Food

Recipe – Catalina Dressing

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¼ cup sun-dried tomato bits

1 cup hot water

½ cup olive oil (or less if desired)

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup ketchup

½ cup sweetener of your choice

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. basil

1 Tbsp. dried onion bits

Place tomatoes and water in blender and whiz 30 seconds or so. Add oil, lemon juice, ketchup, sweetener, salt and basil. Blend well. Add onion bits and blend just to mix. You can add a little more water if it is too thick. Taken from Cooking Vegetarian for Normal People, Transition to Vegan by Mindy Breckenridge.

Food – Water, A Critical Health Need

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Last month we identified that a person’s need for water could be determined by taking your weight in pounds divided by 2, then divide by 8, and the resultant number would be the number of glasses of water you should drink each day. It is important to know some of the ways the body uses all of this water, and with this knowledge maybe it would help solidify a decision to drink adequate amounts.

Considerable water is used by the body to make the secretions that digest our food. Digestion begins in the mouth with the teeth and the saliva. The body produces about 1,500 ml of saliva, approximately a quart and one half, to begin the process of digestion. This digestion is then completed through the bile liquids (500 ml), stomach juices (2,500 ml), pancreatic juices (700 ml), and the intestinal secretions (3,000 ml). So the total digestive juices produced by the body in a day are 8,200 ml or over 8 1/2 quarts of digestive juices.

Water is also used to cleanse the body of various waste products. Every time we exhale we are ridding the body of carbon dioxide. Water is also lost in this exchange. As water evaporates from our skin or as we perspire, wastes are removed from our body via the water that carries these products. At least 900 ml of water is lost daily through these three mechanisms. This can be greatly increased when the environmental temperatures rise and in the presence of heavy work or exercise. A small amount of water, about 100 ml, is lost daily through the colon.

The greatest daily loss of water, about 1,500 ml, comes from the kidneys. In order to remove waste products from our blood, it is continuously filtered through the kidneys. The kidneys are better than any filtration device that man has created. The two kidneys filter approximately 180 liters of fluid from the blood each day—this is nearly 50 gallons of fluid per day!!! They monitor and filter all of this fluid, making changes as needed to help us maintain fluid and electrolyte balance. By not drinking enough water, we hinder each of the avenues by which our bodies eliminate waste products. Eventually this will result in decreased health and even illness.

From just these few body functions it is easy to see why it is so important to drink adequate amounts of water to have a healthy body. I hope this knowledge will encourage you to drink adequate water for your health.

 

Recipe – Basic Corn Bread or Cornmeal Muffins

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1 cup flour (whole wheat pastry)

1 cup cornmeal (combination of corn flour and cornmeal)

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp Featherweight Baking Powder

¾ tsp. salt

¼ cup oil

1-2 cups soy milk (typically 1 ½ cups)

1 Tbsp honey, (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thoroughly mix dry ingredients. In another container, thoroughly mix soy milk, oil and honey. Spray muffin tins (makes 8-10 muffins depending on size) or 8” x 8” baking dish. Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients. Stir just enough to moisten. Put into muffin tins or baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Recipe is from Blythe Hoppe who works with the Ministerial Training Course and helps with many other projects at Steps to Life.

Food – Water

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Working Water into Our Life

Previously we have looked at the critical need of the body to take water internally, and have identified many ways in which the body uses water. Also, we have looked at the formula by which to determine the amount of water needed each day—body weight in pounds, divided by two and then divided by eight, gives the number of glasses. This amount can be greatly increased in the presence of heavy work or exercise, warm temperatures, and in the presence of illnesses such as those that involve high fever or vomiting and diarrhea. Let us look today at how we incorporate this water into our life.

Many people are amazed when they learn how much water they need to drink. Often it is heard, “I don’t drink that much water and I never feel thirsty.” The first thing we need to understand is that thirst is a protective mechanism to warn of danger—a shortage of water in the body. When feeling thirsty the body is already 1–4 glasses short of the water needed for optimal body function. The time to drink water is before the feeling of thirst to prevent the stress on the body due to a shortage of water or dehydration.

