June 8, 2012 - The Unwanted Visitor

Good morning to all, During water aerobics last night we were surprised by a special visitor that escaped from a diaper (I guess) from one of the babies at the other end of the pool. I almost lost my dinner. CONTAMINATION. Ugh! But the bad part is, if one of the ladies in my class had not looked down as she was walking laps and "thought" it was a pebble and reached down to try and remove it from the pool, any one of us could have stepped on it. Am I bringing a visual to you? UGH!!!! All of the sudden my eyes were focused on the murkiness of the water and the fact that I was in the "toilet bowl" while they were trying to EXAMINE the substance to verify. This really only took about 8-10 minutes, but I felt like I was trapped in a bad story. I know I could have vacated the pool immediately, but the life guards said, "it probably is nothing." BUT THEY WERE WRONG. I had to really talk to myself as we were asked to transfer to the bigger, lap pool. This started me on a "life story" journey. So, if the pool represents our body - our structure, and the water represents our internal fluid, how many times do things enter our bodies that can go unnoticed for years that can contaminate the fluid that our body requires to live? I wonder how many things we willing place in our mouths that deeply affect these life-giving fluids. As you know our bodies are more than 75% fluid and need that exact amount to remain mostly constant in order to function well. For example, when we exercise and release fluid from our skin, it is imperative to rehydrate or we can become VERY tired, have a headache, develop muscle cramps and experience foggy thinking. WOW! All of this due to improper hydration? Absolutely! But today, let's talk about those unwanted visitors that find their way into our bodies that don't bring health, but could bring long-term contamination. What about all the chemicals and preservatives added to foods to make them "taste" better and last longer? MSG is at the top of the list..... not good for us! Our liver and kidneys act as major filters, but how many of us know - as with filters in our houses, computers, electronics - if NOT PROPERLY cared for - they stop working and our equipment burns out. Same thing in our bodies. I was telling someone yesterday that when my triglycerides were so high several times in a row, I was sent for a liver scan and it was revealed that I had a "fatty" liver. My filtering system was clogged AND I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THAT EXCEPT FOR THE BLOOD TEST. The doctor IMMEDIATELY limited the amount of sugar and fatty foods that I ingested, as well as instructed me to eat a large salad with lots of raw vegetables daily to help "CLEAN THE FILTER." This filter affects my fluid levels and the purity of the water in and out of my blood. But until someone "spotted" the unwanted visitor - I was walking along thinking all was well. And, we need to watch those "sugar free" products which are almost always loaded with sodium as well as aspartame, which is the same chemical structure as snake venom. We need to be reminded that "SOME" scientists say that aspartame takes as long as 10 years to clear our bodies and MAKES OUR BRAINS CRAVE SUGAR! The "sugar free" products may make us feel better about not eating sugar, but it may be more of an unwanted visitor than we know. We can use almond flour, xylitol, natural substances to create yummy foods to satisfy those "sweets" cravings - but it requires our time. I'd rather sacrifice some time than be in a pool with an "unwanted visitor." I said all the above to say this - I certainly am not a "germaphobe" nor am I freak about NEVER eating preservatives. BUT.....I am really mindful of these things. At my age, I cannot walk through life acting as if I am uninformed and unconcerned. The vessel God has given me has to be maintained properly, filters cleaned, fluid levels balanced and refilled, and all systems checked on a regular basis. I have a LARGE part to play in that. If not, someone else may find the visitor in my water and if it has gone undetected long enough, a deadly response (Ecoli - for the sake of this picture) could find it's way into my fluid and claim my life. NOT good. So, try to cook as often as you can and check the labels on everything. Let's examine the fluid around us and make certain WE ARE NOT THE ONE placing the unwanted visitor in the water. wink-wink PK Talk again on Monday!