Peppers and Eggs

I have decided to start posting some Healthy Recipes. If you have some recipes that you find to be delicious and healthy, please share them with me.

Today's Recipes is: Peppers and Eggs

It is quite simple to make and surprisingly delicious.

You will need:
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
1/2 onion
1 clove fresh garlic
9 eggs or egg white equivalent (free range eggs tend to be healthier)
Olive Oil

Optional Items:
bread (as a side dish)
cheese
cubed ham or other precooked meat
salt and pepper
additional spices (I usually add Italian Spices)

Start by dicing the peppers and onion. The smaller the pieces the faster they cook and the softer they get. You may mince the garlic or use a garlic press, and add the fresh garlic to the onion and peppers.

In a separate container whip the eggs and spices together. Once all the ingredients are prepared, the cooking may begin.

In a large skillet, (or if need be a sauce pan) saute the peppers, onion and garlic, in olive oil. This works best if you cover the pan and cook on medium heat stirring often. If the pan does not have a cover, you may use aluminum foil. (If you desire to add meat, now it the time. Please make sure the meat is precooked)

Once the vegetables are the softness you desire, then add the eggs and spices. (I prefer to have my vegetables a bit firm; they seem more fresh/healthy that way.) The egg mixture will cook much like scrambled eggs. Move the spoon or spatula over the base of the pan often to keep the egg mixture from burning. Once the eggs are thoroughly cooked, you may remove the pan from the heat.(Now would be the time to add cheese, if you so choose.)Cover until ready to serve.

This recipe feeds my family of 5. So you may scale the recipe smaller or larger based on the group you are serving.

I hope you enjoy this fresh, fun food!

Addictions and Labels

Is Obesity an Addiction? Is Obesity a Label?

Hmmm . . . I'm not sure. In my experience, the things that lead to my obesity have been addictive. The wrong kinds of food, the lack/fear of exercise, the emotional solution to eat rather than deal with problems, etc. But is it my label?

I certainly hope not. I hope that I am more than just a Fat Person. Because aren't we all more than just one characteristic? Don't we all have many characteristics that define us and the certain group of characteristics that define each person is different from the next. Isn't that what makes us have certain things in common while we also have differences that make us unique?

Okay, so if one of my characteristics is that I am obese from years of poor eating habits, poor exercise habits, etc. Then my other characteristics might include: musical, dramatic, fiction addict, etc. Why do I let one characteristic speak louder than the others?

Or is it that I feel others are saying I'm fat and rather than let them hurt me, I just admit it and defuse the pain? Does that make sense? Do you find yourself doing that?

The truth is, I don't want to be obese or unhealthy, but the factors that led to these life circumstances are still present in my life and I have not yet found the power to combat them.

The truth is, I am much more than just a fat person, but unless someone can look beyond the body image, they will not see the other great characteristics.

Thankfully, God sees the truth: Isaiah 55:1-2 "Come, all who are thirsty, come to the waters . . . Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself."

Today, may we cast off the false labels, rid ourselves of our unhealthy addictions, and bask in the love of our Lord!

Getting Outside

Well, Spring is starting to arrive. With it comes wonderful outside weather. I had so much fun playing in the yard yesterday with my kids. It was 63 degrees outside, the sun was shining though a bit overcast, there was a gentle breeze and I could smell someone down the street was grilling. Fabulous outside day!

So with nice weather comes a desire to exercise. And perhaps plant a garden of fresh produce.

Did you know that playing with kids can be exhausting? Thus, it must also be exercise, right? Well, maybe not quite everything exhausting is exercise. But in this case, if the exhaustion comes from physical exertion, then yes it is exercise and therefore it is good. So I need to play outside more with my kids.

And did you know that gardening can be exercise too? Yep, shoveling, hoeing, bending to weed, etc, all can be considered exercise. So there is another reason to be outside and exercise.

I certainly hope we have a beautiful spring and many opportunities to get outside!

