Category Archives: Nutrition/ Recipes

How much naturally occurring fiber are you getting? Fiber acts like a broom or a mop in your intestines, sweeping and mopping away the wastes, the leftovers, from the food you eat. Without fiber those wastes just sit there and accumulate like in a clogged drain or backed up sewer pipe.

There is no fiber in meat, or milk, or cheese, or ice cream, or other dairy products. There is no fiber in “refined” white flour and all the products that are made from it, pasta, breads, cookies, cakes, pastries, and the list goes on and on. There is no fiber in other “refined” grains, white rice, etc. There is no fiber in sugar. There is no fiber in fat.

Fiber is found in fruits and vegetables, in whole grains and the products made from them, in nuts and seeds, in legumes (beans and peas).

How much fiber are you getting? Is your drain clogged or free flowing?

Another type of “fast” some people go on is really an elimination diet, ridding the body of those fiberless foods, and eating only fiber rich foods to do some “house cleaning”. In addition they may take additional fiber, to work on the “tough clogs” that have been there a LONG time, and won’t budge without some added effort.

Some of these fiber rich cleansers also contain parasite killers. You’d be amazed at how many people have parasites. They thrive in those gunked up drains.

If your diet has consisted of a large amount of fiberless foods over the course of your life you may want to consider not only eliminating them and switching to fiber rich foods, but also using an extra fiber supplement for a while.

Fiber cleansers are a powder that is stirred into water or juice, then drank quickly before the fiber expands in the glass and turns to a gel. You must drink a lot of water with them, because of this bulk. Fiber Cleanse and FiberBlend are two we recommend; they have natural parasite killers in them. They don’t taste great, but are better than most, and are highly effective. AND NOW they come in capsules! The best way to take them, IMO.

Many of you are preparing to begin various types of diets, cleanses, or fasts as we begin the New Year. The (so called) Daniel "Fast" (Diet) is one form of "Biblical" diet that you may be considering. It’s what I’m sharing about today, and I hope over the next several days to share about others.

The Daniel "fast" is not a true fast at all, but simply a simple diet, or lifestyle of eating, that eliminates certain types of foods, namely "rich" prepared dishes, (in our day, including our "refined" and convenience, prepackaged foods,) as well as all meat and animal products. Daniel purposed to eat only sown plants and drink water, rather than partake of the king’s delicacies. (See also Proverbs 23.) He interceeded to not be forced to eat the way of the King’s lifestyle, which was considered "better" by the Chaldeans of course, since it was the food of the rich.

Daniel basically was calling for a pure diet to not defile himself, most likely in the kosher sense. He asked to prove that his lifestyle of eating simple foods would NOT make them "inferior" in any way. And as we know it proved them superior in mind and body.

The diet of Daniel and his friends, in this foreign land with foreign, unkosher foods and foods prepared in unkosher ways, stuck to foods as they came from God – just plain water and foods that are sown – vegetables, grains, legumes, (and possibly fruits, though I don’t see this in Biblical studies of this, just modern articles/books on "Daniel Diets"). These were fresh (raw) or simply prepared by just cooking plain, rather than prepared in "rich" "dishes".

The "deceptive foods" of their time were no where near what our deceptive, processed (non-)foods of our day are, but they WERE rich foods, no doubt not kosher – and those that ate them tended to gluttony/ overindulging. As in our time, the "rich" felt they deserved to eat whatever they wanted. Isn’t that America today? We feel we’re deprived if we "have to" drink water instead of pop/soda or rich coffee drinks, or feel sorry for those that "have to" eat beans and rice, or don’t get sugary "treats", etc. Perhaps we even feel sorry for those that make things from "scratch" rather than "get to" buy pre-prepared foods.

Daniel’s Diet is a Good for You – Naturally™ diet that can be followed by all, all the time for health. We too would be wise to refuse the deceitful "dainties" placed before us – all the time.

