Health Talk!!
The Candy Cane!
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Are you eating right?
If Jesus stopped by for a meal- what would you offer him?
Would he know what it was?
God created food to feed the body, mind, and soul.
The food we have now is not the food that God created.
Eat only “single”, whole foods.
The Bible refers to food 1,207 times.
History of eating:
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20243692
All Biblical foods:
https://www.learnreligions.com/foods-of-the-bible-700172
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
What is BEta-Glucan?
Beta-glucan is a specific form of soluble dietary fiber. It’s found in the cell walls of certain types of plants and some yeasts, bacteria, fungi, and algae. You can also find it in supplement form.
Learn more about Beta-Glucan here! Biblical References to “Eating or not eating Grains”
What Are Oats?
What are Oats?
Oats are grains from the cereal plant, Avena Sativa, and once harvested are processed for use in animal feed, skin products, or food. For food use, oats are milled, steamed, heated, and cooled in a kiln, which brings out the flavor. The oats are then rolled, cut, or ground to produce flakes, oatmeal, or flour.
1 Corinthians 15:36-38
36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.
Learn more about oats here!
What is Beta-Glucan? August 7, 2022
“Beta-glucan is a soluble fiber found naturally in cereal grains,(oats) yeast, and certain mushrooms and sold as a supplement. A polysaccharide—a large molecule made up of multiple sugar molecules—beta-glucan may offer a number of health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, improving blood sugar management, and boosting our immune system
If you’re considering using beta-glucan supplements, talk to your healthcare provider to weigh the potential risks and benefits.
Learn more about Beta-Glucan here!
Psalm 104:14
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
Are food labels helpful? Do you really understand them?
July 31, 2022
The more whole foods you eat, then “labels” aren’t needed.”
Health claims on packaged food are designed to catch your attention and convince you that the product is healthy”.
They are confusing and aren’t based on science. They’re an estimation and guesses. Pay attention to the labels, food manufacturers can say whatever they want on the front of the box, but the back is where the truth is. You will really find out what you’re eating when you read the back label.
Learn more about Nutrition Labels here!
Adaptogens?? – JUly 24, 2022
Whether you’re familiar with adaptogens or not, chances are you’ve seen them as an add-in option on your local coffee shop or smoothie bar menus. Wherever it may be, their popularity and availability seems to be growing, and quite a few purported benefits are circulating-from fighting fatigue or cancer to improving your sexual health.
But how legit are they? We’ll tell you about the benefits, science and any risks of adaptogens along with taking a closer look at some popular kinds, including ashwagandha and rhodiola.
Numbers 9:11
but they are to do it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
Learn more about adaptogens here!
What is fitness? – July 17, 2022
Experts define physical fitness as “one’s ability to execute daily activities with optimal performance, endurance, and strength with the management of disease, fatigue, and stress and reduced sedentary behavior.”
This description goes beyond being able to run quickly or lift heavy weights. Despite being important, these attributes only address single areas of fitness.
1 Corinthians 9:27
But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Learn more about fitness here!
The Skin!! – July 10, 2022
The skin is the largest organ of the body, with a total area of about 20 square feet. The skin protects us from microbes and the elements, helps regulate body temperature, and permits the sensations of touch, heat, and cold.
The skin is a very important part of the body and it is important that we take care of it. The skin takes care of us and gives us an advanced heads up to other possible issues that may be happening inside the body.
Learn more about the skin here!
What is Leptin? – July 3, 2022
Leptin is a hormone that is produced by your body’s fat cells.
It is often referred to as the “satiety hormone” or the “starvation hormone.”
Leptin’s primary target is in the brain — particularly an area called the hypothalamus.
Leptin is supposed to tell your brain that — when you have enough fat stored — you don’t need to eat and can burn calories at a normal rate.
It also has many other functions related to fertility, immunity and brain function.
Learn more about Leptin here!
What is silica? – June 26, 2011
What is Silica (Silicon dioxide)?
Most people don’t get enough silica in their diet. That’s because the mineral doesn’t accumulate in your body. Instead, it gets flushed out by your kidneys.
Silicon is the second-most abundant element on Earth, behind oxygen. Almost 30% of our planet’s crust is made of the stuff, so it isn’t surprising that it’s also found in food.
Silica also promotes the production of collagen, which is your body’s most abundant protein.
Learn more about Silica here!
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Knowing the truth about ourselves – June 19, 2022
We need to know the “truth” about ourselves.
Being honest about our health will help to make the right choices.
American Society for Nutrition did a recent survey to access how we are all doing in our food choices. Out of the thousands of people surveyed, 85% didn’t. “They perceived their diet as very good when in fact their diet was poor,”
We are struggling to understand what is “healthy” anymore.
3 categories are needed for each person when it comes to eating.
“what”, “how much” and “when”- Psalm 25:5
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Learn more here!
amino acids! June 12, 2022
What are amino acids?
