Jennifer

 

If you notice, this blog was supposedly started by my daughter and me, and we both were going to share in authoring on it. If you also notice, I seem to be the one who mostly does all the blogging. Ah, well. 

For those who are new readers to our blog, I'll share a little of Jen's story. 

She was diagnosed at age 10 1/2 with Type 1 Diabetes. It has been a roller coaster ride ever since. In the beginning, I pretty much had to be her pancreas, but as she grew older, she took charge more and more.

Occasionally I go with her to her appointments with the endocrinologist; usually her boyfriend takes her now. Sometimes her insulin brand has to change; often her dose has to change. Now that she's into her 30s, they starting to keep a closer watch on her feet, her kidneys, her heart, her eyes, etc. We witnessed the ravages of diabetes on my father; we want to delay that as much as possible with her.

She is one of the strongest young women I know. She has to be a strong warrior in this battle against T1D.

If you want to read about the beginning of our journey, click the Type 1 Diabetes tab at the top of the page. It' will take you to a page on my old blog.

Inflamation

 

Persistent inflammation fuels most chronic diseases and is a major player in the complications of viral illnesses. If you have a chronic disease–arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, or chronic major depression, these science-validated suggestions will help you defeat inflammation and improve!

1. Adopt a well-balanced plant based diet
2. Optimize your gut health
3. Drastically reduce soft and sweetened drinks
4. Enjoy whole fruits, such as grapes, berries and cherries
5. Eat green vegetables and celery often
6. Check your vitamin B-12 level
7. Be sure your vitamin D level is normal
8. Get adequate, good quality sleep
9. Engage in moderate exercise daily
10. Develop sound mental health
11. Lose weight if obese
12. Control chronic diseases

Persistent inflammation fuels disease. Healthful lifestyle practices prevent undesirable inflammation and even help to reverse it.

(You can read more by going here.)

Heart Health

 

By the time my parents died, they each had pacemakers. My grandfather also had a pacemaker. My mother had her pacemaker, because she had AFib. My dad had had 2 or 3 heart attacks, and had several stents. With this in my family history, I know it's important for me to take care of my heart.

I'll admit, though, I haven't always been faithful in taking care of my heart, nor the rest of my body. A few years ago, I finally admitted to myself that I need to take this seriously, so I began walking regularly again. Also, a little over a year ago, I began eating as whole food plant based as possible.

What are some steps one can take to improve heart health?

1. Enjoy a well balance plant based diet
2. Keep your vitamin B-12 and vitamin D levels in the normal range
3. Restrict sugar and refined carbs
4. Regular exercise
5. Get out in the sunshine
6. Get enough quality sleep
7. Take care of your mental health

(for further reading, this article is helpful)

Granola

 

Granola seems to get a bad rap; I don't really know why. If made correctly, it is quite nutritious. For one, think "fiber!" 😉 (Read my "F" post) It is also fairly simple to make.

Homemade Granola

Dry Ingredients:

6 cups organic rolled oats

1 cup wheat germ

1 cup coconut

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup nuts

Ingredients for blending:

½ cup cold-pressed oil

½ cup warm water

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/3 cup organic brown sugar or whole cane sugar

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl:

Blend: oil, warm water, vanilla, and organic brown sugar

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix well by rubbing oats between hands. Do not squeeze or “knead” the ingredients but try to evenly coat the oats with the liquid. Food-handling gloves help!

Spread the mixture out evenly onto a large baking sheet. You may need 2 baking sheets if the ingredients are too thick on one sheet. Do not pack it down but try to keep it “light and airy”.

Bake at 250 F. degrees until brown (about 1 ½ to 2 hours). Check to see if it is browning evenly. It may need stirring.

Note: If finished granola is hard and tough, there was too much water added. You want the clumps to break apart easily but not be dry and powdery. The right temperature is important so experiment with longer, slower cooking if you aren’t satisfied with the final product. (recipe from Wildwood Health Institute)

One of my favorite ways to eat granola is with non-dairy yogurt, and blueberries. This morning, I had granola with a sliced up banana and almond milk. Delicious!

