Ch-ch-changes!

Well, I knew the change was coming... and the time has now arrived for me to make some physical health and fitness changes... and the first step was taken this morning... I've booked a session with a Personal Trainer who can assist me in putting together a safe and effective fitness schedule that I can begin implementing ASAP!  

We have all heard of the benefits of physical exercise improving our quality of life, adding strength to our muscles and bones, increasing stamina, and maintaining a healthy body weight; yet physical exercise also helps lower our risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes as well. 

And being aware that exercise is only one component of overall physical health, I'm also making some adjustments in my nutrition as well.  Although I eat extremely healthily and have not had any sugar, flour or packaged foods (except plain kettle chips with sea salt...yum-mm-m) in over twenty years, I'm now ready to take that extra step in heading towards an all plant based way of eating.  Because of the way that I currently eat, this new adjustment isn't a huge jump or change, but it is a change nonetheless, and so it is important that I keep before me the benefits of taking the required steps.  

I'm thinking that the Welcoming Room of Pure Grace is the perfect Room to be devoted to overall health... spiritual health, mental health, physical health... and I look forward to sharing more with you from each of these areas in the weeks to come.

So, here is something that you may not have known... milk and yogurt are actually bad for your bones!

When I first heard the research on this last year I was shocked.  Five years ago I was at a point where I had not consumed any dairy in 15 years and yet made the decision to add organic plain yogurt to my diet as a means of gaining calcium... but here is the thing... our bodies are alkaline, dairy products such as milk and yogurt are, like all animal protein, acidic.  When we consume these foods our bodies immediately begin to try and neutralize the acid and take whatever calcium our bodies have in store to do so.

Calcium is an excellent acid neutralizer, the problem is, our bodies leech calcium from our bones and once the acid is neutralized the calcium is then flushed out in our urine!  

We are depleting the very bones that need calcium to stay strong, by ingesting yogurt and milk... and the reason that we are taking these foods is because we have been told that they are high in calcium... around 300mg per cup... but this animal protein food is acidic and harmful to our bones!

But there is an answer!  Instead of getting our calcium from acidic animal protein, why not simply make the change and begin to introduce calcium through alkaline, plant based foods?  I've written about Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa) before, but this plant based food is loaded with not only iron, potassium, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese and folate, but 1 cup of Quinoa has more calcium than 1 cup of milk!  It is also a more complete protein and it is gluten free!

We may not all be at the same place when it comes to making changes in our personal health care and fitness, but I encourage you to take a few moments and think about each aspect of your overall health and some of the improvements that you would like to see, then set small, attainable goals... drink more water today than you did yesterday, get in a 15 minute walk, grab an apple instead of a cookie, begin to value who you are and the physical body that God has entrusted to you... and remember, every step you take, no matter how small, will be a step in the right direction towards living a healthier lifestyle, to becoming a more robust, healthier, stronger and vital you!

I pray that in all respects 

you may prosper and be in good health... 

even as your soul prospers.

                                             2 John 1:1