Diet Update

So I finished my 10 days yesterday and I have to say I did fairly good overall.  For 5 days straight I ate ONLY vegetables and fruit and drank water.  On the 6th day I did add some whole grain (sprouted) bread and some pasta.  I also then had some corn chips and vegan corn muffins (made with whole wheat flour, applesauce and agave nectar for sweetener) over the weekend, plus some wheat pizza with soy cheese.   However, other than that I still only had fruits and vegetables. 

I had no coffee, no sugar, no dairy,  no white flour, and no meat.  I feel great, but  I felt the best on the first 5 days when I was only eating fruits and vegetables. 

This morning I did have an egg, but I plan on keeping with the “mainly” veggie diet.  I juiced a lot of vegetables, including carrots which I love!  I just feel healthier and I’ve lost some weight and my clothes are feeling better.

I’m going to continue to focus on eating more vegetables and fruits, but I’ll include whole grains, nuts, and some alternative dairy products (soy, almond, etc.). 

I’m not going to be legalistic about it.  If I’m at someone’s house and they only make food that includes meat or dairy, I will eat it.  I’m not “that person”.  I will eat those other foods, but for the most part I want my diet to remain the same.  I will eat meat sometimes, and I will occassionally include fish. 

I want to eat the foods that God has provided to us more than I want to eat the foods that humans have processed for us.  I want to include more “whole” foods in my diet and eat how God intended us to eat.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”   1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Diet Update

Well, I just wanted to check in.  Today was my first day to eat only vegetables and drink water.  I sort of cheated a little and had green tea this morning (b/c I usually have coffee), but other than that it was all fruits and vegetables.  I feel really good and I’m not hungry and I’m not craving anything, which is pretty amazing.

I plan to only do this for 10 days, but I am definitely going to eat mostly vegetables and fruits going forward and I think I’ll keep avoiding sugar and caffeine, depending on how I feel.   I will start eating bread, pasta and some lean meats again, but I will try to limit them. 

I’ve been doing a lot of reading about the benefits of eating this way.   Among them are the elimination of many common ailments and an increase in your energy.  If I could alleviate the symptoms I experience when I eat dairy, and if my allergies would subside then those two things alone would motivate me to keep this up. 

I am feeling good so far!  Let’s see how the next 9 days go….

The Daniel Diet

Last fall I was doing my daily reading in the Bible and I decided just to flip to something new and read it.  Well, I landed on the book of Daniel.  These are the verses I read that day (and I’ve been reminded of them every since):

“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king’s food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”

“Please test your servants for ten days:  Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.  Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the king’s food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.”

“At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.” 

We have to believe God put this in the Bible for a reason, right?  I felt as if he was speaking to me that day,  presenting me with a challenge.  Or maybe He just wanted to have a good laugh because this topic was on my mind.  I had one of those moments when I’m reminded that God truly knows everything I think about.  As scary as that might be, it’s true.  He knew that I had been asking Him to help me to make healthier choices and to stick with them.  This, I assumed, was his answer. 

I like thinking that eating any other way is “defiling” my body…it sort of helps me make better choices.   It just sounds bad and I don’t want to be “defiling” anything.  Let alone, my body.  Now…here is the challenge, and it’s a doozy.  Daniel ate nothing, NOTHING but vegetables (and I’m going to assume fruit) and water.  That’s it.  Nothing else.

I looked this up on the internet and wow, I found all kinds of “Daniel’s diet” sites…with detox diets, etc.  I guess I’m not the first to pay attention to these verses.   Shoot.   Anyway, all of these sites have different “rules” etc.   I don’t think it’s too hard to figure out.  It says he ate vegetables and water.  That’s it.  It does not say he ate soy bacon with his almond milk latte.  It says, he ate NOTHING but vegetables and water.  Nothing.  It’s pretty clear.   AFter 10 days Daniel and his buddies were healthier than their cohorts who feasted at the king’s table.  Go figure.

