Getting enough fiber?

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Is it really that hard to get enough fiber in your diet? It may be if you eat junk food rather than what God intended you to eat.

Carrots, apples, beans, even some bread products you can buy right off the grocery shelf have considerable fiber. Don't like real food? Then don't read this.

The human body was designed to have a certain amount of fiber. You will notice that cereal products now brag that the ingredients include fiber. Usually the cereal fiber is accompanied by tons of sugar, artificial color that you should not eat, and additives you can't spell. Don't eat this junk-eat real food! There is plenty of it to go around.

One of the easiest ways to get enough fiber is to add two pieces of fruit or vegetables to your menu daily. Many whine about not wanting to do this, but it is so simple. An apple, a few grapes, some cucumber with your salad-these all add up to give you the fiber you need to live a healthy life!

Some adults will actually complain that if they eat correctly they will have to go to the bathroom, and they don't have time for all that. What? Would you stop changing the oil in your car and let it run inefficiently because it is not worth your time? You are as important as your car! Just do it....and quit your whining.


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Eggs on the menu?

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If you purchase eggs on a regular basis you no doubt realize they can expire at some point. Eggs cartons must have a use by date stamped clearly on the carton.

What you may not know is there is also a code that states what date the eggs were packed. You should see this information along with a USDA seal, which tells you the plant where the eggs were gathered has been inspected.

The code you are looking for contains three numbers. If the eggs were collected on the 12th day of the year-January 12th-the code will read 012.  A carton of eggs the is stamped 365 was packed on the last day of the year-December 31st.

The code is based on the Julian calendar, so 30 days would equal a month.

Another tip about eggs and freshness I was told about 100 hundred-If you are not sure an egg is fresh-Fill a medium size bowl with water, and place the raw whole egg in the water. If it sinks to the bottom, the egg is fresh. If it floats-toss it! Don't ever think you can eat eggs that are not fresh and not get sick. It is too big a risk to take to save one egg.

Children and fruit!

Many children simply don't eat correctly, and are not interested in fruit. As adults it is our responsibility to see kids get the fruit they need. While schools and day care centers can include a toaster tart as a fruit, I have a problem with this.

A tablespoon or two of some fruit product surrounded by worthless bleached flour and tons of sugar are not what any precious child should be given instead of real fruit. If you forgot to get it right during you child's younger years, then begin now-even if the kid is 15!

Add fruit to items you prepare. You can easily put pureed berries and bananas in pancake or waffle mix. Fruits can be added to drinks you serve on a regular basis. Consider adding some sliced fruit to the table with dinner. Eventually you could achieve the goal of just 2-3 servings daily. This still is not enough, but it is a start.

When baking cakes or making muffins replace a portion of the liquid required with some applesauce, or other fruits you have pureed. We do this with cookies as well, and no one has noticed.

Try some dried fruit pieces if your kids don't seem to like fresh fruit. Offer kids the opportunity of helping you make cookies or other foods that will include some fruit. Handling the foods may eventually give the kids a sense of ownership, and a desire to try other pieces of fruit. Letting younger ones pick fruit items while in the grocery store is often a step in the right direction. Kids usually want to try what they have purchased.

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Which water is better?

You've heard all the water commercials you can stand. It does not matter what the commercials tell us, we all have our favorites, and nothing will convince us we are wrong.

If you are buying water in plastic bottles, what does it say on the label? I have to laugh when people are buying purified water from a community source. Does that mean tap water a company filtered before putting in a plastic bottle is the same as you have coming through your faucet? Okay, get a water filter for your kitchen faucet and do it yourself!

Water that is from a spring, or a mountain stream may seem more appealing. Is it better for you? If you have a well at your home, your water already comes from a spring. What about the mountain stream? If the water heads down the mountain, won't it eventually be in the aquifer, and therefore in other streams, wells and springs?

If water truly seeks its own level, does it eventually mingle so that it is all the same? Do you understand water filtered at your home, which saves you major money-could be the same quality as what you are shelling out your hard earned dollars to purchase.