When do you drink all of this water? Upon rising in the morning, in between breakfast and lunch, between lunch and supper, and between supper and bedtime water should be taken, guarding against drinking water with meals, as this dilutes the digestive juices, interferes with the digestion of food, and prolongs the time that food is in the stomach. It is very acceptable to drink water on an empty stomach about 15 to 30 minutes before the meal and then resume drinking one to two hours after meals.

A common problem with those who have not accustomed themselves to drinking the required amount of water is that they dislike the taste. Adding a small amount of fresh lemon juice in the water will give it a fresh taste, making it more palatable. Those having trouble drinking the amount of water should develop a schedule that says when and how much to drink. This gives several mini goals throughout the day, giving encouragement to reach the next goal. Achieving the daily requirement will soon become a habit and not such a challenge.

Finally, the most important strategy to help drink more water is to ask God for the power to accomplish what is good for your health. With God as our helper, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13.

So, here is to your health as you develop a plan to drink all of the life-giving water that your body needs.

 

Recipe – Oatmeal Cookies

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5 cups oats

2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins and/or carob chips

1 cup water or soy milk

1 cup oil (can decrease or substitute with ½ applesauce)

1 cup honey/maple syrup mixture

2 tsp. vanilla

Mix all dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix all wet ingredients. Add both mixtures together. Let sit 5-10 minutes. Drop by 1 spoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Food – Benefits of Sunlight

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Not only is sunlight good for our planet, it is good for the creatures God created, good for our environment and it is good also for you and me.

Sunlight can lower our vital signs—our respiratory rate, heart rate and blood pressure. Not only does it increase the oxygen content in the blood, it plays a role in decreasing blood cholesterol and also creates Vitamin D. Sunlight also enhances the immune system which helps us fight diseases of all kinds. The production of many of the body hormones that regulate our bodily functions is dependent upon sunlight. It can lower blood sugar if too high and raise it if too low. Sunlight also strengthens bones, helps lower waste products in the blood, and helps the function of the thyroid, pineal and pituitary glands. It stimulates production of red and white blood cells. It is known to help with arthritis; a speed wound healing, treatment of hyperactive children, and helps some skin disorders.

The benefits of sunlight are increased when combined with fresh air and exercise. For health we need only to have a 15 cm square of the face or extremities exposed for an hour of sunlight a day. The early morning hours are some of the best hours of the day to get sunlight.

Sunlight has received much negative press. This has been unfair because the problem is not exposure to sunlight, but overexposure to sun leading to burning, which is the problem. There are other things in our lifestyle which also contribute to problems relating to the sun. For instance, a diet high in fat, low levels of Vitamins A, C, E, and selenium can lead to sunlight problems. Also exposure to radiation, some drugs, deodorants, soaps and cosmetics can enhance problems along with alcohol consumption.

Some people burn more easily than others and it is important to know if you are more susceptible to burning. People who have blue eyes, blonde or red hair, fair skin, or are diabetic burn more easily. Understand what your burn potential is. Guard against factors that increase your risk to burn and guard yourself from burning. Then enjoy the healthful benefits of the sun.

Recipe – Tofu Salad Dressing

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Tofu, medium firm (16 oz.)

¼ cup fresh tomato

1/8 cup water

¼ cup fresh red bell pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup fresh lemon juice, to taste

½ tsp. salt, to taste

¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. garlic powder

Blend the ingredients, except the lemon juice, until smooth. Pour into glass jar and gently stir in lemon juice and cover.

Food – Sunlight – Blessing or Curse

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Sunlight has gotten a lot of negative press; so much so that you have to wonder, is sunlight good for you. Let us see what the Bible, the ultimate authority, has to say. “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.” Genesis 1:14–19. God said that the sunlight and the moonlight were good, so let’s see if we can identify what it is about sunlight that is good.

Sunlight provides warmth for our planet and without it there would be no life. The energy from the sun supports chemical actions necessary for all life. It helps promote and regulate the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the environment and also affects the humidity and rain cycles. The sun disinfects and cleanses the environment by destroying bacteria, viruses and molds.

Allowing the sun to shine directly in and around our homes has many practical benefits. “Shade-trees and shrubbery too close and dense around a house are unhealthy; for they prevent a free circulation of air, and prevent the rays of the sun from shining through sufficiently.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 463.