My husband and I use that as a joke now…”the king’s table”.  When we talk about or see certain foods we refer to them as “king’s table” foods and we are trying to stay away from that table.  We’ve been a guest of the “king’s” one too many times I’m afraid.  It’s time we joined Daniel, or at least that I join Daniel.  Now, I realize that this seems a little ridiculous to some and just way too extreme for others.  But…remember, it’s in the Bible!  I feel like God wants me to at least try it and see how I feel.  So, mark this as the day that I decide to officially take the Daniel challenge, absurd or not.  I’m not going to do the altered versions I read about.  I’m going to do the following for the next 10 days.

1.  Eat nothing but fruit and vegetables.
2.  Drink water.

I’m a little scared.  I’ve told my husband I was going to do this a few times and on Jan. 1 I got really close.  For 7 days straight I eliminated dairy, meat, caffeine, and sugar.  In the past week I added back in caffeine and sugar.  In doing this I’ve noticed a decline in how my skin looks, and the way I feel and I’ve noticed a gain in my middle region.  I do actually have some food allergies as well and they do affect my body and how I feel.   So…I am ready to go 100%.  If my skin, my energy, and my body feel a lot better afterwards then it’s worth it. 

Why wouldn’t  I want to take care of this temple that God has given me.  I’m 40 now, it’s time I really start taking care of my body.  Really this time.  I promise God, I heard your challenge.  I’m ready to take it. 

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”1 Corinthians 3:16-17

The Hard Thing And The Right Thing

I once heard a quote in a  movie that has stuck with me.  I saw the movie about 5 years ago.  I think it was Weatherman, which I don’t recommend, but nonetheless I loved the quote.  It was “the hard thing and the right thing are usually the same thing.”  How true is that?!?!

Let’s dig a little deeper.  Think about it.  Working out is hard work, but it’s the right thing to do.  Hard thing=right thing, check.  Eating healthy is harder than not eating unhealthy, but it’s the right thing to do.  Hard thing=right thing, check.  Sticking with your word is sometimes a very hard thing to do, but it’s the right thing to do.  Hard thing, right thing…okay you get the point.  Doing the hard work in these areas really pays off:

1.  Work - Working hard is the right thing to do and it feels good.  It feels good to work really hard at something and see the outcome.  Whether it’s your 9-5 job, your hobby, your new business idea, or your goals.  The easy (and wrong) thing to do is do nothing, waste time, goof off, procrastinate.  All of those things may feel “good” for an instant, but true satisfaction that lasts comes from doing the hard work.  Delayed gratification is SO much better than instant. 

2.  Parenting – Parenting is hard work.  Period.  It’s hard to be consistent and stay on your kids about the important things.  Sometimes you just want to give in because you are tired, or it’s easier. I get it, I am a parent.  But when you put in the hard work of parenting and show consistency, that is the right thing to do.  When your kids are grown up and you are so proud of the adults they have turned into, you will be so glad for the hard work you put in.  Another “delayed gratification” example.

3.  Healthy Living - How easy is it to sit on the couch and watch TV while eating a bag of chips?  Easy.  The hard thing to do is to get up off the couch, go for a walk or run and eat an apple instead.  The way you feel after walking/running and eating an apply completely outweighs the temporary satisfaction of eating those chips and being stimulated for a few minutes by the TV.  After the chip-eating TV watching you will more than likely feel miserable or guilty.  The “up” turns to a “down” quickly.

See the pattern….get it in your mind that the hard thing and the right thing are the same thing and you will see things differently.  Life is hard.  But when you give it your all, the satisfaction of the outcomes is exponentially better than any instant gratification you feel from putting it off!

Resting

We are commanded to rest.  Even God rested on the 7th day.  Now, granted He worked miracles for those first 6 days, but even He needed rest on the 7th day.  We all need it.  We need it daily (at night), weekly (on Sundays) and once a year for a few days.  I just took a few days “off” and rested.  I traveled along with my husband on a business trip.  He was pretty busy with a conference and with work, but I was able to really relax.  I had no agendas, no to-do’s, no schedules, no laundry, no meals to cook, no dogs to walk, and no kids to care for.   Of course I missed the kids and pets, but nonetheless it was really nice to just relax and not have anything really to be concerned with for a few days.  What a gift!

