Healthy Living for Real People
Paul & Ann Malkmus
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Posts by Paul & Ann Malkmus
The History Behind The History
Feb 9th
We’ve shared a lot of about Hallelujah Acres over the past 20 years.
Once in a while we mention something that we take for granted — but we forget that not everyone knows this stuff!
So, in the spirit of Hallelujah Acres’ 20th Anniversary, here are some little known tidbits about our history that you probably didn’t know…
- Before becoming CEO of Hallelujah Acres, Paul had a 17-year career in the US Air Force. Because he believed so much in the message of Hallelujah Acres, he retired from the military 3 years early, forfeiting his military retirement benefits.
- Ann was hired on at Hallelujah Acres when Paul was away from the office. She may never have been hired otherwise, since she was not Paul’s first choice for the job! (Yes, we laugh about this today)
- When Rhonda met George Malkmus, she was a collectible doll maker — a very difficult job for someone with debilitating arthritis.
- After he was told he had cancer, Rev. Malkmus left his pastoral ministry and became a health insurance salesman. By encouraging people to take a higher deductible and lower premium (unpopular among his colleagues), he was #1 in sales among 1,200 agents for several years!
- The two young people modeling Hallelujah Acres clothing in the Hallelujah Acres Product Catalog are Paul’s son Matt and Ann’s daughter Andrea.
- Andrea, who had arthritis at age 9, saw her symptoms disappear when she and Ann adopted The Hallelujah Diet. Ann was convinced after watching Rev. Malkmus present his “God’s Way To Ultimate Health” seminar in a church in Iowa (the same state Rhonda is from).
… and that’s just the beginning! We’ll share more in future blog posts.
Your turn…
Do you have a historical question about Hallelujah Acres?
Click to comment!
Heart Disease and Bone Loss
Feb 7th
Here’s one from our “hmmm, now isn’t that interesting” file.
Last month, researchers in Canada determined that “heart failure is associated with a 30 percent increase in major [bone] fractures.”
The question we have, however, is “could it be the other way around?” In other words, is it slow loss of bone mass that triggers heart disease instead of heart disease causing weak bones?
Here’s what we’re thinking…
The Standard American Diet creates excess acid in the body.
To neutralize the acid, the body must rob alkaline minerals (primarily calcium) from the bones, in turn, making bones weaker.
As the body transports that calcium, excess amounts can coat the insides of arteries, causing arteriosclerosis, a form of heart disease.
Bingo! We now have a person with heart disease who has weak bones and is at risk of a major fracture.
The problem is only exacerbated when someone takes a calcium supplement to combat the bone loss, which makes further calcium deposits in the arteries.
Obviously, the solution is to correct the problem at the source — stop eating an acid diet.
A plant-based diet is packed with alkaline foods, so it does not create an acid environment in the body. Therefore, there’s no robbing of alkaline minerals to neutralize acid.
Plus, the alkaline diet (rich in calcium by the way) will lower homocysteine levels, which further reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis.
Sometimes solving the “mysteries” of science is as simple as changing your diet!
Healthy Heart, Happy Tummy
Feb 2nd
Welcome to American Heart Month!
Reducing your fat intake is often mentioned as a way to a health heart.
But before you start thinking of ways to eliminate fat, we’d like to dispel a myth or two…
Especially when it comes to sources of fat from plant-based, whole foods!
Avocados, for example, are infamous for their fat content, but they don’t deserve the bad rap — they’re actually the world’s most nutritious fruit (Guinness World Records says so) and are great for heart health.
The monounsaturated fat in avocados helps lower bad cholesterol and increases the body’s ability to absorb antioxidants, which avocados also have a lot of.
In fact, if you add one cup of fresh avocado to a salad of romaine lettuce, spinach, and carrots, the avocado would increase your body’s absorption of certain antioxidants in the salad between 200-400%!
And since the greatest concentration of antioxidants is in the dark green flesh of the avocado, you want to keep as much of it as possible when peeling. Here’s the best way to do it:
- Cut the avocado lengthwise and twist to create two halves.
- Remove the seed by easing a knife blade into the seed, and twist to remove.
- Cut the each avocado again to create quarters.
- Using your thumb and index finger, peel each quarter from the top down as you would with a banana.
And after you’ve peeled your avocado, try out this tasty, heart-healthy recipe – see the photo above! (actually, you might want to save this one for Valentine’s Day)
Black Forest Cherry Mousse
Makes 2-1/2 cups2 avocados, peeled and seeded
2 fresh bananas
2 cups frozen cherries
1/2 cup raw carob powder
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp unrefined sea salt
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 level tsp lime zest, not packed1. Place all ingredients in a food processor with the “S” blade. Process until silky.
2. Serve in parfait glasses with an elegant garnish such as mint or lemon balm, sprinkles of coconut, or raspberries.
Enjoy!
Your turn…
What’s your favorite heart-healthy treat?
Click to comment!
Food Labels: How To Read Between The Lines
Jan 31st
It was bound to happen sooner or later.
A New York man is suing Frito-Lay because the snack chip maker claimed their chips were made with “all natural” ingredients.
