Spock

Old Spock

 New Spock

I know what you're thinking...Spock?! Why is she making Spock her subject?

I'm mostly just doing it because lately I've been applying a line he's famous for in my life. (I know you Trekkies out there are saying it in your head right now!) 

Live long, and prosper.

This really is a great line the more I think about it. I'm about to have a child. A CHILD, people! This is still surreal to me and it has made me think more about my future and this little life's future a LOT. I want to live long for the sake of seeing my child grow up and get married and have children and live their life. So then began the question, "How do I live longer?" 

I think most everyone knows the answer to that, but few take the time to apply it. 

The first thing that pops into my head when I think of living a longer life is my health. Which then leads me to A. Diet and B. Exercise.  

A.

"Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates

   Wow! What a powerful statement made by the "father of western medicine". What we put into ourselves is SO, SO important I can't stress it enough. I have done so much research recently into food. All food. Fast food, processed food, fresh food, frozen food, healthy food, "healthy" food, you name it and I've probably looked into it.

I can not look at food the same way. Literately stepping out of the bubble of ignorance is hopefully the best decision I can have possibly made for the health of myself, the love of my life, and my child.

God created fruits and vegetables. He did not create McDeath's and Taco Hell. 

Did you know you are what you eat literally?

The basket of fruits and vegetables she's holding looks delicious doesn't it?! To be honest, up until a few months ago I would of preferred a cheeseburger. I had to change my view of food before I could get my taste buds to agree with me. (most everything is a mental challenge whether we realize it or not) To make myself crave that basket of fruits and vegetables I had to research. Extensively. Website after website after website. I began to want to know what was in my cereal, my bread, my taco dinner kit, my hot chocolate, my frozen dinner, my milk, my granola bar, etc. Everything that I bought I wanted to know what it was. What it REALLY was. Was that bread really 9 grain oat and loaded with fiber? 

I can't help but read labels now. Yep, I'm one of those crazy label readers you hate in the store because they're slowing the aisle traffic to stand there and read the ingredient list in their bread.

It's so worth it though. One day, I will make my own bread. That is a goal (Among many) but until I can reach that goal I will stand in the aisle until I find a bread that is non-gmo, organic, and made with wheat/grains.

By the way, if you are asking "What is non-gmo and what is a gmo anyways?" I implore you to google it. Don't be afraid to educate yourself! You only get one body and one life and I doubt life is so bad that you see no reason to extend it!

Yes I believe God is THE great physician and He can heal. I know He can, I've seen it in person. But we are giving ourselves preventable cancers and preventable diseases with the crap we eat and then we ask "Why, God?"

I have diabetes in my family, so I limit my intake of sugar. It's common sense for me now because I don't want to increase my risk of getting diabetes.  

Did you know blueberries can not only slow down but REVERSE age-related memory loss and the beginnings of Alzheimers? Amazing.

God is amazing. He knew what He was doing and we are choosing to eat overly processed foods instead of His gift to us.

Research. Everything.

A well known "healthy" granola cereal company proclaims they "are 9 whole grains on a mission." I think they fail to mention some of those 9 grains are GMO. (GMO= Genetically Modified Organism)

GMO studies are linking GMO's to cancers. (Google it.)

We are killing ourselves. Our country spends over 1 1/2 times as much as the next highest spending country when it comes to healthcare yearly.

  Are you shocked yet? I could go on but there is so much info out there on all of this so I will leave it at that.

I decided for myself and with the agreement of the love of my life to aim toward the goal of a processed-free home. I'll slowly teach myself to make things homemade if I buy them now and if I do buy them I read the ingredient list.

My philosophy on ingredients, "if I don't know what it is or can't pronounce it, don't buy it." That may mean we don't end up buying any pancake mix, and if that's the case, then I'll just go home and learn how to make it homemade if need be. This is a lifestyle change and choice for me personally and my goal was to get you thinking about your diet and your health. No matter how young or how old you are it is never to late to eat what God intended us to from the beginning. (And you can still eat that cheeseburger once in a while, just look for healthy cheeseburger options!)

Some days are a struggle for me. When I go to the supermarket and pass all these fruits and vegetables I've never touched in my life, I am intimidated by them! I still have not bought squash, haha. But I will (one day), and I will learn how to cook it in a healthy and tasty way! The other struggle is not to fall for the convenience that is there in every single aisle because I am lazy! It's a lot easier to stick a frozen dinner in the microwave than to prepare and cook a healthy, yummy meal. I've pledged to be better though, to cut the laziness away so I can live long, and prosper.

For the first time ever I bought avocados. Yesterday I looked up a guacamole recipe for them and made homemade guacamole. The husband and I put some on our grilled chicken burritos last night and it was...interesting(We are NOT guacamole eaters!) but if I eat enough of it, my taste buds will get used to it and I will be so happy about that because avocados are an amazing fruit(Yes, a fruit! Google the health benefit on these puppies!)

One day at a time. I am taking these new changes in stride, but one day at a time. I want to be the best example of how God intended us to live when my child comes. I want them to understand what real food is and why it is so important to us.

Don't be afraid to take that leap of faith for YOUR health. Now I'm not saying go out and buy avocados and make homemade guacamole, but if you do, more power to you! I had to build myself up to that point by eating a lot of other fruits and vegetables first. Even if it means just replacing those GMO potato chips with a bag of grapes to snack on at first. Everyone has to start somewhere, but the point is you are taking that step to start.

Start, so that you may live long, and prosper as well and watch your health, through eating real food and exercise - turn itself around.

The next post will be on prospering. Thanks for reading!

God bless America and our troops!