Healthy Ways to Get Fit

I had the opportunity to listen to a lively conversation between two women who were striving to lose weight. One woman had a baby recently, and decided she would like to improve her appearance. Another woman had struggled to lose an extreme amount of weight, and she proudly shared some of her experiences.

The woman who had lost weight mentioned a pill she uses, which I won't mention. I do know that this pill can be purchased over the counter, and has some unpleasant side effects. For instance, if you eat anything with fat in it, you may experience anal leakage. What! Who would sign on for this?

After the dieting woman left, I suggested the woman who had not started her life change yet choose another path. Here it is: Eat one serving of fruit before each meal. If you do not like fruit, then eat a serving of vegetables before each meal.

Sound too simple? It works for millions of us. Eat the food GOD gave us and put down the toaster pastry!

The woman who is choosing to use food to get healthy will be starting a new blog! When she does, I will be sure to keep everyone in the loop by giving her link here.


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Healthy Food For a Healthy Life

What exactly is healthy food? Can food be healthy? A person can be healthy, and healthy people often use the expression healthy food, but it is incorrect. And what foods will help you maintain good health? Why do some eat terrible foods and appear to be healthy?

It seems some just have the genes that will allow them to abuse their body in any way they want, and they survive with clear skin and great biceps! For the rest of us, foods need to be consumed that are fresh, clean, and grown in good soil. How do we know if the food we purchase is any of these things? We don't.

Maybe we should grow our own food. It is getting a little late in the year, so it may be the time to think about winter crops. What grows well in your area in the cool weather? Something to think about. With the economy the way it is, maybe we should all do it to help our budgets!

It seems we can't possibly eat all the foods we need to get the nutrients required to be healthy. Many people like to juice, or use supplements. For me, both work. I don't take the supplements I like daily, but I do take these often.

Some feel we should puree extra vegetables and add these to soups or casseroles so that we would be getting more nutrients. Maybe I'm a bit lazy, but that is not something I am willing to do very often. I prefer to eat vegetables raw, or steamed a little.

Be sure to eat what fresh produce you can. There really is no replacement for food. And eating food is more enjoyable than swallowing pills.

If you have a recipe you would like us to feature on this blog, let us know in the comment section. Or, if you want to request a vegan recipe, let us know that, too.



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Best food choices.

How can we get the best food for the money we must spend? This can be a tough choice in different areas of the country.

At certain times of the year we find some fruits are plentiful, and therefore more affordable. It just makes sense to buy things when they are in season. Also, it is thought by many that local produce is best for us. The shorter the shipping distance, the fresher the produce. There is also the belief that buying foods grown in the soil where you live is a better choice for your body. While volumes have been published about this, I know it is more about what was in the soil where our ancestors lived, and where you were born, where your parents were born...........ah, that is another blog by itself.

When the season for the best fruit is over in your area, look for some that has been shipped across the country. If you can't find these at an affordable price, resort to frozen items that are of U.S. origin. For us, frozen is a better choice than buying products that have been grown outside of the United States. This is a personal choice, but one based on fact. If you research what is used in other countries to preserve freshness, you may turn such foods away.

During the winter many use canned foods because others are too expensive. While purists will have a fit, to me it does not matter so much. Millions of people have thrived before us by doing this, so we should be fine.

One thing to consider if you have the stamina is canning some items while they are available. You don't have to grow your own crops to do this. In many areas there are orchards, or produce companies who are willing to give you a quantity price. Purchasing some bushels of fruits or vegetables several families enjoy, and sharing the items can be cost effective.

If canning items is not for you, freezing some may be simpler. Not sure how to get started? Ask one of the oldest people in your family. Or, search the Internet for some of the easiest ways to do this. It may actually be fun!



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What's In My Food?

Do you know what is in your food? Read labels! Okay, you already read the food labels, but still you are not so sure.

Here is something to make it easier. If you buy anything in a box-perhaps a cereal product-buy one that has as few ingredients as possible. Oatmeal. What should be in oatmeal besides oatmeal? Nothing. This is a cereal you are supposed to cook yourself, and then ad foods you feel belong. Raisins. Apples. Whatever you want.

