Making Healthier Choices
by Mary Louise;Town Jaqua, Hallelujah Acres' Health Minister
2/8/11Improving one's quality of life is not only a noble
pursuit but is an invigorating experience! It is a
progressive journey that is filled with many wonderful
discoveries, the best of which is ultimate health!Many Americans are sick and tired of being sick
and tired. They are sick and tired of living with health
problems that don't go away. Medical science has
not provided the answer to their ills nor have many
'alternative' health modalities met their needs. While
many are giving up on their health problems with
frustration and anguish, others are happily finding
that there is a better way to solve their health woes.
They are discovering the natural, healing power of
living foods!Yes, living foods are the key to ultimate health.
It is remarkable but true that given the right food,
the body will heal itself! Got cancer, got heart
disease, got diabetes, got fibromyalgia, got ADD,
got kidney problems, got excess weight, what
health problems have you got? Start eating living
foods and let the healing begin! Pull yourself out
of the pit of physical distress by making healthier
lifestyle choices!When it comes to health issues, diet is the bottom
line. We are what we eat. Furthermore, we are what
we absorb! Whether we are aware or not, quality of
life is directly related to what we put into our mouths
each day. A poor diet results in poor health, whereas
a healthy diet builds a healthy body. What, then, are
we to eat? We must educate ourselves to know what
is food and what is not. Discerning the difference is
a matter of life and death!Defining diet
While many claim to be authorities on diet, the final
and only true authority on any matter, including diet,
is our Creator, YHVH Almighy. As it turns out, in the
beginning He instructed man what to eat:And YHVH said, Behold, I have given
you every herb bearing seed, which is
upon the face of all the earth, and every
tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree
yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat
(food). - Genesis 1:29Herb-bearing seeds of the ground and tree
translates into fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and
whole grains. Thus, YHVH put man on a plant-based
diet so that all of his nutritional needs would be met.
Notice that He did not mention cooking them! That
is because only raw, living foods, contain the building
blocks necessary for the body's wellbeing: live vitamins,
minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, oxygen, naturally
distilled water, phytonutrients, chlorophyll, and more.
When living foods are cooked, they lose most, if not
all of their nutritional value. History proves that as
man's diet departed more and more from eating
wholesome, living foods and began eating cooked,
animal-based foods, he reaped the curse of
increasing sickness, pain, disease, and death.
Thus we see that thousands of years later, today's
Standard American Diet of processed, manufactured,
cooked, animal-based foods is shown to be the
leading cause of most health problems.
Sadly, most Americans are eating themselves
into the grave. This should not be. We need to do
better for ourselves lest in our ignorance, stupidity,
and disobedience to YHVH the human race becomes
extinct! It is time now to amend our ways!Choosing life
Improving one's quality of life begins with diet.
