Food Allergies? 3 Reasons Why So Many Have Them

Twenty years ago, you rarely heard of gluten, dairy and peanut allergies in the U.S. Boy, how things can change. I'm not sure I know a single family who doesn't have at least one member allergic to some type of food or ingredient. I can only remember one child having a food allergy when I was a child. No one brought their own gluten free or dairy free pizza when they came to spend the night. No one brought a gluten free cupcake to a birthday party. Classrooms didn't have "peanut free" signs on their doors.

What's happening?

It would be great if the solution was obvious. Unfortunately, there are likely many factors contributing to the rapidly increasing food allergy epidemic. I say "epidemic" because few health-related issues have grown as rapidly as food allergies...in the U.S.

While we in the U.S. are finding gluten-free grocery aisles, menu options and even entire restaurants dedicated to serving only gluten-free fare, did you know no other country in the world has the same levels of gluten allergies? If you go to Italy, you will be hard-pressed to find a single child who can't eat pasta or bread. Go to China and no one there has ever heard of gluten allergies. In fact, many Asian countries use vital wheat gluten alone as an inexpensive meat substitute (seitan).

This has to make you think - is it genetics or is it something we're doing differently here in the U.S.? Hmmmmm. Take a look at our FDA and food supply and you'll quickly realize yes, we do things VERY differently here.

Take, for instance, our dependence on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Monsanto and other food manufacturers believe by formulating a stronger, pest-resistant, heartier grain (typically corn and soybean), you can yield more usable grain and therefore manufacture more product. Even other crops, such as wheat, which aren't always GMOs are susceptible because they share groundwater and pollination from nearby GMO crops. It's becoming harder to quarantine non-GMO crops from the pollution of the GMO crops.

This leads me to the potential reasons for food allergies:

POSSIBLE REASON #1: GMOs

Other countries have banned GMO crops from being planted, even burning Monsanto crops that pop up. These countries have said, "NO" to bio-engineered food. Unfortunately, there are many reports of our FDA being corrupted by the big lobbyists, even having members who also sit on the boards of some of the worst offenders. GMOs are not naturally found in nature and are therefore considered foreign invaders in our bodies. Our stressed-out immune systems try to grapple with these new proteins humans have never ingested in the eons since existence.

POSSIBLE REASON #2: PROCESSED FOODS

Our country is obsessed with the convenience of processed foods. No other country has such a love affair with packaged foods. We pay for it with our weight (the most obese nation on earth), our disease (the most diseased industrialized nation on earth) and our allergies? When you mess with food and add unnatural (not found in nature) ingredients to preserve, flavor, color or enhance it, your body doesn't know what to do with it. These are in essence, foreign objects and your body's immune system attacks it. Over-stress the immune system and you get allergies - the body's natural response to foreign invaders.

POSSIBLE REASON #3: FOREIGN FOOD

We aren't eating what our bodies were meant to eat. A wise doctor once told me our ancestry matters immensely when it comes to what we eat. As our genes adapt over the centuries to our environment, so do our digestive systems. That's why an island culture can live 100+ years without ever eating a vegetable, only tropical fruits and seafood; while a mountain culture can eat mostly meats and root vegetables, and an Asian culture can survive off of rice and vegetables with little to no meat and fare just as well. 

We love new diets which promise weight loss, cancer prevention and longevity. The problem with all of these diets, such as Paleo, Atkins, veganism, etc is that one size does not fit all. One person may find the Paleo diet does wonders for them but that doesn't mean it will do wonders for you. Every person comes from a different genetic makeup and each body has differing needs. 

A PERSONAL STORY

Beyond genetics, your body might need something a specific diet doesn't deliver and those needs could change over time. Here's a personal example:

I was vegan for years. I loved the way I felt and had no side effects other than increased energy, great digestion and general happiness. Then I got sick. Really sick. After months of tests, procedures and doctors, we never truly figured out what happened. All we knew was it started with a stomach bug and ended with 10% of my weight falling off in only 5 weeks time. Scary.

As I tried to rebuild my body from the trauma, I realized a vegan diet wasn't going to cut it. I needed to rebuild lots of muscle that was consumed when my body fat was depleted. When my appetite finally returned and I could eat more than a banana, I tried going back to the vegan diet but felt terrible - weak, malnourished and depressed. I began eating lean meats and goat dairy and slowly my weight began to increase, as did my energy and strength.

As much as I loved being vegan, I knew my body well enough to know it was telling me it needed more than plants. While my diet is still primarily plants, I do still eat organic chicken, fish, venison and goat dairy several times a week. It isn't my main course like it was when I was a child, but 4-6 oz of clean, organic meat has done wonders for my body and I'm stronger than ever.

I tell you this to encourage you to listen to your body. What works for a friend may not work for you. The most important thing to remember, no matter what diet or food habits you pledge your allegiance, is EAT WHOLE FOODS. No diet in the world can tell you processed food is better for you than real food found in nature. This means you should buy ingredients, not convenience meals. Yes, you will be in the kitchen more but you'll be in the doctor's office less. 

That should be my new motto: EAT REAL FOOD. GET IN THE KITCHEN AND STAY OUT OF THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE!

P.S. A few little girls came over today to help me and my daughter with a new cookie recipe I wanted to try. All 4 girls said they liked the cookies and would make them again. Good news for you moms - the recipe has NO sugar, NO oils, NO eggs, NO wheat, and NO nuts! So check it out on my Recipes link and here's to allergy-free Banana Oat cookies!

Great Summer Recipes and Tips for Making Summer Cooking EASY

I love spring and early summer because produce seems to be so much more vivid than other times of the year. Everything is brighter, sweeter and more flavorful. I am a huge proponent of eating seasonally so now is the perfect time to load up on fresh veggies and fruits! Farmer's Markets are the best way to get seasonal produce, much of which is organic and picked within days of sale so they have the most nutrients.

Here are a few ideas for summer eating:

• Keep your fridge stocked with cut up melons, berries, and greens. Eat alone or make a smoothie remembering to use 3 parts veggies to 1 part fruits and add the juice of half a lemon or lime to brighten the flavors. See my Recipes page for a great green smoothie recipe. 
• Keep avocados, tomatoes and limes on hand for instant healthy guacamole. Spread it on sandwiches and wraps, toss it with blanched kale, or use it the old-fashioned way as a dip. Avocados are the most protein-dense fruit and lowest in sugar. Although high in calories and fat, they contain heart-healthy fats.
• Make or buy hummus - lots of protein and fiber fill you up. (See Recipes page)
• Keep preservative-free deli meats in fridge for quick sandwiches or roll-ups.
• Make pestos (see Recipes page) and toss with pasta or veggies, spread on sandwiches, or add champagne/rice vinegar to make a great salad dressing.
• Make your own popsicles! Kids love popsicles but store-bought is usually loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners and colors. I love the Zoku popsicle maker because you can whip up a batch in 10 minutes! (See Recipes page)
• With warm weather settling in, eat lighter foods that require little cooking. Cool foods actually cool you from the inside, so think salads, gazpacho, sushi rolls, sandwiches and wraps over longer cooking recipes like stews, hot soups, chilis and heavy meat dishes.

