Broader Horizons

I thought I’d share some of the things we’ve been occupying ourselves with that I haven’t mentioned here.

Health & Nutrition

Whole Foods
My interest in whole foods started a little while ago and it actually started with learning about whole grains. I’ve become much more interested in, and a champion of, whole foods. What are whole foods? A whole food is a natural food (apple, carrot, etc) in it’s whole state. Eating a whole apple is a good thing, for example. The nutrients that are contained in whole foods tend to work much better in our bodies than isolated nutrients do, especially if they are synthetic. It’s been amazing just how much better we feel with more whole foods, though I’m not so sure why since it makes so much sense. We began to eliminate processed and prepared foods as much as we could several years ago already. Why and how we didn’t make the whole food connection then, I am not so sure. Since we’ve increased our whole food consumption and have started supplementing with a whole food product, we’ve all felt so much better and have fought off the seasonal viruses so much faster than ever before. We have energy (which is nice because in the winter I tend not to have so much of that) and are noticing that various things we used to deal with and consider “normal” are now gone or are fading fast. Simply amazing.

Reflexology
I’ve accidentally “discovered” some interesting things related to reflexology. At first when I stumbled on it, I thought it was interesting but didn’t pay much attention to it. I was more interested in the chart I had found that detailed the various parts of the spine and what parts of the body they are related to. I have had a lot of trouble with my C1 and C2 in the past 10 years so I know what those two discs being “out of alignment” can do to a person. I have had a particular spot in my back, T5, that has bothered me for years and I was wondering what it was related to. When I found the kind of chart I was looking for it revealed that it was related to another part of my body that had been suffering with aches for a little while now. The interesting thing was that the reflexology chart showed that the achy and tender part of my foot also correlated to the same achy places in my body. The more DH and I looked at the charts the more we could see how they worked together. This has been rather interesting. I’m rather enjoying the regular foot massages that DH and I are implementing in our evening routine.

Grass-Fed Meat
We raise all of our own meat, which started off as a hobby and a lifestyle choice. We now sell small quantities of our animals in order that the farm can be self-sustaining, financially speaking. In recent weeks we’ve become aware of some studies and research that is showing the amazing health benefits of grass fed meat compared to grain fed meat. The information that we’ve been finding shows that grass fed beef contains higher concentrations of beta-carotene and vitamin E, increased levels of omega-3 and a more desirable ratio of omega-3:omega-6, all of which are desirable in a healthy diet. The comparisons that we’ve been hearing are that grass fed beef is as good as wild salmon when it comes to the omega oils and the same as chicken breast when it comes to fat content. The thing is that when ruminants are fed grain products it causes their bodies to be in a state of acidosis and that is translated to their meat. This is why grass fed beef cooks in 2/3 the time that grain fed beef does and has a bit of a different taste, though not a considerable difference and when asked, most people say they prefer the taste of grass fed beef to the grain fed beef. Whodda thunk! We never grain fed our cattle because we couldn’t afford it. Now we can sell it for a higher price than we could sell grain fed beef.

Stewardship

Oil Products
Here is a quote I read from the back of a bottle of natural cleaner:

If every house in the U.S. replaced their current petroleum solvent based cleaner with just one bottle of our 32 oz. citrus cleaner, we could save 7,100 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 400 U.S. homes for a year!

WOW!

Wait a minute, petroleum based cleaning products? Does that strike anyone else as concerning? If we’re finding ourselves headed toward another oil crisis then wouldn’t it make sense to use products that are not oil based? Besides, that simply can’t be healthy.
So while we consider how we can cut back on our fuel consumption, it might be a good idea to consider how we can cut out petroleum products in our homes as well. We have replaced quite a few standard products in our home with natural ones and honestly, I’m pleased with the results.

Giving
In recent weeks we’ve been discussing what to do with the money in our Tzedekah jar. Giving to charity is a good thing but there are so many charities and how do you give to a person or family in need in such a way as to actually help them rather than enable them to stay where they are? We’ve talked a bit about caring for the poor and needy in such a way as to keep their dignity intact - by offering to help them learn a trade or give them work to do so that they can earn a living for themselves rather than panhandle. Helping in a crisis is one thing, living in “crisis mode” is quite another. So, or Tzedekah jar remains “as is” for now. We’re heeding the advice from The Didache to “let your alms sweat in your hands, until you know to whom you should give.”

Misc

Torah Club
We have just purchased Torah Club Volume 4 with which we will “methodically work through the Gospels and The Book of Acts to discover how all Scripture works together.” We really appreciate how First Fruits of Zion works to detail the historical and cultural context that we often overlook or are unaware of. We’re really looking forward to adding TC4 to our weekly studies! We were given Torah Club Volume 5 as a gift a few years ago and have thoroughly enjoyed it. We would have liked to start at volume 1 and move to volume 2, but that’s not what was made available to us. Father knows, He provides what we need in the right time.

Preparation
I can’t explain why or what this pressing “urging” is that I’ve been feeling for the past few years. I’ve had this strong urging, “Prepare. Prepare.” for quite some time now, so I’ve been learning about natural and herbal remedies (which has been GREAT!) as well as food preservation and emergency preparation. We’ve also been learning a bit about survival skills and cutting out the extra bulk so we can pare down to just the necessary items. I wish I could explain why this is a driving force right now or what it’s related to, but I can’t. Instead we just do what we can, though we probably should be doing more. I feel like such a dope when it comes to these things because I have realized just how much I was lacking in basic skills and understanding. It’s only been in the past 4 or 5 years that I’ve really even learned to cook, let alone from scratch! Now my grocery runs consist of more dried beans & grains, various flours, and fresh fruit and veggies than anything else. I’m learning and I am realizing just how many basic skills I simply didn’t have. But I really feel like I need to be learning and doing faster. I suppose I find a sense of comfort that what I sense is “Prepare.” rather than “PREPARE!!”.

So, this is the “update” as to what I’ve been up to, other than Scripture related things. There are more subjects and issues that come to mind, but these are the ones I’m thinking about today.

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Enhanced Nutrient Content of Grass Fed Beef: Justification for Health Benefit Label Claim

The Ancient Paths Family Farm