Diabetes

Well, with the possibility that I have diabetes and the fact that I don't have health insurance, I have been searching for alternate techniques of treatment. I did a number of online searches about diabetes and have discovered a few key things.

• Diabetes is very much dependent upon lifestyle choices.
• With healthy eating, regular exercise, and other healthy living habits, diabetes can be controlled and even reversed.
• Cinnamon is a natural item that acts in the body like insulin.
• Cayenne Fruit/Pepper can also help Diabetes (though I need to be careful with it since I also have GERD.)
• I will still need to be tested and have regular Dr. appointments.
• But I am learning as much as I can about what I can do to reverse this condition.

My trouble currently is: I have been trying to lose weight and become healthy for months actually years. So I am very concerned that I will not be able to make changes to my life to reverse this disease for the very same reasons I have been unable to lose weight in the past. But, maybe I am just being fearful. I guess time will tell.

Recent Healthy Activities

Well, I am sorry I haven't posted in a while. It has been to long.

My journey towards healthy is taking crazy twists and turns. We have discovered that Gluten free living is not working for our family. For one thing, it is expensive. But also, we have not been able to get away from gluten, it seems to be everywhere. Even foods that are supposed to be gluten free have thickener or some additive that has gluten. So unless the label says "gluten free" it is very likely to contain some gluten. And once the label says "gluten free" the price goes up high, unless you can live off of Chex cereal. Good luck to people making gluten free work, I am certainly proud of you!

Actually, another factor went into us giving up on gluten free living. There is a possibility that I have Diabetes type 2. Now in all truth, living gluten free may help in a diabetes menu, since everything is made fresh and has less additives, etc. But, at this time, we need to focus on getting my healthy situation understood and work toward pure healthy living.

So, I am searching for exercise activities that work for our family (cheap, effective, kid friendly, and fun, etc.) I am also looking forward to spring and summer with produce costs going down and perhaps growing a garden. I continue to research natural healing resources and true health, including healthy foods and activities, etc.

I will continue to post things as I come across them and as I continue on this journey. If you have any questions or blog topic suggestions, I would be happy to oblige. Have a great day!

Addictions

We know there are real addictions that exist throughout the world. People can rally around the addiction to alcohol and recognize how it effects the addict and his/her family members. People openly say cigarettes and tobacco are addictive and hazardous to health. And the world recognizes that second hand smoke is unhealthy too, which means everyone in a breathing radius of a smoking person is being effected by the addiction. What about other addictions? Is there such a thing as a food addiction? I believe there is. I believe a person can become emotionally dependant on the comfort of food.

So the problem becomes, how to break the addiction in order to live a healthy life? A person addicted to alcohol needs to stop drinking alcoholic beverages. He/she still drinks water, milk, juice, etc. Just not alcohol.

A person addicted to tobacco needs to stop smoking or chewing tobacco. He/she may chew gum or wear a medicated patch to help replace the addiction. But the main concept holds true, he/she must stop doing the addictive behavior.

So what does a food addict stop? We must continue eating in order to live. Right? The answer, I'm told, is to find healthy substitutes. So really a person must give up junk food and only eat healthy food for the rest of his/her life. And just like other addictions, it is easier said than done.

Here is my issue, not only does the addict need to stop the cravings and bad habits, not only does he/she need to find the cause of the addiction and resolve what led to the addiction in the first place, the addict must also deal with other people and their opinions and behaviors towards the addiction.

Society and the people around us understand how a recovering alcoholic must stay away from alcoholic beverages and bend over backwards to help on that journey. A host who normally chooses to drink responsibly will go to the trouble of removing all alcohol from the premises prior to inviting a recovering alcoholic over to visit. Thank you! That is called being kind, courteous and compassionate.

Smoking has been recognized by the government as being so unhealthy it is banned from public places. Thank you! A recovering smoker can walk freely into public places without being terrorized by temptation.