Need more inspiration? I enjoy having the Food Network on TV in the background while I'm doing housework, cooking or working on a project. I often see recipes which inspire me and get me out of my cooking rut. This weekend, I tried a citrus pesto by Giada which was divine. It used fresh basil, lemon and orange - all of which are plentiful in the summer. She used swordfish, but my grocery store didn't have it so I substituted tuna steaks. You could also use it with chicken or shrimp.

We had friends over for Memorial Day and I made pulled pork sliders. This recipe is an old favorite and serves a crowd or makes wonderful enchiladas with the leftovers. It comes from Martha Stewart. I added it to my Recipes page, so be sure to check it out. 

I served the sliders with my own recipe for potato salad (see Recipes page). Even though I've never made potato salad before, one of our guests who happens to own his own restaurant told me it was the best potato salad he's ever eaten! I took a recipe I found online, changed up a few ingredients and added some of my own. That's what's great about cooking - you can take any recipe and make it your own.

Summer is also a great time to get your kids involved in cooking with you. I don't know a child who doesn't like to create things and play with their food. Even the youngest child can stir, roll dough and add ingredients to a recipe. Older kids love to use knives (with supervision, of course) and learn the basics of making an omelette, spaghetti, quesadillas, etc.

Get out of YOUR rut and try new recipes! Try to cook as many meals as possible - eating out is almost always more fattening, expensive and less natural than what you can prepare at home. Yes, drive thrus are easier and okay occasionally, but don't make it a habit. Your kids need to know how food impacts their health and if you're constantly eating fast food burgers and fried chicken tenders, how will they ever learn to eat veggies or care about the sodium and fat intake? We have to teach them those foods are okay in moderation, but the bulk of their diet needs to include fresh veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts & seeds, and lean meats. Sorry, french fries and chicken nuggets don't count!

When Does "Organic" Matter? Top Foods to Buy Organic

Organic foods are everywhere these days and because there is so much demand, the price for most of these items has steadily declined. Consumers are more aware of the pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used on the foods we ingest and serve our families. Buying organic can cost more, so it may help to know which foods are the worst offenders so you can focus on those.

Organics doesn't necessarily mean healthier
There's been a lot of buzz in the news lately about research showing organic foods are no healthier than conventionally grown. Here are a few points I'd like to make about this claim:

1. It's not that organic foods have more nutrients than conventional foods/produce, but that they DON'T contain potentially hazardous chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, etc.
2. Organic processed food is still processed and isn't as good for you as whole, real food.
3. Organic cane sugar and evaporated cane juice still has the same number of calories and inflammation capacity as conventional sugar
4. You still need to read labels because sometimes food manufacturers will claim they are organic but only have a few organic ingredients

Organically-grown foods mean they are not genetically modified (non-GMO), were not sprayed with conventional pesticides or herbicides, and the animal was not given non-organic food, artificial hormones or antibiotics.

The TOP foods buy organic

PRODUCE

• Corn (if not organic, it is 99% likely to be genetically modified)
• Soybeans (edamame and tofu) (if not organic, 99% likely to be gmo)
• Berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
• Grapes
• Apples
• Greens (lettuce, kale, collards, chards, spinach, mustard greens, watercress, etc)
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Peppers (bell peppers, mostly)
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Carrots
• Garlic, Onions and Potatoes (if not organic, they are sprayed with a sprout inhibitor called Bud Stop that prevents naturally-occurring sprouts to form)
• Green onions
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Peaches
• Plums
• Pears

MEAT/FISH/DAIRY/EGGS

• All meat, poultry, eggs and dairy (non-organic meats/eggs/dairy can contain high levels of antibiotics, hormones and GMO because these animals are fed GMO corn. "Natural" means NOTHING.)
• Buy all fish WILD CAUGHT (farm raised means they can be fed GMO feed, injected with food dyes to make salmon look pink and kept in tanks vs the wild)
• Deli meats and bacon (if you can't find organic, at least buy "Preservative free" which means no nitrates or sulfates are used to preserve it)

DRY GOODS

• Grains (rice, bulgur, spelt, barley, millet, amaranth, etc)
• Seeds (quinoa, sunflower, chia, sesame)
• Nuts (coconut is the exception)
• Coffee
• Any product containing corn or soy (including corn, canola and vegetable oils)
• Oils (olive, grapeseed, avocado, coconut sesame and walnut oils are great alternatives to corn, canola and vegetable oils, but if you must buy those, buy organic)
• Flours 
• Breads
• Tortillas 
• Chips (especially corn-based and those fried in corn, canola or vegetable oils)
• Cereals
• Oats
• Granola/cereal/energy bars
• Soy sauce and tamari sauce (both are made with soy so you want it non-GMO)
• Dried fruits
• Fruit juices
• Nut butters

I hope this cheat sheet helps you save pennies where you can and invest where you should. If your grocery store doesn't carry these items, start asking! The more demand, the better chance you'll see it. 

I confess, I go to a couple of grocery stores because my main store often doesn't have a few of my items, especially tortillas, flours and grains, but I stock up and freeze if possible. I always encourage you to buy locally through farmer's markets, community supported agriculture (CSAs) or grocery stores that carry locally grown produce. 

Good luck and reply to this blog with questions!

Best Kitchen Gadgets to Make Your Life Easier and Get You Cookin'!

People often ask me what they need in their kitchens to either inspire them to cook more often (because we know ain't no cookin' like home cookin'!) or to help them speed up the process. Here are my best suggestions and items I use regularly:

• Vitamix Blender - there is no substitute. There's a reason why they call them "SMOOTHIES" - they're supposed to be SMOOTH. No other blender on the planet can get your smoothie as perfectly smooth as Vitamix. It's worth the $ and Mother's Day is coming up, so....Vitamix does SO much more than smoothies and there are cookbooks that come with it to get you started. You can make soup in the Vitamix! It even heats it up! Sauces, dressings, marinades, dips, sorbet, snow cones, puddings...and the best smoothies EVER. 

