Well, I’m going to be lazy today and not write a long post. But you can read some great stuff by just checking out the comments written under ‘More Tips’. There are some great conversations going on and I love the feedback. It’s making me think!

I’ve also checked out some sites you all have mentioned and just some on my own. Again, I really like what Kevin Trudeau is saying about many things. They really make sense. I guess I should make the time to read the book I borrowed from my mother! I read his first book on the subject of health, drugs, medical profession about a year ago. If I knew how, I could give you his website here, but alas, I’m still computer illiterate in many areas!

It’s a beautiful sunny day again, with temperatures supposedly in the 60’s. I haven’t been out yet today. I didn’t make it to the gym this morning, but I hope to before AWANA tonight. That should make me just about exhausted to run around after 40+ children! LOL

Have a great day!!

I’ve loved the comments coming from this! Thanks so much for those of you commenting and sharing what you do.

Instead of posting today, you all should just read my comments back to Gina under ‘A Salad a Day’! lol She had asked a great question, one that we all probably struggle with.

But, this post is for more little tips on some of the easy things I do to keep healthy.

We need to remember that our body has a ph. The more acidic we are, the more susceptible to colds, flu, headaches, etc. that we are. Sugar, especially refined sugar makes your body more acidic rather than alkaline. So, in flu season or times of high stress, I try to avoid sugar for me and my children. We aren’t always succesful because high stress times are usually holidays when you guessed it…there’s lots of sugar around. So, during those times especially we all take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (again, the least refined kind) each morning. Kevin Trudeau, whom I mentioned before, says to take a teaspoon before each meal and that will help with weight loss. So far I haven’t remembered to do that so I can’t offer much opinion on that one! We also always use lemon in our water because it does the same thing for your ph.

Another thing we do is distill our water. We use a WaterWise distiller, also found on the internet. We’ve had one for over 10 years now and we absolutely love it. The water supply in most areas is not great as you all probably know. Many things are added which you do not need, chlorine and flouride to name just a couple. I do cook with the distilled water, but I don’t usually wash the vegetables in it. Mainly because I would go through so much distilled water! Our distiller runs constantly as it is. So for this reason I use vegetable wash to clean the vegetables.

There are many thoughts on drinking distilled water, I side with the one that says your body does not utilize or absorb the minerals found in water. You get better absorbsion and usage of minerals from green, leafy vegetables. Some believe that these minerals can even build up in organs and parts of your body. I do believe this, but I don’t know of a good source of information to go to on that at this time. I would also say here, water is still much, much better for you than drinking carbonated drinks. So, even if you have to drink your tap water or buy bottled water, you’re still better off.

Now, this is still on the topic of food, but kind of off the subject a little. One that I know most women will enjoy. I love chocolate, but as I grow older, it is beginning to bother me in the form of headaches when I eat it. My son has migraines when he eats it and it stirs up my daughter’s asthma. If we eat organic, or even dark chocolate without all the additives, it does not bother us. The organic, dark chocolate also appeases my craving much better too! I just wanted to throw that in there. I’ve noticed even some regular grocery stores carrying it.

Well, on to my day and I’m looking forward to hearing from you all!

Last time I talked about foods to eat and keeping it simple. This time I would like to say more on that and why to do that.

Remember, the least amount of handling and additives possible keeps foods better for you. Your body does not need colorings, processed fats, preservatives or a lot of sugar to function well. These items actually hinder the inner workings. Your body does need a lot of fruits and vegetables in order to function properly. The enzymes in these help other food to break down and digest. We usually have a salad every day for our main meal at noon. We usually have a meat with it. For us it’s usually ground turkey or chicken. It is cheaper and is leaner. As I said before…if I had a good source of red meat, I would use that more. But, unfortunately, so many cattle are raised in feed lots these days rather than open range. How healthy would you be confined to a small space, no exercise, etc. ? So much of the meat in stores today is full of hormones. You can imagine what that is going to do to your body. Again, we don’t eat all organic food like some people I know, I can’t afford that. Not for a family our size. But you can keep these bits of information in your mind and make wise choices. If you eat meat, (and our family are not vegetarians) remember that fruits and vegetables have the enzymes to digest it better.

