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10 Tips To Lose Weight, Feel Great & Level Up In Your Health

I eat clean.

 

I coach people on how to eat clean.

 

Guess What?! Even I got to the place where I need to LEVEL UP my health.

 

Has God been whispering anything to you about your diet?

 

Has He been gently urging you to Level Up in your health?

 

For over a year God has been calling me. He’s been calling me to go higher in Him and that called for a change in my diet. And I clearly heard the call, but I just didn’t want to do it. And truth be told, I really needed the level up in more ways than one. I was hormonal, cranky, gaining weight and my joints were aching. And I KNEW these symptoms would benefit from the leveling up but I just.didn’t.wanna.do.it!

 

“God why? What more do I have to give? I’ve given you all of me. I’ve already surrendered my diet. I already eat clean. I already sacrifice. Really?! What more do you want?”

This was my reply to His beckoning.

 

Have you ever done this? Perhaps you’re like me. You pray and ask God for a thing. Perhaps you’ve asked him to create in you a clean heart. Maybe you’ve asked Him to bless you, to prosper you, to strengthen you, to change you. And when He sets about doing the very thing YOU’VE asked for, you reject it. Sound familiar?

 

But let me tell you this, your blessings are attached to your obedience. So don’t be hardheaded like me. Heed His voice. You want the results right? Are you looking to lose weight? Are you looking to feel great? Are you looking to reduce inflammation? Are you looking for better sleep and more energy? Are you looking to draw nearer to God?

 

If so, implement these 10 Tips To Lose Weight, Feel Great & Level Up In Your Health

 

1. Apologize To Yourself

Apologize to yourself for the ways you’ve handled or mishandled your body. Forgive yourself for the times you’ve dishonored your temple and commit to showing yourself how much you love YOU by purposefully nourishing your body.

2. Ask & You Shall Receive

Ask God to give you the desire, obedience, and diligence to level up in your health. He said ask and you shall receive so ask Him. Ask Him to change your mindset. Ask Him to give you the desire to crave foods which honor the body. Ask Him for the will to reject trash masquerading as food.

3. Choose Well

All day we are presented with choices. Be sure to choose well! I want you to write out Deuteronomy 30:19. Place it somewhere you can see it. Memorize it. Then walk in the power of the Holy Spirit so you can choose well.

4. Remove The Offenders

What things are you consuming that detract from optimal health? Remove the offenders. Don’t know what those are? Here’s a good place to start. Remove these highly acidic foods: coffee, soda, sugar, bread, chips, pastries, pasta, and soy. The consumption of acidic foods is a breeding ground for sickness and disease.

5. Fuel

Now that you’ve removed some detractors, fuel your body by consuming high alkaline foods. In my next post, I’ll share more details on alkaline eating but suffice it to say, foods that are high in alkaline support the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Some high alkaline foods are: melons, squashes, quinoa, chickpeas, walnuts, onions, cucumbers, lettuces, mushrooms, and berries.

6. Supplement

To aid your body’s natural healing processes, add herbal supplements. Just as you would research and plan for a vacation, do some research on which herbs would help the ailments you may be experiencing. A few herbs I use: verbena, valerian, burdock root, sarsparilla, elderberry, and dandelion.

7. Rest

I cannot say enough about this one. For all the good we do to eat right, the body must also have rest. And by REST I’m talking more than Netflix and Chill, I’m talking more than a trip to the nail salon or a few extra hours of sleep. When I’m talking rest, I’m talking about cessation from mental, physical and emotional activity so that your mind, body, and spirit are RESTORED.

8. Exercise

It is important to move your body. You don’t have to go all Parkour, Crossfit crazy with it but do move. A prayer walk, a gentle yoga flow or rebounding on a mini trampoline will serve well in getting your limbs moving, your heart pumping and your bodily systems flowing.

9. Do Your Best

Be gentle with yourself because this is a process. There will be old patterns of behavior that will have to be broken. There will be shifts in the heart and in the mind and some of the old belief systems were forged over years so they will not be uprooted overnight. If you struggle, keep pressing. If you fall, get back up. If you slip, grab onto something and steady yourself. Surround yourself with people who are moving in the direction you want to go. Find one person that you can learn from whose approach, style and ideas inspire you to ACT.