• Hand-held citrus juicer. I use this daily. I got mine at the local grocery store. I add lemon and lime to lots of things, but always to my morning smoothie and water. Citrus brightens up anything, has added vitamin C and is a miracle worker if you get kidney stones. If you eat lots of kale, spinach, strawberries and other produce high in  oxalates, lemon juice counters the calcium buildup to prevent stones from forming.

• Zester (or Microplane). This is great to add lots of flavor from the rind of citrus. Add lemon/lime/orange zest to sauces, marinades and dressings for extra citrus flavor. The zester can also be used to fine-grate garlic, ginger and Parmesan cheese. Just watch your knuckles!

• Large, wide wooden bowl. If you eat salads, this type of bowl is perfect for tossing without losing the contents. I like using tongs to toss. It makes salad prep so much easier.

• Salad Spinner. I know this is so 80s, but salad spinners are a must. No one wants soggy salad. They're cheap and pull all of the water out of greens, herbs, etc.

• Silpat silicone mats. These are the rubbery-feeling mats made of silicone that are used to line baking sheets to prevent sticking. I use these daily instead of foil-lining sheets (aluminum is no bueno). Nothing will stick to it, not even shredded cheese, melted sugar or any baked goods. 

• Wooden spoons. Wood resists bacteria, are inexpensive, can withstand high heat and clean easily. Just don't put them in your dishwasher or let them soak for long.

• Cast iron skillet. Nothing browns food better than cast iron. If you want a perfect crust on your brussel sprouts, salmon, chicken, pork chops, corn bread or fish, use cast iron. It heats evenly and stays hot for a really long time, so food stays warm (that's why restaurants often serve cornbread and fajitas in cast iron skillets). If you're low in iron, use cast iron skillets, particularly when cooking high acid foods like tomato-based foods, as it will pull iron into your food. Don't use soap when cleaning and lightly oil after it's cleaned and cooled to keep it "seasoned" so it stays non-stick.

• Enameled cast iron. I'm talking about Le Creuset-like pots and skillets. Like their non-enameled counterparts, they heat evenly and stay warm forever but are naturally non-stick, are perfect for slow cooking (they really aren't meant for high heat like regular cast iron) and look pretty from oven/stove to table. I use these mostly when making soups, chili, stews and beans.

• Zoco Popsicle maker. My kids love popsicles and this little gadget makes it super simple to make our own, which means way less sugar, no preservatives or artificial food colors/ingredients, and a heck of a lot cheaper than store bought. Buy the cookbook with it and you'll be making the best popsicles you've ever had. It only takes 5 minutes to freeze! My kids love making the coffee, coconut, and s'more recipes!

• Knife sharpener. Every good cook MUST have sharp knives. Dull knives tear or smoosh the flesh of produce, cause accidents and make prep work take lots longer. I love the kind that you hold with one hand and swipe the knife through a slit with the other. I sharpen my knives weekly and they glide through everything like butter.

• Fine-mesh sieve. If you eat various grains, some are so tiny they can slip right through a regular sieve. These sieves are usually cone-shaped and can be used for rinsing but also for filtering/straining, like when making almond milk.

So there you have my top gadgets I use the most in my kitchen. There are so many more out there and going down the kitchen aisle of a store can be overwhelming. These are great items to have readily accessible. What are some of YOUR favorite kitchen gadgets? Share my replying to the blog!

Keep cookin'! Spring is such a great time to get started eating healthier and the best way to eat healthier is to cook at home. Remember to get your kids and spouse involved! When they help, they are more apt to eat it! 

The EASY Way to Eat Clean

Thankfully, "clean eating" is no longer considered a fad. More people are getting educated and buying clean foods, so much so, the large manufacturers are taking notice. General Mills recently announced Cheerios will no longer contain GMO grains! Hurray! Yoplait has commercials touting their yogurts as free from high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors. Yippee! There are countless new products on the shelves that are GMO free, organic, preservative free and no artificial ingredients. Finally.

Whether these companies and the others finally clued in that their artificial ingredients, preservatives and CRAP is making our country sick, or if they're just looking for a bigger audience for profit, the end result is we all win. The truth is, no other nation on the planet spends more on pharmaceuticals and health care than the U.S., yet our nation is among the sickest in all industrialized countries. It's no wonder when you watch this YouTube video about what they're spraying on our produce!

So what can you do? Spring is almost here and is a perfect season for new beginnings. I encourage all of you to think about your food, what you're bringing into your home to eat, where you shop and what ingredients mean. Don't keep telling yourself you'll do it "one day" or a little processed food is okay. That's like saying a few cigarettes a day don't matter. Everything you put in your body either helps it or harms it - nothing is benign.

I thumbed through Cameron Diaz's new book called "Body" recently. She worked with nutritionists, scientist and other experts to thoroughly explain what specific foods do to your body, what organs and functions are effected and how to maximize your full health potential. If you have a chance, pick it up. It's a great read with factual info on the science behind nutrition and your body.

In a nutshell, the book goes into detail about what I try to communicate on this blog - you are what you eat and when you put good food in, your body will repay you. Take the time to educate yourself about ingredients and make a commitment to make a change! Here are some easy tips to get you started on a fresh way of approaching what you eat and be sure to check out the new recipes I added to my Recipes page :

• Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and/or visit the Farmer's Markets. CSAs are local farms that deliver fresh, seasonal, usually organic produce to your neighborhood
• Eat the rainbow - choose a variety of fruits and veggies of all colors (organic is best) to ensure you're getting all of your vitamins and minerals - they all work together in perfect amounts, unlike lab-processed multi-vitamins
• Cut back on processed foods (anything in a box, bag or can) and choose fresh ingredients instead anywhere you can
• Read ingredients and choose products that have the fewest ingredients, ALL of which you can pronounce and know what they are
• Buy only the freshest and least processed fish and meats as you can afford - organic meats mean the animal was fed an organic diet, not animal by-products that can contain flesh from diseased animals (this is much cheaper feed)
• Buy only organic eggs (Farmer's Markets and CSAs are a great resource)
• Buy fresh-squeezed juices or juice them yourself (most other juices are highly processed and lack the nutrients of fresh)
• Invest in a good blender (I love Vitamix) and start making smoothies with fresh, organic veggies and a little fruit
• Find new recipes using fresh veggies, whole grains and lean meats - buy new cookbooks, check out cookbooks at your local library or search online - there are some GREAT ones out there and I list a few on my "Resources" page 
• Cook more at home to have more control over the ingredients

Post a comment to this blog with any questions you might have. We can all learn from and support each other. Coming "clean" may seem overwhelming, but just like anything new, once you learn it, it becomes second nature. It's the best thing you can do for yourself and your family!

