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 Do you ever ask yourself “what if I ________” (fill in the blank).  It can be if I had or if I had not done this or that.  It certainly can go either way.  There are a lot of “What Ifs” in my life, but recently it seems like it’s been around my eating and exercising.

Until almost six years ago, I ate pretty much what I wanted.  I love fried chicken.  I’m sure we had it when I lived in Montreal growing up but don’t remember.  I do remember eating baked chicken.  I guess it’s a southern thing and I had no trouble eating it.  Then I was introduced to fried okra, fried green tomatoes, fried pork chops and gravy and yes, please put gravy on my mashed potatoes too! You get the gist of it.  I exercised some, but not a huge fan of it.  Around this time of year I joined a gym or two but that didn’t last long.  Those New Year’s Resolutions just don’t seem to last very long with me which is why I don’t make them anymore.

One good thing happened almost six years ago that changed my life.  I was introduced to a healthier way of life.  A way to get nutrition from 30 different fruits, vegetables and berries in my system.  Not a replacement to keep me from eating them, but a way to get those nutrients from what I should be eating.  I noticed that the more I stayed consistent taking these dried fruits, veggies and berries in the capsules, the more I wanted to eat what was in them!  Of course, I’m human and I had my fried chicken once in a while, and that wonderful tenderloin biscuit on Saturday morning from this awesome little café inside a local gas station, but I knew that I was filling in the gap with what I was taking.  Instead of eating chips I was eating an apple.  Don’t get me wrong, I still ate chips, hamburgers, chocolate cake, brownies, you know the “good stuff” as we call it.  But I also started eating these fruits, vegetables and berries in chewable form as a snack.  They satisfied my “sweet tooth” and I was getting the nutrients that I needed at the same time!

About 8 months ago, I ended up with a surplus of the berry capsules and started taking 4 to 6 a day.  I knew that it wouldn’t hurt me because it’s food!  Well, let me tell you that God had a plan. Sty with me here.   Did you know that there is a study in the JACC (Journal of the American College of Cardiology) on the effect of Supplemental Phytonutrients on Impairment of the Flow-Mediated Brachial Artery Vasoactivity AFTER a SINGLE High-Fat Meal??  Well, there is! And it shows that thirty-eight healthy, physically active hospital employees – 14 men and 24 women were studied.  They were randomized in a double blind study where all sorts of tests were done on them.  They were divided into three groups, one groups taking the fruits and vegetables capsules, one group taking the fruits, vegetables and berries and the last group taking a placebo. Now remember that these fruits, vegetables and berries capsules provide dried juice concentrates derived from produce picked at its ripest to keep the nutritional value. They possess antioxidants and are great for the body.  Then they were given a high fat meal and re-studied.  They were then sent on their way to return in three weeks and at four weeks.  All tests done before the study were performed again at this 3 and 4 week period.  The results were amazing!  When they came back, in the placebo group, the percent of decrease in vasoactivity with the high-fat meal remained high.  In the fruits, vegetables and berries group, the percent of decrease in postprandial vasodilation was significantly less than the decrease found before they started.  The study found that the DAILY use of a fruit/vegetable/berry concentrate rich in antioxidant phytochemicals, blunted the detrimental impact of a single high-fat meal on healthy subjects.

I say all of this because in August, I ended up in ER and to make a long story short, on September 28^th  I had quadruple bypass surgery.  WHAT!!!! Me! Bypass surgery!  I’m eating these capsules and this is not suppose to happen.  As a representative for this wonderful gift that I share, I found myself not really wanting to share anymore.  How could this happen? What will people think?  When I spoke to my surgeon before surgery and he pointed out the 9 blockages, I was shocked!  He said it was a miracle that I had not had a heart attack or a stroke.  He wouldn’t let me leave the hospital until surgery.  My response was, “well I guess God was not finished with me yet and maybe my fruit, vegetable and berry capsules helped”.  He responded with “You take those?  He knew all about them.  Then he said “it probably saved your life!”.  Now don’t get this wrong, these are not miracle pills, but the nutrients you get from taking them help support the immune system.  Now I know that God was preparing me for this.  No telling how long this had been going on, and without knowing, I was taking extra nutrients every single day. This was affecting the flow and contraction of the blood vessels to my heart!

I went from beating myself up saying “I should have______” to “What if”.  I have to understand that I’ve only been taking these capsules for almost 6 years.  I didn’t eat right for 56 years!  I can’t expect my health to be judged by only the past few years.  BUT, what if I had not been consuming those nutrients every day, then what?  What if I had not changed most of my eating habits for the past few years? Would I have had that heart attack?  What if I had not had that surplus of the berry blend, would my arteries have closed up?  What if I had said no when I was offered this gift, would I be alive today?  I’ve been going to Cardiac Rehab, and it’s usually 3 days a week for 12 weeks.  I’ve been going 4 weeks and graduated today because I’m doing so good.  Isn’t that awesome!  What if I wasn’t flooding my body with all of those nutrients, would I have done that well?

I am so blessed that God gave the CEO of our company the wisdom to encapsulate real fruits, vegetables and berries.  Who on earth can eat 30 of these each day?  I can’t.  Wouldn’t be able to afford it if I could.  Can you imagine buying and eating apple, peach, cranberry, orange, mango, lemon peel, acerola cherry, pineapple, prune, date, beet, broccoli, parsley,  tomato, carrot, garlic, spinach, rice bran, kale, raspberry, bilberry, blueberry, cranberry, pomegranate, concord grape, black currant, blackberry, elderberry, artichoke and cocoa every single day!  And eating the peel where most of the nutritional value is?  I don’t think so!  Yes, I know that lots of people juice but the cost alone would be ridiculous and the clean up…I don’t think so.  Been there done that.

So now I feel great and I’m ready to share this wonderful gift.  I had to get over myself as I heard a wonderful mentor say.  Isn’t it funny how we feel when we think of what others are thinking and saying about us?  One thing I’ve learned in the past 10 plus years is that people that point at you have 3 fingers pointing right back at them.  I’ve been guilty of that and continue to work on it.  One thing I do know for sure – God works in mysterious ways.

Here’s to your health,

France