What is Whole Food Nutrition, Anyway? Part 2

Ok, in Part 1 I shared how God filled the earth with foods that heal. I want to add to this one other thing I believe to be true. The foods that heal also prevent. If you'd like to ward off disease and sickness, eating a whole food diet is going to go a LONG way in helping you do this. Don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming that you will NEVER get sick, or you will NEVER end up suffering from cancer or any other disease that plagues our world. Sometimes, we can do all we know to do and we still find ourselves suffering. I don't like that reality any more than you do...but it's there and we must acknowledge. Food matters but it doesn't cure all or save us from every harm. That being said, I STILL believe we need to take the BEST care we possibly can of our own body certainly and also of those in our care.

Yesterday, I touched on herbs and Superfoods and I hope you are inspired to learn more about each. These alone can change the dynamic of YOUR health! Uh-Oh...I feel myself wanting to be pulled back into those topics so I better move along.

I've been dealing with health issues for years. Whole food nutrition is what God is using to bring healing to my body. I used to be on Allergy and Asthma meds along with Acid Reflux meds and my digestive system has a habit of shutting down. I was pretty miserable much of the time and my symptoms got better briefly before getting much worse! At the core of who I am I believed God had something so much better for me. I remember talking to Him and saying, "God, I believe you filled the earth with things that heal. I don't want to live in the world of medications and symptoms being sick all the time for the rest of my miserable life. Please show me what to do." He's faithful and He has been showing me ever since. I'm a slow learner so it's taken much patience on His end to help me see the truth about many things...but I want the TRUTH so desperately that I refuse to stop seeking.

I'd like to say that I was an amazingly cooperative patient for my Chiropractor/Nutritionist to deal with, but that would be a big, fat lie. I was a pain in the neck, to be honest. When he first told me, "You can absolutely live without meds and have optimal health but it means making big changes to your diet," I can assure you there was nothing even close to a smile on my face! We've been working together for nearly a decade and I can tell you he's a patient man. He's taught me so much and I LOVE his devotion to helping others find optimal health.

Why do I think optimal health matters? How can I focus on ministering to others and being the light of Christ in a fallen world when I feel sluggish, groggy, cranky, bloated, sleepy, drained, and downright sick all the time. Doesn't it stand to reason that IF I can do something to feel better I should do just that? Especially, when the REASON I feel all those icky things is directly related to what goes in my mouth! Right? I agree!

My most recent health issues, namely my liver and gall bladder, have led me to REALLY clean up my act as far as food goes.  These issues sent me on a quest for MORE truth. BUT getting to where I am at this moment was anything but easy. I'll be honest, what it lead to at first was MORE confusion and whole lot of frustration. Can you relate? One person said, "Eat lots of animal proteins" and the very next person said, "Cut out ALL animal proteins or you're gonna die!" The "meat lovers" say grains are of the devil (not REALLY but this is my interpretation), and "plant lovers" say eating animal products is the worst thing you could possibly do but grains are the gift from Heaven. Some say, "NO FRUIT!" others say, "YES Fruit!" The more I read, the more confused I got about a lot of things. So, I kept reading and more importantly, kept praying. I will hear what people say, but I will LISTEN to what God shows me.

I've come to some conclusions and I think it helps me understand "whole food nutrition" more! Hopefully, it will fill in some gaps for you, too. I certainly don't want to add to the confusion. I pray you find the clarity you need in the midst of all the chaos that is the FOOD world.

Today, I want to address one topic: MEAT (animal products in general)

I've read both sides of this debate! I know the arguments for each and I've seen the "science" behind them. Seriously, there is research that backs both sides of this hot topic. That drove me crazy until I realized why that must be the case. Here it is....get ready for it....

