Welcome! This is a way for me to share about my experiences as they relate to myself, family, health, compassionate cooking, baking and yoga. Enjoy!

Monday, May 13, 2013

Say What?



So today's topic may freak some of you out, but it needs to be discussed so here goes... On my journey towards expanding my wellness knowledge, I was required to learn more about the pH level in our bodies.  Say what? you might be saying, which is exactly what my children said when I asked them to pee on a strip of pH paper.  

I'm sure most of you are aware of how swimming pool and hot tub owners need to test the water often to ensure the proper pH level.  Otherwise, nasty things can throw off the waters pH and create that not too pleasing color in the water.  Well it only makes sense that the same thing happens in our bodies, we just don't "see" the unpleasing color as easily.  Our bodies are incredible machines that try so hard to compensate for the damage we bombard it with.  By damage I do mean the foods, beverages, stress, lack of sleep and environmental chemicals we insist on maintaining.  This is where all those wonderful symptoms, diseases and illnesses come into play.  The symptoms are the warning signs that we, all too often, ignore and pass off as getting older or claiming it's hereditary.  If you're truly happy with those answers, and don't want to get to the root of the problem that is actually creating the issues, then by all means, continue on your merry way.  However, if you decide to take control of the issues by acknowledging that what happens inside your body is a direct result of the choices you are making, then the first step is to go to your local health or natural food store and purchase pH strips, also known as litmus paper (you can order them through Amazon too).  

Breaking it down simply, all foods fall within a pH range of 0 - 14.  The lower end is acidic, the higher end is alkaline.  The ideal range you want your body to be in is around 6.5 - 7.5.  When you fall below 6.5 this means your body is becoming too acidic and this is a big problem.  Even those that seem fit should still test their urine with a pH strip.  Looking in shape on the outside does not mean you are on the inside.  Taking a few seconds to test your pee every week is well worth it instead of becoming the next story that we often hear about, "so and so was such an athlete, I can't imagine why they died suddenly from a heart attack".  

Some of you may be thinking that it's weird or gross to hold a strip of paper under you to allow a few drops of urine to fall on it.  It's no different then when you have to pee in a cup at the doctors and I honestly think it's weird that people think it's normal to get sick and suffer from diseases.  To me, spending thousands of dollars on doctors visits, medications and surgery is weird because all that is, is a band-aid on the issue unless you get to the underlying cause of what created all the chaos to begin with.  

So how, pray tell, do we get our bodies less acidic and more alkaline?  Many factors come into play, but keeping things simple, the biggest area you can change immediately would be by what you are putting into your body.  Plant based foods are alkaline and healing, whereas animal based foods and processed foods are highly acidic and damaging.  You don't have to take my word for it, just do the pH test and you can see for yourself if your choices are causing damage or health.  Then you can decide if you want to change your potential outcome or not.  

I plan on remaining "weird" by continuing to have my family test their pH levels consistently.  Not only is this a great science lesson for them, but it also allows me to gauge their health.  I was happy to find that all of my kiddos and my pH levels were well within the ideal range.  Knowing I am giving my children the best possible health is the most satisfying feeling ever.  As they get older, they will have the tools necessary to make informed choices regarding their health and that is basically what health comes down to... choices.  

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Bargain Prices



The other day, while driving through town, I looked at the signs hanging in various food establishments.  One bragged that their "meal", which included chicken or burger, fries and a drink, was only $1.99, another couldn't post enough signs about their $.99 burgers.  Knowing full well that to produce animal products is not a cheap process, it made me feel sorry for all those people who are not aware of how or why this happens.  I won't bore you with the details of how those in power (government and corporate) manipulate issues in order to provide Big Ag with millions of dollars to subsidize specific food sources so that those foods can be offered at cheap rates through grocery stores and food establishments (if you want more info on that check out ewg.org).  Even more disheartening is the fact that people are truly grateful these meals are offered and then feel healthier options are too pricey.

Looking at the entire picture, it becomes easier to see that these bargain prices are not actually what they seem and end up costing people thousands of dollars in medical bills and drugs.  To break it down simply, consuming these bargain foods cause illness and disease in the form of heart disease, stroke, cancers, diabetes, auto-immune disorders, ADHD, Autism, skin disorders, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, mental disorders, intestinal disorders, the list goes on and on.  Eliminating the bargain priced meats, dairy and processed foods and replacing them with whole grains (quinoa, gluten free oats, organic brown rice), mostly organic fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and beans is obviously a smarter choice for health and money reasons.  If you eliminate the unhealthy items you would be freeing up money to spend on the healthier options.

If this isn't enough to get people curious, then consider it a quest to see how you feel by eliminating the unhealthy choices and replacing them with the healthier ones for just three weeks.  If you're feeling really adventurous, keep a journal of what you eat and how you feel each day/night.  To make things even more exciting you can make a list of your favorite foods and switch ingredients out to make it healthier.  Little changes make big impacts.  Use non-dairy milk where it calls for cow's milk, add a handful of organic spinach to your smoothie and blend away, more likely than not, you won't even notice a change in taste.  There are many websites that offer tons of amazing recipes that will have your taste buds dancing for joy.  Some of my favorites are kriscarr.comhealthyblenderrecipes.comvegweb.compeasandthankyou.com.

So instead of taking the "easy" route of drive through disease in a bag, drive your wonderful self to the grocery store or farmers market and stock up on foods that will make your life truly easier in the long run.