Now while we are on the meat subject, my sister shared a bit of information with me while she was at Chiropractor College. Chiropractors at her college had to do over a year in ‘dead lab’ as they called it. Chiropractors have to know the muscle and bone structure of the body very well, thus the reason for such a long time there when a a medical student will just have a short rotation. My sister said you could always tell when a person had eaten a lot of meat and not much in the way of fruit and vegetables during their lifetime. The meat would not digest and would start to line the intestinal wall. That is not a good thing. Over time that will ruin the intestines ability to digest and process food. Now that may not be a pleasant thought, but it did get my attention. She said that too much pasta and bread will do the same thing. I know pasta is cheap and we used to eat a lot of it for that reason. But we don’t anymore for the above reason. Dried beans are almost as cheap and much, much better for you, plus they offer protein. One vegetable that is wonderful for ’scrubbing’ the intestines is broccoli! Eat it raw please whenever possible. Cooking destroys many of the good traits of fruit and vegetables. There are a few exceptions of course…tomatoes are also good cooked because they release antioxidants, but they are still wonderful raw.

Again…I am not a doctor or nutritionist. These are things I have learned over many years that I’m sharing with you in a concise format. This is from much reading and learning what works on my part. And, this is from seeing GREAT results in others living this way. Again, why be sick, fatigued, taking expensive prescriptions when there are better options that actually work? For those of you that would like to investigate some of this further…there are many books and things you can look up on the internet. Kevin Trudeau has written a couple books on health and the medical profession which I found very informative on certain things. You can learn more about him on the internet.

Just remember…always use your head. God provided us with great minds and the ability to think. If something you read, hear…even if a doctor says it and it does not even sound logical to you…investigate it further. Don’t be led astray just because they may have an ‘education’ and you don’t. They are still human and wrong about many things!

For me and my family, I think the easiest and the most inexpensive thing to do is change what we eat. We ARE what we eat. We live in a society today that lives on fast food and prepared meals and we wonder why obesity and diabetes and the problems associated with those two health concerns alone are so prevalent.

God made our bodies a certain way. We need an assortment of nutrients, vitamins, carbohydrates, sugars, proteins, fibers, the list goes on in order for our bodies to work correctly. Foods that have the least amount of refining and handling by man are the very best for us. Think of the way people used to eat just fifty years ago. They didn’t pop something into the microwave, or drive to the nearest fast food chain. They were at home and usually prepared a meal. You usually ate what was the most affordable and available to you. If you had cattle, you probably ate that along with a garden. If you farmed, you grew a lot of things on your own, including animals. If you were in a city, you had to shop, obviously, but the foods were not so processed and the additives and colorings were not used as much as today.

Now, I’m a stay-at-home mother and I have a large garden each year. I know that is not possible for many of you. But, when I don’t have my garden, we still eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Beans, lentils and rice are a main staple of our diet. Again, the least amount of processing possible. For those of you that work outside the home, the crock pot is a wonderful thing. Beans, lentils, oatmeal…so many things can be cooked in that and ready to go. Bread machines are a great way to have bread that you can make…again, choose flours that are not processed or bleached. I’ve even been trying rice flour in recipes because I’m hearing so much about wheat and the gluten. I almost enjoy it more! For me that is wonderful because I LOVE bread!

So many people say it’s so expensive to eat healthy. I won’t even say what our grocery budget is most weeks. It is so low that it would be ridiculous to even say. But, we manage to eat very well on that. No, we can’t buy pre-packaged foods and I make almost everything from scratch, I would probably buy more meat if I had a good source for it, but we eat well.

What we don’t eat and if we do, very occasionally…pop, soda, whatever your area of the country calls it. Fried food, dessert, candy, drink mixes, etc. Of course we have some of these things every now and then, but the point is that they are not a way of life for us.

I grew up eating this way. When I was first married, I tried eating at fast food restaurants, buying all the things that I thought I was missing out on as a child. The result…I gained weight, started having more health problems.