Some people should eat meat and animal products and others should NOT! (GASP!!!!) What? You mean to tell me we shouldn't ALL be vegan or we shouldn't ALL be meat eaters? Yep, that's what I'm telling you. This is why I believe it:

The Holy Bible...the Word of the Almighty God who fashioned the earth and all that it contains SAYS animals were created to be consumed. Since He created them, He gets to determine their purpose. Makes sense to me, anyway. Let me make one thing really clear on this subject: the animals should be raised, fed, and butchered in a respectable manner. Cattle were created to consume grass, not grain. Therefore, I believe grass-fed cattle, raised on land free of pesticides, not given hormones or antibiotics and slaughtered in a way that doesn't create high stress for the animal is what God intended. I honestly believe ANY life taken for the sake of sustaining another is to be respected. I know God loves His creation. That being said, I don't think He has a problem with animals being consumed in order to sustain mankind. The way BIG food industry moguls farm does NOT honor the Creator and brings sickness and disease to those who consume it.

I want to point out that some people can consume and digest meat well and will benefit from clean, organic, uncontaminated sources of meat such as fish, beef, and poultry. However, there are others who do NOT digest animal proteins well and would benefit from either a vegetarian or vegan diet simply because their body will assimilate plant proteins more efficiently. I believe there are two different metabolic types: Meat and Grain. Usually, but never always, people who have A, B or AB blood types are Grain eaters. Type O is typically a Meat eater. There are always acceptions, but I've found this to be a good rule of thumb or at least a good starting point. I'm O+ and am a meat eater. However, I only eat meat 1 time per day. I do NOT believe we were created to consume meat all day long no matter what type we are. I've no proof for this, it's just my opinion!

I know Dr. Furhman who wrote, Eat to Live, TRULY believes ALL human beings should refrain from eating ANY animal products whatsoever, and I tried to believe him, I REALLY did. But scripture won out for me. It honestly makes NO sense to me when I really think about it. That being said, if ANYONE has a conviction against eating animals, I believe with all my heart they should honor that conviction. Personally, I've never struggled with feeling guilty about it, but I fully respect those who can't eat it in good conscience. I DO have a conviction about eating animal products that were not raised the way God intended. However, I WON'T condemn or judge another who doesn't have this conviction. I may try to educate them on this matter, but in the end, it's their decision and I respect that. It won't shut me up, though...I'll keep sharing with those who are listening! My suggestion is to learn what works best for YOU and your family. This takes time, but you can begin to pay attention and see how you and your children are reacting to different foods you eat.

Dairy is a HUGE debatable topic as far as animal products go. Personally, I do not believe cow's milk has even one benefit to brag about. In it's raw form, yes. However, being heated to 212 degrees destroys EVERYTHING good about it and even makes it damaging to our bodies rather than healing. If you want to know the truth do the research! The casein in milk has been directly linked to several forms of cancer. Milk is also one of the top allergens. 3 out of 5 in my home are allergic to it. And dairy is known as one of the main causes of acne in teens.

I do believe organic butter and cheeses used sparingly are a good addition to most diets (if it can be digested and tolerated). Also, organic yogurt with live active cultures can help people with digestive issues.

The last thing I want to address on this topic is eggs. Oh, how I wish I could eat eggs, but my body just won't digest them. Personally, I believe (even after seeing both sides of THIS debate) that eggs are an excellent source of protein. Of course, I only buy organic, free ranging chicken's eggs. I want the best for my family. Eggs can be difficult for people to digest, so they might not be right for you. I definitely need to talk about allergies at a later date to help you begin to determine if you have them and if so, what they are. You can find them once you know how to do so. Eggs can be an inexpensive way to get protein in your diet. I wouldn't recommend eating them constantly, because you COULD develop an allergy by eating them too often...but using them as a part of an overall protein plan is a great idea, in my opinion.

Part 3 will be coming up on Monday. We'll tackle the issue of grains and believe me, I've got a lot to say on that topic. I do have references for all the things I'm talking about, so if you want more information, let me know and I'll plug you in to the right resource. Have a blessed day!