True Nourishment

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“When He comes, our glorious King, All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing: Hallelujah! What a Savior!”

 Last week, I promised an update on J.R.  As some of you know, at 55 years of age, J.R. suffered a massive stroke on the way home from church.  He was able to veer the car a little out of the driving lane and his wife reached over, shoved the car into park and turned off the key.  LRMC told them he was beyond any help they could give, so he was transferred to Orlando Regional.  They were told it was critical he regain consciousness within 3 days. They had to drill a hole in his head to relieve pressure.  Lisa is a woman of faith and put out a call on social media and otherwise for prayer.  We, in turn, passed that prayer request on.  The neurosurgeon told them, when he still hadn’t responded, that there was a very good chance that if he woke up, he would be paralyzed from the neck down.  On the 5th day, he wiggled his toes and gave the neurosurgeon a thumbs up!  On the sixth day, their 29th anniversary, they had him sitting up in a chair.  He can move his right side and follows commands, but still can’t move his left side or speak.  I feel like we are watching another of God’s miracles take place!  Please continue to pray for J.R.  Pray for movement on the left side and his speech to return.  Our God is great, as we have witnessed in our church!  Faith is such a powerful thing and it becomes even more powerful when coupled with fervent prayer!

Faith is the bridge that pulls us towards eternity.  It is the evidence of something we can’t see, but still know it’s there.  It forces us to believe and trust in God, and not in ourselves.  If we can’t zoom out and take an eternal perspective, faith will never make sense.  Faith causes us to look to the eternal.  You can’t just shove faith into a box with God and then try to make sense of it.

In this season of reflection, not on what to buy whom, but on the coming of the Christ in human form, let us renew our faith.  We can’t see faith, but it lives in us.  It promises us an eternity with Jesus where there will be no pain, no sickness, sorrow or tears.  Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Pray Unceasingly!

In His light,

Lois

 True Nourishment

Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words. Isaiah 55:2-3 MSG

We know the health benefits of eating real food grown on a plant rather than manufactured in a plant. Real food is medicine; junk food is toxic.

God says the same is true in the spiritual realm: his Word is real food for our souls. It renews our minds and replenishes our spirits. We need it in our daily diet.

Consider making a plan to read a portion of one of the Gospels, one of Paul’s letters, or a psalm each morning or before you go to bed.

God invites us back to spiritual food that will make our souls flourish. “God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds.

You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries” (Psalm 19:10 MSG).

How can you feed your soul and body today?

Food for Thought: God’s words are truly life-giving and life-nourishing, real food for the hungry soul.

HEALTHY HOLIDAY PREPARATION TIPS

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Ok.  Here we are again, Thanksgiving done and gone and now just Christmas and the New Year to contend with. I say contend, only because of the food issues!  Otherwise, it is a joyous season!) I would love to say I breezed through Thanksgiving without blinking an eye.  I didn’t do BADLY, but as we all know, we can still have too much of even a good thing.  I have found that every single day is a new start.  If we step backwards, just be sure not to stall.  Put one foot in front of the other and move forward again.

 As we stumble through this daily journey remember God is always in charge.  Sometimes, we tend to forget that and put OURSELVES in charge.  We have then set ourselves up for failure.  I believe our God is the one and only miracle maker and I am witnessing one in progress with our friend, J.R.  Please continue to keep him in prayer and I will tell you more next week.  My prayers are with each of you through the holidays and every day.  I love you all.

Pray Unceasingly!

 

In His light,

Lois

 HEALTHY HOLIDAY PREPARATION TIPS

 The best time to start preparing for a healthy holiday season is now!  The more energy and clarity you have prior to the holiday season, the less likely you are to fall prey to advertisers, food pushers and well meaning (but unhealthy) relatives.

Make a decision today to take control of your health and don’t allow others to blindly lead you to poor health.

Start every morning with prayer, meditation and journaling at least 5 things you are grateful for. Focusing on what you are grateful for actually alters brain chemistry!

Serve others who are less fortunate than yourself. Get your family involved a community service project. This will usually do wonders for shifting the focus from gluttony to thoughtfulness and gratitude.

Be an example to those you love.

Break your sugar addiction prior to the holidays so you will be less likely to fall victim to gorging on sweet “death” traps.

Eliminate simple carbs, sugar, pasta, bread, white rice and white potatoes immediately. For most people it takes about 3 days to kill the craving for sugar. For some of you, it can take a couple of weeks.

To help eliminate the craving for sugar:

Increase your water intake

Eat LOTS of fresh vegetables

Never allow yourself to become too hungry. Eat 4 or 5 small meals throughout the day.

Don’t go more than 3 hours without some protein. Protein increases satiety.

Eat small amounts of healthy fat from avocados, nuts and seeds throughout the day. This also increases satiety.

Eliminate fried fats, trans fats and most animal fats. They contain toxic material.

Drink green drinks such as wheat grass or “green cocktails,” but avoid the fruit in them.

Minimize fruit intake for two weeks (no more than one piece each day).

Follow the guidelines for The Daniel Plan Plate, filling 50% of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, 25% with lean protein, and the final 25% with whole grains or starchy vegetables.  Drink water or herbal tea.

