It's just our nature to want to blame someone or something else, rather than own up and take control of the situation ourselves.  We all like to have a pity party and bask in our misery, especially if we think that the bad situation is out of our control.   It's somewhat comforting though, knowing that it's not our fault, and especially when a doctor says this to us and tells us that it's not our fault.  Just "go slap your mother," was the advice given to me by a doctor many years ago when referring to a health problem I was faced with.    Maybe it didn't help the situation I was in, but at least it let me know it wasn't my fault.  But wasn't it?

 I'm talking about genetics.  Back then, I just gave in to the seemingly scientific fact that we all are predestined to doom or delight when it comes to our health, depending on the genetic hand that was dealt to us.  But with new research now after over 50 years since Francis Watson and James Crick first proposed their model for DNA and genetics, we can take this matter of doom or delight into our own hands when it comes to our health.  I know, I know, I hear you say, "well, we all still die, 10 out of 10 people die."  Yes, you are right.  We will never defeat death in this perishable body on this earth, but while we are here, we can sure put up a good fight, and we can possibly save ourselves from living out our days on a bed of ill health.  I believe our bodies are God's temple where the Holy Spirit dwells, and we need to care for it as much as we can.  

Now don't go slap your mother.  I'm about to tell you about new research that points to the fact that our genetic tendencies are not set in stone, that they can be influenced by the choices we make.  It's really hard for me to believe that we can alter our propensity toward a certain disease by the foods we eat, but that's what new research is trying to say.  

Take a look at these two words and the meanings given to them:

          Nature:  The inner blueprint that has its own rules and regulations
          Nurture:  Everything you do, like eating, sleeping, working, exercising, learning, environmental exposure (the sum total of it all).

It's not an all or nothing kind of thing, it's not all nature or all nurture when it comes to our health or lack of.
What would be the first thing you would think of if given the word from your doctor that you have heart disease or cancer?   Your first thought would probably be that of wondering if this is something that is genetic, that you couldn't possibly have done anything about it (nature), or is it caused by the way you are doing things (nurture).

New research is indicating that what we inherit (nature) is only a genetic potential or tendency, but how we live and the quality of our environment (nurture) determines what our genes actually express.  For instance, you may inherit a tendency for heart disease or cancer, but these diseases may only be expressed depending on how you live, eat, and the toxins you may be exposed to.  You may never develop that heart disease or cancer if you don't smoke, and you do exercise, eat right and avoid toxins as much as you can.

Now isn't that good news!  You don't have to slap your mother, and she doesn't have to slap her mother, but both of you can work on nurturing your body for the sake of good health.  To get you started, I have listed a few simple steps to work on:

1.  Avoid as many contaminants as you can:  pesticides (go organic if possible), heavy metals (cook in stainless steel, cast iron (see comments below about cast iron), glass, or porcelain cookware instead of aluminum), plastic packaging (especially in the microwave), cosmetics or anything you are putting on your skin that contains toxins.  The skin is our largest organ and can definitely absorb chemicals we put on it.  

2.  Avoid as many processed foods and sugar as possible:   Think about what kinds of foods the Pilgrims must have eaten when they landed here in America and try to avoid foods that they would not recognize.  Would they have eaten Twinkies, Fruit Loops Cereal, Ramen Noodles, Hamburger Helper?  No, but they would eat whole foods like vegetables and fruits, wild game, or sea foods.  

3.  Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of filtered water, broths, soups, and herbal tea

4.  Get plenty of sleep

5.  Exercise regularly but do not overdo it.

6.  Eat a diverse array of foods with many colors.  Learn what factors influence the nutrients in our foods.

May God bless your efforts to be healthy.

Reference:
Mateljan, George. (2007). The World's Healthiest Foods. (1st Edition). Canada: GMF Publishing

Since I have changed my eating habits over the last 3 years, it is hard for me to tell now if others like what I like, since my taste buds have changed, preferring healthier choices.  So I informed  the class that they probably wouldn't like the taste if they were new to green drinks, but much to my surprise, they all enjoyed it and requested that I post this, so that they could have the directions.  So this is for you, class, and for anyone else who may be interested.  My husband and I have had this drink everyday for a few months now, however, I must say that it is very important to change up the greens that you use from day to day or week to week.  Remember that same food = same nutrition, so by changing up the contents, your body will have a greater diversity of nutrients available for use.  Also, I believe that organic foods contain a greater quantity of nutrients due to better soil conditions, plus the omission of toxic additional chemicals.  So take these factors into consideration.