Fiber

 

(I realize the schedule for this challenge is to blog Monday through Saturday, but I am choosing to blog Sunday through Friday instead, and take my rest on the seventh-day Sabbath.)

"F" is for fiber. What is fiber? Wikipedia says: "Dietary fiber or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes." Fiber  helps regulate the body's use of sugars, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check. 

Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes. Notice, these are all plant based! There is no fiber in meat, dairy, eggs, which are animal products. 

What was the original diet that God gave man when He created this world? 

Genesis 1:29 says, And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food." NKJV

Genesis 3:17, 18 go on to say: Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:

“Cursed is the ground for your sake;

In toil you shall eat of it

All the days of your life.

18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,

And you shall eat the herb of the field. NKJV

Notice that the original diet was whole food plant based! Maybe it's still a good idea to have as great a whole food plant based diet as possible now. What say you?

Exercise

 

NEWSTART

"E" is for...you guessed it: Exercise. God created our bodies for movement. As stewards of these bodies God gave us, we should do our best to take care of them. Exercising is one important activity we can do to care for our bodies.

These days, there are all kinds of gadgets to remind us to take time for exercise. I have a Fitbit. I have it set to remind me to get 250+ steps each hour, for 8-12 hours. Some days I manage to get all my hours in; most days I don't. 😏

There are also plenty of apps for your phone to help track your exercising.

Of course, walking isn't the only exercise there is. You can swim, ride your bike, run, canoe/kayak, climb a rock wall, use the treadmill, lift weights, etc. 

This was our first (and last, so far) 5K. 

What is your favorite form of exercise? Share in the comments below.

Newstart Now

Vitamin D

 

 Vitamin D is both a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that has long been known to help the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus; both are critical for building bone. Also, laboratory studies show that vitamin D can reduce cancer cell growth, help control infections and reduce inflammation. Many of the body’s organs and tissues have receptors for vitamin D, which suggest important roles beyond bone health, and scientists are actively investigating other possible functions.

Few foods naturally contain vitamin D, though some foods are fortified with the vitamin. For most people, the best way to get enough vitamin D is taking a supplement because it is hard to eat enough through food. Vitamin D supplements are available in two forms: vitamin D2 (“ergocalciferol” or pre-vitamin D) and vitamin D3 (“cholecalciferol”). Both are also naturally occurring forms that are  produced in the presence of the sun’s ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays, hence its nickname, “the sunshine vitamin,” but D2 is produced in plants and fungi and D3 in animals, including humans. Vitamin D production in the skin is the primary natural source of vitamin D, but many people have insufficient levels because they live in places where sunlight is limited in winter, or because they have limited sun exposure due to being inside much of the time. Also, people with darker skin tend to have lower blood levels of vitamin D because the pigment (melanin) acts like a shade, reducing production of vitamin D (and also reducing damaging effects of sunlight on skin, including skin cancer). [quoted from: Harvard School of Health]

Did You Know?

Catching the sun’s rays in a sunny office or driving in a car unfortunately won’t help to obtain vitamin D as window glass completely blocks UVB ultraviolet light.

Complex Carbohydrates

 

These days there is a lot of "hype" about carbs, like carbs are an enemy to good health and weight loss. Seriously?

Let's stop a moment and consider this. Carbohydrates are the fuel for our bodies, as gasoline (or diesel) is fuel for vehicles. We need the energy that carbs provide.

Now, there is a difference in the types of carbohydrates. The healthy carbs are the complex carbohydrates, as found in whole grains, with minimal processing.

Complex carbohydrates are made up of sugar molecules that are strung together in long, complex chains. Complex carbohydrates are found in foods such as peas, beans, whole grains, and vegetables. Both simple and complex carbohydrates are turned to glucose (blood sugar) in the body and are used as energy

Choose whole grain bread, rather than white bread made with bleached white flour. Choose whole grain pastas. Whole grain cereals.