Remember, just keep it simple. If there is anything added or processed, it’s not the best for you. The produce aisle should be your favorite part of the store, not the candy section!

The results of this on my children…of course for them personally, they think it’s torture and that they are missing out. Just the same as I did as a child. But, I do bake for them, I just do it from scratch. The good results…they have never had antibiotics, no ear infections, rarely are ever sick. If they do get sick, they recover very quickly. I don’t vaccinate now, although I did with my first two daughters. But that is a topic for another time.

So, remember…you are what you eat, garbage in garbage out. More on that next time…

I just finished talking with a dear friend that is at home with three precious daughters…all very sick with influenza. They have been in my thoughts and prayers since the oldest became sick at the beginning of the week. So far this winter, our family has managed to avoid anything other than a slight fever and some crabbiness last week with our youngest. But, the winter still has a little more time to wreak havoc!

When I think of our health there is so much that comes to mind. My friend keeps saying that I should blog on some of the things I’ve learned over the years. I can be pretty opinionated with some of it, (now that I’m older that is!!) but I do enjoy talking about it and learning new ideas and techniques myself.

I think the biggest attribute that comes to mind is the incredible ability our bodies have to take care of themselves; rejuvenate, heal…if just given half a chance. When you think about it, we all put our bodies through some rough times; eating foods we shouldn’t, lack of sleep, working too hard, no exercise, and they generally just keep working for us. Now, I’m not talking about our bodies lasting forever and not growing old…after the Garden of Eden that is no longer possible, but I am talking about living each day of your life in a body that is the best that it can be because you take care of it. Why be sick and miserable, taking loads of prescriptions if there are other alternatives?

So over the course of a few days, weeks, whatever it takes and I have time for…I would like to bring up some ideas for discussion, some things that I’ve learned over the years and work well for me and my family. I would also like to say that I did not learn these all on my own. My sister is a chiropractor, my brother a massage therapist and personal trainer and my mother has had a very interesting life as far as her health goes. I’ve learned A LOT from these three people. I would also like to say that ‘alternative’ health care is a bad word for some people, and for some reason Christians can take acception to it because of the New Age movement. Believe me, I tread carefully in this area. I believe that God created our bodies, and He has given us the responsibility to care for them. Each of us has the volition to decide in the way we think is best. I prefer to go the most simple, natural way possible, always remembering that my life is in God’s control.

So, please come back and let’s see if we can all learn some new and exciting ways to take care of ourselves!

As I look out my window, close to my desk here, I see a beautiful day. The weather in the midwest has been wonderful the past few days and it looks like it’s getting better still…60’s+ on Friday! I’ve been going through my garden catalogs and planning the layout of my garden. I just love spring and the hope it brings after a long winter with snow and ice.

An update on our two-year old. She did great with the potty-training! I think we are officially on the way to girlhood. Where have the two years gone? We have another daughter ready to leave for Bible college in June, so we will have two daughters on the east coast…so far from home. Of course my husband thinks we need to move back there so we can be close by them!! But, I think he would be just as happy with a cabin in the Adirondacks for the summer or a few months of the year. I could deal with that! Especailly when it is 100+ here!

So yes…spring is coming. It brings hope and a sense of renewal. Trees and flowers go into a growing cycle again and turn green, wild animals start new families. It’s a time to begin again…and sometimes that means people too. I’m happy and excited for my daughters as they start their ‘new’ lives as adults, making decisions, maybe meeting the man they will spend their life with. But it is also a time of change and even a sense of sadness for me. Babyhood, childhood, is over for them. In a blink of an eye…

I’m sure we all have a problem with this one.  If someone out there knows they have their life all together…please let me know what your secret is!

Magazine articles, talk shows, news articles all say if you have organization in your life, all will be well. I’m here to say that I don’t think that’s true!  I’m a type ‘A’ personality, very organized, rarely procrastinate…and life still doesn’t go smoothly. I still feel as though I’m running behind, trying to catch up and not doing very well at anything I need to do.