Fresh air and sunlight should be allowed to bathe our homes. It will prevent dampness and decrease bacteria that can cause sickness. The same thing can be said of the inside of our homes. Fresh air and sunshine help prevent dampness and bacteria and are especially important in our sleeping rooms. “Sleeping rooms, especially, should be well ventilated, and the atmosphere made healthful by light and air. Blinds should be left open several hours each day, the curtains put aside, and the room thoroughly aired.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 57.

Sunlight is now being used in the process of water purification. Chlorination kills many water-borne diseases, but the chlorine has certain carcinogenic effects. Researchers are now looking at irradiation with ultraviolet rays. Although not 100% effective, most water can be purified if allowed direct exposure to sunlight. The World Health Organization has said that exposing water in transparent bottles could save hundreds of thousands of lives a year in developing countries. This is a nearly cost-free process that will kill illness causing microorganisms in polluted water. The water should be placed horizontally in a transparent bottle, laid on a flat surface and then exposed to direct sunlight for about five hours.

With all of these benefits of sunlight, is it any wonder that God said it was good? “Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.” Ecclesiastes 11:7.

 

Recipe – Tomato Basil Bread

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2 ½ cups warm water

2 Tbsp Honey or sweetener

2 Tbsp yeast

2 Tbsp tomato paste

¼ cup oil

1 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning

1/8 cup basil leaves, fresh

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup shredded onion

1 Tbsp salt

6-7 cups flour (part whole wheat)

Combine warmed water, sweetener and yeast. Let set until bubbly. Add the rest of the ingredients except the flour and mix well. Add flour one cup at a time. Knead until smooth and elastic. Let rise until double in size. Punch down and separate into three parts. Roll each out to an 8 x 12 rectangle; roll up lightly, pinch to seal edges. Place on jelly roll pan. Let rise about 20 minutes. Place in warmed 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Food – The Sunbath

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When used wisely and as a treatment, the sunbath can be very helpful as a natural remedy to aid the body. Safe sunbathing has been shown to help alleviate a host of problems ranging from chronic skin conditions to building strong bones and teeth, lowering cholesterol levels, preventing heart disease, warding off depression, improving the immune system, helping regulate blood sugar, speeding wound healing, reduction of arthritis symptoms, increased production of red and white blood cells and may even prevent some forms of cancer. The sunbath described here is an exposure to natural sunlight and not the use of a sunlamp.

The importance of the sunbath in the role of lowering body cholesterol, blood pressure, and heart disease will be discussed. One component that contributes to elevated blood pressure and heart disease is elevated blood cholesterol, specifically LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is a fatty substance that is carried in the blood stream and can be deposited in the artery walls leading to narrowed, hardened, and plaque filled arteries. All of this can result in major health problems. A component of body fat absorbs the ultraviolet rays of the sun and is then converted into vitamin D. This vitamin has many benefits, including lowering cholesterol, assisting in the absorption and regulation of blood levels and prevention of excretion of calcium and phosphorus.

The procedure for having a healthy sunbath must include enough caution so that the participant does not burn. This is very important to avoid the harmful effects of the sun. Care should be taken to consider the ease with which a person burns (fair skinned, blue eyed, blonde, red haired or diabetic), the environmental elements which encourage burning (midday sun, temperature, cloud or snow cover and altitude), diet, and some pharmaceuticals. With this in mind:

Start by sunbathing for 2 to 3 minutes on each side of the body. This should be done in a private place with as much of the body surface being exposed to the sun as possible. The head and eyes should be protected from the sun at all times.

This time should be gradually increased each day by 2–5 minutes to avoid sunburn. This should continue until the person is exposed to the sun for 30 minutes on each side of the body, for a total of one hour per day.

A feeling of giddiness, fatigue or discomfort experienced during a sunbath, or a burning sensation in the skin, is an indication of excessive exposure to sunlight.

After the sunbath, a cold-water bath should be taken, or the body wiped with a piece of cloth which has been wrung out in cold water.

If you are unsure, consult your health professional before beginning your sunbathing routine to see if you have any medical contraindications to a sunbath.

Take advantage of the healing gift of sunlight, until “the sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” Isaiah 60:19.