The man reacted when he found out that the corn oil used to make the chips was genetically modified. He felt the labeling on the package was “deceptive.”
We’ll be surprised if he gets very far. Why?
Because the term “natural” means nothing on a food label.
We’ve been conditioned to think that just because something says it’s “natural” that it’s a good thing.
But even mercury is natural; and it’s certainly not good for your health.
Labels are loaded with wording like this. You have to take it with a grain of salt.
A phrase such as “no added sugar” may mean nothing if other ingredients (such as dried fruit, for example) are high in natural sugar in the first place.
Furthermore, “all natural” may rule out chemical additives, but the sum total of all the ingredients may result in a fatty, cholesterol laden, high calorie, low nutrient, yet “all natural” empty food (like snack chips fried in GMO corn oil, for example).
Reading all ingredients on any packaged food should be common practice for anyone looking to improve their health.
Generally, the shorter the ingredient list, the better.
Long ingredient lists are the result of a snowball effect: one ingredient is not stable without the other, or may require some creative chemistry to meld with a host of other ingredients in order to give the product its desired taste or texture.
The result is an arduous list of chemical additives few laymen can interpret.
If anything, this lawsuit may help to change labeling laws. But don’t expect it to change junk foods.
Your turn…
Do you buy food that contains ingredients you don’t understand?
Click to comment!
Secrets To A Healthy Sleep
Jan 26th
In our last post, Ann shared how stress became a major factor affecting her health.
What we saved until today is that insomnia plays an important part, too!
Watch the video to see how it all works together (and how we’re finding answers the problems) — then scroll down to see Ann’s list of tips for a good night’s sleep… including the one thing almost nobody does!
Ann’s Tips For Good Night’s Sleep
- Create your own pre-sleep ritual that goes beyond your normal teeth brushing and other practical activities.
- Design your bedroom primarily to support good sleep. Keep it clean and uncluttered.
- Have complete control of the lighting in your bedroom. Be able to make the room totally dark.
- Avoid turning on the light if you have to go to the bathroom. Any bright light will shut off melatonin production.
- Listen to relaxation CDs with nature sounds such as the ocean or forest.
- Dim the lights in your house around 8:00 pm. Light stimulates the release of cortisol and shuts down the release of melatonin.
- Stop watching TV or using your computer by 8:00 pm.
- Avoid snacking just before bedtime, particularly grains and sugars.
- Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F.
- Wear socks to bed.
- Eat a snack high in plant-based protein several hours before bed (like Hallelujah Acres’ Raw Non-dairy Blueberry Cheesecake).
- Keep electrical devices as far away from the bed as possible; their electromagnetic fields (EMF) can disrupt your nervous system’s electrical currents.
- Avoid foods that you are sensitive to.
- Don’t drink any fluids within two hours of going to bed so you won’t have to get up to go the bathroom.
- Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed if you have trouble falling asleep.
- Writing in a journal may be helpful if you often lay in bed with your mind racing.
- Remove your clock from view.
- Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician.
- If you are menopausal or peri-menopausal, consult a recommended natural medicine physician. Hormonal changes at this time may cause problems if not properly addressed.
- Make sure you are exercising regularly.
- … and the tip that almost no one does: Don’t change your bedtime (ideally around 10 pm)!
Your turn…
What’s your best tip for a good night’s sleep?
Click to comment!
My #1 Health Enemy
Jan 24th
Ladies, it’s Ann here. We’re going to do another post just for you!
As you will see in a video interview this Thursday, I’ve been struggling through a few health issues in the last year or so.
I mentioned the thyroid issue in our last post and there are some other nagging little matters on top of that; but I’ve discovered an interesting similarity between all of them.
As I sat down to figure out where I was going wrong (I knew it couldn’t be my diet), I wrote down each ailment and listed the contributing factors of each one.
Guess what?
The common denominator was stress!
Sure, there were lots of other reasons why I was not feeling 100%, but stress was a major, contributing factor to every one of my health issues!
And don’t let anyone tell you that stress won’t affect you — I mean you as a woman, specifically.
One recent survey from the UK found that women are twice as likely to consider their stress levels out of control compared to men. Boy, I can sure vouch for that one!
In fact, if left unchecked, stress can lead to a variety of serious problems:
- Mental health disorders, like depression and anxiety
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Abnormal heart beats
I’m now analyzing my life to eliminate as much stress as possible (I’ll share more in the video on Thursday).
Until then, I invite you to sit down and critique your own health and see if you found stress to be a major factor like I did. You may be surprised!
Your turn…
What’s your #1 health enemy?
Click to comment!
Depressed? Check Your Thyroid.
Jan 19th
Hi everyone, Ann here. Today’s message is for both men and women, but women especially.
Many people are depressed these days – but women seem to suffer from depression more than men. One of the reasons for it is thyroid health.
I’m going through some thyroid issues of my own lately, so I’ve looked into this a little.
In my digging I discovered a brand new study that noted something particularly interesting. It said:
“Patients with thyroid disorders are more prone to develop depressive symptoms and conversely depression may be accompanied by various subtle thyroid abnormalities.”
