Christ Is Not Popular, or…

 This is the latest as posted on my other blog

 ... a Democrat, Republican; Left or Right; or even an American. 

This post is going to be a little bit rant-y, and all over the place. Bear with me.

I was watching a video by a Christian movie maker. I'd not heard of this man until a couple of nights ago. Not even 10 minutes into an hour+ long video, I had to stop and leave a comment. The comment was not directed at the presenter. I don't know what his views are - except that he is Christian - but his channel seems to reach a lot of people. So, I guess my comment was for them and other Christians in general:

"One of the biggest problems today (just my opinion) is that so many of us Christians have such polarized views of "good" and "evil". One blatant example is Left = evil and Right = good.  Early in this video, 2 guys are discussing Netflix and buyouts. I notice the view that Trump being friends with Ellison was positive while the Obamas were shown as negative. Trump, Obama - none of them are on the side of good. They are all in it for money & wealth and promoting worldly principles. We Christians have to be careful against subtle manipulation. The Obamas don't even try that hard to pretend to be Christians, not even a little bit. Meanwhile, Trump surrounds himself with people who wear crosses and have "ministries". All the while NONE of them are promoting Christ - not by their actions or regular behaviors. I've had non-Christians upset with me for not accepting worldly ("leftist") agenda & Christians calling me leftist because I don't accept so many of the behaviors of those on the political Right. Jesus' kingdom is not of this world - and certainly not of America. We all need to remember that."

That's something I feel like I need to say so often these days.  I feel that one of the biggest manipulations we Christians need to watch out for is that of our national pride. Our traditional pride in our country is something citizens elsewhere notice. Some are surprised by it; others are envious of it and others are maybe just amused. I saw a remark online once that they can recognize an American tourist by how loud they speak and by their clothing - usually something imprinted with our flag or a slogan about our American pride. That is funny (and probably true).

What is not funny but very true is that we are often a victim to that pride. We take our politics personally - much like citizens in some other countries do - but we don't often take it seriously enough to study. Citizens of other countries often make fun of Americans for not knowing world geography or knowing much of about anything outside of America. We are the butt of a lot of jokes about our lack of education.

None of that has bothered me as much as it does these days. It is more important now because our lack of knowledge is allowing us to be manipulated by politicians (and politics).

If we understood our political system better, we wouldn't rely on media to provide an opinion. Or, at least, we would recognize when we were being ill-informed.

We have become fans of the people on televised news. Most major news media outlets count on our liking (or not) of the presenters. Newspeople have stopped pursuing journalism and began focusing on entertainment.

I almost never count on the mainstream news outlets anymore. Instead, I look to smaller news sources. I keep up with a lot of "citizen journalists". I don't care how much a newsperson agrees or disagrees with my personal views; I just want them to present the news so I can be informed. I don't want antics or "personality"; I want information. Period.

Have you noticed how people who are popular for presenting and analyzing data have become so performative? Harrey Enten immediately comes to mind. 

Okay. It seems the steam has run out in my rant-o-machine. 

Seriously, I just want people to pay more attention to everything around them. Are you being informed, entertained, programmed, or distracted? Do you know the difference?

Peace

--Free

Eating Better with (CKD) Health & Money Issues

... And on a budget - if what I live on can be called a budget. It's more like a fudge-it.

I have been so focused on food lately that I can hardly think about anything else. When the average American - I'm talking about those in average-to-decent health - worries about the additives and potential toxins in food, people with certain health issues are making serious life decisions whenever they grocery shop. For the record, I have CKD 3b and, of course, neurosarcoidosis - which led to the CKD...

Thankfully, I have finally found a few resources for better food. Of course, better food often means more expensive food. I decided that it's worth eating a lot less on a safer diet than continuing making my health issues worse. A big gripe I have is that I have had almost no help from anyone on my healthcare team. I see 3 different doctors on a regular basis, but I have spent hours over the last few weeks compiling information on my own. 

I want to share what I have found for myself since it may encourage others to do their own research. Check with your doctors (if they will help) and research, research, research. My brain isn't always up to handling the information so I'm lucky to have neighbors and family to help out.

Foods I can and can't have (or have to limit)

I'm trying to do more fish, fruits and veggies. Also, I am more careful about the coffee/tea I drink and what I put in them. Although, I have been doing iced coffee with cream on the days I don't eat much. Is that a decent swap???

Because I really do like my fruits and veggies... I have to watch (mainly) for things high in potassium (so much in a lot of fruit/veggies!); phosphorous (dairy, sodas, nuts and - this covers so much: processed foods); sodium (more processed food and canned stuff, frozen, etc. - aka convenience); and calcium (oranges/OJ) because it can cause deposits. I am great about not drinking any soda. I prefer a sparkling water every now and then.

