Spring is Here!

Spring

A time of new beginnings, new hopes and dreams. A time to start planting!

Time to start thinking about an exercise plan, and getting in shape for the beach this summer. I just ordered Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD and can hardly wait for it to get here. I happen to love exercising in just about any form, and I love her other workouts - really tough, but results-oriented.

Along with weight and fitness goals, why not make this a time to start a healthy new diet?

I know, there are approximately 3.2 zillion diets out there from which to choose, but may I suggest something simple, yet effective, that you can start doing right away and see immediate results?

Begin incorporating a quart of green smoothie into your diet on a daily basis, and you will be amazed at the results you get right away. In case you don't know yet what a green smoothie is, please click on the link for more info and how to make one.

All you need is a blender, some fruits (including bananas) and green leaf veggies such as kale, chard, spinach, or parsley, and water.

Basically, it's approximately 2/3 fruit and 1/3 veg, with enough water to make a smooth mixture. Containing predominately fruit, it tastes delicious, and you won't even know how healthy it is while you're drinking it!

Just taking that one step, adding green smoothies to your daily diet, will bring you so many benefits, even without changing a single other thing about your diet.

If you try it, would you let me know what results you get? I'd love to hear from you!

Not By Diet Alone....

In yesterday's article, Will a Good Diet Alone Make You Healthy? we concluded that the answer was "No".

The individual components of Exercise, Diet, Sunshine, Fresh Air, Rest/Sleep, a good Attitude - are all necessary to achieve true Health.

We like to work on the parts we are strong in, where we are comfortable, rather than the part that needs strengthening. Sort of like with a piece of music - it's much more fun to play the parts we know, than to go back and break apart the difficult passages to get them up to speed.

It takes work, but the results and the satisfaction that comes with it always make it worthwhile.

Rev. George A. Malkmus, founder of Hallelujah Acres, teaches a "Get Healthy, Stay Balanced" program, where "balanced" means that all these components are necessary.

Dr. Douglas Graham, author of the 80/10/10 Diet and a 30 year living example and teacher of the raw food diet and lifestyle, says we are only as strong as our weakest link. How true that is!

He also says that if we have one spoke in the wheel that is either too short or too long, the ride will be very bumpy. I like that analogy because it is an accurate description of what happens when we either ignore one facet, or over-emphasize another.

A lot of people in the raw food movement have found such wonderful results from radically changing their diets from the SAD (Standard American Diet) to a raw or mostly raw fruits and vegetable diet, that they tend to stay there for a really long time.

I did, too, for a few years. Then I started adding in exercise, which wasn't hard for me because I have always loved being physically active, and since my health improved so dramatically with the diet change it was even easier.

After a few more years, when my diet wasn't something I had to work so hard at anymore, I started to take seriously the importance of getting enough fresh air and sunshine. Lately I've really been paying attention to my attitude, rest and sleep.

It's an exciting journey!

We are not fragmented creatures. God created each of us with a physical body, a spirit, and emotions that encompass one very unique and special person, of infinite value.

We should treat ourselves as such.

Phyllis Towse

Health is a Matter of Choice!

Disease is not a normal part of life, nor is it a necessary part of aging. Did you know that?

It takes a lot of hard work on our part for our bodies to get sick. By the time we are diagnosed with an actual disease, years of poor health habits have been working on our bodies to break them down to the point where we are in serious condition.

There are very few true genetic diseases. All of us, however, are born with certain areas of potential physical weakness, an inherited weak genetic predisposition, a tendency toward certain physical distresses. Note that these are only possibilities, not certainties.

All that means is that if we continue to eat poorly, put off exercising, etc., when we get sick we will typically suffer in pre-determined areas. You may say, “But breast cancer runs in my family.” Does that mean that you are necessarily doomed to get breast cancer?

Thankfully, the answer is a resounding “NO!”

Unless, that is, you continue the poor health patterns that caused the other members of your family to get breast cancer.

If you really, really don’t want to get it, then you will be willing to make some radical changes in your diet, start exercising, get plenty of rest and sleep, fresh air, sunshine, and the like.

The proof of what I am saying is in the lives of many people who have done just that, and were able to beat their cancer and eliminate other diseases and ailments.

There are many people, including professional people who have discovered this truth for themselves, including Dr. Lorraine Day, who was able to heal from terminal stages of cancer by doing these things.

There are countless others with anecdotal evidence (personal testimonies) who experienced complete healing from all manner of diseases, that are a great encouragement.

There are reportedly over 3,000 studies done to date that validate the benefits of a plant-based diet, and link disease to an animal-based diet.

There are more and more medical doctors today who are standing up and speaking out for the importance of a plant-based diet. Among them are Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Dr. Doug Graham, Dr. Joseph Mercola, and many other leaders in the natural health movement.

Next time I’ll talk about specific things to eliminate from your diet.

Til then, be encouraged and take whatever steps you can today toward good health!

Phyllis Towse