Cravings Turn to Enjoyment - People Raised on a Farm Know That

 

Charlie Sue loves her outdoor dog friends, but comes in for a home cooked meal.

The so-called diet plans are a way to spend a lot of money on almost nothing. Each major fad has major downfalls. Many of our ailments come from poor choices and also some dangerous medicines. I nixxed the use of statins, supposedly for lowering cholesterol, but the solution was - walnuts, a handful a day. That is because a member got that from a doctor and passed the news along - with a bag of walnuts (no sugar, no salt). 

As I wrote before, I put them on a large bowl of vanilla ice cream. My cholesterol registered perfect, but my blood sugar continued its upward climb. 

These are expensive but worthless foods that I had to remove from my habits:

1. Ice cream - sugar, fat, and baby food for growing calves.
2. Pizza - bread, grease, salt, and cheese made from baby food for growing calves.
3. McDonalds - guaranteed to be worthless, loaded with white bread, cheese, salt, and grease.
4. Large-sized bread enhanced with butter.
5. All forms of cheese made with fat, salt, and baby food for growing calves.
6. Snack foods - mostly salt and grease. Cookies - plenty of sugar and white flour.
7. Eggs - plenty of fat, choline (boo!) enhanced with butter and bread.
8. Healthy juices - hahahahahahahahahaha! Delicious, fattening, sugar syrup.

Notice that we spend an enormous amount of money on the manufactured foods above.

Below are the simple, nutritious foods, which replace our bad habits and heal many disorders (but not all). The only good test for health is the blood panel, which tests cholesterol, blood sugar, kidney function, etc. Blood pressure requires a cuff, which can be used at home. 

The medicinal value of these foods comes from the Lord of Creation Himself. Their values are just the opposite of our sugar-fat-salt habits.

Greens - 

Dirt Cheap, Low Calories, Low Fat, Loaded with Nutrition

Seven-day habit - I always use generous portions in our luncheon stew. The famous greens are Kale (beats all the rest), Collards (not just for athletes anymore), Turnip Greens, and Spinach. 

Beans,

Protein, Fiber, Vitamins, Dirt Cheap

Beans are very satisfying, but the shopper must look for salt content on cans, ranging from very low to 1000 mg per serving. I like Cicero Beans (chick peas), without olive oil and salt (humus). Fiber is not a joke, but essential in slowing down and maximizing nutritional value. 

Vegetables and Mushrooms,

Frozen, Colorful, Satisfying, A Great Mix of Benefits.

Mushrooms have no fat, no salt, but are powerful with anti-cancer benefits. Mushrooms can also offer Vitamin D. My favorite and colorful frozen vegetables are onions/peppers, lima beans, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and packets of varieties (California mix). I liked sliced carrots frozen but I seldom see them. But mixing these we obtain a wonderful combination of healing substances. Just use "nutritional value of...at healthline - for summaries).

Fresh Fruits

All Day Desserts without the Sugar, Salt, Fat

No juices! Hunger cries out - I want energy now! The problem with sugar-based commodities is their instant jolt and later droop. The value is eating the whole fruit, which has countless ingredients, and their fiber slows down sugars and the rush to the exit. 

A solution for a dessert is to end a good meal with one large, perfect apple (compare it to a dessert from a restaurant, often a thawed out delivered sweet, costing $7 to $10). A regular meal can be replaced by two giant apples eaten slowly - good for the teeth, digestion, fiber, and hunger. I love apples, oranges, bananas, and blueberries. Charlie Sue loves them, all except oranges (so far).

Bananas are not exactly loaded with potassium, but prunes have the highest rating of all in potassium.

The nutrition experts aim at four - or more - fruits a day. Their overall claim is that a mix of good foods combine the best of what we need daily. Charlie and I share one sausage each day.

Nuts, Seeds, and Spices -

The Inexpensive Cook

Walnuts and almonds are heavily favored for cholesterol reduction. Flax seed (ground) is inexpensive and can be added to various foods. I use it for lunch and supper. Nuts and seeds seem to fill in a gap in our nutrition. Spices are sometimes listed (Anise seeds) for nutrition and taste.