10. Pray

Prayer is your lifeline for all of the above. In your prayer time, you will commune with the Father. You will hear His heart. You will cry out to Him. He will answer you, reassure you and strengthen you. You will make your request known. You will intercede for others. Yes, you will pray and He will hear. And because He hears, He will answer.

 

And let me tell you, I did it so I know this works. In the first week, my mood was better and I was sleeping better. After the second week, the fat around my mid-section began to shrink. By the fourth week, my joint pain had significantly decreased. I’ve been without popcorn, coffee and chips. I’ve been without ice cream, rice and pasta. And frankly, outside of the coffee, I haven’t missed the rest (ohhhhh coffeeeeee :/)

 

[bctt tweet=”Are you willing to let go so that your hands and heart are free to receive? ” username=”inspiredfully”]

 

Come on then, let’s LEVEL UP!

 

As always, it’s my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

 

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How To Build A Better Salad

Iceberg. Romaine. Tomato. Cheese. Croutons. Ranch.

 

BORING!

 

Why settle for the old standard salad bar salad when you can craft a masterpiece that will be tantalizing to the eyes and the taste buds? Not to mention, you want a salad that adds to not detracts from your health and a salad that’s loaded down with cheese, creamy dressing, and croutons….well.

 

I have a salad nearly every day for lunch. [bctt tweet=”Here’s the formula for how to build a better salad.” username=”inspiredfully”]

 

GREENS

Spinach

Choose greens that are nutrient dense. Some good options are:

~Kale

~Spinach

~Arugula

~Cabbage

~Swiss Chard

~Red Leaf Lettuce

~Brussels Sprouts

 

SALAD: Red Cabbage Salad With Spicy Peanut Dressing

red cabbage salad

SALAD: Farro Salad

IMG_6702

VEGGIES

I love the addition of hot roasted vegetables on my salad. The heat from the veggies slightly wilts the greens and takes of the cold edge making the salad the perfect temperature. Mmm, just typing about it has me eagerly looking forward to lunch. A few of my favorite veggies to add to a salad are:

~Colorful Peppers

~Cherry Tomatoes

~Carrots

~Green Beans

~Roasted Sweet Potato

~Roasted Butternut Squash

~Avocado

~Fresh Herbs

 

PROTEIN

If you want to lose/maintain weight, build muscle and reduce body fat, you should eat protein with every meal. By evenly rationing protein throughout your day as opposed to a huge portion at dinner, your muscles receive a constant supply of amino acid, which supports building muscle and boosting metabolism.

~Lean meat of choice

~Beans

~Nuts

~Quinoa

~Tofu

~Tempeh

kale salad chickpeas

ADD INS

Boost the taste and nutritional value of your salad by adding these extras.

~Nuts

~Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, flax)

~Grains

~Wild Rice

~Scallions

~Goat Cheese, Feta

~Fruit (fresh or dried. I love the contrast of sweet and savory in a salad)

colorful salad

DRESSINGS

Many store bought dressings are not good for you. They can contain hydrogenated soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup and in general too much fat and sugar. You’d fare better making your own dressing and chances are you may already have ingredients at home to make the dressings. Whizzing these dressings in the blender gives them a nice creamy consistency without all the saturated fat and cholesterol normally found in many store bought dressings.

 

Balsamic Vinaigrette

My standard go to dressing. It’s made most excellent by the addition of my all time favorite spice, Hope by Virtuous Living. Click here to order your Hope today.

½ cup high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette

1 tbsp Hope

2 tsp maple syrup

1 clove garlic minced

salt & pepper to taste

 

Tahini Dressing

Tahini is a staple in my kitchen. From dressings to hummus to soups, I have many uses for it.

½ cup water

2 tbsp tahini

a squeeze of lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

 

Braggs Dressing

2 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp Braggs liquid aminos

 

Spicy Peanut Dressing

Click Here

 

Consistently BUILD A BETTER SALAD with the printable. Click to download now!

 

I’d love to see what you’ve made. Take a pic of your salad and tag me.

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Twitter:Inspired Life

red lettuce salad nut meat

Quinoa salad

pear salad

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

 

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Good Health Is A Choice

Do you believe your current state of health is within your control?