In fact, some experts believe that up to 50% of depression symptoms are due to a malfunctioning thyroid.
Ladies, this fact should be of specific interest to you, as another study points out:
“Thyroid disorders were associated with 22% higher odds of depression in women … but no association was found in men.”
So what do you do?
First, find a health professional who is willing to check your thyroid levels (specifically for free T3 as low T3 is a contributing factor to depression). Be open to the fact that supplementing your diet (even The Hallelujah Diet) may be necessary.
Second, have your adrenals checked. I’m finding that my adrenals have a lot to do with what’s going on in my thyroid.
I’ll share more about my personal journey with all of this in a video next week!
Until then, keep your chin up — depression is beatable!
Your turn…
When did you last have your thyroid levels checked?
Click to comment!
Paula Deen Can Reverse Her Diabetes
Jan 17th
Like the rest of the country, we’re not surprised Paula Deen has announced that she has type-2 diabetes.
Somehow, certain doctors don’t think it has anything to do with diet, though.
One doctor in a CBS News report stated that, “no particular food has been linked to an increase in the risk of diabetes.”
Though that statement may be technically true (no single food is the culprit), it gives the false impression that people can throw caution to the wind when it comes to diet. It’s not a helpful statement.
Perhaps this doctor failed to notice some research on the subject earlier last summer:
“The abnormalities underlying type 2 diabetes are reversible by reducing dietary energy intake.”
That’s the direct, bottom line quote from a study from Newcastle University, UK.
Translation: eat less and the symptoms of diabetes will reverse themselves.
How did they prove it?
Well, in a round-about way they mimicked The Hallelujah Diet for a couple of months — that’s how!
Officially, Newcastle University fed 11 diabetics a “restricted energy intake” diet consisting of fluids and non-starchy vegetables.
Most importantly, they were not allowed to eat any meat, dairy, refined sugar, or processed foods (other than a mystery “diet drink” which may have contained some questionable ingredients).
By not eating the sugar and fat in their regular diet, each person in the study:
- enabled their liver and pancreas to shed excess fat…
- thereby regenerating their proper functions…
- allowing the body to begin reversing the symptoms of diabetes.
And if they can do it, Paula Deen can, too!
Think of the potential she has to help change the lives of millions of diabetics — including herself!
If you know Ms. Deen personally or know someone who does, share The Hallelujah Diet with her!
Your turn…
Why do you think Paula Deen is choosing drugs over dietary change?
Click to comment!
Best Flu Advice Of All Time
Jan 12th
We’re not going to keep you in suspense on this one.
The greatest flu advice of all time is to not get the flu at all. Easier said than done, right?
Maybe not.
Let’s break this down and analyze it a little. What causes the flu (or a cold, or any disease for that matter)?
The fact is, you get sick because your immune system was caught off guard.
If that’s the case, the best way to protect yourself is to boost your immune system. And one of the best ways to give it a boost is to stop the things that are dragging it down.
Inflammation, for example.
When your body is fighting inflammation, it’s hard to fight anything else (like a flu threat). And one of the best inflammation fighters is curcumin.
That may sound a little odd when everyone else is flocking to garlic, ginger, and vitamin C to avoid getting sick (which are all great ideas, by the way). After all, curcumin is usually something considered by people with cancer and other serious threats.
But what’s good for serious ailments is good for the common cold, too.
Because it’s anti-inflammatory, curcumin reduces your immune system’s workload so it can be ready to address a flu virus.
Curcumin is also a powerful antioxidant, which reduces free radicals that can make you susceptible to disease.
It’s antibacterial, too, which has obvious benefits during cold and flu season.
Curcumin may be an uncommon immune booster but we’re sure you’ve heard of stranger ones. Tell us about it!
Your turn…
What’s the weirdest immune booster you know of?
Click to comment!
Why Meds Are A Pain In The Neck
Jan 10th
We’re big on treating cause of a problem, not the symptoms.
Treating symptoms never works; it may provide temporary relief, but it actually suppresses the problem and can even make things worse.
For some reason, most people refuse to believe this, but now there’s new research that proves it.
Over 270 people with regular neck pain were given three options of getting rid of it:
- Some were given pain meds
- Others were given chiropractic treatments
- A third group was instructed on how to relieve the pain with exercises done at home
In both the short term and over a whole year, the group taking meds (ie. treating the symptom) still had pain while the other groups recovered because they addressed the cause of the problem.
Through chiropractic adjustments and home exercises, the pain was addressed at the source. Taking meds just covers up the problem without really doing anything about it.
But sometimes getting to the root of pain is even deeper than a pulled muscle or a pinched nerve. More often than not it means changing your diet.
Rhonda Malkmus is a prime example. Though the pain she suffered for more than a decade was due to a car accident, the pain trigger was her diet.
By changing her diet, her pain went away. She still had to visit a chiropractor on a regular basis, but it was more for structural rehab than pain management.
If you deal with pain, look to the cause, not the symptom.
And even if the cause is not directly diet related, changing what you eat may extinguish the flare ups as it did for Rhonda.
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