a time. Make it a habit – the body loves habits and routines as it functions better on routine.

With any diet plan the questions always arises about how often and how much a person should eat? How often is part of my plan…3 meals and 2 snacks during the daytime hours. Eating after 6 pm is a no-no, as anything eaten between 6 and bedtime is never digested as you sleep. Overeating overworks the GI tract and digestive organs causing poor digestion and malabsorption of the nutrients in the food. The food sits in the stomach and colon area – putrefy’s and ferments. It zaps your dynamic energy and you wake up the next day tired and exhausted.

Enjoy your journey into longevity, vibrancy and spirituality. You have the freedom to make your life’s journey what and how you want it. DON’T live to eat, but EAT to LIVE! 

BECOME A NEW YOU – A VITAL YOU!

MAY GOD BLESS!

Think about the following:

DO YOU KNOW WHAT SPECIES YOU ARE?

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIES SUPPOSE TO EAT?

HOW DO YOU IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH THROUGH NUTRITION?

Talking about anything related to nutrition and health can take a lifetime.

As a child we had a victory garden, so I have always been interested in food from planting it to eating it. Without food there is no nutrition or health. When in my 30’s I had a friend who owned a health food store. That is when I became interested in vitamin supplements. Supplementation information, in the 1970’s, was different from what it is today. Vitamins were taken by folks separately, and not in multiple form, because the vitamins didn’t come in multiple form. Vitamins, at that time, were chemically manufactured, using little if any natural ingredients.

Because of the vitamins being chemically manufactured, it was easy to overdose on supplements. Through my experience I found out that a person could overdose on Vitamin A. The suggested amount to be taken was 25000 mg per day which was the amount implied to be  necessary for good health. The, then, chemically manufactured Vitamin A, had side effects because it was not manufactured from a natural Vitamin A source. The side effects included; heart palpitations, nerve problems, spasms, dizziness, etc.

I, innocently went to the doctor for my yearly exam. My doctor went into panic mode when he checked my heart, which he said was “racing frantically.” He sent me to a heart specialist for testing.  The heart racing frantically, today, is referred to as atrial fibrillation or irregular heart arrhythmia, etc.  At the end of the testing, the heart doctor informed me there was nothing wrong with my heart, however, he wanted to know what medications/drugs I was on. I told him none – but that I was taking a lot of vitamins. He asked which vitamins. I went down the list, Vitamin C, E, A, and D – which was the normal protocol in the those days. He said, “Vitamin A – how much are you taking.”  I told him I was taking the required 25000 mg per day. He emphatically said, “woman are you trying to kill yourself?” I said no, why? He then told me “that taking 25000 mg of Vitamin A per day was destroying or would eventually destroy my liver and I would be dead.” Talk about a wakeup call. This scared the living daylights out of me. I was overdosing on Vitamin A.  I immediately took Vitamin A off my list of vitamins. It wasn’t until beta-Carotene came out, on the supplement list, that I dared to take anything remotely related to Vitamin A.

Beta-Carotene is an organic strongly colored red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. I found out, by researching it, that the human body converts beta-carotene into Vitamin A as the body needs the Vitamin A. This information made me feel that it was safe to take beta-Carotene to get the Vitamin A that the body urgently needs. This experience started my quest to be healthy the correct way – NATURALLY!

Today we are bombarded with health messages on the TV, radio, and through the media. These messages put doubt in the human mind about what we are supposed to believe and/or do. So, to start at the beginning –

NUTRITION: What does it mean? Nutrition is “the sum total of the process involved in the taking in and utilization of food substances by which growth, repair and maintenance of activities in the body as a whole, or in any of its parts, are accomplished. (Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary). Nutrition includes, ingestion, digestion, absorption, and metabolism (assimilation). Nutrients are stored in and by the body in various forms and drawn upon when the food intake is not sufficient.

I believe in natural healing – that the body heals itself – given the proper nutrition . To improve your health through nutrition you need to know and understand WHAT SPECIES YOU ARE  and WHAT YOUR SPECIES IS SUPPOSE TO EAT!

As humans it starts with eating food that is biologically suited for our species. So, what species are we? Imagine yourself at the zoo looking at all the various animals in their cages and some animals who wander in the open, as they do at Disney’s Animal Kingdom; and seeing elephants, giraffes, deer, apes, chimpanzees, snakes, birds, lions and many other animals. Which of these Homo sapiens do we look like? The primates of course – which include the apes, chimpanzees, and monkeys. This species of animals are called FRUGIVORES – AS ARE WE!

Most of you are probably familiar with the terms, Carnivores, Omnivores, Herbivores. The question is, why are we, as humans, not like them? The difference between Carnivores, Omnivores, Herbivores and Frugivores is the Digestive System, Eliminative System, Extremities, Integumentary System, Skeletal System, and Urinary System. Laboratory dissecting and observation of the different species anatomical structures and physiological processes conclude that humans are FRUGIVORES, whether you like it or not. It is a mystery to me that humans are the only species that is confused about what to eat.

Kids know. Studies made with children showed that when they were put down in front of a table with a variety of foods, to include junk foods, and were told to choose anything they wanted to eat, the kids chose to eat the fruits, veggies and nuts. I tested this out by observing my own grandkids, (when they were little), and now my great-grand-children – at the family gatherings throughout the years and as late as this year’s Super Bowl gathering. The grandkids are now the parents. The great-grand-children  have been readily exposed to all the junk food to include meat, but when filling their plates, picked the many varieties of fresh fruits and raw vegetables. By observation, it was the parents who encouraged their children to eat the meats, dairy, etc. I have concluded that, not only in this case, but with almost everyone, it is the parents that encourage foods, not meant for their species, upon their children, for various rationalized reasons – and then wonder why they, themselves, and their children are sick all the time.

There are exceptions to this observation. However, today humans have gotten out of their realm when it comes to food and are in the habit, by way of their parents/grandparents before them, of eating foods not healthy for their species. At the end of the day, whether humans like it or not they are still FRUGIVORES.

It is only fair that I help you to understand and distinguish the species: CARNIVORES are meat eaters, OMNIVORES are some meat, vegetables, fruits, roots and some bark eaters, HERBIVORES are vegetables, herbs and some roots and bark eaters, FRUGIVORES are mainly fruits, nuts, seeds, sweet vegetables, and herb eaters. Because of our systems, mentioned earlier in an above paragraph, we are FRUGIVORES. To maintain healthy bodies we should be eating what our species should be eating. If we did this on a regular basis, we would be vital and/or become vital again, and enjoy the rewards of life. However, it requires the reconditioning of our minds. As humans, we need to retrain our emotions to enjoy the eating of raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds.

Other protocols to be followed on our journey to being healthy include, as well, a good exercise/fitness program, stress relief programs, and relaxation programs. They are all-inclusive to being healthy, maintaining healthy and returning to healthy if that be the case.

Things to Remember:

• You are a work in progress!
• All humans are imperfect – give yourself permission to be human!
• Recognize that all beings have self-doubt!
• Stop competing and comparing yourself to others, focus on what you value and appreciate about yourself!
• Be consistent in sticking to your new plan!
• Failure can lead to success if you persevere and have faith in God!

My purpose here at FYI Health Talk is not what I can do for you, but to teach you what you can do for yourself!

IT’S NOT TO LATE TO BECOME A NEW YOU IN 2018!
GOD BLESS!