2014 - The Year of More FUN!

I'm back!
It's been months since my last post. To make a long story short, I was rather sick with a strange illness that was never fully determined (was it a trip to the Dominican? The sushi I ate just prior? Who knows.). It took me months to recover, required countless tests & procedures, and drove my sweet doctor crazy with all of my anxiety, but I am feeling GREAT after 4 months of misery. Praise God.

I learned so much through my journey, too much to detail in my little blog. BUT, I did want to share some revelations with you in the hopes that it will provide some inspiration.

1) Food is meant to heal and nourish, not put us in prison. 
Knowledge is hard to un-know. 

When I began researching food and ingredients, I discovered there was so much we as a consumer didn't know about our food. It was intriguing, frustrating and even angering. I was incensed so much crap could be put into our food supply and so little information was readily available. I read, studied and began this blog to share some of the info with you. What I didn't realize at the time, but now do, is you can become hyper-sensitive to it all and let it imprison you. That's what started to happen to me.

The more I studied, the more rules I set to make sure I wasn't falling victim to it all. I knew better. I became rigid and inflexible with food choices in that I analyzed virtually every ingredient and meal. Unknowingly, food became a burden for me and caused stress because I didn't want to bend on any of my "rules." It pained me to see my kids eating junk food and I refused to buy Oreos or Gatorade and the like.

Stress, however, is worse for the body than the occasional fast food meal or orange sports drink. I was inadvertently harming myself, strangling the joy out of eating while I held steadfast to my rules. I suffered, my family suffered and my friends probably rolled their eyes (you know who you are!).

2) We have to give up some control.
Trying to have all the control is exhausting.

This is probably the hardest thing for me as a person, as a mom. If you're a mom, you're likely the boss in your house. You have to be in order to run a smooth home. If you're like me, you make the food choices in your home as well. If you eat healthy, you probably bring healthy foods into your home. Good for you! That's the goal. Teach your children to eat healthy by modeling it for them and not making junk food readily available. While I still believe in that sentiment, I now understand that I can't control everything, nor do I want to. 

It's stressful to worry about every thing your kids put into their mouths. You want them to put down the Coke and opt for water, but if they don't, does it make you squirm like it did me? Did hearing about contaminated ground water, GMOs or food dye make you feel helpless or overwhelmed about how to avoid it?

When I am in control, I feel like everything is going perfectly. But when there's a kink, which inevitably will come, I get stressed. My mystery illness was a perfect example. It was a 4-month long knot I felt would take every last inch of me. As much as I fought it, I was no longer in control. I had to give it up - to my many doctors, to my generous family and friends who cared for me, and most importantly, to my faithful God Who has ultimate control. 

All of the control I thought I had was mocking me as I lay in bed sick while the world passed me by. I felt like God was saying, "You think you control all of this? Your health, your life, your every breath is a gift from Me. Your food choices aren't what's going to save you. Only I can do that."

Wow. Wow and wow. My wonderful/Dr. of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) recognized something about me within the first hour of meeting me that has had me thinking ever since. She said all of the passion I have for food (this blog, my classes, my cooking) wasn't coming from a place of love and joy, but a place of fear. She was right.

Yes, I love to cook and teach others about healthy eating, but I was doing it because at some level, I believed doing so would help me avoid all of the illnesses that come with unhealthy eating - and I feared illness. While whole foods are unquestionably healthier than processed foods, we only have so much control over what illnesses we may encounter. If you live long enough, you WILL get sick, no matter what you eat or don't eat. You can avoid many illnesses but not all of them. It's just part of life.

3) Have more fun.
Don't take food too seriously.

Life is short. If you're feeling good today, make it the best day possible and be grateful for every breath you take. We have no idea what will happen tomorrow, but if we live IN THE PRESENT and live our lives with gratitude, it will be more fulfilling. Food is fuel for the body but it's also meant to be enjoyed. 

I am a practical person. I have to have order to my life. I don't like chaos. But while I was home- bound for months, all I wanted to do was get out and enjoy life. I missed my old routine but most of all, I missed laughing with friends, trying out new restaurants with my husband, playing games with my kids and learning new things. We are always one day away from a diagnosis, an illness, an accident. All of my practicality was hindering what life wants to offer me - freedom, joy and fun. 

2014 - Another Chance
Each new year brings optimism and hope. 

Our family spent New Year's Eve with several families. We all shared our resolutions on paper, dropped them in a bag and then had to guess who's resolution was who's. My resolution was to "Have more fun and break some rules." No one guessed it was from me.

In 2014, I hope to take each day as it comes, enjoying the little things: a good night's sleep, energy throughout my day, a crackling fire in the fireplace, my daughter's laughter and my son's large smile, to name a few. 

I will cook with more joy and let the kids order a Coke next time we eat out. I won't stress about every ingredient, rather savoring the goodness of whole foods when we have the opportunity to eat them. I will continue to teach my kids and friends about healthy choices, but will embrace Frito pie with gusto (I'm actually making venison chili tonight - with organic corn chips - I can't forget all I've learned!).

I hope and pray each of you have a healthy, FUN, joyful 2014. Send me any questions or ideas for blogs and I will keep passing along info, tidbits and recipes that will hopefully equip you with knowledge. What are YOUR resolutions? Share them with me!

Oh Boy, Here We Go Again...What to Pack in School Lunches

I can honestly say the thing I dread most about the start of school isn't waking up early again but figuring out what to pack in the kids' lunchboxes. It would be so easy to throw a Lunchable and a juicebox into the sack, but those of you who know me know I would more likely do a herkie when the school bus drives off the first morning of school.

Every end of summer, I begin to feel that anxious pit in my stomach that I have to come up with healthy lunch ideas the kids will actually eat. I have several cookbooks and websites dedicated to this endeavor but I inevitably fall into a slump by spring. Never fear though! I have some ideas to share that hopefully will get you at least a few months into the school year.

