What does Natural Health really mean? As a Christian, I believe that God created everything. That would include everything that we need to maintain our health. In fact, I would put it out there that people have harmed their health primarily with man-made innovations and products. As we move farther from the farm to table life styles we lose the goodness God has placed here for us and replaced that with instant gratification products that do not require planning and forethought.

I have Meniere’s disease, which is an inner ear issue that can cause severe vertigo. The solution (not a cure) requires me to control my salt intake. Since I am not a salt shaker kind of gal I had to look deeper into what I consumed. I was horrified when I really started reading food labels. For example, canned soup can contain as much as 960 mg of sodium in a single serving. A can of soup usually holds two servings. The suggested daily intake of sodium for an adult is about 2000 mg. You can see how a diet of convenience foods such as canned soups, vegetables, packaged goods, etc can cause great harm. I am not suggesting that everyone immediately begin growing and canning their own food, but I am suggesting that if we truly want to improve or maintain our health we must take responsibility for what we consume.

I have found that if I do need to buy canned versus fresh, I can often find the “No Salt Added” versions if I take the time to really research. My wonderful husband even looks at the label to check the content of what we buy. We have found that we rarely go into the isles of the grocery store. Most of what we buy is found in the perimeter of the store. Fresh produce, fresh meat, fresh dairy and the bakery are all found in the perimeter. I started cooking fresh foods instead of canned and then I freeze some for the days when meal planning was overlooked or I just don’t feel up to cooking that night. We do have a garden and I do can our vegetables, but I also cook with canned foods that are simple ingredients with no added chemicals, salt, sugar or natural flavorings (what exactly is natural flavoring).

Some of you are wondering where to start. I suggest that you pick your worse habit and start with what is doing the most harm. Don’t just quit cold turkey but find a healthy replacement. I use a lot of Mrs. Dash no salt Lemon Pepper seasoning and it is wonderful. If your vice is soda try replacing it with 4 oz of fresh juice in 12 oz of flavored club soda (no sugar substitutes). My favorite is pineapple juice and lime seltzer water. I love cheese and have found that Swiss cheese has the least sodium per serving. I use diced tomatoes (no salt added) with seasoning over pasta instead of spaghetti sauce. Be creative, find a social media group that you can ask questions of and start taking control of your health through better eating habits.

Bon Appetit