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Proteins are long chains of amino acids. Your body has thousands of different proteins that each have important jobs. Each protein has its own sequence of amino acids. The sequence makes the protein take different shapes and have different functions in your body.
You can think of amino acids like the letters of the alphabet. When you combine letters in various ways, you make different words. The same goes for amino acids — when you combine them in various ways, you make different proteins.
What are the different types of amino acids?
Your body needs 20 different kinds of amino acids to function correctly. These 20 amino acids combine in different ways to make proteins in your body.
Your body makes hundreds of amino acids, but it can’t make nine of the amino acids you need. These are called essential amino acids. You must get them from the food you eat.
What foods contain amino acids?
Essential amino acids can be found in many different foods. The best sources of amino acids are found in animal proteins such as beef, poultry and eggs. Animal proteins are the most easily absorbed and used by your body.
Foods that contain all nine essential amino acids are called complete proteins. These foods include beef, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, soy, quinoa and buckwheat.
Foods that contain some but not all the essential amino acids are called incomplete proteins. These foods include nuts, seeds, beans and some grains. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you need to include several types of incomplete proteins in order to ensure you’re consuming all nine essential amino acids.
Learn more about Amino Acids here!
Ephesians 4:16
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
What is Ashwagandha? June 5, 2022
Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub that grows in Asia and Africa. It is commonly used for stress.
Ashwagandha contains chemicals that might help calm the brain, reduce swelling, lower blood pressure, and alter the immune system.
Ashwagandha roots and berries can be consumed for their medical properties, but typically, you find ashwagandha in supplement capsules or in tablet, powder, tincture, and tea form.
Lean more about Ashwagandha here!
Genesis 1:11
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.
Are Dandelions Just a pesky weed? May 29, 2022
Are Dandelions just a pesky weed?
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a plant related to the daisy family. It is often thought of as a weed, but you can enjoy its roots, leaves, and flowers for different uses.
Dandelion has been used in traditional medicine in China, Mexico, and North America.
Dandelions are bursting with a whole range of health benefits and can have a delicately sweet taste or be a truly strong drink. Being an easy to get hold of, and used to make tea, wine, soups, and salads.
Naturally caffeine-free, the root itself is sometimes roasted to make a caffeine-free coffee. It can also be taken as a supplement in capsule or liquid extracts.
1 Peter 1:23-25
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
24 For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”And this is the word that was preached to you.
Learn more about Dandelions here!
What’s in Movie theater popcorn? May 22, 2022
Three main ingredients: Flavacol, butter-flavored topping, and, buttery flavoring. Yum!
Flavacol is a seasoned powder that goes on the corn before it’s popped.
It contains only four ingredients: super-fine salt, artificial flavor, and two synthetic yellow dyes that give the popcorn its vibrant buttery-ish color. While Flavacol has zero calories and zero fat, carbs, protein, or vitamin and mineral content, it is very high in the sodium department. One teaspoon contains 116 percent of your recommended daily intake of sodium
The popcorn doesn’t have any real butter in it at all.
What it does contain is partially hydrogenated soybean oil (a trans fat that’s super bad for you: think heart disease), beta-carotene (a natural pigment that can also be made in a lab), tertiary butylhydroquinone or TBHQ (a synthetic preservative that keeps the oily golden fluid from becoming rancid as it sits) and polydimethylsiloxane or PDMS (a silicone-based chemical that prevents, foaming) and is actually, the main component of Silly Putty.
He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” – Exodus 15:26
Learn more about TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) here!
Who is AMY Close?
Amy is married 32 years and is a mother of 3 sons. Certified in Personal Fitness and licensed in Nutrition. She first began an interest in health in 1986, managing a popular fitness club,
“Spa Figure and Fitness” in NE Portland. She taught 2 to 3 classes per day. Ended her work there without learning healthy lifestyle choices. Returned to school achieving her state licensing as a Hairstylist, Esthetician, and Manicurist.
She became a proud mom in 1993 with her firstborn son, Myles.
Started researching Nutrition in 1999 when she didn’t lose weight from her
firstborn. She wasn’t healthy and felt she was following in the footsteps of her
family’s unhealthy history. She studied, and slowly made changes. She discovered she
was eating all the wrong things! Too much sugar, white flour, and processed foods.
Armed with new information, turned her health around and also the health of her
entire family.
She had her second son, Simon, in 2001 and returned to regular fitness to
make sure she lost the weight and got back into shape. Continuing her education in the
health and fitness industry.
During her third pregnancy with her son Greyson, she exercised and instructed while
she was pregnant. After Greyson was born, it took a little while to get back into
exercising because she needed time to recover from her emergency Cesarean Section.
All of this she did, while her husband Michael was on his 2nd tour in Iraq. She had no
help, during the long year of his absence but continued to support others in reaching
their goals. All the while, caring for her 3 young sons.
Now in her late 50s, Amy is passionate about supporting and teaching others to put
their health first. Teaching God’s word and the important lessons of Mind, Body & Soul!
Tune in every week for a new health and wellness topic from Amy Close!