Things to consider:

• Prepackaged foods are generally higher in fat, sodium, sugar, preservatives, food dyes and mystery ingredients than anything you could make at home
• Your kids need a healthy breakfast and lunch to keep them going throughout the school day = limit processed foods, sugars, and sodium
• Your kids likely won't eat something they've never tried before so consider experimenting at dinner and snack times to see if they'll actually eat it at lunch
• Keep the dialogue open with your kids by asking them what they'd like to bring to lunch, then see if you can work with them to make it healthier if needed
• Get organized! Purchase fun lunch box organizers like Lunch Skins, Bento Boxes, and Pack It Lunch Bags 
• Make a plan. Look at your week and see what days would be most suited for a certain type of lunch. Maybe sandwiches on Mondays, salads on Tuesdays, veggies and crackers with dips on Wednesdays, wraps on Thursdays, and burritos on Fridays.

Just a few lunch ideas:

• Salads can be fun, especially if you put them in a mason jar. Layer ingredients and seal with the lid. All they have to do is shake! See this LINK for a quick how-to.

•  Sandwiches are usually pretty safe bets but over a week's time, that can be alot of bread, cheese (if you use it) and meats (if you use them). Either cook and slice your own meats or buy preservative-free deli meats. Try to limit sandwiches to a couple per week, even if only to encourage a more diverse palette. If you limit/avoid bread, just roll the deli meat or use a lettuce leaf as a wrap. Try different nut butters with honey or fruit-only jams.

• Cut up veggies with dip (hummus, black bean, msg-free Ranch, etc) are usually well tolerated and add a serving or two of veggies to your child's diet.

• Cut up or whole fruits (with yogurt dip, nut butter or honey, if desired) work well but keep the skins on. Most of the fiber is found in the skin.

• Wraps are usually a hit with most kids. Consider using lettuce or even collard greens if you can get your kids to eat them instead of flour tortillas which are usually full of preservatives. Fill them with all sorts of things from preservative-free deli meats and cheeses, to black beans/corn/salsa or cucumber/sprouts/carrots/olives/hummus. Get creative!

• Don't forget the leftovers!

• Frozen Tamales - Whole Foods sells several types of tamales my kids love, like the vegan black bean, sweet potato-pecan and shredded chicken with lime. Be sure to check the ingredients because often conventional brands use lard, tons of salt and preservatives.

• Frozen Burritos - when I'm in a pinch, I go to Amy's frozen burritos or Evolv or even Whole Foods 360 brand. Again, check ingredients. Skip any with artificial ingredients, lots of sodium or preservatives.

• Frozen veggies - you can usually find small, individual packets of edamame that most kids love. Try frozen lima beans (packed with protein and fiber) or green peas with a pat of butter and a dash of salt

• Fried rice made the night before with leftover rice and frozen mixed veggies, a scrambled egg and a dash of tamari/soy sauce

• Black beans and brown rice topped with avocado (soak in lime), salsa, and cilantro served with organic corn tortilla chips

Check out websites for inspiration! I could list a dozen here, but all of you know how to use the Internet and search for your own new favorites. Adapt recipes as needed and be sure to make note of the ones your kids end up liking. 

There are so many ideas and I am sure many of you have some of your own. PLEASE SHARE if you do! Just comment on the blog so all can see! Good luck and here's to a healthy new school year!

Are You Constipated? 7 Things to Do to Get Things Moving Again

Let's face it. Little feels better than a good poop. You know the kind: slightly soft but formed into an "S" or "C" shape that seems to circle to toilet bowl. You stand up, feeling like you just dropped 5 pounds. Ahhhh. Every body is different, but if you're not having one of these DAILY, you may be constipated. 

Constipation can make you feel tired, heavy, crampy, bloated, gassy and/or cranky. And why shouldn't it? You have days' worth of waste sitting in your intestines going nowhere fast. Every day that goes by, your waste gets more compacted, making you feel worse. When it finally does decide to take the plunge, it comes out in hard, tiny balls that can feel like they're covered with thorns. Those "thorns" are the tiny tears they're creating around your bum hole. Nice, huh?

While you may have an underlying medical issue that should be discussed with your doctor, more often it is directly related to your diet. SURPRISE! Here are 7 things you can do to get things moving again:

1. Drink more non-caffeinated fluids. Water is best, but if you tire of it, try adding a splash of 100% fruit juice to it. Just to keep up with your daily fluid requirements, you should take your body weight, divide it in half and that's how many ounces of fluids you should consume...just to keep up. If you're already constipated, drink more until things loosen up a bit. NO CAFFEINE! Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it pulls moisture from your body. When your constipated, you need all the moisture you can get. 
2. Eat your veggies and fruit! The two most important things you need when you're constipated are fluids and fiber. Veggies and fruits have both, especially when you keep the skins on. Eat them with every meal and between meals. Dried fruits (apricots, prunes, figs, dates, mangoes) are high in fiber, too, so try them for a change from the norm.
3. Eat more whole grains and chew them well. Brown rice and other whole grains contain naturally-occurring bran, which is fiber. As with all food, chewing is a critical part of digestion and should be something you strive to do more often. Our saliva contains enzymes that start breaking the food down before we swallow so our digestive tract doesn't have to work so hard. The more you chew, the more saliva you produce and the smaller the food particles become. Practice chewing more than what you think feels normal. 
4. Lay off the dairy. Dairy is binding. It's thick and gunky. Cheese, milk, sour cream, etc. can make your constipation worse, so try eliminating it from your diet, at least until your constipation clears up.
5. Limit your protein intake, particularly animal protein. Protein takes a while for your body to digest, especially of the animal type. When you're constipated, you want to give your intestines a break. When you start pooping softer poops, you can try adding small amounts of protein back into your diet.
6. Limit your white flour and sugar intake. White flour is void of any bran (fiber) and like dairy, is gunky. When you get flour wet, it makes a paste. It does the same thing in your intestines. It's also digested like sugar. Sugars are inflammatory to your intestines and the last thing you want is to increase the inflammation (swelling) in your intestines. 
7. Get moving. A brisk walk does wonders, especially in the morning. Not only does it invigorate your muscles and brain, but the contractions in your intestines that push your waste down and out. 

One note: if you're consuming lots of salads, fruits and juices already and still feel constipated, you may actually suffer from a different type of constipation that is triggered by an expanded large intestine (a contracted large intestine causes the most common form of constipation that is discussed above). Try prune juice and brown rice, and decrease your intake of raw foods and other juices.

Some of you may wonder about laxatives or enemas. While there are "natural" laxatives you can buy, I always recommend changing your diet first. You don't want to rely on laxatives every time you get blocked up. Instead of simply treating the symptom, you want to address the underlying cause of your constipation.

As far as enemas go, they too can become habit forming and actually weaken the large intestine's normal contractions. As they wash out the waste, they also wash out your beneficial flora that is basically your immune system. While probiotics can replenish your flora, it takes time to replenish. Try changing your diet first, then talk with your doctor.