 

There are those who would say no. Diabetes runs in my family. High blood pressure runs in my family. Cancer runs in my family.

 

There are those who straddle the fence and think well….hereditary and genetic factor do contribute to my health but maybe I can do a little something.

 

And finally there are those who know that their health is in their hands.

 

Possessing good health is a choice. It is God’s desire that you be in good health and prosper even as your soul prospers. And while we pray many prayers for healing, it is His desire to keep us from sickness and disease.

 

He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

Exodus 15:26

 

But it is up to us to choose. We cannot serve two masters.

 

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15

 

And this includes choosing Him with our food choices. [bctt tweet=”When it comes to food, will we serve the God of the Universe or the god of our taste buds?”]

 

[bctt tweet=”Every food choice we make either adds to or detracts from our health”]; a deposit or withdrawal, an investment or a loss, an advancement of health or a reversal. There is no food neutral.

Honoring the temple is a choice. And when faced with options, we constantly have to weigh and choose.

 

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live Deuteronomy 30:19

 

Because my body is the temple where the Holy Spirit resides, I try to make choices that will honor my temple. But choosing well is not always easy. But the Lord is faithful. He’s given me a system that I can commit to and seems to work well for me. I have a smoothie for breakfast (sometimes I have oatmeal if I’m going to have an intense workout); I have salad for lunch and a well-balanced, nutrient dense dinner. But there are times when I don’t choose well. I’ve given myself a little wiggle room purely for indulgence. I follow the 85/15 rule. 85% of the time I attempt to eat clean, nourishing whole food and the other 15% well….And even in granting myself that grace, I try not to overdo it. I’ve also come to know the importance of identifying and heading off triggers for eating poorly. If I’m stressed, overwhelmed or haven’t eaten and go to a place where unhealthy food is being served I’m apt to slip. That’s why we have to be proactive in warding off the slips by knowing our triggers.

 

And guess what? Last night I slipped. I ate 3 chocolate chip cookies. That was a huge indulgence for me. And I know why I ate them. It was totally a case of emotional eating. I was tired, not feeling well and just wanted comfort. Oh friends, that I would turn to CHRIST not cookies for comfort the next time. We can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength if we just look to Him.

 

Having the right information is just one step in helping you make better choices. Check out these posts for tips on choosing the right foods:

 

Healthy Eating On The Go

Get Them To Eat Right

10 Keys Eating Right

 

Coupled with the right information is then exercising our will and making the right choice.

 

“Every person has free choice. Free to obey or disobey the Natural Laws. Your choice determines the consequences. Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.”

~Alfred A. Montapert

 

I stand here in your RaRa section, cheering you on as you choose well. Good health is a choice.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

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5 Tips for Raising Fit Kids

5-6 days a week. That’s how often I workout. I plan and prepare healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner for myself. It takes more effort at my age and after having 5 children then throw in genetics and I’ve really got to work hard to keep my temple operating at peak performance.

 

But do I go through the same lengths to ensure that my children are living well mind, body and spirit? I consistently feed their spirit by modeling my relationship with God before them, raising them rooted in the word of God and placing them in environments that affirm what I’ve already presented to them. Their minds are nourished when I attentively listen to them, show them how to embrace the now moment, spend quality time with them, and create opportunities for them to express themselves and to shine. Finally, I nourish their bodies by bringing food into the home that adds to not detracts from their health. But in addition to that, I’ve got to ensure that they are physically active.

 

The typical American lifestyle today is sedentary. Children are attached to television, desktops, laptops, DS, Smartphones, tablets and the like. When I was a child, I was outside playing. Outside in torrential Boston snow in the late 70’s and early 80’s. And it was REAL accumulation not just a few inches. I was outside when it was HOT and our only means of cooling down was taking a dip in the forceful current flowing from the fire hydrant. I was outside playing tag, mother may I, hide and go seek, hop scotch, double Dutch, hot peas and butter and red light/green light (am I telling my age?). When I was a child, I played and played hard!

 

So let me ask you, “Are you creating an environment for your child that promotes physical activity”?

 

The behaviors that are established in our youth carry us into our adulthood. We want to raise children who value honoring the temple through proper nourishment, rest and exercise.

