Tuesday's Table For Two - God and You: You Are What You Eat

"Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."

1 Corinthians 6:19, 20

Of course, we've all heard this before: "You are what you eat." And it is true - what we eat plays a huge role in how we feel, how we look, even how we act.  But, what are some of the things we consume specifically doing to our bodies?

Let's take a look at what I like to call the 3 S's to avoid:  
Sugar, Saturated Fats, Sodium.

Sugar can suppress the immune system and contribute to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.  Because the chemical structure of glucose is similar to vitamin C, it actually competes to enter your cells, slowing your immune system down to a crawl.

Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.  Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.

Sugar can contribute to breast cancer by causing a quick increase in insulin levels.  High insulin levels are one of the biggest risk factors and promoters of breast cancer. Women with high insulin levels have a 283 percent greater risk of breast cancer.

Sugar can cause varicose veins due to slowing of blood circulation.  Too much sugar can fill your blood with fat.  Your body can't metabolize a sweet snack as fast as you can eat it.  So your liver puts some of the snack's glucose into your bloodstream or stores it for later use.  But, if your liver's tank is full, it converts the excess to fat.

Sugar can change the structure of protein causing interference with protein absorption.

Sugar can contribute to type 2 diabetes.  Diabetes means your body can't clear glucose from your blood.   The negative effect of eating a lot of sugar is a rise in glucose.  When glucose isn't processed quickly enough, it destroys tissue.

Sugar can cause damage to the blood-filtering units of the kidneys that keep protein inside the body.  Your body needs this protein to stay healthy.

Saturated Fats – The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of saturated fats to 16 grams per day based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Saturated fat is one of the biggest causes of cardiovascular disease.

Saturated fat raises the level of cholesterol in your blood.  High levels of blood cholesterol increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Sodium – The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that healthy adults eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.  This amount of sodium is equal to about 1 teaspoon of salt.

Sodium can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart and vascular problems, stroke, and kidney disease.

Sodium can cause water retention, which is actually sodium ions trapped under the skin.

It pays to educate yourself. Read labels, search the internet, find out if the food you're eating is lining up with your health goals.  You are what you eat!  If you want to be healthy, you have to eat healthy.

Tuesday's Table for Two - God and You: Giving family favorites a healthy makeover

I made a wonderful sidedish last night, if I do say so myself!  My guys couldn't eat it fast enough!  And it was a veggie - a dark green leafy veggie at that!  Ready? ...... Collard Greens!

My great grandma Bessie use to make some sort of greens with almost every meal.  They were filled with animal fat, butter, and heavy cream for that silky thick goodness.  They were delicious!  But, I could seriously feel my body carrying the bloat as soon as I finished eating them. I was young and could still eat anything I wanted, so I didn't care.  Now that I'm a little older, and wiser, I've "healthied" them up a bit and I think Grandma Bessie would be proud :)   

So here's the easy recipe:

Chop and crisp up 3 strips lower sodium bacon in pan over med-high heat (make sure pan is large enough to hold your greens). Reduce heat to low-med.  Remove bacon pieces with slotted spoon and lay aside on paper towel.  Add 5-6 cups greens to pan and stir to coat with bacon flavor.  Add a splash of low sodium chicken or vegatable broth - just enough to deglaze bottom of pan (if you prefer  creamier greens, add a splash of organic skim milk instead).  Stir and cover, letting greens wilt and cook down, stirring occasionally.  After about 10 minutes, add about 2 handfuls of mushrooms (we're a mushroom family, so I add them to almost everything!).  Cover and cook for about 5 minutes longer.  They are done when they're completely wilted and bitterness is nearly cooked out.  I like a little bite to my greens, but if you prefer a cooked spinach feel, just cook a little longer. 

This is so simple and makes a perfect bed for any meat.  I placed sauteed chicken breasts atop mine with sweet potato fries on the side.  I should've taken a picture!  It was that pretty :)

What's better - they're full of nutrients.  1 serving (about a cup cooked down) has just 25 calories, 15 mg sodium, 10% calcium, 110% vitamin A, and 50% vitamin C!  And with 3 g fiber, you'll feel fuller longer!

Coming up with new ideas for sidedishes can be tough.  Be creative.  Take your own traditional family favorites and "healthy" them up!

Thanks for the inspiration on this one, Grandma Bessie :)

Tuesday's Table for Two

Welcome to Tuesday’s Table for Two!  With the Plainwell Run with Endurance Chapter beginning our annual 21 day sugar fast, I thought we could all use a reminder of how important it is to invite God to our dinner tables!   More importantly, include Him in the entire meal planning/preparing process. Feel free to drop in every Tuesday for healthy tips, recipes, and encouragement J 

First, I think it’s crucial to get your family on board.  I realize this may be easier said than done!  I used to make 2 dinners: 1 for my husband and son and 1 for me.  Why?  Shouldn’t they be eating healthy too?!  I now make only 1 dinner, a healthy dinner.  (Ok, ok - not EVERY meal is a model of complete health.  But, even when we “splurge”, I still sneak in a veggie or 2 J)

I’ll admit it took a little while for my family to get used to whole wheat pasta, baked chicken instead of fried chicken, and sweet potato fries with no butter, but once they started feeling and seeing the effects of eating healthy, there wasn’t one complaint.  Now, even when my son says, “Chicken! Again?!” my reply is, “Yes, because I love you.” 

Secondly, plan ahead!  You are less likely to grab fruits or veggies to snack on if they’re not washed or cut up!  Plan enough time for grocery shopping to include time for food prep.  This might be washing/portioning out fruits and veggies, washing/trimming chicken breasts, or placing serving size portions of almonds or snack mix in individual baggies to grab throughout the week.  Don’t have the extra time?  Buy food prewashed/prepackaged!  They even have 100 calorie snack bags of almonds now!  It may cost a little more, but you’ll save money in the long run by not having to throw out the veggies you never washed!

Consult God on your food choices.  Remember that our bodies are not our own.  What better way to honor God than to not only take care of your health, but do your part in taking care of your family’s health too!