Once you've tried the above recommendations, you should start seeing softer, more regular poops. If not, I advise you seek medical attention. Chronic constipation isn't something you should live with and can actually cause long-term health issues, especially with your colon. 

Here's to a good poop!

More Info on Preventing Alzheimer's Disease

One of my recent blog posts talked about how your diet can prevent Alzheimer's Disease. I've been doing more research and wanted to pass along this great article. If anyone in your family has ever suffered from this horrific disease, you need to read this. All of us are at risk, so please take the time.

What this report talks about are simple blood tests you can take to check specific levels in your body, eating habits that can greatly impact your risk factors and exercise. Of course, eating a whole foods-based diet has been found to prevent more diseases and conditions I can name here, but this is just one more reason to kick the processed food habit and go for things grown from the earth.

I think it's so cool how God has given us everything we need to be healthy. My son even said recently that one of his Discover Magazine's talked about how such a small percentage of plants have even been discovered and scientists are convinced these species hold the cures to virtually all disease. Not a chemical made in a lab, but PLANTS. FROM GOD. 

We all hear how blueberries, goji berries, kale and other fruits and veggies are so high in antioxidants. Did you know that the rich, deep colors of these types of produce are their defense mechanism? Plants don't have an immune system, but they do have defense mechanisms that protect them from UV rays, certain fungi and diseases. When we eat those foods, we ingest their defense mechanism, thereby strengthening our own. When you eat a varied diet full of all types of fruits and veggies, you are literally getting the best multivitamin man could never recreate.

Processed foods contain NONE of these vital nutrients. Many processed foods are "fortified" with vitamins, but rarely do those vitamins and minerals come from whole plant sources. They are often manufactured and processed themselves, diminishing their effects and rendering them relatively useless when compared to God's produce.

God is the creator of all good things. GOOD things. "Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:11-12 NIV

Artificial Sweeteners - Are They Really THAT Bad?

A good friend of mine and fellow critic of processed foods recently sent me an article about how Splenda may not be considered safe anymore. I found the same information again here. While I'm not at all surprised because of all of the research I've studied over the past several years, I realize many of my readers might still think these types of artificial sweeteners are okay, or maybe okay in moderation. This may sound extreme, but I think you're playing with fire if you think these chemicals are harmless.

Science has already confirmed that the chemicals and process to form the chemicals in many artificial sweeteners are toxic. I know of two people whose neurologists told them when they each complained of recurring headaches was to get off aspartame. They were drinking it in the form of Diet Cokes. Although he's not a scientist, Dr. Oz is a doctor and does his own research. Here is a link to an article that goes through the most popular artificial sweeteners and what they are actually doing to your brain and body. Here's another great one from a doctor who discusses the neurological and behavioral dangers of aspartame. Scary, I know.

We're always looking for the easy way out - we want convenience foods so we don't have to shop and cook. We want to lose weight so we look for artificially-sweetened foods and drinks to eliminate calories. Sure, we get our temporary results, but what is it doing to us long term?

I understand not all of you like to cook. I know not all of you can consume natural sugars, and we shouldn't be doing that much even if we can. But there are choices we can make that will greatly impact our long term health. I can guarantee you that if you choose WHOLE foods over PROCESSED foods (including refined sugars and artificial sweeteners), you are significantly improving your odds of living a long, healthful life free from doctors, meds and a host of ailments.

So what do you do if you need something sweet and you aren't supposed to be consuming artificial sweeteners or refined sugars? What else is there? 

1) Try to wean yourself off of your sweet tooth. It can be done and in less time that you may think. Because of the neurological effects of many artificial sweeteners and the fact that they are inherently sweeter than plain sugar, the more of them you consume, the more you will crave the sweetness of sugar. It's then a snowball effect. All sugars are highly addictive so it will take effort. You can do it though!

Start with a goal each day to reduce your intake and see how long you can go. Within a month, you'll crave sugar less and by the end of the summer, you may not even want those sugary snacks at all. You'll all the sudden be able to taste the natural sweetness in fruits and even veggies you never tasted before!

2) Choose natural sweeteners when needed. Try:

•  pure maple syrup
• local honey, agave
• brown rice syrup 
• unsweetened dates  
• molasses

Yes, these are all sugars and are digested similarly, but the are less refined and processed than table sugar and should contain NO artificial ingredients that could cause other side effects.

3) Check the ingredients of everything in your kitchen and in your shopping cart. Artificial sweeteners lurk in all sorts of places. If it says "diet," "sugar free," "low calorie," or "reduced calorie" you can be pretty sure it has artificial sweeteners. Ingredients to avoid are:

• aspartame
• acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One)
• neotame
• saccharine (Sugar Twin, Sweet'N Low)
• sucralose (Splenda)

Going natural is ALWAYS better than anything manufactured. Try alternative natural sweeteners and see which you like most and in what recipes. Since the jury is still out on many artificial sweeteners, at least you'll be ahead of the game if they determine more than just Splenda needs a warning label.

Can You Prevent Alzheimer's?

My beloved grandmother and my husband's grandmother both died from Alzheimer's Disease. My father-in-law is in early stages of Alzheimer's. It's such a scary and sad disease that robs the mind of memories that you thought you'd never forget. When my grandmother was sick, she didn't know who those closest to her were anymore. She didn't remember teaching me how to make an authentic New York cheesecake. She didn't remember letting me dress up in her fancy clothes and high heeled shoes. She didn't remember how we watched Johnny Carson together while I fell asleep cuddled next to her.

More and more research dollars are being spent on finding a cure, especially since several high-profile people have or had the disease. I found the following doctor, Dr. Neal Barnard, who appeared on Dr. Oz fascinating with his claim that he knows how to PREVENT Alzheimer's. It's a four-part series that I recommend you watch when you have time. 

Basically, Dr. Barnard said that when the plaques that are found in the brains of Alzheimer's victims are analyzed, they are filled with metals. He believes these metals, namely iron, copper and zinc, wreak havoc on the brain cells and destroy the connections that give us our memory. By reducing the amount of metals in our diets, he claims we can PREVENT Alzheimer's. But there's more. These metals bind with saturated fats in meats and dairy to cause the most harm. Dr. Barnard recommends the following diet from whole foods (not from supplements):

• lots of vitamin E - sweet potatoes, mangoes, walnuts and broccoli
• B6 - corn (organic), beans, brown rice and other whole grains like amaranth
• B12 - fortified cereals and fortified nut milks
• Folate - leafy greens like kale, asparagus and beans
• Antioxidants - blueberries and grapes

And he says you should drastically reduce or eliminate:

• Meat (especially red meat because of the high saturated fats)
• Dairy (the highest levels of saturated fats of any food group)
• Fish (he says most fish is contaminated because the ocean is so high in toxic minerals)
• Fried foods (again, high in saturated fats)

He recommends if you take a multi-vitamin, be sure to find one without minerals and not to take iron supplements unless your blood work shows you have anemia or significant iron deficiency.