Cereal that includes other ingredients should not have more than 3-4 items listed. If you are buying cereal with artificial colors, flavors, and so on, yes, there will be 30 or more ingredients. You are not doing yourself or you kids any favors buying these cereal items.

When buying fresh foods you may also get more than you bargained for. Some fruits and vegetables have wax or oil applied to product the produce from something, and keep it shiny. Wash it thoroughly before eating. Aside from the additives, and possible pesticides here, think about how many hands touched what you are getting ready to consume.

Research this yourself to see what you find: I was told to put a cup of salt into a large container, about the size of a spaghetti pot, and place fresh produce in for a soak. The doctor who told me about this insisted the salt water would change the balance of any bacteria or virus and make the food okay to eat. Let me know what you find out!

Foods as close to the planet as possible are best on any day. So, instead of pulverizing that gorgeous carrot or purple potato, just eat it. Like Weird Al Yankovich (spelling) said-just eat it.

Does anyone know if he is still around?

If you are still eating animal products, find out what the animal was fed. Some still don't know that most chickens are still fed other chickens. A company telling the public they only us animal feed that is approved that the US government is a joke. The government allows dead chickens to be used as feed. I do not know if cows are still added to animal feed, and fed to cows. Do you?

Leave us a comment, or a suggestion for any recipe you would like. We still have Grandma's recipes, many over a 100 years old!


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Helping kids made healthy lifestyle choices.

One of the easiest ways to help kids make healthier choices is to just keep junk out of the house. Yes, they can get it from friends, and at school. But-think how much you can offset this by insisting on better snacks and foods being in your home.

Try to offer fruit as part of at least one meal each day. Eventually you may have your kids asking for apples or bananas.

Another thing you can do is add fruit to basic recipes that your kids usually eat. Do you make waffles or pancakes on a regular basis? Add a bit of diced or pureed fruit to you recipe, and see how it is received.

Usually if you have someone pouting that they don't like what you added to a recipe, you have made it too obvious! Add a little at a time, and see if things are different.

The best time to introduce kids to quality food is when they are infants. It is hard to believe that in the United States, where we have every food available that you can think of, many do not feed babies real food. A child's meals should not come in a little greasy paper bag!

So-you messed up and forgot to show your kid what a banana or grape was. Hmm. You may have to eat some of these things yourself to encourage kids to do it. Fruits in a can are not the best choice, but you may find it is what works. Also, most fruits can be purchased in single serving size plastic containers. If you don't mind your child ingesting plastic, buy these. You could be in for an uphill battle, but this small bit might seem less threatening. Maybe they could have half of a serving at lunch, and the remainder with dinner.

Encourage you child to help you make some meals. Soups made at home can be a great way to get kids to eat some veggies. Let the child pick some of the items that will be added, and allow a taste test along the way, accepting suggestions.

If you are at the point where you think you should just give up, try added veggies to spaghetti sauce. You can easily puree a small amount of any vegetable, and include it in a sauce. You do not have to tell anyone what you have added. Use caution when doing this. A pound of brussel spouts can't easily be hidden in a small amount of sauce-so use good judgment.





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Best foods to help us avoid strokes and heart attacks?

Strokes can happen at any time after birth. Actually, strokes can occur before birth. Those of us who have not had to deal with heart disease or other serious health problems are blessed. Why would someone say that?

With the foods we typically eat on a routine basis, it's a wonder we survive. Humans were not meant to eat the plastic we have come to call food. If you are one of the many who relies on less than fresh foods to survive, here is a very small thing you can do that may help you.

Tomatoes in the form of a juice, or as a base for any meal is thought to be a life saver. Once processed with heat, tomatoes release lycopene. If you do not use tomato sauce on a regular basis, you might think about just adding a bit of tomato based juice to your menu.

What if you had one serving of tomato juice in some form each day before you did anything else? This would keep you from forgetting, and in just a short time it will become a habit.

But-the information could be wrong. And here you will be adding vitamin C and other wonder-
ful nutrients that come from the tomato. That would be a shame. Your new habit could actually help you avoid the common cold, and a host of other things you would rather skip. This might work out well for you!

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