Clean out your pantry and your refrigerator… And keep it that way!! Pay extra attention to what you allow to make its way into your home during the holidays. There is no law that says you must eat fruit cake and candy just because people send it to you.

Know the local “safe spots” in your neighborhood to stop and eat in case you get caught without your ice chest, or if you need to schedule a social event.

Be proactive when you are out with friends and be the one to choose the meeting place or restaurant when possible. Try not be caught off guard by letting others choose establishments that serve only unhealthy foods.

Have a plan for making the healthiest choice possible when you are in less than ideal situations. Most restaurants will try to please you.

Order a salad with lemon or balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the side.

Steamed veggies and baked potatoes (go easy on potatoes) are fairly universal.

Check out the appetizers, the “Small Bites,” and the side order menus.  You often will find things like brown rice, sauteed veggies (request light oil), sashimi style fish, miso soup, vegetable soup (but watch the sodium), etc.

Non-vegetarians can request a simple piece of grilled chicken or fish without sauce.

Remember to be gentle with yourself. Grace goes a long way in overcoming mistakes. Make a better choice the next time and don’t focus on it. Living The Daniel Plan lifestyle is about progress, not perfection.

A Thanksgiving Game Plan

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It’s official.  Thanksgiving is 3 days away and we need a GAME PLAN!  Temptation lies everywhere and the pumpkin pie is calling you!  (well, not me.  At least I don’t like pumpkin pie.)  Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for what God has generously given to us.  Even if you think things are bad, when you really think of all you have to be thankful for, most of us come out way ahead!  Thanksgiving is often represented by abundance.  Abundance of family, and hopefully much love.  Also, an abundance of food.  Stop and think about it though.  We have an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables we can partake of and share, just like the pilgrims did.  We have turkey, ham or whatever your fancy may be.  In that, we have our main meal.  Everything else is “fluff”.  Very tempting “fluff”.  Because I don’t like to indulge in things I know I shouldn’t eat, I will attempt a healthy version of a dessert for the “clean” eaters at our dinner.  Hopefully, this is one that will turn out well.  Happy Thanksgiving to all and safe travels if applicable!

 Today, aside from all my normal blessings, I thank God for this group.  You have inspired and motivated and blessed me continuously.  Thank you!  I also have a prayer request.  A friend of ours had a severe stroke yesterday on the way home from church.  The doctors say it doesn’t look good and the next 3 days are critical.  Please pray for J.R. and his family, he is only in his 50’s.

 I’m looking forward to seeing many of you in the next couple of days for the Directory photo sessions.  Thank you!  We made our minimum goal!

 Pray Unceasingly!

 In His light,

Lois

 

A Thanksgiving Game Plan

Sally Cameron

 If the thought of hosting Thanksgiving stresses you out (or scares you to death), use these tips built from my years of experience and catering parties to help you pull build your Thanksgiving game plan. It’s all about planning and organization. It’s also a mindset thing. Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy it. It’s easier when you plan ahead.

Thanksgiving Game Plan

Last weekend I shared a list of tips for how I plan for Thanksgiving at a Daniel Plan Healthy Holiday Cooking Workshop. As people were busy scribbling notes, I realized I better get my tips into a post to help everyone. So here you go. Any questions, please post them in comments, and be sure to share what you do for a stress-free holiday. Let’s get a discussion going.

Plan Your Menu

– From appetizers to dessert and beverages. Write it down.

– All of my planning, recipes and notes go onto a clipboard so they are in one place for reference.

– Think about oven space when you menu plan. One oven or two?

– Don’t overload yourself. Balance simple and easy vs. more time-consuming.

– Plan dishes that can be prepped or made ahead of time.

– Keep appetizers simple. There is a big meal coming.

Let’s Talk Turkey

– Order ahead. I choose fresh and organic and believe the taste is worth it.

– If you want leftovers (and who doesn’t?), plan for 1 1/2 pounds per person raw weight.

– If you are buying a frozen turkey, it will take approximately 1 day per 4-5 pounds to defrost in the refrigerator.

– Having a big crowd? It’s better to roast two smaller birds than one monster.

– No roasting pan? Everything is on sale right now at the years best prices. Check around and invest in one. It will last forever, and can be used for more than turkey. You can also try to borrow one from a friend who is not cooking for Thanksgiving. One of mine is out on loan now.

– Use a roasting rack to lift your turkey off the bottom of the pan during roasting. It creates airflow and the bird does not sit in the fat and juices. No rack? Create a thick wreath with heavy foil and set the bird on that to elevate it.

– Here is a new tool I am going to try this year, a flexible BPA-free roasting laurel. Scrubbing even a non-stick rack after a turkey is not easy. This is dishwasher safe.

– Brine Baby Brine! For a delicious, golden, glorious turkey, try the dry brine method. The results are terrific. The original recipe is from the LA Times and Russ Parsons.

– When not to brine – Do not brine if your turkey has been pre-brined or a salt solution has been added. Read the label carefully.

Learn to Delegate

– Its’ ok to ask for help. You don’t have to do it all yourself. Many people like to make a contribution to the celebration, so let them.