To watch the Dr. Oz video, click HERE.

To go to Dr. Neal Barnard's website to read more about him and his research, click HERE.

Detoxing for Summer - Lighten UP!

Summer is almost here and there's no better time to de-sludge! The winter is long passed us but our bodies might be holding on to extra bulk we no longer need. If you're in the mood to clean things out and feel a little lighter, read on!

Our bodies can sometimes feel heavy, burdened and slow. One of the best ways to speed up the cleansing process is to EAT CLEAN. If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know I push eating clean all year. I know it can be hard, especially around the holidays and celebrations, but summer is the perfect time to get started. Here's how.

1) Eat lighter fare. The harvest right now is plentiful with lots of greens, onions, beets, carrots, cabbage, garlic, parsnips, radishes, berries, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cucumber and summer squashes. These foods grow this season because they are meant to not only nourish you, but cool you from the inside out. That's why you feel like salads in the summer and stew in the winter. It's not just a "feeling," but a true necessity. Who wants a heavy chowder in the summer? Find recipes that use raw or lightly steamed veggies over long-roasted or boiled ones. Do quick sautes instead of foods that take a longer cooking time.

2) Make friends with veggie smoothies. The more fibrous veggies you consume, the faster you get rid of the winter sludge. Make the smoothie recipe from this site or get creative and try your own recipe. Keep in mind, smoothies should be 3 parts veggies to 1 part fruit. If your smoothies are mostly fruit, you're getting some good vitamin C but your also getting lots of sugars. Try a base of fresh oj, a couple of leaves of kale, juice of 1/2 - 1 lime, 1/4 of a cucumber, a handful of cilantro or parsley (great detoxifiers), a drizzle of honey and a few ice cubes. Add spirulina powder and flax or chia for extra nutrients!

3) Eat your greens! Greens are great detoxifiers. We're talking cilantro, parsley, lettuce, kale, chard, spinach,.mustard greens and collard greens.The chlorophyll in these veggies is so powerful. Aloe vera juice and chia (when wet) are gelatinous and pull toxins from the body.

4) Get off the cow dairy. Cow dairy is hard to digest, contains a lot of casein (which has been linked to all sorts of cancers), and makes you feel sludgy. Just as it is creamy in texture, it coats your insides and creates mucus. Goat dairy is much more digestible, contains less casein and is usually tolerated by people with dairy allergies.

5) Exercise. Fresh air is ideal but if you need to be indoors, you can still get some great exercise. Fill your lungs with air because oxygen is the best thing you can add to your blood, giving you energy and rebuilding cells. Get your blood flowing! Even a 20 minute brisk walk will do wonders for your energy level, mood and digestion. Stretch slowly and often to keep muscles flexible and release toxins. 

6) Drink lots of water. If you're releasing toxins through diet and exercise, you need to flush them out with fluids. Water is best, even with a squeeze of lemon or lime. Stay away from caffeine as this dehydrates the body. 

7) Stay away from processed foods! Processed foods are inflammatory and contain addictive ingredients that aren't good for your brain, nervous system or digestion. The less sugar, salt, preservatives and artificial ingredients you consume, the more efficient your body and immune system will perform. Remember: you are what you eat. Are you eating junk? Then you probably feel like junk. Eat clean and you'll feel clean!

8) Laugh. Alot. Laughter is one of the best medicines EVER and it's free. Spend time with family and friends, creating a fun environment where laughter abounds. Life is hard enough and there's likely not a bunch you can do about most of it, so you might as well laugh!

What do you plan to do this summer to lighten things up? Let me know!

The Link Between Food and Learning Ability & Intelligence

I recently read an article about the correlation between food and intelligence (click HERE to read article). It showed that children fed processed foods consistently scored lower than children fed a natural diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits grains, beans and legumes. I was just taking a lunch break and had the local news on and another study just confirmed these findings.

As parents, we take a vow to do whatever we need to help our children. How many rashes have we rubbed cream on? Throw up we've cleaned up? Bottoms & noses we've wiped? Friendships we've counseled them on? Pediatrician offices we've sat in? Concerns we've discussed with teachers? We stop at nothing to be good parents, yet when it comes to food, we often turn a blind eye. Why?

Food is an emotional phenomenon. We associate comfort with certain foods, fun with others. When we go out with our friends or spouse, it usually is centered upon food. Family gatherings would be downright intolerable without a huge spread! Super Bowl without chips? Food is everywhere, all the time. And we're teaching our kids how to eat. They model our behavior and eat what we allow them to eat.

While it can be overwhelming to take on another responsibility and teach our kids to eat nutritious food (after all, it's so much easier to give them what they want!), it's our job. If they don't learn it from us, who will they learn it from?

What I want to suggest is that we take a deep breath, close our eyes and just imagine what it was like in a simpler time. Food was found in the garden and in the pastures, not at the giant big box store. Meat was clean because the animals were healthy. Vegetables were eaten in season and manure was the only form of fertilizer. Butter was made from cream of a dairy cow and not from processed oils refined in a factory. There were modest but wholesome breakfasts, lunches and dinners - not snacks between every meal. Sugar was a luxury so it was rarely eaten. People ate until they were no longer hungry, not until they were so stuffed they actually felt bad after a meal.

In our rush to find the next greatest "convenience" food, we have forgotten what food is supposed to be - energy. Fuel. Pure and simple. Yes, we can enjoy it with friends and family, but can we step back and make it more about friends and family and less about the food? Is it the food that makes it so great or the relationships? 

Processed foods are such a far cry from the simple life I just described. They are a complete adulteration of what food is supposed to be. It's making us and our kids sick, stupid and cranky. With summer quickly coming, let's try to ease up on the food a bit. Eat what's in season. Eat local. Eat light and healthy. Challenge yourself to cook more and use a can opener less. Don't fill your body with packaged foods when everything you need to be healthy, strong, vibrant and ALIVE is growing in the ground. God is so good!

What about you? Let me know what simple things you wish were still around. I'd love to hear!

Snacks - Think of Them Differently!