 

Here are my 5 Tips For Raising Fit Kids

 

  1. Model The Behavior

It starts with us. Do they see us actively engaging in some form of physical activity? Even my two-year old recognizes exercise. When he sees me in my leggings grabbing my sneakers he says, “Mommy, you do exercise?” Oh, it just warms my heart. Then he proceeds to join me, even if just for a brief moment in my daily routine.

hold plank

lift weights

 

  1. Proactively Create Opportunities

Have you created time in your children’s schedule for daily exercise? Our children’s day can be so jammed packed that it squeezes out time for physical activity. Even if it’s 15 minutes of outside time right after school, ensure you’ve given time for physical activity.

Health Expo

 

 

  1. Know What They Like

Know what type of physical activity your children enjoy then create opportunities for them to DO that activity. My 2nd born isn’t that interested in a great deal of physical activity. He’s much more content with a big pile of Legos. But he loves his scooter and somewhat likes bike riding. He likes to take his scooter with him to the park. Now that used to annoy me because he’d ask for it when I was already driving away from the house to head to the park or he’d be careless with it after riding it for 10 minutes. So I’ve had to be flexible and create room for him to bring it and coach him on being more responsible with his things.

Tennis

 

 

  1. Make It Fun

In order for me to want to get through my workout, it has to be somewhat enjoyable (I’m not one who naturally thinks exercise is FUN. I hear that those people do exist but I’m not one of them). So for ourselves and for our children we should engage in physical activity that gets us smiling and having a good time. I bought my daughter an ankle skip ball and I even enjoy that one. My 1st born is really into dancing these days so Zumba type workouts appeal to her. My 4th born LOVES sports so his idea of fun is to bring out 2 bikes, a soccer ball, tennis rackets, scooters, golf clubs and a basketball and of course he wants me to do all those activities with him.

Hoola Hoop

 

Skip Ball

 

 

 

  1. It’s A Family Affair

Invite them to join you during some of your exercise routines. Let them come up with an exercise of the week. Plan family bike rides, hikes, relay races, and more. I’ve even known some families to come up with Olympics style games. And if you can’t get around to planning a special outing, you can all just DANCE! Chances are you’ve got music on your smartphone. So play an upbeat song and get moving!

hold plank

Fit Kids

bike riding

By employing the above strategies you are well on your way to Raising Fit Kids. Your children will proactively participate in establishing good habits that will benefit them for a lifetime. They will #ChooseWell and honor their temples through proper nourishment, rest and exercise and will experience living fully. What a wonderful legacy you will impart to them that will benefit generations to come.

 

Exercise must be coupled with proper nutrition. CLICK HERE to read more on getting them to eat right.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with A Little R & R

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The Battle Of The Bulge

One leg in, next leg in. Pull up. Bring the two sides together east to west to button my pants…and…this can’t be?!

 

I can hardly button my pants!

 

Oh no. How did this happen?

 

When did this happen?

 

I was crushed. I guess I hadn’t noticed it before because I was wearing pants with a little give or a poly/cotton blends. But these slacks had no give so it was an accurate assessment. Either my pants have gotten smaller or I have gotten bigger and I’m sure it’s not the former.

The entire day I was beside myself. I couldn’t shake it. Even now it’s difficult to write but I’m sharing with you so that you might be encouraged if you have ever fought the battle of the bulge.

 

ME & Weight

The ladies on my mother’s side of the family are THICK. As a child, I was average size. As a teen, I was shapely, still pretty much average size. Then during my freshman year of college I gained double the freshman 15. Poor eating habits coupled with the grief of losing my mother found me at the bottom of a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Wavy Gravy often. And I carried that weight around until my mid-twenties. You can ready more about managing weight here.

 

For the last 12 years I’ve been pregnant every other year. Actually last year finally broke that record of not adding a new baby to our home. So for the first time in forever, without the influx of pregnancy I have to manage my weight over a long stretch. Because I have been heavy before (the mid-twenties me) I am fearful of getting big again. I try to focus my attention on eating right and exercising and less on weight. But now with the whole pants debacle…

 

Size

I rarely get on a scale. Only when I go to my primary care doctor and they insist. I just use how my clothes fit as the gauge of my size. Well that encounter with that pair of jeans last week has revealed the size is shifting.

 

So I asked myself, how did this happen?