I am so thankful that I was able to spend this time resting.  It gave me a lot of time to clear my mind and think about things I never really have time to think about.  I’ve set some personal goals and I talked to God a lot about what He has in store for me.  I’m going to work on the “next things” that I think need to be accomplished and go from there.

I feel refreshed, renewed and ready to go.  I have a big week next week.  I am volunteering at VBS at our church and I will be in charge of some 2nd graders (which is the area where my daughter will be).  It will be fun, but I’ll be able to handle it so much better now that I have had rest!

Please take time to make sure you are getting enough rest in your life.  Relaxing and resting is so important! 

1.  Daily.  Be sure to rest enough each day and have time to yourself.
2.  Weekly.  Try to finish all your to-do’s during the week and on Saturday.  Save Sunday for some rest and relaxation with your family.  (and of course worship)
3.  Yearly (or more if possible).  Plan some down time for at least 4-5 days.  Try to plan a trip somewhere.  It does not have to be far away or expensive.  Just somewhere that takes you away from your regular busy life and forces you to rest!

You will feel so much better and be so much more productive.  Remember, if God rested then I think it’s safe to assume we need rest even more!

Thankful Thursday

In honor of Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for something a little different today.  I have really been wanting to get healthier lately.  I recently had my check-up and my cholesterol was a little bit over what it should be.  Not a huge deal, but I was surprised because I’ve never had anything like that before.  Also, my scale recently showed me a number that I’ve never seen before.  Yikes!  So…I’m really trying to become healthier in what I choose to eat.  I’m incorporating more fruits and vegetables, and glasses of water, etc.  I’m also watching the cholesterol and fat content of what I eat as well as trying to exercise daily.

So what am I thankful for?  I’m thankful for the fact that the only thing between me and a healthy lifestyle is myself.  That’s it.  I can do this all on my own.  I do not have to join a health club, because I can walk and run in my neighborhood.  I do not have to pay anybody for their advice, because I know what needs to be done.  I do not have to wait for anything at all.  I do not have to save up money, hope for the best or even leave it up to God.  I am definitely asking Him for His help, but ultimately it’s all within my own abilities.

I’m thankful that I have all the resources available to me to make healthy changes to my lifestyle for good.   Most importantly I have the freedom and the will to do it.

I recently added an app to my phone that helps me keep track of where I am each day.  You can input all of your meals and it helps you with the calorie content.  You can also track how many glasses of water you have had and your exercise for the day.  It has weight loss plans that help you personalize how many calories to eat each day to lose the weight you want to lose.  I love it.  It also gives you your totals for the day.  For instance it lists out how much fiber you had total for the day, how much cholesterol, etc.  It also gives you that information individually by food.  It’s pretty helpful and all I have to do is make good choices and keep track of them.

Here is the website where you can check out the internet version:

MyNetDiary

I feel good and I’m so thankful for the temple God has given me and that it is my choice to take care of it.  All I have to do is choose to do so.

REV90 Challenge Update

The REV90 Challenge is going really well so far!  My husband and I are both up to date on the daily Bible reading through the New Testament.  We just started John this morning.  I joined a Bible study on Thursday mornings to discuss what we are reading dailyand it is a great group of women.

We’ve also been working on what we eat and drink.  I’m trying not to eat many empty carbs during the week, but I can splurge on the weekends.  I started this last week and it worked out pretty good, I’m going to keep going as long as I can.  I am also thinking about joining a running group to train for a 5K which will be March 27th.  I have not committed to that yet, but I’m seriously thinking about it.  I went to an informational meeting last week.

We have gotten our finances very organized and we have a plan for paying off debt and saving this year.  We’ve really cut down on ALL of our expenses and we are also planning to continue to tithe 10% even though we have debt. 

We’ve invited a few people to church (we are to invite at least 2 people each month), but will continue to invite more.  I began serving in our church bookstore yesterday and really enjoyed it.  I’ve also been serving more at Rainey’s school. 

