Eat Some Real Food For Thanksgiving

“Let food be your medicine, and medicine your food.”  Hippocrates

          

         With Thanksgiving only 3 days away the holidays are officially upon us! Although 

         Thursday is a day for feasting and giving thanks it’s important to remember that flu season and 

          New Year’s resolutions are right around the corner too.  In order to keep your immune system

          in tip-top shape, go ahead and indulge in a bit of pumpkin pie but remember to eat some real 

          food too.  Not only will you feel better and strengthen your body against the flu you won’t

          outgrow your clothes in the next six weeks either.                 

With a food system and dietary guidelines that promote
obesity and actively prevents optimal health by restricting critical
nutrients, is it any wonder Americans are struggling? If you’re at all
concerned about your health, nutrition is paramount, and you’re simply not going to get what you need from a boxed concoction of processed ingredients.
So, first and foremost, you have to realize that a healthy diet
equates to fresh whole, preferably organic foods, and foods that have
been minimally processed. I advise spending 90 percent of your
food budget on whole foods, and only 10 percent (or less) on processed
foods. If the food meets the following criteria, it would fall under the
designation of “real food,” which is the very foundation of good
health:

1. It’s grown without pesticides and chemical fertilizers (organic foods fit this description, but so do some non-organic foods)
2. It’s not genetically engineered 
3. It contains no added growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs
4. It does not contain any artificial ingredients, including chemical preservatives
5. It is fresh.  I prefer lettuce, kale, and other produce not in
   plastic bags.  Although they take a bit more prep time, they are cheaper
   and usually fresher.
6. It did not come from a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO)
7. It is grown with the laws of nature in mind (meaning animals are
   fed their native diets, not a mix of grains and animal byproducts, and
   have free-range access to the outdoors)
8. It is grown in a sustainable way (using minimal amounts of
   water, protecting the soil from burnout, and turning animal wastes into
   natural fertilizers instead of environmental pollutants)

If you want to stay fit and keep healthy in body, mind and soul you must
respect and honor your body by feeding it real food.  Real food is food
that is closest to the way that God made it.  It is nutrient dense and
thus more satiating than “fake” fast, processed food.  Once you start
eating real food you will stop craving so much junk food and your
waistline will show it too!   Remember…
 “Your body is the temple of the holy spirit”   1 Corinthians 6:19 

Have some fun on Thanksgiving. Eat “stuff” that’s not on your normal daily menu.  Get back into good habits by Monday by resisting all that junk that comes to your office or is delivered to your house over the next several weeks.  Use discipline and restraint.  Your body, your mind, and your soul will be healthier for it and you’ll be happier too. 

Join me and my husband, Dr. Robert A. Schuller on the 15th of each and
every month at 6pm Pacific time for “The Call”.    During our hour
together we explore different topics from a Christian perspective and
help pass along great information about body, mind, and soul health.  To access the call just dial 530-881-1300 The access code is 642848# * Make sure you call at 6pm Pacific time and only on the 15th of each month.