18. Summary

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul.”  

3 John 1:2

We have been studying nutrition. "You are what you eat" is quite true. Garbage in-garbage out as they say. Let's go over what we have studied:

• Eat five or more servings per day of fruit and veggies. (Remember a serving is what you can comfortably hold in one hand) Nine is best. This gives you the vitamins you need to function right. Your body can't do the work it needs to do without the right tools and vitamins are those tools.

I plan when I eat each; one fruit with breakfast, one veggie with lunch, a fruit snack in the evening, and one of each with supper. If I just say "I will eat more fruit." I won't do it. I have to plan it into my menu.

Now, "fruit with breakfast" can be a banana, a glass of orange juice, a handful of raisins in my cereal, or any other way I can think of.

"Veggies with lunch" means carrot sticks, a side salad, or even veggie soup.

It takes a while to get in the habit of doing this, so go easy on yourself. Plan them into your menu when you shop. Prepare your fruit for breakfast the night before and do the best you can to remember it.

If you do forget, though, don't kick yourself. Just do better tomorrow. It takes four to six weeks to form a new habit, so give yourself that time.

• Eat four or more servings (what you can hold in two hands or one slice of bread or a muffin) of whole grains per day. This is getting easier and easier. More companies are making their products with whole grain. After all, unhealthy customers die and dead people don't spend much money on food.

Read lots of labels. Of course, anything you can make by scratch will be healthier still.

Again, plan it in; one whole grain for breakfast, one or two for lunch, and two for supper. Remember that whole grains have vitamins, minerals and fiber just like fruits and veggies do. They are different vitamins, though, so you need both.

Ideas for whole grains:

• popcorn, 
• whole wheat bread (make sure the label says 100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain), 
• oatmeal, 
• whole grain muffins, 
• brown rice, 
• raisin bran, or 
• toasted wheat berries (grain) on your salad. 

Keep your eyes open and get creative.

• You need about three servings per day of protein; one for each meal. A serving of protein is the size of your palm. Your body doesn't store protein so you need to replenish it on a regular schedule. Proteins have the essential amino acids your body needs to build and maintain muscle, including your heart muscle.

I eat one serving at each meal plus an extra one in the middle of my homeschool day to keep my brain working right. Proteins are:

• milk, 
• cheese, 
• yogurt, 
• meat (beef, lamb, pork, chicken, fish, turkey, deer, rabbit, etc.) 
• nuts, 
• legumes (beans), or 
• eggs (a good gift from God, remember). 
• Soy beans are high in protein and almost all the amino acids you need.

• A minimum of two servings of high calcium foods is necessary to maintain bone density. These can be: 
• dairy products (one hands- worth), 
• dark green leafy veggies (spinach, Dandelion- two hands worth), or 
• fish bone soup. 

Other ways to make sure your bones are thick enough to not break are to engage in weight-bearing exercises and don't drink sodas. Exercise adds layers to your bones and sodas remove them.

• One serving of high quality fat (such as butter or fresh nuts) is essential to your good health. You need the fat soluble vitamins from these products. 

Avoid man-made fats such as margarine, shortening, and hydrogenated veggie oil. These will poison your system and cause heart disease.

A serving of fat is the size of your thumb, about a tablespoon.

• Don't eat whites: sugar, bread, or fat. These are all highly processed and far removed from God's original design. (Cauliflower, white pumpkin, white squash, and any other white fruits and veggies don't count as "whites" despite their colors. Put them in the fruits and veggies class.)

• Exercise more today than you did yesterday.

Or to put all this in an easy to remember format:

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, blast off.

Five-nine servings of fruits and veggies per day.

Four+ servings of whole grains.

Three servings of protein.

Two+ servings of high calcium foods.

One serving of HIGH QUALITY fat.

Zero white things.

And blast that energy out of your system through exercise.



We can do more for God when we feel better and we feel better when we take care of ourselves.

Our bodies are a very special gift God has given us and we are responsible to care for them properly. Here is hoping you are all healthier.

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19

 

Dear Readers

Be cause of on-going research in the fields of nutrition and health, I am constantly learning more about God’s marvelous creation. In order to keep you updated, I have opened this blog. Please feel free to check in.

I also have a blog at betty.tracyent.com and am on facebook. Please look me up. I would love to hear from you!

God Bless

Betty Sue Tracy