Allowing for the simple fact that eating habits
determine personal health, making healthier choices
on a daily basis is imperative for one's overall wellbeing
and longevity. Changing the course of one's diet can
be an immediate or gradual venture, depending upon
the individual. Taking small, steady steps as opposed
to giant steps or leaps is entirely acceptable. However,
in the case of serious or life-threatening illness, imple-
menting immediate change is recommended. Use the
following guidelines to chart your course toward
ultimate health:
Instead of: Choose: Vegetables that are canned, fried (especially deep fried), corn and potato chips Raw vegetables in salads,
smoothies, raw soups
Canned and sweetened
fruit, non-organic raisinsFresh raw and unsulfered, dried fruit White flour products, hull-less
grains (pasta, crackers, snack foods, white rice, cold cereals, etc.)Whole grain cereals, bread
(preferably sourdough), muffins,
pasta, brown rice, millet, quinoa
Hot dogs, bacon, sausage,
liver, luncheon meats, fishHandful of soaked, raw nuts or
seedsMilk, cheese, eggs, ice cream, whipped toppings, non-dairy creamers Non-dairy/soy-less milks (i.e. rice,
hemp, almond milk), nut 'cheeses,'
coconut butterCoffee, tea, cocoa, sodas,
carbonated drinks, canned
juices, artificial fruit drinks
(kool-aid, gateraid, etc.),
alcoholic beveragesHerb teas, cereal coffees, organic
bottled juicesRoasted and/or salted seeds and nuts, peanuts and peanut butter Raw nuts, nut butters, and seeds in limited quantities Lard, shortenings, margarine, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils Cold-pressed, unrefined hemp, flax, safflower, sunflower, and extra virgin olive oils Canned, packaged, and creamed soups Soups made from scratch without
fat stock or saltRefined, white or brown sugars, syrups, chocolate,
candy, gum, cake, cookies, donuts, pies, etc.Raw, unfiltered honey, rice syrups unsulfured molasses, carob, pure maple syrup, date sugar (all in limited quanitities. Table salt, black pepper, artificial flavorings/seasonings (MSG, etc.) Fresh or dried herbs, garlic, mineral salt (celtic, Himalayan living crystal salt ), cayenne pepper, jalapeno pepper Tap or bottled water Filtered, (fresh) spring, well, or distilled water (distilled water should not be consumed on a steady basis) Healthy strategies
Replacing harmful foods with healthy foods can
sometimes seem overwhelming. Nevertheless,
simplifying the process is often the best strategy.
For peace of mind and ease of operation, eliminate
one harmful food from your diet at a time. Substitute
healthier foods as mentioned in the guidelines above.
Fill the 'void' of non-foods with foods that appeal to
your personal taste. Keep your interest in healthier
eating by introducing one new food into your diet
at a time. You will be surprised how many varieties
of fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and whole grains
exist! Truly YHVH Almighty had our best interest
at heart when He custom made a host of delicious
foods to not only nourish our bodies but to please
our taste as well!Celebrate your new, living foods lifestyle by letting
your body tell you what it wants. Given a chance,
your body will naturally gravitate to the foods that
it needs. Conventional meals evolve into new
eating habits as the body balances itself, correcting
what needs to be corrected and repairs what
damage it may have incurred through previous diet
and lifestyle abuse.Introducing fresh, raw vegetable and fruit juices into
the diet optimizes the body's nutritional intake. The
better the body is fed, the better the body will feel
and perform. Testimonies prove that given only a
few days on the Hallelujah Diet, energy levels shoot
through the roof! Living foods are the life force that
fuel the body toward ultimate health!Incorporating green smoothies into one's diet is
another excellent approach to optimum nutrition.
Dark, leafy greens such as kale, collards, chard,
beet greens, etc. are nutritionally-dense foods
that are rich in life-giving, healing chlorophyll.
Healthy greens are the building blocks of superior
health. Take advantage of mineral-rich greens
by making morning smoothies. They are a healthier
alternative to a conventional, non-food breakfast.
As much as possible, solve your daily food intake
by making healthier choices.As the body recharges and revitalizes itself
through an improved diet, you will be surprised
how easy the process and how much better you
feel. With consistent effort to make healthier choices,
many people remark that they are experiencing a
quality of wellbeing that they never knew existed!
Additional considerations
Apart from diet, additional factors exist that help
determine personal health. These factors include:
whether we exercise or not, what we use for
personal care and household products, what
quality of air that we breathe, the quality of water
that we drink, the quality of food that we buy, the
clothes that we wear, etc. Furthermore, our well
being is shaped by our attitudes, emotions, and
relationships. Thus, if we want to improve the
quality of our lives, a complete lifestyle overhaul is
sometimes required. While the task may appear
daunting, it is comforting to know that making
healthier choices is a process. Life is a work in
progress. Learning to live well takes time. Thus
it is best not to force or chide ourselves in making
healthier choices. Instead, relax and enjoy the
process!
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References and resources:
God's Way to Ultimate Health- George Malkmus
Recipes for Life from God's Garden- Rhonda
Malkmus
Green for Life- Victoria Boutenko