Fast food and prepared food are salted up to make them taste better. Spices give us a chance to add small amounts of spices and seeds to what we are eating. I added ground mustard to improve the nutrition of kale and collards (Dr.Michael Greger). I provided too much and Charlie said "No way!" to the stew. I mailed it to a toxic waste facility. More on spices at a later time.

Valparaiso University in Crisis - Starting with Proposed Sale of Paintings, Which Are Hidden But Unsold

 

Mountain Landscape by Frederic Edwin Church

Valparaiso's decline began with a possible $20 million sale of three paintings, donated to the school.

A loud national uproar responded with questions about selling the art to pay for two Valpo dorms being renovated. Likewise, some of us have wondered about the obsession of building unaffordable gyms (Martin Luther OJ College and Bethany Lutheran OJ College) to attract more better students. The ELS and WELS professors are supposed to be synodical buddies, so why would they plunk down $30 million for two gyms within 35 miles of each other?

The paintings are now in a secure and undisclosed place. Lawyers are on full alert. Selling paintings for dorm improvements seems to be ludicrous, but removing theology from a soi-disant Lutheran school (Valpo) is pathetic.

An Indiana University’s Plan Sell $10M. Worth of Art to Fund Dorm Renovations Overcomes Legal Hurdle

In 1953, the donor trust agreement made between collector Percy H. Sloan, who donated nearly 400 works to the university including 276 by his father artist Junius Sloan, and Valparaiso University stipulated that “the collection shall be open to the public generally during … reasonable hours…; it being the intention of the parties to make the benefits of this collection available to all persons.” Though it required pieces from Sloan’s collection to be on view in a dedicated space, it made no clear provisions on the future sale of any of the artworks in the gift.

In a statement, Valparaiso University president Jose D. Padilla said that the plan “is consistent with the donor’s intent in that it will result in more students on campus and more students able to appreciate the art displayed at the university.”

But, but, but - trading paintings for a newly painted dorm or two is not consistent with the concept of a university.

Valpo's history is worthy of a small book. The new president, Jose Padilla, is a Roman Catholic. As of February 2024, the paintings remain unsold.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Laetare - Fourth Sunday in Lent - "Secondly, he gives an example of great love, and he does this in many ways."

 

Complete Sermon ->Luther's Sermons - John 6:1-15.
Laetare. Fourth Sunday in Lent

KJV John 6:1-15 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. 15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

I. THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND.

1. In today’s Gospel Christ gives us another lesson in faith, that we should not be over-anxious about our daily bread and our temporal existence, and stirs us up by means of a miracle; as though to say by his act what he says by his words in Matthew 6:33: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” For here we see, since the people followed Christ for the sake of God’s Word and the signs, and thus sought the Kingdom of God, he did not forsake them but richly fed them. He hereby also shows that, rather than those who seek the Kingdom of God should suffer need, the grass in the desert would become wheat, or a crumb of bread would be turned into a thousand loaves; or a morsel of bread would feed as many people and just as satisfactorily as a thousand loaves; in order that the words in Matthew 4:4 might stand firm, that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” And to confirm these words Christ is the first to be concerned about the people, as to what they should eat, and asks Philip, before they complain or ask him; so that we may indeed let him care for us, remembering that he cares more and sooner for us than we do for ourselves.

2. Secondly, he gives an example of great love, and he does this in many ways. First, in that he lets not only the pious, who followed him because of the signs and the Word, enjoy the food; but also the slaves of appetite, who only eat and drink, and seek in him temporal honor; as follows later when they disputed with him at Capernaum about the food, and he said to them in John 6:26: “Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves,” etc., also because they desired to make him king; thus here also he lets his sun shine on the evil and the good, Matthew 5:45.

Secondly, in that he bears with the rudeness and weak faith of his disciples in such a friendly manner. For that he tests Philip, who thus comes with his reason, and Andrew speaks so childishly on the subject, all is done to bring to light the imperfections of the disciples, and on the contrary to set forth his love and dealings with them in a more beautiful and loving light, to encourage us to believe in him, and to give us an example to do likewise; as the members of our body and all God’s creatures in their relation to one another teach us. For these are full of love, so that one bears with the other, helps and preserves what God has created.