– Give them the recipe you would like them to bring. This way you will know exactly what they are bringing and that it will work with your menu.

– If someone wants to bring something but can’t cook, have them bring beverages or something else easy you might need.

– Build a Master Grocery List

– I build mine in an excel spreadsheet. It sounds crazy, but you can use it year after year with a few tweaks as needed. I have a column for the recipe and ingredients, the quantity needed, then the store to buy it at, and one column to check off.

– Not an excel user? No problem. List everything by recipe, then categorize it into market sections like produce, dairy, canned goods, etc.

– Check supplies of dish and dishwasher soap, paper towels, heavy foil, plastic wrap, baggies, trash bags, bathroom supplies, etc.

Think Ahead, Work Ahead

– I pick up my turkey on Sunday and start dry-brining no later than Monday.

– Great gravy takes homemade turkey broth. Make it ahead and freeze it. Or make it Tuesday. It will last in the refrigerator 4-5 days, so you will have enough for turkey gravy and turkey soup afterwards.

– Chop vegetables ahead, package and label with a sharpie and masking or painters tape

– Start your dressing Tuesday.  I make gluten-free cornbread on Wednesday for my cornbread dressing. You can also dry your own bread cubes ahead for a traditional dressing.

– Make a pumpkin tartt Wednesday (or skip the crust and try the pumpkin mousse recipe)

– Blanch green beans or prep Brussels sprouts

– Creamed pearl onions can be done Tuesday or Wednesday and heated on Thursday. Never made them? Try them for a hit side dish. And my recipe is dairy-free.

Establish Your Timeline

– Think about everything you have to do. Start with the end in mind, especially for Thanksgiving Day. Start with your desired serving time and work backwards on everything that has to be done and the time it is done. Check off as you go.

– Example – I aim to serve dinner between 5:00 – 5:30, so I pull the bird from the refrigerator at 12:00 noon, rub it with herb butter around 1:00 and plan to roast it starting around 2:00 (for a small 10-12 pound bird). Adjust your timing as needed.

Prepare your kitchen

– Clean out your refrigerator so you have room for all of the groceries and a bird

– Clean your ovens. Most have a self-cleaning cycle. Wipe out any residue afterwards.

Check Your Tableware

– Check table linens, runners and napkins (cloth is so nice). If they need laundering, save yourself the time and take them to the cleaners for laundering and professional pressing.

– Check glassware, flatware and plates. Do you have enough? If not, borrow, mix and match, or hit a discount place for nice basics.

– Plan for table decorations such as flowers, candles, votives, napkins rings, etc.

– Check platters, bowls and serving pieces (like big forks and spoons) for every dish. Get them out and put a sticky note in each one with what it will hold. Again, borrow, mix and match or hit the discount stores to fill in. If you have them, get out those family heirlooms with great memories and polish them up.

Set Your Table

– Wednesday is fine. Tuesday is better.

Take Care of Yourself

– Plan to shower earlier in the day. You want to look good and be refreshed when family and friends arrive, not worn out.

– Eat light and stay hydrated so your energy is high and you can enjoy the day.

Food Before Thanksgiving

– You still need to eat before the big day, so plan for it. Keep it easy, and self-service if possible.

– Think about eggs for breakfast, supplies for smoothies, make a batch of soup or chili that can be warmed up and family or out-of-town guests can help themselves. It’s easy to get totally focused on Thanksgiving Day and forget we all still have to eat before then.

Plan for Leftovers

– Turkey tomatillo soup with either turkey or chicken broth

– Turkey and white bean soup

– Southwestern Turkey Chili

– Casseroles, sandwiches, wraps, and turkey salad are all terrific after Thanksgiving Day

Relax, have fun and enjoy. If everything does not go perfectly, it’s ok. Let it go. The most important part of Thanksgiving is being thankful for being together, celebrating God’s blessings, and the joy of family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! God’s blessing to you and your family.

Idea! Start a kitchen journal. Go to a bookstore and buy yourself a nice hard bound journal with blank, lined pages. Write your menu and all who came. Ask everyone to sign it and write something they are thankful for. Takes notes on your dishes. It will help you next year, and provide great memories to be thankful for in the years to come.