I think we are on the right track and if nothing else, this challenge is going to make us more aware of our good and bad habits!

Stress and Allergies

I read an article the other day about how stress can aggravate and worsen allergies.   I had no idea.  Basically stress breaks down your immune system and makes you more susceptible to many ailments, one of which is allergies.  I suffer from allergies pretty regularly now.  My allergies started out fairly minimal, but the last few years have been pretty bad.  Right now we are in the height of Cedar season here in Austin.  It’s bad and I live in a cedar forest, which does not help matters.  

I wouldn’t say I have high levels of stress on a regular basis, but I do think I maintain some level of stress.  When I feel as if I have a lot to do I tend to become subconsciously stressed.   I can get overwhelmed at times.  Yesterday I decided to do a little experiment on myself.  I tried to stay calmer.  I focused on the task at hand and did not run through  my entire to-do list all through the day.  I took deep breaths throughout the day to keep me calm and peaceful and I have to say, my allergies seemed a little better.  I have no idea if that had anything to do with it, but I found it interesting.

Click here to read the article.   If you have allergies take a look and see what you think, and maybe give it a try.   If nothing else it’s worth a try, and you’ll be less stressed as well!

Keeping New Habits

Yesterday at church the sermon was about habits and how we can stay on track.   It was a perfect sermon to teach at New Year’s when we are all making new resolutions and new goals for the year.    The pastor talked about how hard it is sometimes to keep from falling back into old habits, and how if we rely only on ourselves we will be much more likely to lapse into our old ways. 

Here are three ways we can keep from falling back into your old ways:

1. We must walk in humility.  We must be able to hand over our weaknesses to God for help.  We must be able to say “I can’t do this alone, I need God’s help.”  For many of us that doesn’t come easy, but it is a must if you want to truly overcome habits.
2. We must think like Jesus.  We must mirror the heart of Jesus and think the way he would think. We must see situations how he would see then.  Think about how he treated money, his body and his spiritual life.  Think of it in a different angle.  
3. We must get back up on the horse.  If you do indeed fall you must just get back up and try again.  Do NOT give up.  If you fall back to your old ways on one day, start right back with the new habit the next day.  Just keep working at it, never giving up.  Do not think that if you fall back one or two days that you have failed, just start back up. 

I’m working towards my goals for the year and so far I’d say I’ve done pretty good.  I do have to be humble to God every morning, asking Him to help me with my urges to do things my old way.  I am doing good with most of my new goals, but there are a few I keep falling back on….but I’m getting right back on and trying again tomorrow.  I WILL change these habits…..with God’s help.

Saying Goodbye to 2009 and Welcoming 2010

I can’t believe it is the last day of 2009.  This year has gone by so fast.  I say that every year.  They keep getting faster and faster and I know that is because I am either getting older or having more fun.  One of the two, or both. 

I want to take time today to give you two lists.  I want to highlight the top 10 blessings I am thankful for in 2009 and I want to give you my top 10 goals for 2010.  I think that is a good way to end a good year and begin an even better one.

Top 10 Blessings of 2009:

1. My personal relationship with God.
2. My marriage and how much we have grown together this year.
3. Good health.
4. The great lessons from God on money, relationships and choices.
5. Bible studies and the friends we have made this year.
6. Our kids and how they have grown inside and out.
7. The time I’ve been able to spend with the kids this year, during the summer and after school.
8. Great neighbors.
9. The schools our kids attend.
10. Our church and Mobile Loaves and Fishes  (I cheated and put two for #10, but this is my list so it’s ok).

My Top 10 Goals for 2010: 

1. Get closer to God through daily prayer and Bible reading.
2. Continue to grow in my marriage with open communication and time together.
3. Exercise as much as possible. (not just when I feel like it)
4. Eat well and drink a lot more water.
5. Work with God on the issues I need to work on. (He and I know what they are)
6. Read and write more.
7. Spend lots of quality time with the kids individually and as a family.
8. Spend less and save more.
9. Serve others as much as possible.
10. Be a good example.

Happy New Year!!