I can't say enough about my  Vita-Mix blender.  When you use it like I do, it pays to have one that will really make a lot more smoother texture than most blenders.  Texture has a lot to do with whether a drink is palatable or not.  
Take your blender container and just start adding ingredients.  I start with adding the greens which can include anything of your choice.  Some of my favorites are:  spinach, kale, broccoli, pre-washed spring mix, red or green leaf romaine, and bok choy.  Here's a tip for you:  Greens (or any plant food loses nutrients the longer they are stored, so maybe you want to focus on just one green per week using it up in your drinks and then choosing another one for the next week.  Pictured here is spinach.

Next to the container, I add a couple tablespoons (for two people) of a mixture of seeds that I keep in a jar in my refrigerator. 
This helps save time, since I do not have to get out all bags of seed and open each one.  So my seed mixture in this jar contains 1/3 each of organic flax seed, organic hemp hearts, and organic chia seed.  Another time saver:  Just leave that little measuring spoon (if you have an extra to spare) right inside the jar; no need to try and find it every day, since it is right there in the jar.  If you do not have a strong Vita-Mix blender, then you may need to use a coffee grinder and pre-grind these seeds before adding to your container.  The Vita-Mix is strong enough to blend them without pre-grinding.

Next to my container, I add a scoop of each of the products pictured.  I love these products and highly recommend them.  I use one scoop each of Renewal Greens, Resveratol Reds, Vegan Protein (pea), and Clear Response.  These powders include some stevia as a sweetener, but they are really sweet due to the whole foods that they contain, which is a wide variety of vegetables and fruits.  Because of this, I do not need to add fruits to my drink, since these nutritious powders supply all the sweetness needed, plus a little vanilla flavoring to boot.  Now this is where I get really excited, because I have learned that everybody is different and will require a different approach to stabilizing and optimizing their health.  So, if you have gastric problems or leaky gut, then let's make one of the powders, "GI Response or GI Support."  If you need help with tension, then you might want to add "Tension Relief," and there are many other targeted functional foods all from this same whole foods company called Innate Response.  I have made some great tasting ice pops for kids using the Resvertol Reds.  Contact me if you are interested in purchasing these nutritious functional foods.

Now here is the next ingredient that I add, but you could also add Rice or Almond milk or milk kefir.  I choose coconut milk and especially this brand, since it is the best tasting brand I have found.  It comes in either a liter or and 8 1/2 oz tetra box.  If you live in Auburn, I have seen it at the Asian Market in the small boxes (at the time of this post).   I have also ordered this fromImportFoods.com.  They have a good price.   This particular brand has a very pleasant sweet taste and I like it because it is not in a can.  So to the container, I will add about 1 cup. 
 Really all these ingredients and amounts can be changed to your liking.

Here is a way to sneak in some of that powerful antioxidant, vitamin C.  I just take a capsule, open it up, and add it to the container.  I love Pure Encapsulations brand since they are committed to purity and they are a science-based nutrition supplement company.  I use and recommend Pure Encapsulations.  I have chosen a few of their products that I or my family personally uses and I have listed them under "Provider Picks" on my Pure Encapsulations website

Finally, a cup or two of crushed ice will be added to make a cold drink.  Also, add about 2 cups of filtered water.  Now it is ready to be blended and the results will be a perfectly healthy drink as pictured at the beginning of this post.

I hope you enjoy making these healthy green drinks, and please contact me for more information.

 From the beginning God told Adam and Eve to eat the green plants that He gave them as food.   That's proof enough for me that there is goodness in them.                                   God made these CREATED4YOUFOODS, so enjoy them!

 The Auburn Parks and Recreation Building in Auburn, Alabama was the location of my third nutrition class in a series.  As class members arrived, we participated in a review discussion of the many ways that we have experienced a decline in nutrients over the years.  There are many factors involved,  from the soils of today not as rich as they once were, down to the fact that every person is different in the way they absorb or not absorb nutrients.  

As is the case with all  my classes, I treated the students to a different variety of herbal tea and some kind of snack.  The snacks were homemade barley crackers and a seed and nut trail mix.

The main topic of this class was centered around "sugar" and its impact on our lives.  We discussed the make-up of molecules of  sugar and learned that not all sugars are metabolized the same, with some being more deleterious to our health than others.  Of particular concern was the fact that a certain sugar can have the same effect on our liver as those people who have alcoholic fatty liver disease.  And this leads to a broad range of modern health problems.

 Not to be left without hope, however, a plan of action was discussed, and handout materials encouraged us all in setting forth a goal to bring about success, one step at a time.  I'd like to thank my professor, Heidi Synder, from Hawthorn University, for her "Sugar Awareness and Elimination" project  hand-out download that included three different plans for those who wish to eliminate sugar from their diet.  

At the end of the class, I demonstrated what I usually have for lunch every day.    Check it out if you are interested.  Also, if you would like to join us for the last class on Dec. 6, 2013, check out the details here and contact me to let me know if you want to be included.