Healthy Holiday Food Tips

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Healthy Holiday Food Tips

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! This is never truer than during the holiday season that is just around the corner!
Here are a few ideas to help you stay ahead of the game and plan wisely.
Spice it Up! Use spices and herbs to flavor foods instead of heavy sauces. Many herbs and spices have been shown to have amazing health benefits, and they taste great!
– saffron: improves memory and helps to support positive mood.
– curry: is a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory agent and helps to decrease the plaques thought to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.
– oregano: potent antioxidant and may help with PMS and insomnia.
– basil: potent antioxidant, improves blood flow to the brain and may help memory.
– cinnamon: improves working memory and ability to pay attention
– garlic: improves blood flow to the brain, increases immunity
– ginger: potent anti-aging properties, anti-inflammatory
– thyme: Increases DHA (an important fat) in the brain
– sage: improves memory and overall mental functioning
– rosemary: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
Minimize alcohol consumption. Alcohol not only contains a lot of calories (in the form of sugar), but it decreases your judgment and impulse control. Next thing you know, you’ll be flirting with that second piece of pie… And regretting it in the morning.
Swap This for That Human beings are not designed to seek pain and deprivation. If you make this journey one of deprivation, you will guarantee failure. Being healthy and taking care of the body gave you is an honor. With a little creativity, you will find this is about abundance. Here are a few suggestions for some healthy alternatives:
– Green tea with a few drops of Stevia instead of coffee.
– Sugar free, steamed almond milk with a bag of “Green Chai Tea” and a few drops of cinnamon flavored Stevia. This is guilt free “Tea Latte. ”
– “Coconut Milk” in your tea or coffee instead of half and half or soy creamer.
– Drink sparkling water sweetened with root beer flavored Stevia instead of diet soda.
– Try sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon or lime and a few drops of lemon flavored Stevia in place of wine. This is a great drink for parties when you want a “drink” to be social but you don’t want to consume alcohol.
– Try almond milk instead of dairy milk and soymilk.
– Replace ice cream with Avocado Gelato.
– Eat ½ apple with almond butter instead of cookies and candy.
– Eat ¼ cup raw, unsalted nuts and 1 piece of 70% low-sugar dark chocolate instead of muffins, cookies and candy.
– Try salsa or sugar free catsup instead of the catsups and barbeque sauces that are filled with sugar. You also can look online for great sugar free catsup recipes.
– Use guacamole or hummus instead of mayonnaise.
Stay hydrated! Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. This is not only healthy for your brain, skin and body, but it will help you not to feel hungry. Often, we feel hungry when we are actually thirsty. Americans are chronically dehydrated.
Plan ahead and Prepare in Advance Always have an ice chest prepared with healthy, nutritious food. Have one day each week that you prepare some short cuts for your week. If you are busy, this can help you and your children make healthier choices.
– Boil a dozen eggs so they are ready to grab for your ice chest. They are also a great snack for your kids.
– Chop up vegetables and fruit a couple days each week and keep them in an air-tight container- ready to snack on.
– Prepare a couple healthy treats for the family, so they don’t cheat during weak moments.
– Prepare enough food for dinner so that there are always “leftovers.”
– Immediately pack left over food from dinner in small, “to go” containers and put them in your ice chest when you are cleaning up from dinner. Put the ice chest in the refrigerator so all you have to do is grab it in the morning.
– Keep an ice chest packed with raw nuts, chopped vegetables, fruit, lean protein (either a hard boiled egg, fish or chicken), hummus or guacamole and a protein bar.
Cheat with PROTEIN AND HEALTHY FAT! Cheating with sugar sets you and your hormones up for a vicious fall, sending the signal to your brain that you are still hungry, even though you just finished gorging! But if you eat lean protein and healthy fat (even if you eat too much of it), hormones are released that tell your brain that you are full and satisfied.

Foods That Heal: So What Should We Eat?

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In my years on this earth, I have learned that pretty well everything worth having has to be earned.  Sometimes, I just wish it could be simple, but I guess there is no lesson to be learned from simple.  I don’t know about you, but it seems like I should be pretty smart because I have had a lot of lessons to learn!

 One of the hardest ones is that I can eat the way I used to and be miserable or try to eat smarter and listen to how much better my body responds.  Fortunately, I have learned I can eat well AND enjoy it!  Sure, there are times that I would love to have a piece of pie or cake or other ultra rich, ultra sweet whatever.  BUT I have also found much healthier things I can substitute and feel just as satisfied and without craving the whole thing.

 Throughout this process, I have found more energy, a desire to exercise and good lab reports!  Despite my lifelong battle with my weight, my doctor is always impressed with my check-ups.  I feel better than I did 15 years ago!  I am determined to stay as prescription free as possible and am doing a pretty good job of it so far.  I want my medicine to be my food!

 Pray Unceasingly!

 In His light,

Lois

 Foods That Heal: So What Should We Eat?

 What is food? Nourishment? A source of energy or calories? A delightful pleasure?

Yes, it can be all of those things. But as a doctor who has dedicated his career to studying how food affects the body and contributes to or prevents disease, Dr. Hyman has a slightly different take on food:

Food is medicine.

Food has the power to heal us. It is the most potent tool we have to help prevent and treat many of our chronic diseases—including diabetes and obesity. Truly, what you put on your fork dictates whether you are sick or well, slim or fat, depleted or energized.

Food is medicine. It is the most powerful tool we have to combat chronic disease.

How does food do all this? Through the groundbreaking science known as nutrigenomics. The molecules in your food do much more than provide fuel for your body. They provide instructions that tell every cell in your body what to do every moment. More than 95 percent of chronic illness is not related to your genes, but to what those genes are exposed to in your lifetime. We call that the exposome.

The exposome is the sum of everything you eat, breathe, drink, think, and feel, plus the toxins in our environment and even the 100 trillion bacteria that live inside your gut. This is good news because it means that you have almost complete control over your health. And the most important thing you do every single day to interact with your genes is eat.

So the next time you put something on your fork, imagine what your genes might feel. Would they like that extra large soda or cheesy corn chips, or would they prefer some sweet blueberries or sautéed broccoli with garlic and olive oil?

