Live Healthier and Happier — you only have one life... make it matter

Secret Hazards in Processed Foods

Life is just busy as ever and when it comes to meal time, most Americans are conveniently cooking it up. When I say conveniently cooking it up, I am talking about pulling out a box meal or popping a frozen entrée into the microwave. A typical family where both parents are working outside of the home at 8 hours a day with added commute time, and dropping off the children at daycare, takes up a full day. You may be familiar with this routine. Not to mention, after a long day, you have to get the kids to different activities or sports. Where does a healthy cooked meal fit into this type of schedule? Sadly, it doesn’t for most people.

This is where most of the American diet is tailored around processed food or fast food chains. Although convenience is a nice option for the busy family, it also comes with a price, and that is a price of good health. Why are processed foods not a healthy option? For one, processed foods are loaded with trans fats, saturated fats, and a lot of sodium and sugar.

I used to buy canned soups from famous brands, and after reading the label, I was shocked by the amount of sodium in one small can. A 10 ¾ oz can of soup may contain 750 mg of sodium per serving! That’s per serving! I was on a search for some healthier options with much lower sodium. Eating foods that are loaded with these ingredients should be avoided or eaten very little if we are going to live healthier.

About.com gives a general list of processed foods that may not be as healthy below: (see link for full article)

• canned foods loaded with sodium
• refined white flour, in most breads and pastas
• snack packs ei: chips
• frozen dinners entrees
• packaged boxed meal
• processed meats ei: lunch meats, deli meats

Not only are processes foods made with trans fats, saturated fats, a lot of sodium and sugar, but there are also chemicals and preservatives that are used to keep them lasting longer. Let’s take processed meats for example. Processed meat uses sodium nitrite or nitrate to help preserve, so it looks more pleasing to the eyes and longer shelf life. It sounds all good, right? Of course, however, what it does to your body is far from GOOD!

What is sodium nitrite? American Institute for Cancer Report defines this chemical in their glossary:

Nitrite: A salt containing the nitrite ion, which contains nitrogen and oxygen in proportion
1:2 (NO2). Sodium nitrite is added to many processed meats. Nitrites are also formed in the body from nitrates in plant foods that are eaten. When consumed, nitrites can lead to the generation of N-nitroso compounds, some of which are known carcinogens (see box 4.3.2) Please see the glossary term or nitrate (it’s shocking).

Carcinogens are cancer causing chemicals! A lot of deli meats we use for lunches contain nitrite or nitrate. I went on a search several years ago for healthier lunch meats that are nitrite or nitrate free. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market carries nitrite and nitrate free lunch meat. One of my favorite brands is Applegate Farms. They have a great selection of lunch meat that is wholesome.

As a busy mom, it’s difficult to whip up healthy meals every night; however, with a bit of advance meal planning it’s possible! I was not a fan of the slow cooker;it reminded me of certain meals that I’ve had at potluck dinners that didn’t taste very good. I’ve found that when days are busy, the good old slow cooker is one way to provide my family with a wholesome meal at the end of the day.

I found a great cookbook for slow cookers years ago full of easy recipes and I would improvised for organic ingredients whenever possible. If you need some simple ideas to help you with your slow cooker, you can purchase Fix It and Forget It Cookbook-#1 best selling cookbook, to get some ideas for preparing meals using a slow cooker.

I still believe in a 90/10 rule, that’s to eat healthy 90% of the time and allow the 10% of the time to be for rare occasions like, vacations and parties, etc. The point is, the more we can decrease the amount of processed foods in our life the greater chances we have of reducing the risks for various cancers and illness that rob us from living healthier and happier!

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Cooking With the Right Fats~Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

When cooking with healthy oils, most of us are turning to Extra Virgin Olive Oil and although EVOO is considered a healthier alternative…there is an oil that has been overlooked.

Yes, it’s Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and it’s been making a come back in the past few years in the health industry. Find out some of the health benefits of cooking with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (especially if your metabolism needs a little boost). [Read More…]

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Love is a Battlefield

“Life is a quest and love a quarrel” ~ Edna St. Vincent Millay

How true this can be! With Valentine’s Day coming up in just a few days…we are bombarded with promotional ads for flowers, chocolates and all sorts of gifts to buy for that special one! February is certainly known as the LOVE month. While it may be about cupids, hearts, and romance…the reality is like many holidays…they come and go.

I was referred to many books on marriage and love after I was already married. We didn’t go to premarital counseling like many couples do today. As a matter of fact many churches recommend taking a pre-marital course for several weeks before getting married.

The books that I’ve read on “Love” have been very resourceful, inspiring, and encouraging; however, there were times when I really didn’t like what I was reading. I didn’t like it because it was dealing with me personally and challenging me to walk in love when I didn’t “feel” like it!

