However, it's easy to slip into a mentality of fear at this point. There is so much information out there on the internet and sometimes the message is contradictory. For example, do you need to remove phytic acid or not? Should you soak grains or not? Some say yes, others say no. And since there is research to back up both, it can be frustrating as well as confusing. It's easy to understand why some become fearful or paralyzed to do anything because they're afraid it will be wrong.
For others, the quest can morph into a quest for the fountain of youth and a desire to cheat death rather than living each day to it's fullest with the goal to glorify the Lord. With the 'youth' message our world sends to us on a constant basis, it's easy to forget that God has numbered our days according to His good pleasure.
If none of that applies to you, then perhaps you can relate to my friend, who recently reminded me that reading a blog like Homestead Revival can be a bit overwhelming because regular postings come quicker than changes a person can possibly make in their lifestyle. So much new information is like taking a drink from a fire hose at times!
Any of this can cause people to give up entirely on living a healthy lifestyle and quit their Food Journey.
My goal is not to bombard readers, but to offer a variety of topics on various levels because everyone is somewhere different along the continuum of their own Food Journey. And because I'm learning, too, sometimes I post about what's new for me just so you can get a glimpse of where I am in the Homesteading process.
You've heard the joke... How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Do the same when you read this blog and others like it. Take it one bite at a time.
• Use it as a resource to come back to when you want information.
• Pick those items you want to try and pass over the rest.
• Let it inspire you to try one new big thing this year.
• Read it for ideas of where you want to go next in your journey.
• Leave comments when you can to help and encourage others along the way, especially if you've tried something or have some information that might help.
If I could stress one more thing that you should remember in your journey, that I believe is extremely important to keep in mind, it would be this: Our bodies really can handle some exposure. We can eat that occasional sugary snack and truly enjoy it as a treat. Once in a while, it's okay to indulge in some great fries or that triple layer chocolate cake.
We live in an imperfect, fallen world, and yet God designed our bodies to live in this world so that they actually do heal themselves to some degree. (When I say "heal themselves" it is never apart from Him, but rather by His will and design!).The more we do to live a healthy lifestyle, the better our bodies can handle the bad stuff we're exposed to on a day by day basis. If we have balanced the scales so that the healthy far outweighs the unhealthy, then our bodies usually can work to counteract the bad because He designed it that way.
Now I'm not saying that we can do anything even once in a while and our bodies will miraculously handle it (like step in front of a train!), but in the normal course of living, this is the case. When your child skins his knee; God designed his skin to heal. You catch a virus that causes a cold; your body's immune system works to destroy the invading virus. You eat a can of tomatoes with a little bpa once in a while; your body's systems work to eliminate the toxin. THIS is why it is good to maintain a healthy lifestyle! So your body's defenses have the greater advantage; an edge over the free radicals, bad bacteria, and bumps that come along the way of life.
No one knows the number of their days in advance. Whether they are few or many, I want to be as healthy and productive as many of those days as possible.
It's all a gift from God. Even the knowledge we gain to make healthy choices is from the Lord. Let us use it for His glory!
