Strengthening My Immune System

We are nearing the end of the second flu season since I made big changes to my diet and for two years now I have not caught a cold or the flu even though many people living and working around me have.   I even opted this year not to have a flu shot to test my own immune system.  I have gotten a little sniffly at times, but that has always passed quite quickly and symptoms have never gone any further than that.  I have to say that I am very excited about this!

I attribute my strengthened immune system to:

• Avoiding processed and packaged foods, refined carbohydrates, refined sugars and refined cooking oils;

• Eating a nutrient-dense diet which includes lots of whole plant foods; and

• Drinking a good amount of water every day.

I have learned that processed and packaged foods, refined carbohydrates, refined sugar and refined cooking oils mess with our system and inhibit our body's ability to absorb nutrients and function properly. They hinder our body's immune system.

In her book "The Science of Skinny" Dee McCaffery tells us that sugarcane in its raw form is very nutritious.  She then explains in detail the process sugarcane goes through to be turned into the glistening white crystals that we know as sugar.  In short, the processing removes not only the vitamins and minerals from the sugarcane but also the enzymes our body needs to digest it.  So when you consume refined sugar it's not only empty calories, it lacks essential digestive enzymes and your body doesn't quite know what to do with it!  That's just sugar. Dee says:

"Refined sugar and refined flour are so far removed from their natural state that the body does not recognise them as foods - they are toxins that rob us of our health."

And of refined cooking oils (canola oil and all modern vegetable and seed oils):

"Similar to the refinement of sugar and flour, anything good that was in the original oil such as vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients, are all destroyed in the oil-refinement process.  The remaining "pure" oil is tasteless, and by the time that bottle of oil ends up on your supermarket shelf, it's full of trans fats and free radicals."

So this is the reason I no longer believe in the "sometimes foods" or "80/20" (eat well 80% of the time and the other 20% you can eat what you like) philosophies.  They sound good, but won't deliver optimum health because what we typically view as "sometimes foods" generally contain refined sugar, refined flour and/or refined oils and these are the things that work against the body's natural systems.

Our bodies are amazing and designed to heal themselves.  Our designer and creator also provided us with natural foods loaded with the right stuff to nourish, heal and protect our bodies.  This is what we are meant to eat.

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

 

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.

Keeping Me Focused

You know you are doing something right when you go off track and end up suffering for it.

Recently I went to a birthday party.  The food was to be catered, but we were invited to bring along a plate of nibbles if we wanted to.  I went prepared with a plate of chopped vegetables and hummus dip. I ate some of the hummus and veggies, but I should have had more....

The catering was a wood fired pizza van.  Great idea for a party, but not the kind of thing I choose to eat when I'm out these days because I can't control the ingredients.

The first pizza offered around was a spicy salami and cheese.  I thought I'd wait for something with a bit more vegetables on it.   The next was a ham and mushroom - just ham and mushroom, and more cheese.  Then there was a seafood version - a few prawns and more cheese!  I looked around for my veggie platter, but there was very little left.

The party was outdoors.
The evening was cool.
I was rather hungry.
The pizza smelled REALLY good.
I wavered and had a few pieces.  A few won't hurt? ...

I told myself that mushrooms are healthy so I had a slice of the ham and mushroom.  Then I told myself that prawns, full of omega 3 oils are very nutritious, and had two of those.

I don't know exactly what was in the pizza base.  I didn't ask.  I wish now that I had.  It may well have been a pre-mix so the pizza maker may not have known exactly what was in it either.  It was definitely made from refined flour and no doubt also contained refined sugar and oil.  Those things, and the processed meat and cheese, are all things that that I have been avoiding in my diet for some time.  It's no wonder that I found myself with indigestion for several days after that night.  My digestive system didn't know what to do with this stuff!

After 5-6 days of nutrient-dense clean eating again my stomach settled down. But you know what I realised?  It's a mistake like this that is actually a blessing in disguise, because it will strengthen my resolve to stay focused on my goal.  I will do better next time!

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not.  It includes my experiences and opinions.  It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.