So, am I doing poorly…or is this just the mind set of today? I tend to think it is the mind set of the world’s system.  We all put certain expectations on ourselves, our spouses, our children, extended family, church, friends, our jobs…and the list goes on and on and on. The list itself can tire you out!

This all comes to my mind today because I have a couple very busy months ahead in my life. No, this is not a ‘do or die’ situation, but I’ve made it one in my own head. It’s called stress and we all handle it in different ways. I tend to work harder and harder, getting more anxious about everything I need to do. Obviously not the correct response! The Bible says ‘be anxious for nothing’, so I know this is an incorrect response but I do it anyway.

Will we ever have time for everything? Of course not. I think one of the biggest tests for me in my life is to stay calm, ‘be anxious for nothing’ and just keep my priorities in line. God, husband, children, church, extended family and friends should be our priorities as Believers. If I make time for theses things…I do Have Time for it All!  

AWANA was cancelled this evening due to cold and ice everywhere. I can’t remember a year when we’ve cancelled so much. It may sound terrible but there is a sense of relief for me. When the temperatures are around zero I would just as soon stay at home! This kind of weather is one of the reasons that I have enjoyed not living on the east coast anymore.

 When I was logging into WordPress a few minutes ago there was a blog that was written about a couple moving from New York City after 18 years there.  All I could think about at first was, “What took them so long?!” Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve been to New York City a few times.  It is a very interesting place to see…so much going on, so many people.  It is like you are almost in another country.  I think it is a good sight-seeing trip.  But to live there would not be to my liking. If you were single, or married with no children, it would probably be a lot of fun going to the restaurants, seeing all the expensive stores, etc.  There are so many museums, plays, musicals, etc.  But for me, living there with a family would be very hard, especially with a family the size of ours.

When I was younger, before I was married, I always thought it would be fun to live in a big city.  The excitement, the culture, all those people to get to know! Since I’ve been married we’ve lived in a few…San Antonio, Austin, but I’ve always been very happy to get back to a small town environment. For me, the big city way of living seems a little empty.  It is usually about your entertainment on the week-ends and your job during the week.  Now, most of us probably live that way to an extent…but when you are in a smaller town I think you tend to weave normal life into all of that a little more. Instead of going to nice restaurants all week-end, you may go on a picnic or a hike.  I think your everyday life takes on more substance.  For me, whenever I’ve lived in a big city, my life always felt like a perpetual vacation and that became tired after awhile.

The couple that lived in NYC for 18 years moved to Toronto.  I’ve been there too and my opinion is that they went from bad to worse.  For them, that may be a great life…but for me, I love my small town and group of friends.  And if I ever need a city, there is always one close by!

A friend of mine has been posting things about love, marriage, etc. at her blog in honor of Valentine’s Day next week.  It reminded me about my dear husband. 

I think we all become frustrated with our spouses from time to time.  Afterall, we married someone that wasn’t raised exactly the same way as we were, they are different people and they have different personalities, likes, dislikes…you name it and the list goes on.  But, the wonderful thing about marriage is that you choose to live with that person anyway! My husband always says that God brings two people together that are different so that you become strong through the testings of living with that person everyday.  If everything was perfect in your marriage, you wouldn’t turn to God and His Word to get you through the rough times.  I guess I’m starting to agree.  The things that really bother me about my husband are the areas that I’m learning to have more patience in. The things that I thought were so very important don’t seem such a high priority anymore. When I say this, I mean silly things that aren’t going to change the world anyway!  But, I’m learning to relax and to concentrate more on the good attributes of my husband and not the negative. 

But that all brings me to the topic of this.  The good in my husband was things like he did today.  He encouraged me to go away for the day and he stayed home on one of his few Saturdays off and took care of the children and made them spaghetti and meatballs.  He even cleaned the oven.  (I won’t go into why this was necessary!) That was all very special to me and since he won’t ever read this, I will tell him at some point. But, the little things like that are so HUGE to us all and take such little effort usually. For me, that said ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ more than anything else. He does so many things like that and I need to spend more time concentrating on those, rather than the things he doesn’t do.  My Dear Husband…thank you, God!