We want to teach you how to treat your body respect and kindness. We will teach you what foods to choose to nourish yourself and which ones to avoid. Most of all, we will show you how to create a nurturing, peaceful relationship with food and cooking that will automatically lead to weight loss, radiant health, and an overall sense of well-being.

The Scriptures teach us how to live and love fully. But somehow we skip over the parts that instruct us to honor the vessel of the Holy Spirit, our body. Being in a food coma from eating sugar and junk food, having your brain chemistry hijacked by hyper-processed, hyper-palatable, hyper-addictive foods prevents you from fully inhabiting your body and your mind. If the food you are eating is making you sick and unfocused and makes you so sluggish that if you happen to get the urge to exercise you lie down until it goes away, living a fully engaged and God-honoring life is difficult.

Real food has the power to give you your life back and more fully engage in the purpose for your life. The reason to do it is not to fit in your jeans or look good in a dress, but to be awake to the beauty and miracle of life, to be able to live with purpose, to love, serve, connect, and celebrate the gifts God has given you.

If you nourish your body with high-quality ingredients from real food, not only will you increase your energy, lose weight, and reverse many chronic illnesses, but you will also feel lighter and more motivated to exercise, your mood will lift, and your brain will have better clarity, allowing you to clear out the debris in the way of your relationships with others and God.

Abundant Life

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As I look back, I have been so very blessed in my life.  Not monetarily, but with LIFE!  As a kid, we were very poor, but most of the people around us were too, so we didn’t even really know it.  Mom and dad were two of the hardest working people I will ever know and they gave us abundant love!  We went fishing a lot, as a family, and we grew everything that dad could make grow.  All of my sisters and brothers, along with myself, could milk a cow and churn butter.  I remember mom hanging a cheesecloth bag of clabbered milk?? out on the clothes line and making cottage cheese!  We had chickens and sometimes ducks, turkeys and guineas.  It kind of depended what dad could trade for.  The 4-H tried to vote mom in as cooking leader once because they said she made the best brown beans in Oregon county.  She declined that opportunity because she didn’t think that was a good enough qualification.  My sisters and I used to try to sneak away to grandpa’s house, right down the hill.  Grandpa always knew we would be in trouble for it and would feed us corn meal mush and put us to bed before mom or dad showed up to get us.

 Dad had a 4th grade education and after that worked to help support their family.  Mom had an 8th grade education, then worked to help take care of their home and family.  Even so, they raised eight kids who grew up with accountability (there were many switches involved) and a tremendous love for them, our brothers and sisters and God.  Were we poor  Not in anything that really counted!  Abundance comes in many forms.  What have you truly gained if it is only materialistic?  We grew up with the ideal diet, organic produce that we grew ourselves, meat that grew up in the fields, not feed lots, fresh wild game and cooked with a lot of love!  We got one pair of shoes at the beginning of the school year and went barefoot in the summer when we were playing.  If something broke, we fixed it, because we valued anything that we had.  We didn’t miss church unless we were very sick.  We prayed.  We prayed a lot.  We knew that, in the end, our abundance came from God.  We were very rich.

Pray Unceasingly!

In His light,

Lois

Abundant Life

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  John 10:10

 The life God wants to give you is not small and restrictive. Jesus says the abundant life that comes from being intimately connected to him will be better than all your dreams rolled into one. It will happen more and more as you spend daily time with him. Create daily alerts in your phone or computer to remind you to check in with God. This will help you create a habit of spending time with him throughout the day. Just say, “Jesus, I’m here. I’m back. I trust in you.”

 Ask him to open your eyes to see his abundance through your work, in your health, and in your relationships. He wants to fill you with the abundance of his own life so that your life is rich and satisfying. He wants a real relationship with you, where you come to know him more deeply as time goes on. You’ll find there’s always more to learn. And you’ll be amazed at how he surpasses your wildest dreams with the richness of his love and nearness of his presence.

 Food for Thought:  Go ahead and dream of abundant life. God freely provides as we draw near to him.

How’s Your Spiritual Appetite?

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I hope by now, you see a pattern in the emails.  Our appetites aren’t only for the physical nourishment.  It can, and should be emotional, mental and spiritual also.  We can bombard our bodies with junk, as well as our emotions, mentality and spirit.  OR we can NOURISH our bodies, emotions, mentality and spirits with what they need.  The things that make us healthier, stronger, more capable, more alert and happier.  All we have to do is look around to see how many are unhealthy, lost and very hungry.  What does your body and soul hunger for?

 Lord, there are so many people in need. Some need a glass of water or a slice of bread. Some need a comforting presence and maybe a hug. Some need a listening ear. Some need a smiling face. All need to see Jesus. May I be that example of Jesus to all those I meet. May they see Him and give You glory and praise.

Pray Unceasingly!

In His light,

Lois

 

How’s Your Spiritual Appetite?

By Rick Warren — Oct 26, 2015

You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.” (1 Peter 2:2 NLT, second edition)

Are you hungry for God?

It is possible to maintain a spiritual hunger for God for the rest of your life. Here are five ways to keep a spiritual appetite.

Remind yourself how much God loves you. The more you understand how much God loves you, the more you’re going to love him. The Bible says in Ephesians 3:18-19, “May you have the power to understand … how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (NLT, second edition).