If you're trying to eat healthier and cut out all the processed foods, snack time can be a challenge. What do you give your kids (or yourself) when bagged pretzels, chips, crackers, sweets and empty calories are a no-no? Fear not. You only have to change how you think about snacks.

The whole purpose of a snack is to recharge the body and satiate it until dinner. It is NOT supposed to fill you up like a full meal. Simple carbohydrates like the ones mentioned above fill you very briefly but raise your blood sugar (and often blood pressure if they're salty) so you have energy briefly, but then crash within a couple of hours. You've given your body nothing it can actually use except the temporary high of sugars (because your body processes simple carbs as sugar). What your body needs when it's tired or hungry is NUTRIENTS, not high carb processed junk.

Think of snacks as a small meal. If you have 5 minutes, you can make:

• Have any preservative-free deli meat, leftover organic chicken or beans from last night? Put it on an organic tortilla with some healthy goat cheese (and any veggies you can sneak in there) and make a quick fajita taco or grill it as a quesadilla. 
• Or wrap the deli meat around a good piece of cheese (preferably goat cheese) with some good mustard.
• Have some beans? Spread them on organic tortilla chips, top with a sprinkle of shredded goat cheese and stick them under the broiler for 2 minutes. Add a dollop of guacamole and salsa.
• Cut up some seasonal fruit and dip it in organic peanut butter mixed with local honey, or plain goat milk yogurt drizzled with local honey. 
• Kids love parfaits (who doesn't?), so layer the fruit and yogurt/honey with granola to make a pretty "dessert-like" treat.
• Make mini pizzas with English muffins or a hearty piece of bread - use that spaghetti sauce that's sitting in the back of your fridge, add some preservative-free ham pieces and some grated goat cheese. Pop it under the broiler for 3 minutes.
• Boil some edamame and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
• Spread hummus onto a cracker (I love Ak-Mak brand), add feta and a few sliced kalamata olives. Or cut up cucumber, carrots and celery and dip in the hummus.
• Make the roasted chickpeas (garbanzos) found in my Recipes section.
• Make homemade popcorn (1/3 cup organic corn and 1 Tbsp coconut oil with 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil on stovetop). Season with lemon and salt, or just salt, or make a seasoning
• Make a green smoothie (see Recipe section) and add a generous handful of pumpkin seeds to the blender for a boost of protein

If you think of snacks as a mini-meal, you realize the possibilities are endless. And you're giving your body real nutrients it can use to fuel you until dinner. 

If you are short on time and need a snack that travels:

• An apple or banana with a packet of Justin's peanut or almond butter
• A Lara Bar (see recipe on Recipes link to the right)
• Pre-bag your own trail mix so you can grab it when you need it - include lots of nuts, dried fruits and a few chocolate chips 
• Wrap preservative-free deli meat around cheese (preferably goat) & keep in fridge til needed
• Grab a mandarin orange (simple to peel) and a bag of pistachios or other nut
• Make the homemade granola recipe from this blog and put it in individual baggies to grab when you're on the run
• Make many of the snacks listed in the first section ahead of time so when your child gets home from school, their snack is ready to eat

Remember - we are natural beings CREATED to eat NATURAL foods. That is, food that is found in nature, not packaged food that claims to be natural. Big difference. The earth gives us what we need so EAT from the earth!

Quick plug - I am now on Twitter! Follow me at @eatingfromearth to get quick meal ideas, links to interesting research and news, new products to try, tips and encouragement. 

Why the Giant Food Manufacturers Think You're Stupid

I know you're smart. Many of the food manufacturers don't. They don't think you're smart enough to read labels, do a little research or think for yourself. They believe we are robots and will consume whatever they tell us tastes good, is "all natural," and will make you popular. As a matter of fact, they spend millions of dollars a year on expensive ad campaigns designed to do just that: convince the consumers they want the processed foods they KNOW are bad for us. Are we going to be gullible little lab rats or are we going to stand up and say, "ENOUGH!"?

I am on a soap box today. Maybe it's because I'm coming off of my presentation to a group of parents at my children's school. Or maybe it's because I witnessed at least half a dozen kids this weekend consume red Gatorade, Cheetos and cupcakes with blue icing in a single sitting while their parents talk about how much "energy" their child has. Maybe it's because I saw an obese woman who worked at a dry cleaners take her break to smoke a cigarette, drink a 64 oz cola and eat a Snicker bar. What are we doing to our bodies??? It breaks my heart.

God gave us these amazing machines called the human body. It is an amazing piece of art designed to fight off the onslaught of armies determined to destroy us: viruses, bacteria, germs and such are at every turn. But our incredible immune systems find these tiny, sword-wielding mutants and wipe them out on a daily basis. We usually don't even know a battle was being fought. But instead of nourishing our troops, we arm the enemy. We break down our fortress with processed foods and other garbage and expect our immune system to keep fighting the mutants combined with the foreign substances (man-made ingredients) we put into our own bodies - without much ammo. Here comes the enemy again, but this time we can't fight as hard. This time we get knocked down. Our immune system is weaker, but still hanging in there. What do we do? Nourish the troops with real food so they can strengthen? Nope. We continue to poison them until there are few standing. The next time the enemy comes, the white flag will fly and we will be taken hostage. We get sick; sometimes just a virus and other times something much, much greater. Something our immune systems haven't a chance of overcoming. 

Our immune systems need our help to do what it was designed to do. We can't believe feeding it junk - artificial preservatives and food enhancers, chemical stabilizers, unnatural food dyes and flavorings, refined sugars and mounds of salt - and think our immune systems won't suffer the consequences. Hear me when I say, EVERYTHING YOU PUT INTO YOUR BODY EITHER NOURISHES IT OR POISONS IT. Nothing is benign. The choice is yours.

Many of the largest food manufacturers want you to think processed foods are the answer to our busy lives. Convenience trumps nutrition. They convince us we don't have time to cook and must rely on them to feed our families. They're not coming to our rescue. They're getting rich off of our gullibility. 

We are more intelligent than they think, though. We know these companies aren't smarter than God. They haven't discovered some new way that improves the food God has already given us. Nothing from their labs will ever nourish our bodies the way the food from this great earth can. 

Make it a priority and you can do it. You can start eating from nature and tell these food manufacturers, "No thanks." I'd like to tell them a lot more! You are an educated, smart person and you can do better. You can bring nutritious food into your home and settle for nothing less. You can teach your children to choose healthy foods so they don't grow up thinking food comes from boxes, bags and cans. You can arm your troops for the many battles ahead. WE ARE THE TEACHERS. Let's teach!