Learning About True Health

What do you think of when you hear the word "Healthy"? Is it a person who does not have any "Serious" illnesses. Someone who only gets "Common" illnesses? Is it vegetarians or "Health Freaks"? Someone who exercises frequently and drinks protein shakes.

Upper respiratory problems, including sinus problems, account for eight of every ten visits to doctors' offices. The average adult battles four colds per year (six colds annually for children), and nearly one person in three has allergies. Does this sound like your home? There are nine people in my home. That's means 3 of us will end up with allergies and we'll have 50 colds to deal with in one year. And that doesn't count minor emergencies or the stomach flu!

I think my view of "Healthy" has been different things over my lifespan. My biological father died at a very young age of a heart attack when I was 10. I was told he put things in his body that were bad for him and it killed him. Things like drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. I guess most people would agree that those things are bad for you and could potentially kill you right? He would be considered "Unhealthy" by most peoples standards I guess.

I gave up those things when I accepted Jesus as the Lord of my life so am I healthy now? I've started reading a book called "The Makers Diet" by Jordan S. Rubin. I've learned so much in such a short time. God is choosing to reveal these things to me for whatever reason and has been for the past couple of years. I've fought it long and hard. It's just food right? As long as my family has food to eat we're good right? I mean we really don't have to follow God's standards in the Old Testament now do we? So I began to search.

Does God have a standard for this temple He's provided for me? Does He require certain things when it comes to caring for ourselves? These were the questions I was asking when my very loving friend began telling me the things she was learning about "Health".

Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry, and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he beheld the sky opened up, and a certain object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, "Arise, Peter, kill and eat!" But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean." And again a voice came to him a second time, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." Acts 10:9-15

So, this was my justification. It is not immoral to eat things the Old Testament says not to eat. (OK, for the record, I do realize that later in the text Peter discovers that God was showing him through this vision that he should not consider a "Non-Jew" unholy or unclean however, God put it in His word so I think it applies here too. But, it's not the point so let's move on.)

Why then did God put standards for food in His word if it didn't apply to our lives. He's got all kinds of standards for eating. Why did he require these things in such detail for His people?

If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God...I will put none of these diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. I am the Lord who heals you. Exodus 15:26

I'm sure there are MANY reasons. Most of which I'll probably never know until I get to heaven but for now, I've had this huge revelation. If God created our bodies then He must know what's good to eat right?

Digestive complaints result in more time lost at work, school, and play than any other health-related problem. And this just started happening within the last century. What's happened? I'm learning it's because they at REAL food back then! I'm also learning that if you eat the wrong foods they don't digest properly which results in clogs in our gut that become a perfect breeding ground for dangerous forms of bacteria and other microorganisms that result in a poor immune system and sickness. So, we go to the doctor and get an antibiotic right? WRONG! I've also learned that antibiotics not only kill the bad bacteria but also the good. Even if you don't take antibiotics you receive your dosages daily in your food. Pharmaceutical firms produce more than 35 million pounds of antibiotics each year and most of them go to the animals that are feeding you and your family. Your good bacteria should outnumber your bad bacteria 100/1. The good bacteria produces interferon, a powerful immunity-boosting chemical. Jordan Rubin calls them "Your best friends". Antibiotics wipe them all out. Good and bad. Then the battle begins to see which one can reproduce more first. The bad ones feed on sugar and carbohydrates which most of us live on so there you have it. Sick, sick, sick and more sick.

Why am I so concerned with all of this? My family has had 3 stomach viruses and 6 colds this winter alone. I won't go into serious details for you but one or more of us are currently dealing with colds, sudden and major food allergies, very early signs of puberty, headaches, sleeplessness, hyperactivity, chronic diarrhea, chronic yeast, chronic stomach pain after eating, and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). I am sick of being sick. How can we possibly serve the Lord stuck home and sick! So what do we do? Go to the doctor? Tried that, and tried that, and tried that. (For the record, my doctor is wonderful and means well but just doesn't know what to do sometimes and is not too prideful to say that). So, I reached a point of total desperation. I mean I had a complete breakdown after changing the 10th runny diaper for the day and now my baby had a fever AGAIN! This poor little guy has been sick most of his 10 months of life! I've put everything on this rash that the doctor told me to and it keeps coming back! So I broke down and called a lady from church who spoke on nutrition at bible study last year. I didn't listen at the time. I thought, "I do not have time for that nonsense." Here I was in tears and she graciously said, "I'll be over tonight with some stuff I think will help". And she came. She brought kefir in a jar and said make a smoothie with some of this in it everyday. It's time to put the good bacteria back in your bodies. Also, here's some microorganisms found in dirt that will also put good stuff back in. (Sound weird? Where do you think they get your antibiotics from?)Try these things and stay away from bread! Unless it's sprouted your body can't digest it properly. OK, I'm desperate. I'll try it because nothing else has worked. What do I have to lose? Plus, making a smoothie and mixing this stuff in some juice for them 3 times a day seems a whole lot easier then getting them all ready and going to the doctor, and then the pharmacy, and then remembering to administer properly only to have it not work and cause more problems anyway right?

So here we are. Twenty four hours into it and the rash is gone! I already knew yeast was a lack of good bacteria in your body so your body is trying to compensate. I can not tell you what a relief that is. We've been battling these open sores on his poor raw little bottom for weeks now! I'll keep you posted on the rest. If that's all that happens, it's worth it but I have a feeling we're in for some more great things! I doubt the Lord's been working on me this long only to cure a rash.