Although we can’t know exactly which plant foods Daniel ate, the Daniel diet most likely is basically the same as the Gen. 1:29 diet God originally gave to man. The Hebrew word zeroa, that comes from zara, means something sown, i.e. plant foods. In KJV it is translated "pulse" which is a bit more restrictive definition. IOW, it generally can mean the foods grown from the sown seeds (vegetables), or more restrictive and literal, the seeds themselves that can be sown and grown to eat (legumes and possibly grains). Pulse meaning, "beat out" as in our "heart beat" is our "pulse", and in plant foods, those that we "beat out" the seeds (beans and peas).

So whether you choose to eat vegetables only, or legumes (beans and peas) and possibly grains, or include all of these and perhaps even fruits too, a diet similar to what Daniel and his friends ate is a Good for You choice for beginning a New Year with a New way of eating.

After beginning with this very simple Daniel Diet, you may choose to add in some unrefined plant oils (extra virgin olive oil, raw coconut oil, etc.), some herbs and spices, and perhaps even some honey and/or eggs, to continue on a not-as-simple, but still Good for You – Naturally!™ lifestyle of eating.

Big government continues to legislate our diet, dictating our choices in food, more and more NOT for our health and benefit. And I just can’t keep up with it all. Too many laws! And many, like this one, not required to be labeled as such.

This one has evidently been on the books for almost a year, and took effect in Sept. But I am just learning about it.

The raw almonds I now buy aren’t really raw.

In January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced  that virtually all almonds would have to be pasteurized as of September 1. This new rule was a result of Salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004 that were traced back to raw almonds. – San Fransico Gate

As I’ve reported previously, not only are you losing yet another healthy whole food source, but that very fact is also being hidden from you through the approved use of false labeling, by allowing treated almonds to be labeled and sold as “raw.” – Dr. Joseph Mercola

I was told that the Almond Board of California will not use any heating or radiation to “pasteurize” their almonds. Instead, he [ABC CEO] explained, they will use propylene oxide in their almond “pasteurization” process. In the FDA’s “Guide to Inspections of Manufacturers of Miscellaneous Food Products,” this process is referred to as “terminal gas sterilization.”

Also, in April 2007, the FDA proposed relaxing the labeling requirements, and allowing companies to use the more palatable term "pasteurized", to describe irradiated foods, if the radiation kills germs as well as the pasteurization process does. In essence, this means that almonds may not only be pasteurized, but irradiated. Apparently the term “pasteurized” is an OK substitute for “terminal gas sterilization” as well. If the FDA gets its way, as long as the food looks and smells normal, chances are better than good you won’t ever know whether that specific food has been "nuked,” or “terminally gassed,” or not. – Dr. Joseph Mercola

Propylene oxide is a highly toxic flammable chemical compound. It was once used as a racing fuel, but that usage is now prohibited under the US National Hot Rod rules for safety reasons. It is also used in thermobaric weapons. It is an epoxide. – Wikipedia

Here’s the "good news"?  Thanks be to God, there is a loophole which allows the producer to sell directly to the end consumer. So now you must look for "unpasteurized" on the label, not just "raw".

Here are 3 links for sources that are NOT "pasteurizing" their almonds, and are selling direct to end customers. Check them out. The prices may seem high, almonds seem expensive, but they are a nutrition packed food, and these prices are cheaper than from my food co-op/buying club. Organic almonds cost about double non-organic. Only you can determine whether to invest in the extra cost. Organic is definitely better. (I’ll write more on that another day.)

http://www.almonds-from-california.com/cgi-bin/ppcart/ppcart.pl?cat&californiaalmonds

http://organicpastures.com/shop.html

http://www.realrawfood.com/wholesale-raw-nuts.htm#almonds

“Give us this day our daily bread”

What’s the best place to start for a family that is not ready to “go all the way” with nutrition? Well, I still believe the most important thing you can do is begin to increase your consumption of fresh, raw fruits and veggies. And continue to work at increasing that more and more.