 

I am so committed to eating clean, honoring my temple and being disciplined. I usually do some type of workout every other day (though I don’t always push myself as far as I know I could). But really, gaining weight? Come on Lord help me out here. What more can I do? I actually had an attitude with the Lord because I feel like I’m trying to do everything right as related to my health and this is my reward?

 

Then the Lord answered. You see, He has a tailor made diet for each of us but we have to be OBEDIENT to His voice. I was disobedient. I lacked self-control.

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

 

Oh dear, when it comes to my favorite food, I have to admit I have no self-control. With food I am an otherwise disciplined, self-controlled person, but put a bowl of popcorn in front of me and I will demolish the whole thing. Yup, you read it right; popcorn is my all time favorite food. Not my favorite snack, but my favorite food. And I am disciplined enough to measure out just a single serving. But then I’ll come back for another and another.

 

The Lord was gently whispering to me, “Moderation”. But the popcorn was so good I lacked moderation. Now I love popcorn any way you serve it and I make a mean batch at home popped in coconut oil with my special blend of spices. But I found this organic white cheddar popped in coconut oil at Costco and from then on my friends it was a wrap. For a month straight I ate this popcorn nearly every day and now I’m paying for it. I knew it had gotten bad when I went to Costco JUST to buy a single bag of popcorn.

 

Just an aside, on Monday I talked about uncovering guilt, shame and regret so that we can be healed, you can click here to read more of that but I’m so happy right now to disclose this issue of the popcorn with you because revealing it is part of my healing. I am moving forward and will not harbor guilt for my gluttony.

 

While my issue is just with popcorn, my lack of self-control with it is major. One of the three pillars of my mission is to honor the temple. What an embarrassment for me to have fallen in this area when I am supposed to be encouraging you and setting an example. But I can give full disclosure because we are in this race together and I want you to keep pressing toward the mark for the prize.  There may be days when we stumble but I want you to get back up and try again because this isn’t just about food, it’s about our walk with God.

 

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

 

I do not wish to disqualify myself from the call God has given based on my lack of self-control so I bring my body under the subjection of Christ and will heed His voice.

 

He’s also whispering to me about my daily cup of coffee. One thing at a time Lord, baby steps please.

 

If you’ve ever been in the battle of the bulge, you know this is not an easy fight. You must remain committed and stay the course. Your future and the future of your family are hinging on it. YOU are worth it.

 

P.S. I went to Costco yesterday and in shopping my routine aisles, there it was staring at me, my beloved popcorn. Glory to God for self-control because I left there without purchasing any.

 

“The one quality which sets one man apart from another-

the key which lifts one to every aspiration

while others are caught up in the mire of mediocrity-

is not talent, formal education, nor intellectual brightness –

it is self-discipline. With self-discipline all things are possible. 

Without it, even the simplest goal can seem like the impossible dream. “

-Theodore Roosevelt 

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

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I Don’t Have Time

I don’t have time.

 

I don’t have time to exercise. I don’t have time to prepare healthy meals. I don’t have time to get adequate rest.

 

I get it. Believe me, I really do. If anyone is short on time, it’s me. I have a tribe of five over here ages 11-2, a husband that works a gazillion hours a week, I work in ministry and my spiritual gift is exhortation so I just HAVE to make time to share a word of encouragement. Most of our family activity: school, work, church, recreation is 30 minutes one-way from our home. I get it. If anyone doesn’t have time it’s me.

 

But let me pull out one of my old hats for a minute. I used to be a certified facilitator for Franklin Covey’s What Matters Most. In this workshop participants acquire skills for effective time management, improved relationships and peace of mind. And what I learned from applying these principles is this: we are all given the SAME amount of time; we CHOOSE how we’ll use it.

 

Well the Word says something about utilizing our time:

 

Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light.”

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:14-17 NKJV

 

Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,

Climb out of your coffins;

Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!

Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. Ephesians 5:11-17 The Message

 

So I venture to say we don’t have a time issue but a time management issue. I will go on to say as the scripture says, walk as WISE and redeem the time because the days are evil.  The time robbers are all around us: electronics, busyness, lack of focus, and the like.  You know them because they’ve crept up on you a time or two.  They tried to rob me too, but I resolve to redeem the time.