Yet, when faced with a junk food addiction, what do people do? They criticize. They tempt. They offer no alternatives or understanding. Food is everywhere (churches, stores, restaurants, friends house, theater, sports events, etc.) Now if it were fruit and veggie platters, I wouldn't mind one bit. YAY! I love food. And if someone wants to provide Subway sandwiches without the dressings, etc. YAY! You have my blessing to do that. Unfortunately, most of the food placed before me is bad for me. And I'll add, it is bad for everyone else too.

Who says there must be a dessert table at every potluck? Who decides that all the food at the main table will be caked with grease and cheese? Why do people think if you put iceberg lettuce in a bowl and have a thick mayonnaise sauce next to it, you can call it a salad? And does that salad amount to all the health offered at the event? Ugh!

I submit to you that a junk food addict, and most of the people could fall into this category, needs to give up all junk food forever and be supported by those around him/her to not be tempted.

I recognize this is hard for a few reasons:
1. most people don't really know what health food is. So let me make it easy, if it is a raw fruit or vegetable with bright and vibrant color, you are safe. If you want added flavor, put the sauce on the side. Please do not add butter or cheese or salt, etc.

2. most people don't want to be confronted with the fact that they are unhealthy and could be considered a junk food addict too. Okay, I sympathize. And yet, wouldn't it be heavenly to be able to go to a church potluck and only have healthy foods on the table? Wheat pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce. Fresh homemade soup with real meat and fresh veggies. Sandwiches with no salt lean meat and fresh cut veggies topped with a light vinaigrette. Yum! Honestly, when people bring fresh fruits and veggies to a potluck, those items are the first to be eaten. It tastes good and it is a no-guilt food. Mothers will crowd around a veggie tray trying to find something their child will eat, because we know it is healthy. Why not make everything healthy?

3. most people enjoy junk food and want the freedom to eat as they please. Okay, I get it. No one wants to be told that what they choose is wrong. But please do not subject me to your justification. I don't want to be told that I am wrong to give up junk food, when we all know it is the right choice. I don't want to be told "oh, it won't hurt to have one piece of cake. it is a birthday party." Well, some people drink and smoke at parties, do we tell the other addicts to cheat too. If so, I am so sorry for them, cause it is wrong.

And eating out, ugh! I would welcome going to a fast food restaurant and seeing truly healthy items on the menu. I would welcome Subway to have a drive through line or a family playground inside. If McD's can have a playground, why not Subway? I would love if the food offered at Panera Bread was more family friendly and more accessible.

If only our churches, families and friends could realize how much food is an addiction and make efforts to help us all. Our country is struggling with issues that we caused ourselves. Now we, as a people, must fix the problems and help each other through the consequences.

Journey Twists and Turns

Well, I haven't posted in a while, sorry to say. My journey has taken another turn in the road. My family has decided to switch to a gluten free lifestyle. I had no idea how many food products contain gluten.

If you are not aware of what gluten is: it is a part of most grains. Wheat, Oats, some Barley, etc. Therefore it is in flour. Most every kind of flour. So any product containing flour has gluten. Or it is made with a gluten free flour like rice flour or corn flour and it just doesn't taste quite the same.

A loaf of white bread in my local grocery store is $1.19. A Loaf of gluten free white bread which is half the size of the regular loaf costs $6.00. So at the same time as going gluten free we are also switching to low carb.

Plus, as I struggle with all the dieting options I have realized there are certain things all diets agree with:

• drink lots of water
• eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables
• raw produce is better than canned or frozen
• monitor how many carbs and how many proteins are consumed each day
• have a food log/journal
• eat a variety of colors of produce (i.e. green lettuce, orange carrots, red tomatoes, etc.)
  
• get some form of exercise
• get regular and restful sleep
• be cautious of portion size
• don't eat lots of oils, salts, and sugars
• etc.

Therefore, while switching to a gluten free lifestyle, I am also focusing on following these other rules, too.

How is your journey going?