Happy Earth Day and Good Friday and Easter on Sunday

This weekend is a busy weekend in the manner of major days. Today is Good Friday. This is the day that Christians all around the world spend reflecting on the death of Jesus and what it means to all of us today. It is also Earth Day. And Sunday is Easter. And since religion is deeply personal, Good Friday and Easter are not the subject of this post, though I do wish everyone a good Good Friday and a Happy Easter. I hope each and every one of you get to spend the time with family and friends and lots of laughter and love surround each of you.

@ rtlibrary.org

Today is Earth Day. :) Today is a day set aside for those to think on this little planet that we live on and to think of ways we can make it a safer and healthier place for our children to live and their children after them. Some of the things that people can do today is go outside and clean up in your neighborhood. Or to plant some flowers in your garden. Start a garden if you haven't already. Don't drive anywhere today. Open your windows and enjoy the weather and turn off lights in rooms not in use. You can take this day to reflect on the things that you do that affect you and the environment around you. If you feel so inclined, stop using shampoo and conditioner and start using baking soda and apple cider vinegar instead. Integrate more glassware in your storage containers and start weeding out the plastic containers. If you're pregnant, seriously look into cloth diapering instead of disposables. It's VERY cost effective as well as Earth friendly. If you're in the market for a new lawn mower and you have a small yard, seriously consider a reel push mower. We have one and really it isn't that much harder than mowing with a gas motor, but there are less parts that can foul up.

Today it is rainy, so we can't plant outside or clean up in the neighborhood. We're not sitting here doing nothing though. :) We have our windows open, enjoying the cool weather and we have most our lights out. We have a little sunflower seedling that Lil Mr. V started last week that is almost ready to transplant. :) He's been really excited at seeing it grow. So maybe, we'll plant it tomorrow. We'll see how the weather holds up.

So, today have a Good Friday and while you're thinking of the sacrifices that Jesus made for our spiritual future, also consider the sacrifices we need to make for our children's future on this planet we call home. :)

Monday Musings #2 - Food

Food is something no one can live without. Regardless of how much many of us would like to, without it, we die. It's . Just . TOO . Enjoyable.

 

Found @ Masterfile.com

 

 

 

 

This causes many of us (myself included) over-indulge. There are websites dedicated to it. There are even channels....not channel but CHANNELS dedicated to it. So what's a person to do? Should we all follow Paula Deen and use copious amounts of butter? (don't get me wrong, my girl Paula has NEVER done me wrong on a recipe!) Or should we be eating a vegan lifestyle because it's more earth friendly and body friendly? Do we cut out the sugar and refined flours? Do we eat raw? Paleolithic diet? It's endless and it's a horrible cycle because you can't just end it. You HAVE to eat. So I guess we should break down what eating means.

For some, (and I'm betting it is a rare few) eating is strictly for fuel.

found @  http://www.methodsofhealing.com

And for them, that's awesome. That means that they eat exactly what their bodies need when they need it. And they aren't tempted by one of Paula Deen's awesome pies. Soda's and HFCS never passes their lips. I truly wished I was one of these people. Well, kinda. I wished I wasn't SO tempted, and had less pleasure with food. 

Food is also related to too many other aspects of life. It's the one time in the day that MOST families can sit down and spend some time with one another and share their day and their plans.

Found @ www.civileats.com

Many friends and family gather around the table in the evening and they talk about how work went, how school went, there is prayer over food, and there are many times that's the ONLY time these people that live together actually spend more than 5 minutes with one another. This is also not to mention holiday dinners with the whole family. Our holidays revolve around when we're eating where so that grandparents get equal time with the grandkids and the times need to be spaced out just enough so we have room to eat at each and every location. 

Rarely do dates happen when there isn't food involved, or nights out with the girls/guys always involve food. Get togethers involve grilling and or finger fooding. Not to mention sodas/tea/beer/wine. 

So with this food based culture what's a gal to do. There's a thousand and one different diets, all promising to get you thin and to give your body precisely what it needs. Vegans say that eating meat is counter productive. Italians and Greeks swear by the olive. Some people suggest that the act of cooking food is in itself part of the problem with out food society, this takes us back to pre-cave man days before the invention of fire. Speaking of cave man, there's even a diet out about that. And if you're one of those Christians that doesn't believe that the Earth is over 6000 years old, there's a diet for you too. It's a Biblical diet. 

Now, when I go grocery shopping there are magazines telling me to cook this and others saying not to eat that. And really it's a huge muddle. 

I don't think that a body should exempt certain food groups. However, I don't think that we're focusing on the right volumes of all the foods. From everything that I've seen the food pyramid should be something like Vegetables and fruits and leafy foods at the base, followed by true grains, like rice, beans/legumes, barley, etc. On top of that there are fish, poultry, eggs, milk/yogurt, and oils like olive oil and coconut oil. On top of that should be red meat, pork, butter, cheeses. And at the top breads and sugars. 

I don't eat this way, but I ought to. It looks healthy and there's nothing left out. Now for me, breads and sugars have to come at the top because I'm predisposed to diabetes. My Gramma had it, her sisters had it (one from childhood), my Mom has it and I have PCOS.  Now for someone who has issues with their cholesterol they might want to bump breads and sugars down and move red meat, eggs, pork, butter and cheeses up. But I think for everyone the healthy base should be standard. Veggies, fruits, grains, healthy fats, the rest is tweaked according to specific needs. 

So, I'm going to try to have a meatless meal once a week. Start slow.  I'm going to try to get more of the fruits and veggies into my diet and less of the breads and sugars. Anyone else with me? (if anyone made it through such a long post.)