This topic on LOVE doesn’t apply to just our significant other but also in all relationships. Let’s just say…I’ve grown and have come a long way and the temptation to not walk in love towards certain people will occasionally come up. Hello…we are human, I think we all face this several times a week or even in a day. I’m sharing this with you in hopes that it may help you with your own situation.

Image by Agnes Klimek

Love is a battlefield that can be visualized as fighting, war, or conflict; it’s a danger zone that is sometimes difficult to avoid. Often times, a relationship turns from a comfort zone to a war zone where conflict and fighting seem to persist, and a ceasefire is nowhere in sight. In a war when a ceasefire is called, opponents will either prepare to negotiate or enter a truce.

Perhaps you are in a relationship where a ceasefire needs to be called. This could be a relationship that you have with a spouse, a significant other, a relative, or perhaps a friend. You may just be in a war zone and not a love zone.

Although love is a short sweet four letter word, it comes with great perplexity. Love can bring one into a state of euphoria or inexpressible emotion but, for many it can bring confusion. Love is a fundamental part of our lives and relationships. It is believed that a vital human need is to be loved. A true revelation of what “love” really means will cause us to avoid the battlefield.

I’ve learned over the years through various situations that love is not a feeling as once believed. And I didn’t like to hear that love is a choice, a decision, and is unconditionally given regardless of how we feel. Tough? Absolutely! We are not always going to feel like walking in love towards certain people in our life; whether it is our spouse, a child, certain relatives, or others we may be in a relationship with. They may do or say something that has really hurt us, and we might find it hard to feel love towards them. Been there many times…haven’t you?

When it comes to our children for example, In The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts Dr. Gary Chapman says,

“Child psychologists affirm that every child has certain basic emotional needs that must be met if he is to be emotionally stable. Among those emotional needs, none is more basic than the need for love and affection, the need to sense that he or she belongs and is wanted. With an adequate supply of affection, the child will likely develop into a responsible adult. Without love, he or she will be emotionally retarded….inside every child is an emotional tank waiting to be filled with love. Much of misbehavior in children is motivated by the cravings of an empty “love tank.”

If children are not getting love at home, they will look for it in all the wrong places. The love tank that children have is no different than the love tank that we as adults have. It needs to be filled and follows the child right into adulthood relationships, thereby providing an opening for a new battleground to deal with.

We all have unique situations and there is no guilt or judgment if you were in a relationship that did not work out. I believe unless we are living in that situation, we have no right to judge other people’s relationships. However, I do appreciate the many resources that are available for those struggling in these areas who want and need help.

Love doesn’t have to be a battlefield. For some couples, it is much easier to end the relationship than to work through the fires. For some friendships, it is simpler to avoid one another and let a cold war begin than to work out the differences. This is most popular amongst couples. Dr. Laura Berman, PhD, says that couples must “fight to love, not to win and that their relationship is not a battleground but a safe haven.”

“Love is a choice you make from moment to moment.” ~ Barbara De Angelis

Disclosure: I have a marketing connection to a brand, topic or product herein. Through the use of affiliate links contained herein, I may collect fees from purchases made.

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A Wake Up Story {Healthy Child-Healthy World}

My passion for living healthier and happier began years ago in pursuit of spiritual and emotional well-being. However, years later after having my third child who developed peanut allergies, asthma, digestive issues and not to mention frequent colds led me to dig deep into researching the cause and affects of his physical health. Because of this journey, it has become one of my life’s mission: “Empower people to live healthier and happier in spirit, soul and body.”

Ambient Light Productions Photography

My desire to see my son overcome his health problems has resulted in less colds, virtually no more digestive issues and the last asthma attack that rushed him to the Emergency Room for breathing treatments and steroids was five years ago. There’s nothing more fulfilling than to see your child be in good health.

Thank God for medical intervention, the awesome hands of the doctors and we love them, but what’s better…is not needing one if we can prevent it!

In the age of technology, we were blessed to have resources that were available to us from the internet and of course I found a lot of information via traditional means-such as good old books and health encyclopedias.

As a mom who was not tech savvy and didn’t even have my own email address when all of my friends had one at the time, found myself on the internet until whee hours in the morning reading, researching, and recording all of the incredible revelations that has helped us through this health journey…one in which our entire family has benefited from.

Book stores were also filled with new and upcoming alternative health experts which sparked my interest for natural health. I was eager to learn about this alternative medicine that focuses on the whole body, which eventually led me to receiving my Biblical Health certificate as a Health Coach. I will be completing my degree in Natural Health in the near future (working on getting back into classes).

If you are a mother, father, educator, health advocate, or a living soul, please take a few seconds and watch this video and join the movement to create a healthier lifestyle and environment for you, your family, and your future generation.

A Wake Up Story ~by Healthy Child Healthy World

Disclosure: This post for educational purpose only and is not intended to treat or diagnose illnesses. Please consult with your physician as always.

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