Stop filling up on junk food. You are a spiritual being with a God-shaped hole in your heart that only God can fill. When you try to fill it with salary, status, success, passion, possessions, power, prestige, or anything other than God, it’s not going to be fulfilling. Proverbs 15:14 says, “A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.”

Make knowing God your number one goal. Happiness is a byproduct of knowing God. Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well” (NCV).

Get into God’s Word every day. The Bible is food for your soul. Eating a meal once a week won’t keep you healthy. In the same way, you need to feed on God’s Word every day. “You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment” (1 Peter 2:2 NLT, second edition).

Appetite is influenced by association. If you hang out with people who only care about politics, that’s all you’re going to care about. If you hang out with people who only care about sports, that’s what you’re going to care about.

Join a small group for support, because whatever you talk about when you’re with others is what you’re going to be hungry for. Proverbs 2:20 says, “Join the company of good men and women, and stay on the paths of the righteous” (MSG/NLT, second edition).

If I Were Your Enemy: Top 10 Favorite Strategies (Excerpts from “Fervent” by Priscilla Shirer)

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If I Were Your Enemy: Top 10 Favorite Strategies (Excerpts from “Fervent” by Priscilla Shirer)

 

1.Your Passion – Getting It Back When It’s Gone

If I Were Your Enemy, I’d seek to dim your passion, dull your interest in spiritual things, dampen your belief in God’s ability and His personal concern for you, and convince you that the hope you’ve lost is never coming back – and was probably just a lie to begin with.

 2. Your Focus – Fighting The Real Enemy

If I were your enemy, I’d disguise myself and manipulate your perspectives so that you’d focus on the wrong culprit – your husband, your friend, your hurt, your finances, anything or anyone except me.  Because when you zero in on the most convenient, obvious places to strike back against your problems, you get the impression you are fighting for something.  Even though all you’re really doing is just … fighting.  For nothing.

 3. Your Identity – Remembering Who You Are

If I were your enemy, I’d devalue your strength and magnify your insecurities until they dominate how you see your self, disabling and disarming you from fighting back, from being free, from being who God  has created you to be.  I’d work hard to ensure that you never realize what God has given you so you’ll doubt the power of God within you.

4. Your Family- Fortifying The Lives of Those You Love

If I were your enemy, I’d seek to disintegrate your family and destroy every member of it.  I’d want to tear away at your trust and unity and turn everyone’s love inward on themselves.  I would make sure your family didn’t look anything like it’s supposed to.  Because then people would look at your Christian marriage , your Christian kids, and see you’re no different, no stronger than anybody else – that God, underneath it all, doesn’t change anything.

 5. Your Past – Ending the Reign of Guilt, Shame and Regret

If I were your Enemy, I’d constantly remind you of your past mistakes and poor choices.  I’d want to keep you burdened by shame and guilt, in hopes that you will feel incapacitated by your many failings and see no point in even trying again.  I’d work to convince you that you’ve had your chance and blown it – that your God may be able to forgive some people for some things, but not you … not for this.

6. Your Fears – Confronting Your Worries, Claiming Your Calling

If I were your enemy, I’d magnify your fears, making them appear insurmountable intimidating you with enough worries until avoiding them becomes your driving motivation.  I would use anxiety to cripple you, to paralyze you, leaving you indecisive, clinging to safety and sameness, always on the defensive because of what might happen.  When you hear the word faith, all I’d want you to hear is “unnecessary risk.”

 7. Your Purity – Staying Strong In Your Most Susceptible Places

If I were your enemy, I’d tempt you toward certain sins, making you believe they are basically (even biologically) unavoidable.  I’d study your tendencies and proclivities till I learned the precise conditions that make you the most likely to indulge them.  And then I’d strike right there.  Again and again.  Wear you down.  Because if I can’t separate you from God forever, I can at least set you at odds with Him for the time being.

 8. Your Pressures – Reclaiming Peace, Rest, and Contentment

If I were your enemy, I’d make everything seem urgent, as if it’s all yours to handle.  I’d bog down your calendar with so many expectations you couldn’t tell the difference between what’s important and what’s not.  Going and doing, guilty for ever saying no, trying to control it all, but just being controlled by it all instead …  If I could keep you busy enough, you’d be too overwhelmed to even realize how much work you’re actually saving me.

 9. The Hurts – Turning Bitterness To Forgiveness

If I were your enemy, I’d use every opportunity to bring old wounds to mind, as well as the people, events, and circumstances that caused them.  I’d try to ensure that your heart was hardened with anger and bitterness. Shackled through unforgiveness.

 10. Your Relationships – Uniting In A Common Cause

If I were your enemy, I’d work to create division between you and other Christians, between groups of Christians, anyone with the potential for uniting in battle against me and my plans.  I’d keep you operating individually, not seeing your need for the church or tying yourself too closely to its mission.  Strength in numbers and unity of purpose … I would not allow things like these to go unchecked. 