 

Time for devotions

Time for building relationships

Time for love and laughter

Time for exercise

Time for rest

Time for preparing healthy meals

 

I dare you, the next time you are watching TV, are on social media, watching a movie or talking on the phone, set a timer. If you do, you’ll find that you DO in fact have some time. Yes preparing healthy meals will take more time than microwaving a hot pocket or toaster strudel, but the investment in yourself is worth the time. Do I have hours to spend working out? No. But at a minimum I try to get in at least 30 minutes a day (except Sundays).

 

And if we don’t take the time now to foster those things that matter most, they’ll be at the mercy of that which matters least. If we don’t take the time now, relationships will wither. If we don’t take the time now to eat right and exercise we can put ourselves in a position of spending more time in the Dr.’s office and pharmacy line.

 

Time invested on the front end will yield huge dividends in the long run. Your relationships will be the better for it as well as your health. Your overall mind, body and spirit will be properly nourished with your investment of time.

 

My plea friends is to encourage not to discourage, to inspire not condemn.

 

In what areas do you need to redeem the time?

 

Next Wednesday I’ll be sharing some ways you can redeem the time in your kitchen so stay tuned. If you aren’t currently receiving these posts in your email inbox, please subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a thing.

 

Here’s an extra little nugget on redeeming the time.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

Happy today to be connecting with friends @

Missional Women

Equipping Godly Women

 

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10 Keys to Eating Right

“How do you maintain your weight?” This is a question I’m often asked. As a mother of 5, it seems that people want to know my secret for keeping the weight off. And keeping it off is what I have to do. On my mother’s side of the family, the women are tall and thick. In my early college days as I grieved the loss of my mother, I too got quite thick. But by educating myself, being disciplined in my eating, exercising, praying and obeying God in honoring my temple, I have been able to maintain my weight.

 

So I answer the question of how I maintain my weight as follows “I obey God, exercise and eat right”. One time after I said this I thought to myself “what does that mean? I eat right.” Based on one’s background that can mean different things. I was talking to someone once about getting children to eat right and she mentioned that she had switched to Capri Sun Roaring Water, Go-gurt yogurt and granola bars as a means of eating right. Now the items she mentioned are laden with sugar but based on her experiences this was an improvement and she believed she had the children eating right.

 

With the New Year approaching, many people begin to examine their health and make resolutions to eat right, get in shape, quit certain behaviors and the like. To give you a head start here are my 10 Keys To Eating Right.

 

  1. Eat Food That Closely Resembles Its Original Form

     

     

    Does this  Cheetos

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Look like this

    corn on cob

Sticking with food that closely resembles its original form is a good way to ensure you are giving your body food it can recognize and proper utilize. Your body doesn’t naturally recognize certain foreign substances and the body can become confused with how to process these foreign substances. And sometimes we see the body react to foreign substances as allergies, bloating, fatigue and more.

  1. Eat More Raw Food

In addition to eating food in its most recognizable, natural state, it is also advisable that you consume more raw foods. Cooking food generally leads to loss of minerals, vitamins and enzymes (though there are a few foods that have increased benefit after cooking). In addition to maximum mineral, vitamin and enzyme consumption, you have the benefit of the fiber to keep your plumbing from getting clogged.

Eli loves veggies

 

 

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  1. Rethink Your Plate

As a child I was taught that a plate was divided into fourths: 1/4 vegetables (albeit canned and soggy), 1/4 starch (Uncle Ben’s rice) and the other half meat. It’s time we rethink the plate. I know, I know years of seeing it that way have been implanted in your subconscious but we will retrain the brain to see it differently. Gone is the picture of the Hungry Man TV dinner. Who said you can’t eat 2-3servings of veggies, no starch and a piece of meat the size of a deck of cards? The next time you make your plate, double the veggies and reduce the starch and meat portions. I triple dog dare ya.

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  1. Read Labels

The 1st 5 ingredients tell the story. When you read the 1st five, ask yourself “Is this improving or detracting from my health?” The next time you go to eat food that came out of a package, wrapper or box, flip it over and read the label. It’s very telling. The label may say 100 calories and only 2 grams of fat so you may think it’s okay but it has 0 nutritional value and the amount of sugar in there is certain to stick to your body.