But, one of the greatest changes you can make beyond that, that will make SO much difference, is making Daily Bread. Aside from expensive “health food” brands found only in the freezer of the health food store, and most likely drying out, and most certainly very expensive, you will not be able to find a good whole grain bread – and we Americans like our baked grain products.

I guess if you are blessed enough to live near a health food store that makes their own or buys “homemade” whole grain, Good for You – Naturally! type breads fresh locally, that might be an option too. But again, they will be expensive and you probably won’t be able to find ALL the bread products you want to use.

Making Daily Bread in the home is such a blessing for our families, for our health, for our finances, and for bringing this important aspect of life back into the home. Modern Maidservants make it SO easy and it takes very little time, AND they pay for themselves in a very short time.

You may be shocked to find out how fresh, wonderful, and delicious (in addition to how awesomely good for you) baked goods made with fresh ground flour are. It may also utterly surprise you how FAST and EASY it is to make homemade fresh 100% wholegrain bread. Your work can be over in 15-20 minutes after you enter your kitchen. And if you don’t have 15 minutes all at once you can even break that down into 2-3 5-10 minute sections. And even then you aren’t doing much work yourself. Your machines are! You simply measure, pour, shape the loaves, and prepare the pans.

Perhaps using a bread (baking) machine may be a bit faster for you, but it won’t turn out a wonderfully, perfect loaf near as fast – let alone up to 6 loaves. My quick and easy method can turn out 6 traditional loaves in about 1 and half hours. My bread (baking) machine turns out 1 funny shaped loaf, that may or may not be great in 4 hours. Of course, if you want to mill your whole grain flour and put it and our recommended Good for You – Naturally! ingredients in your bread (baking) machine, you are free to do that too. I just think this is a better way, and so much more versatile and cost effective!

But the greatest thing is these machines will pay for themselves in very little time. They are time savers, money savers, and health savers.

Watch for my complete workshop on Daily Bread to be available through online delivery soon!

I’m glad we’re back to making our own bread every time here. We’d gotten lazy and were buying it sometimes – a 100% Natural Stoneground Whole Wheat, of course. (Like it’s the real thing – yeah sure.)

Anyhow, I just came across this – containing the brand we’d bought at times. I’ve deleted out the 20-some other products listed, for the sake of space. Hmm, how I ever missed hearing about it at the time.

PRODUCT
A) Whole Wheat Bread; freshly baked bread packaged in poly-film plastic bags under the following labels:
….
c) EarthGrains 100% Natural Whole Wheat 100% Stone Ground Bakery Bread, Net Wt 24 oz, EarthGrains Baking Companies, Inc., UPC 0 50400 72746 5;
….
CODE
Best If Purchased By JUL 25 07 222 through AUG 7 07 222
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
Recalling Firm: Sara Lee Food and Beverage, Downers Grove, IL, by e-mail on July 25, 2007 and by press release and telephone on July 26, 2007 followed by electronic notification.
Manufacturer: Sara Lee Bakery Group, Inc., Meridian, MS. Firm initiated recall is complete.
REASON
The bread products may contain metal fragments.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
286, 478 loaves
DISTRIBUTION
MS, AL, AK, MO, GA, TN, LA, and FL

The recall is "complete" but who knows how many loaves reached consumer’s stomachs. 286.5 thousand loaves is a lot of bread to affect a lot of people.

But what we don’t know won’t hurt us right? Yeah sure.

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People are a curious sort – not saying that is wrong at all! But who’d ever guess that anyone would want to know what we eat. 🙂

Here’s the answer.

We drink a glass of fresh, raw fruit juice in the morning – usually apple combined with something. Then a half hour or so later and throughout the rest of the morning as much fresh fruit as they’d like. If we’re running low on fresh fruit, they can eat no-additives-added dried fruit. (Sometimes we – or at least the children – may have a whole grain cereal or pancakes/bagels/muffins later.)

