Vitamin E--Friend or Foe?

Some studies I saw recently said it could be harmful. Of course other studies show how great it is. Why do the experts not seem to agree? Is it b/c it's so complicated? Actually, I think it has much to do with the way vitamins are made in general. Very few companies actually test the products the labs make for them and many labs are careless. They don't always use high quality ingredients. They also make many different products with the same machines, so the products are contaminated from other products or harsh cleaners. And then there's the fact that God didn't make vitamins in isolation, but as a part of the whole.

So, overall, whole foods are always a better choice. And don't forget that organic products have been shown to contain more vitamins than typical supermarket food. So, I suggest spending your money on organic food and forgetting your multi-vitamin--if it comes down to choosing.

But we live in an unhealthy world and sometimes need a boost of some product. In this case, I think it's worth every penny to get a high quality brand. From the testing that I've seen to companies I trust are RBC and Young Living (both sold thru distributors--one day I may sign up and sell these myself!) From the store, I like Garden of Life, as Jordan Rubin believes in whole foods as well.

So, while I have used Vitamin E as a replacement for Advil for cramps, I've now switched to Primrose Oil (don't worry--it comes in a capsule). Both products work well, but Primrose oil is in a more natural state, so I choose it.

So, next time you see a study on vitamins, remember, the effectiveness of the vitamin is strongly influenced by the quality of the product used. And then make sure you are eating a healthy diet full of vitamins!

Water--it does the body good!

I've been drinking 2 glasses (4 c.) of water in the morning as I mentioned a while back. It's called the Japanese water cure. Actually, one of the glasses has apple cider vinegar and honey in it too.


My response to it: Wow! I can tell my body is flushing out (talk about being regular...) It think it affects the way I feel in general, too.

Some say you shouldn't drink too much water at once, and I do see that spreading out the drinking has some general advantages, but my experience says drinking the glasses in the morning works.

I also drink my water room temperature--it's less work for the body which has to maintain it's temperature--unless you are out in heat or something.


I was reading recently on Dr. Mercola that distilled is really not good for you. I've heard both side of the argument, but I was finally convinced. I saw the molecular picture of distilled water vs. regular water and they were not the same. So distilled water is altered and it also is bad for your body's ph levels. BUT don't worry about a glass--it's the habit that matters.


Ok, so to drink healthy water you have to carry it with you. Which leads to...."What kind of bottle?" Personally, I use glass. :) We buy our Kombucha (as opposed to making it) in 16 oz bottles, which are perfect to clean and refill and take along. Now, you might worry about it breaking, but the other day I actually dropped one, while standing on to concrete and it showed no sign of damage! That's thick glass for ya! One thing I really like about the glass bottles is we have many of them, so I can fill them all up and just grab one when I'm ready to go.

Of course, you can also go with stainless steel if you prefer. It's recently be brought up on a forum I'm on that Nalgene bottles are not healthy after all. But think about it--even before the tests came to light. Plastic is a mixture of chemicals. Not a great thing for your food or water. And sometimes the water tastes plastic-y b/c it probably is! Metal and glass have been around for ages, so they are the "safer" choice. But do skip the aluminum, which is linked to Alzheimer's.

Especially with summer coming up, make sure you give your body the water it needs.

Why did God make Pigs if we are not supposed to Eat them?

A friend ask me if I had thoughts on this the other day. And yes I surely do, but first let's talk again about catfish.

Why do people buy catfish for their fish tanks? Because somebody has to keep the tank clean. And God created a fish to do it. And he created shellfish to be a natural water filter. Pretty cool, huh? I call catfish "the janitor fish."

So, my idea is that God also created pigs to be the clean-up crew on land--or maybe the barn-yard. After all, they do eat "slops". But no way I'm going to be choosing to eat the barnyard janitor or the janitor fish! Would you eat a rat?

I think one reason we don't get this is our Bible translation. "Unclean" is not a word. "Dirty" or "filthy" would be the correct English translation for the foods like pork. I mean would your old English teacher except a paper that said "My socks were unclean b/c I stepped in the mud."

But instead, someone choose/created a word that we don't use and so it sound like some deep spiritual concept, when I think God really meant--"hey these foods are dirty--don't eat them. Oh, and wash your hands if they are dirty and don't go touching dead things--and then you won't get all the sicknesses the other guys have." I'm not a Bible scholar and don't speak Hebrew, but this is just my personal lose translation of parts of Levitcus. Why do we make it so complex and then throw it out as not relevant? Then we eat what ever diet some expert tells us to eat, usually based on a study funded to promote a product or industry.

Now, to take it a step further, why do we have bad bacteria, viruses, and germs? Well, I believe these bacteria are to mini janitors. They decompose waste and dead things. Unfortunately, when part of our insides get a little "dead" these critters start decomposing us before our time. If we had strong bodies, we would be left alone by most bacteria. One purpose of good bacteria (like acidophilus) is to protect us from bad bacteria. But we live in an imperfect world and unhealthy culture, so few of us are strong enough to keep bad bacteria away. But I have hope that my children and grandchildren will have stronger bodies than me!

Every created thing has a place. But not all of them belong in our body!

Fast Food = Fake Food

My husband offered me a bite of his Sonic Shake the other day (which he bought to be social). It's been years since I've had a Sonic shake (3 years of eating healthy and another 2.5 living where there was no Sonic.) In my memory, it was something very yummy. So, I decided I would take just a bite to try it--a small bite. I couldn't believe the results.

First, it tasted good for about 1 second--it tasted sweet. After that, it didn't even pass for good! The banana flavor was totally fake, the texture poor, and generally, I could tell it was fake food. I didn't use an ounce of self-control to say I don't want any more. Quite a bit went in the trash.

Then, about 5 minutes later, I noticed my stomach didn't feel good. A couple more minutes go by and my head starts to hurt. None of this is overpowering--but folks this was one bite. Sure, my body is not in great condition, but that was not food!!! One of my daughters tried it and didn't like it either! And she loves ice cream. Of course the preschooler, didn't mind--but I think she's just not old enough to tell.

Ok, now I'm sure someone will point out that Sonic's shakes are not that good and try to convince me if I got a shake from this restaurant or this food at Sonic, it would be different. BUT my point is that until I started eating whole foods, I couldn't taste the difference. But now that I've given my body a chance to experience real food, I can trust my intuition on what food I need and what's no good for me.

And even better, this was a great lesson for my daughter on why we don't eat all this "yummy"- looking food. Next time some fast food restaurant advertising hooks her, I'll just tell her it's probably just like that shake.

Start to think about what passes for food. I really think there are a lot of people in this country who are consuming very little real food. No wonder we have a health crisis. Even their meat and vegetables are full of chemical (pesticides, antibiotics, preservatives) and may even be genetically-modified.

So, my challenge for you this week is simple--try to eat more food--that is food the way it was created!