 

 

  1. Portion Control

What is a portion? As a country we’ve come to expect more and more and food portions are no exception. When I was a child, there were only 2 sizes of bags of chips that I remember, small and family size. Today, I see at least 4 different sized bags and many of the medium sized bags containing 4-8 servings are usually consumed in one sitting. Putting a heaping pile of rice on your plate? Next time take a measuring cup and measure out a ½ cup of your cooked rice so that you can see what the serving size looks like.

 

  1. Simple Swaps

Click here then print the list so that the next time you go to the grocery store you can swap out some of your old choices for healthier new ones.

 

  1. Choose Good Fats

Not all fat is created equal. The body needs fat it’s just a matter of choosing the right kind. Good fats include: avocado, olive oil, flaxseed, salmon and nuts to name a few.

 

  1. Eliminate Bad Fats

As my children would sing “Let it go, let it go”. Seek to eliminate bad fats such as processed meat, cheese, commercially baked goods, fried chicken, donuts and shortening.

 

  1. Cut Down the Sugar

It’s lurking everywhere. This is again where reading labels proves to be essential. From ketchup to non-fat half and half to peanut butter, too often it rears its ugly head.

 

How many different types of sugar are in here? So while this is a low calorie snack, all this sugar will stick right around your belly and make its home there.

Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin, {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, High Oleic Canola Oil, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Cornstarch, Leavening (Baking Soda, Calcium Phosphate), Artificial Color, Salt, Powdered Sugar, Artificial Flavor.

Oreo 100 Calorie

Those are the 100-calorie snacks I referred to above.

We are being pre-disposed to crave sugar. Here we go again. Look at this.

Corn Syrup, Milk Protein Isolate, High Oleic Safflower Oil, Sugar, Soy Oil, Coconut Oil, Galactooligosaccharides. Less than 2% of the Following: C. Cohnii Oil, M. Alpina Oil, Beta-Carotene, Lutein, Lycopene, Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Sodium Citrate, Magnesium Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Chloride, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ferrous Sulfate, Choline Bitartrate, Taurine, m-Inositol, Zinc Sulfate, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols, Niacinamide, d-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Cupric Sulfate, Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Phylloquinone, Biotin, Sodium Selenate, Vitamin D3, Cyanocobalamin, Potassium Hydroxide, and Nucleotides (Adenosine 5’-Monophosphate, Cytidine 5’-Monophosphate, Disodium Guanosine 5’-Monophosphate, Disodium Uridine 5’-Monophosphate)

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In that baby formula the most prevalent ingredient is sugar.

10. Do Not Skip Meals

Really, this is so true. if you are skipping meals you are doing the opposite of eating right and maintaining weight. When you skip meals the body will think it’s being starved and go into preservation mode and store fat. I know a fit fitness professionals and they actually eat at least 6 times a day (small meals that is).

 

And just because I couldn’t leave this one off…

 

Don’t Bring The Stuff In Your House

 

If I buy a Reese Cup, chances are I’m going to eat it. But if I don’t buy it, I won’t eat it. If it isn’t stocked in the house, personally I will not make a special trip to go to the store for something I may want on a whim. With Christmas approaching, people may try to send you home with extra goodies. Find a way to perhaps take one small piece and decline the rest without offending the giver.  You can also check out my tips for maintaining weight over the holidays by clicking here.

 

It is my prayer that you would be in health and prosper. I’m sure some of this information isn’t even new to you. The KEY is application. What good is a key if you don’t use it? If you want to enter your home, you have to take your keys out of your bag, pocket or purse, find the correct key, insert it into the lock and turn it the right way for the door to open.

 

The same is true if you want to improve your health. You must be committed and disciplined to consume what’s good for you and reduce or eliminate what’s bad for you.  So please use your 10 keys to eating right.

 

BTW – I am a work in progress. One of my favorite snacks since I was a kid up until now is Jax Cheese Curls. Man I just love those things. But with genetically modified corn, artificial food coloring and monosodium glutamate I need to just leave them alone. I have to make good choices that honor my temple. But I love them. My decision is to just eat them 2-3 times a year. I get my fix then I’m over it. For me it’s moderation in all things. You may be an all or nothing type. Just do what you know you can commit to.

 

May you be rewarded for your discipline and diligence in honoring your temple.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired to Live Fully!

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