Lunch is generally a raw vegetable salad, with a handful of raw nuts (generally as many as they’d like). Sometimes we may have crackers, muffins, or bread, or even a light soup with this, especially in the winter. Or perhaps even homemade refrieds and tortillas with our salad and fresh raw salsa. Sometimes a fruit salad and then pancakes or waffles. (Can you tell it’s COLD here, and our amounts of cooked foods goes up when it is cold out?)

Afternoon eating is usually fresh vegetable sticks, or more fruit, perhaps with nut butter (especially if we didn’t have nuts at lunch). Maybe some nuts, seeds or dried fruit (dried bananas quite a bit this past week). I like to include a fresh vegetable juice in the afternoon, but I’m more faithful about it than my children are. Occasionally, we may have home made Good for You – Naturally!™ baked snacks, such as cookies.

Supper is usually a large raw vegetable salad, and then a cooked main dish and steamed vegetables. Our cooked main dishes are usually based on vegetables, pastas, whole grains, potatoes, or beans, and such. We eat pretty typical American foods – well, American Italian and Mexican mostly, but made with Good for You – Naturally!™ ingredients.

We may have an evening snack, depending on when we eat supper, and what we have. It may be fresh fruit – again, Good for You – Naturally!™ baked goods, or perhaps even soy ice cream occasionally.

I just keep the home filled with fresh fruits and veggies, dried fruits, raw nuts and seeds, and we can always find something to eat (if not always a typical "meal" to cook.)

I know I’m a month early for such a title, but actually I’m talking about this year’s goals. And I could use some prayer support in this area over the next few weeks.

In reviewing some of the goals I wrote at the beginning of the year, I was reminded that one of them was to update and reformat our Good for You – Naturally!™ Exclusives recipe books. I completed my first goal of a 7 week blog series on Good for You – Naturally! but never got back to this one (the recipe books) when lesson planning and some Lifestyle Education through Discipleship™ resources took precedence.

This fall I’ve been able to turn my attention back to this project, hoping to at least get a start on it before the year ends. As is typical for me, the vision and project has grown – really just become more clear as to what I want to do/believe God would have me to do – and it will no doubt be a long term project. But I think it is one that will be a big blessing for many of you.

Many years ago (12-15) a grandfatherly man who had the stall next to me at Farmer’s Market, and was our egg man, exhorted me, "You’ve got to teach these younger women to cook.  They don’t know how to cook anymore. No one is teaching them." I was selling whole wheat breads and other baked goods, and Good for You – Naturally!™ mixes at the Farmer’s Market. He didn’t know that I had a heart to do just that. I was selling wheat grinders and bread mixers, but my demonstrations went beyond that to teaching whole foods nutrition. And I had written a couple of simple cookbooks – before widespread use of computers, that were typed, cut and pasted booklets.

The new Freedom & Simplicity™ in the Kitchen series of Good for You – Naturally!™ Exclusives will include several recipe and food preparation instruction books. Like my original cookbooks, these will be focused on a single area each. But the selection will be greatly expanded. I’d really like to give you comprehensive help in the kitchen from the time you get up to the time you go to bed.

These books will be great resources for whole foods cooking and living foods preparation for families. They will include simple, family fare that keeps the budget in mind. These are recipes, meals, and menu plans that will please the "spaghetti and tacos" crowd.   No focus on exotic or "weird" foods – though some may not be completely familiar to you if you are used to buying all prepackaged foods – just fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds (including whole grains and legumes).

I am working on gathering all my recipes together (again) and working out the steps. Much of how I prepare food is in my head, or scratched out loosely on cards. Preparation steps and sometimes even exact amounts need to be clarified so you can duplicate Good for You – Naturally!™ foods in your kitchen. But most of all I want to help you learn to create Good for You – Naturally!™ foods that your family will love. Food ingredient choices, preparation techniques, options and adjustments you can make to suit the recipe to your family – these are just a few of the things I will be sharing with you.

So whenever you think of or eat food and Father God brings me to your mind, beseech Him for me to grant grace, wisdom, and time to work on this project.

Thanks!