A Pattern Health Retreat

Health Tip: Greens are nutrient rich foods. You can improve your health by incorporating them in your soups and pasta dishes or occasionally, toss them into a smoothie. Green leafy vegetables are high in antioxidants that help to protect the liver from the free-radical damage it incurs by processing toxins. Chlorophyll (the green pigment of plants) reduces absorption of toxins from the gut, thereby reducing the toxin load the liver has to handle. Lutein and zeaxanthin are ca...rotenoid phytochemicals that maintain healthy eye cells and they’ve also been found to lower the risk of eye disorders, particularly macular degeneration and cataracts. Rich in magnesium, potassium, and fiber greens have the potential for improving blood pressure too.

Dr. Andrew Scott Grivas recently accepted an invitation to promote health and healing at Lamar, MO, in conjunction with the Lamar SDA Church and its Health Team. He spoke persuasively with those attending, encouraging a thoughtful change of mind and habits, based on Eight Laws of Health: Adequate Sunshine, Plenty of Water, Fresh Air in Abundance, Trust in God as the Great Reconciler of Mankind with Himself, Temperance, the strong foundation of all good habits, Exercise of Bod...y and Mind to promote perfect cardiovascular health, Rest in confidence of God's rewards for belief in His promises, which includes obedience to needs for physical rest, and, the last one, a very enjoyable Nutrition - where taste buds are awakened to the flavors in well prepared natural foods (not the plasticized substitutes often masquerading as such). He reasoned with attendees with matter from the Scriptures, scientific studies, other health writers, and his many years of experience in medicine. See more

If you want to sleep better, try reducing your intake of sugar and refined carbs. Why? Sugar hurts the quality of your sleep. Eating less fiber, more saturated fat, and more sugar has been linked to lighter, less restorative, and more disrupted sleep. In contrast, greater fiber intake predicted more time spent in the stage of deep, slow wave sleep. In contrast, a higher percentage of energy from saturated fat predicted less slow wave sleep. Greater sugar intake also was associated with more arousals from sleep (sleep fragmentation).

Diets that are high in whole plant foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, but low in added sugar, saturated and trans fats) stimulate the proliferation of beneficial bacteria such as those that have beneficial anti-inflammatory properties. In this aspect, liberal amounts of raw fruits and vegetables are particularly useful in building healthy gut microflora. In contrast, a poor-quality or Western diet (rich in sugar, animal products, salt, processed foods, and re...fined carbohydrates) is linked to more disease-causing bacteria and inflammatory conditions. The choice is yours Tomova A. The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Gut Microbiota. Front. Nutr. 17 April 2019. Karon A. A Western Diet Linked to lower microbiome diversity. Internal Medicine News. March 29, 2019.

Did you know that a well-balanced vegetarian diet reduces the risk for cancer between 30% or more, the threat from dying from heart disease by 32%, and lowers the risk for type 2 diabetes by 47-78 %, and tastes good? It is important to emphasize whole plant foods, and get vitamins B-12 and D. A vegetarian diet full of refined carbs does not protect from these diseases.