(VEGETABLES AND FRUITS)
Organic, non organic, that is the question. Everybody has their opinion. In my case I became enslaved to organics for about 4 years. Last year the Lord shared with me personally that if I prayed over my food and trusted Him and did not approach my food with fear that He would protect my health as long as I was obedient to the things He has taught me and asked me to eat. That sounded like freedom, so I said YES!
Many people who go on raw, organic diets and are healed of incurable diseases. I’ve also heard of other people who ate all organics and got sick anyway. So, no matter which way the Holy Spirit directs you to eat, eat in faith. No food source is 100% pure these days, so don’t make the mistake of putting your faith in your food.
Eat from the rainbow. There are lots of choices, pick a new one each week and find a recipe to complement that vegetable. Eating from all the colors can provide anti-aging properties and encourage weight loss.
• White and Green provide strengthen your immune defense.
• Yellow and Orange strengthen the heart and blood.
• Red and Blue promote healthy circulation
VEGETABLES
Eating things that are grown from the ground or off a tree is how God originally designed us to be fed. Unfortunately because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience they had to start raising animals to kill and eat the meat. Fruits and vegetables were designed by God to be our sustenance, but sin disrupted that perfect plan.
I work with a lot of clients who initially say, “Well, I’m not really a vegetable person.” No you are not, if you don’t put them into your mouth, chew and swallow, you are REALLY not a vegetable person – but you can be! You can grow to love the flavor by continuing to try them and asking God to help you like them.
Veggies should be the cornerstone of your diet if losing weight is your goal. If your not eating them you are probably eating too much meat and too many starchy carbohydrates to fill in the hunger gap.
Recipes from the South include fried potatoes, corn fried okra and baked beans. Some people count eating these dishes as “getting my vegetables” – ummmm… not really. There are several types of potatoes. Sweet potatoes are the best. If you can’t do a sweet potato you can try mashing one white potato with one sweet potato until you get use to the texture and flavor.
Introduce or ‘disguise’ veggies at first by chopping them in a food processor and adding the pulp to spaghetti sauce, taco meat, soups, chili, lasagna – there are lots of places you can hide them when you first begin to better introduce vegetables into your diet. That will help your taste buds acclimate.
Just get in Fear Factor mode and choke it down, next time it will be easier! Scientific research says you may have to try a vegetable up to ten times before your brain tells you body it’s OK to swallow this.
FRUITS
When you are trying to reduce your sugar intake eating Granny Smith apples and a variety of berries is a great way to do it. They have the lowest sugar concentration.
• Bananas are high in potassium and good to eat if you experience muscle cramps.
• Black cherries and black cherry juice are good for joints and for a holistic way of treating gout.
• Fresh pineapple can help with inflammation and muscle fatigue.
• Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C and are so juicy and refreshing.
There are so many beautiful fruits to add to your diet. I would say that when you are trying to lose weight you may want to hold back portions to 2 per day and have 3-4 servings of vegetables per day as well.
A serving of fruit is ½ cup fresh fruit or one medium whole pc of fruit.
THE DIRTY DOZEN
Here is a list of fruits and veggies that you should consider purchasing in the organic section of your supermarket due to the high amount of pesticides used for crop production.
• Apples
• Celery
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Nectarines
• Imported grapes
• Sweet, Red Bell Peppers
• Potatoes
• Domestic Blueberries
• Lettuce
• Kale and Collard greens
Even though we have this information that there are pesticides and toxins on our food and used in the production of foods, it is just a point to be aware of not be in fear over. Budget can be a HUGE concern when thinking about purchasing organic products. I would say, start with the ones on this list if you can manage and if you can’t then get a good vegetable wash from Whole Foods or Sprouts and use it. You can also do like I do: Wash, pray and eat. God knows what we can manage and what we can’t. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your purchase of organics products.