 

 

 

 

8 Ways to Beat Your Junk Food Habit

/in /by

Here we are at the beginning of the holiday season.  This weekend is Halloween.  Not a big holiday at our house, but depending on where you live, this day may mean you have a lot of candy and other sweets around the house.  Sometimes, this can give new meaning to “bet you can’t eat just one”!  I have found that if I avoid sugar, I don’t crave sugar.  If I eat sugar, look out because I want to eat more and more!  We also have Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up.  Two more holidays notoriously known for overeating!  Have you ever found yourself lying around on Thanksgiving afternoon, barely able to keep your eyes open and overall, feeling WAY more stuffed than a turkey??  Ditto for Christmas.  Carb and sugar overload!

 God wants us to be good stewards of ALL He has given us and that includes our bodies.  He gave us one, one body to last us all of our lives on this earth.  In these next couple of months, think of how you can honor God by being a better steward of everything He has blessed us with.  What baby steps can we take to improve our health so we can serve Him better?  It is only through His grace and mercy that we are here at all.

 Pray Unceasingly

 In His light,

Lois

Everything Is Connected – The Links Between the Mind and the Body

 Everything is connected.  Your entire body and all of the core systems in it interact as a single sophisticated symphony.  You are one whole person and all of the pieces of your biology and your unique genetic code interact with your environment (including the food that you eat) to determine how sick or how well you are at this moment.  This means your mind and your body are connected, as well.  The body and the mind are a single, bi-directional system.  What you do to one has enormous impact on the other.  What you do to your body, you do to your brain.  Heal your body and you’ll heal your brain.

 8 Ways to Beat Your Junk Food Habit

Mark Hyman, MD

  “I love junk food, and I can’t stop craving it,” a reader posted on my Facebook page. “What do I do?”

If you can identify with my reader, you’re not alone. Of the more than 600,000 food products – note I said food products, not food – 80 percent have added sugar.

We went from eating about 10 pounds of sugar per person, per year in 1800 to 152 pounds of sugar (and 146 pounds of flour) per person, per year today. Think about it: On average we eat about one pound of sugar every day!

Those sugar-loaded foods literally become drugs: Doses of sugar and flour that hijack our metabolism and make us fat and sick.

Many patients tell me once they dive into a box of chips or cookies, they literally can’t stop eating. Have you ever wondered why you would devour a box of cookies but you wouldn’t binge on wild salmon?

The reason isn’t because you lack self-discipline or are weak-willed. You are not emotionally weak or lazy. You are biologically addicted to sugar, and willpower doesn’t work here.

The good news is that I have something that does work. But let’s take a quick look at what created that addiction.

The Science of Sugar Addiction

A powerful study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition proves that higher-sugar, higher-glycemic foods are addictive in the same way as cocaine and heroin.

Dr. David Ludwig and his colleagues at Harvard proved that foods with more sugar — those that raise blood sugar quickly or have what is called a high-glycemic index — trigger a special region in the brain called the nucleus accumbens.  This is your brain’s pleasure center that, when activated, makes you feel good and drives you to seek out more of that feeling.  This area becomes ground zero for conventional addictions such as gambling and drug abuse.

The study ultimately proved two things:

– Your body responds quite differently to different calories, even if the protein, fat, carbs, and taste are exactly the same.

– Foods that spike blood sugar are biologically addictive.

That addiction triggers a vicious cycle of hunger and cravings that sets the stage for diabesity and other chronic diseases.

Constantly eating sugary foods causes a spike in your blood sugar, which in turn, activates your brain’s pleasure center.  This triggers more cravings, and drives you to seek out more and more of the substance that gives you a “high.”

You become powerless against your brain’s hardwired response to seek out pleasure. No wonder you feel trapped!

We are programmed genetically to crave sugar and refined carbs.

Why Your Junk Food Addiction Isn’t Your Fault

How long can you hold your breath underwater?

That might seem like a strange question concerning sugar addiction, but if I tell you to use your willpower to hold your breath for 15 minutes and that I will give you a million dollars if you do, there is still no way you can do this.

Sure, you might try, but you would fail. That’s because we are programmed for certain needs like air, water, food, and sleep.

These things are essential to our survival. If you are addicted to sugar and I tell you to resist giving in to your cravings by using willpower, I might as well tell you to hold your breath for 15 minutes. It simply won’t work.

Nobody wants to be overweight or suffer the emotional or physical consequences of diabetes or obesity. But willpower simply isn’t enough to overcome the cravings for chips, cookies, soda, and more.

We’re up against powerful biochemical mechanisms created by food addiction. Willpower becomes useless when industrial junk food and sugar are in charge of your brain chemistry.

Fake foods we’ve been introduced to in the 20th century – many of which contain high-fructose corn syrup and other added sugars – have hijacked our brains, our hormones, and our metabolism.

These Frankenfoods have literally created a vicious cycle of hunger and cravings.

There is no such thing as junk food. There’s just junk, and there’s food.

I have a simple yet radical proposal: Let’s send the trillion-dollar junk food industry a message and eat real food. That means foods nature created, which don’t come with barcodes, fake ingredients, or an ingredient list at all.

To do that, we need to rewire our brains. A researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) told me the real regulator of our weight and metabolism isn’t our stomach, but our brain chemistry. The right foods send a message to your brain to shut down hunger and cravings so you burn fat and feel great. Sugary, processed foods send the opposite message.