Source

I have been making a lot of my own bread with French flour. I love eating cereal and oatmeal, so I have to put those in my notebook with warnings.... And I have gotten back to preferring dairy milk over plant based. Oh boy.

Allowable (some with limits)

• Apples - Honeycrisp (my fave) Granny Smith (meh), Gala and Golden Delicious (ok, but boring).
• Berries - Rasp., blue, straw, and black.
• Watermelon - the safest melon because it's low in potassium 
• Seedless Yellow Melon
• Pineapple - I really don't love this unless I can mix it with apple juice!
• Dried fruit - raisins, dates etc. BTW, I love date and figs....
• Avocado - yum
• Mango - double yum
• Kiwi - they can keep that
• Cantaloupe - triple yum
• Pears - yay!
• Salmon (wild caught and with limits)
• Cauliflower - I have learned to make fake mash potatoes & love it
• Red bell pepper - great stuffed with garlic, onions and greens
• Cabbage - love the steaks but get bored with it
• Onions - I can roast an onion with garlic and be happy 
• Radishes- this should not even exist
• Cucumbers - good but gets boring
• Collard Greens - I love, love, love -but have to limit...

To be fair, I could have some really nice tropical fruits (if I can afford them) - even if I have to limit some of them

• Guava
• Papaya
• Lychee
• Cherimoya
• Mangosteen
• Cactus Pears
• Red and Yellow Dragon fruit - which is great because they have more flavor than the plain ones (which are super bland, IMO)
• Feijoas (cannot was to try these)
• Candy Hearts Grapes (ditto!)
• Royal Vine Grapes (ditto ditto!)
• Moon Drop Grapes (yep, ditto!)

I found some of these more exotic fruits over at Melissa's, Good Hill Farms, Miami Fruit, and Tropical Fruit Box. There are some other places as well. Problem is that some of the good stuff is out of my moolah range.

As far as meat and seafood, I am trying to stick with fish and stay away from red meat. It's tough because I am no longer in Alaska. Back home, my family loved fishing and our freezers were all stocked year-round with salmon, trout, hooligan, etc. All wild-caught. Here in the Midwest, I really have to shop around. I do not love Tilapia (most common in stores), although I can handle cod... Salmon is my favorite and I have to limit it - not hard when good, wild caught salmon is hard to find.

Source

I think the thing that bothers me the most is that, so much of our easily available and mostly affordable food is not good even for mostly healthy folks.

One solution I have found is finding grocers service Euro expats. Where I live, there is not a lot of diversity, but one of my doctors is 2 hours away. I have found several specialty grocers and stores in his area. So, I will have to budget fiercely and get as much as I can during the trips to the bigger cities. And still money is an issue. I am having to watch every penny I spend in the meantime so that I can stock up when I go to those other grocers.

Another solution I've come up with is to shop some of the local farms with a decent driving distance from where I live. That's going to be a lifesaver because these folks have a lot of clean veggies, chicken, fresh eggs, honey, and although I have to limit them milk and eggs. The good thing about that is I can split those items with my family.

The next thing on my list is to find some good authentic olive oils and condiments (I recently watched a video about olive oil). I guess I am just really frustrated. It should be easier to eat better. I'm already making most of my own baked goods - bread and rolls and the rare cake - using an imported flour. 

Source

One practice I use (and highly recommend) is keeping a notebook to track your specific needs. Not just if you have health issues, but even if you are trying to avoid the toxic and nasty ingredients that is allowed in so much of our food! 

I have a specific notebook where I keep a list of foods and beverages that are and are not healthy for me. I list the restrictions on daily nutrients I have to pay attention to. I also list places (local and online) where I can find the things I need. This really helps for grocery shopping. 

The notebook is so useful because there is so much information to be aware of and my memory is crap. It's helpful for family when planning my visits to them. What I need to be better at is keeping regular track of my intake. I use some apps, but they are not always handy, and I am not always diligent. So far, it has been easier for me to eat a lot of the same things on a rotation. For instance, I know that I can do a portion of salmon or cod with cauliflower and broccoli. I have other set meals like that for which I know the general amount to eat to stay within limits. It's boring but easy.

Source

It's a shame that so many of us with serious conditions don't have access to a nutritionist. So, you have to do the best you can with what you can afford. 

I hope that anyone else trying to eat better - especially because of serious health issues - will be encouraged. Research what you should and should have. Try to find better sources of consumables - even if you have to go online or take a drive. It's frustrating and expensive, but it might save you some health issues.

Peace

-- Free

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and don't even play one on TV. I have zero medical or any other healthcare training. In this blog, I simply share my experiences. I have 2 very important things to say to anyone reading this (or anything online):

1. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH and
2. Talk to your healthcare providers before doing anything that could affect your health.