The Right Mind Shift to Fight Cravings

Making the right choices to opt for real, whole, unprocessed foods becomes crucial to ditch the junk food habit, but so do your emotional triggers and emotional health.

Whenever you get a strong desire for a chocolate chip cookie or other junk food, ask yourself two questions:

– What am I feeling?

– What do I need?

 What we need does not involve stuffing your face, I can assure you of that.

We have a chance today to stop and detox, not only from junk food, but also from junk thoughts. We must de-clutter our bodies and our minds.

Breaking these addictions and rewiring your brain is easier than you might think. It doesn’t take weeks or months. These eight strategies can help:

1.) Eat real food. You need to eat fat and protein for each of your meals. Whole foods carbohydrates like veggies, legumes, nuts and seeds are perfectly healthy. Broccoli is broccoli. Processed, sugary junk foods are not real foods. They set the stage for sugar addiction and all its ugly consequences.

2.) Steady blood sugar levels. Eat a nutritious breakfast with some protein like eggs, protein shakes, or nut butters. Studies repeatedly show that eating a healthy high-protein breakfast helps people maintain weight loss. Also, have smaller meals throughout the day. Eat every three to four hours and have some protein with each snack or meal (lean animal protein, nuts, seeds, beans). Avoid eating three hours before bedtime.

3.) Ditch sugar. Go cold turkey. If you are addicted to narcotics or alcohol you can’t simply just cut down. You have to stop for your brain to reset. You must eliminate refined sugars, sodas, fruit juices, and artificial sweeteners from your diet. These are all drugs that fuel sugar addiction.

4.) Reduce stress. Stress eating and junk food go together. When you’re feeling stressed, you’re more likely to reach for that bag of chocolate chip cookies or whatever your vice might be. Learn to address the root cause of your stress and address it with something like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing. My UltraCalm CD becomes a great way to melt away stress and anxiety and beat your junk food addiction.

5.) Exercise smartly. The next time you get a hankering for something sweet, walk it off… Literally! Besides creating a healthy distraction to avoid nose-diving into a pint of butter pecan ice cream, exercise tapers cravings and raises feel-good endorphin levels. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned athlete, you can find an easy-to-implement exercise plan here.

6.) Determine whether food sensitivities could be causing your cravings. We often crave the very foods that we have a hidden allergy to, including gluten dairy, and sugar.

7.) Sleep well. Ever notice you’re hungrier for something sugary after a terrible night’s sleep? Studies show lack of sleep increases cravings. To get eight hours of solid sleep every night, check out these 19 tips here.

 8.) Implement crave-cutting supplements. These include vitamin D and omega-3s. Also consider taking natural supplements for cravings control. Glutamine, tyrosine, and 5-HTP are amino acids that help reduce cravings. Stress-reducing herbs such as Rhodiola rosea can also help. Chromium balances blood sugar and can help take the edge off cravings. Glucomannan fiber is very helpful to reduce the spikes in sugar and insulin that drive cravings and hunger.

Spiritual Food For Spiritual Strength

/in /by

Have you ever noticed that when you go too long between meals, or eating anything, you feel really empty!  Not just the emptiness in your belly, but you feel empty of energy, empty of motivation and empty of clarity.   The same is true for our spirits.  If we never feed our spirit, there will be an empty hole, it will lack energy, motivation and clarity.  On the other hand, when we study the word, when we truly spend time with God, we are energized and feel fulfilled.  Just like our bodies, we need to satisfy the appetite in our spirit.  Fill it with good, healthy “food” that will nourish, enrich and make it grow.  Watch, as you feel more energized, more motivated and find you have the clarity needed to lead, guide or follow!

Sometimes, I tend to forget that God wants a two way communication, not just a one sided conversation of what I want.   Do you listen for what God wants us to hear from Him?  Do you ever just “Be still and know that I am God”?  Try taking some quiet time for reflective prayer.  Listen for that still, quiet voice, or maybe just a strong urge to do something that would help someone else.

May God fill you with all things pure and good today and every day!

Pray Unceasingly!

In His light,

Lois

Spiritual Food For Spiritual Strength

Jerelyn

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly.” (Colossians 3:16a NIV)

Just like you need physical food for physical strength, you need spiritual food for spiritual strength. The Bible describes itself as spiritual food — the water, milk, bread, and meat of our spiritual lives. It’s everything you need for sustenance.

If you were a construction contractor, you wouldn’t consider sending out a guy who hadn’t eaten anything in two weeks. If you were a commander in the Army, you wouldn’t send a person into battle who hadn’t eaten in a month. Right? We need to feed ourselves to have the strength to accomplish the tasks ahead of us.

You’re not going to have much success in winning the spiritual battles you face if you’re starving yourself to death. That’s why we need to feed ourselves on the Word of God.

Unlike eating physical food, whenever I feed on the Word, I get even hungrier. The more I taste and see how good God is, the more I want.

The Bible says in Colossians 3:16, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly” (NIV). Paul is telling us to let the Bible take up residence in our lives in a rich, profound, and life-giving way.

So how do we feed ourselves on the Word of God and allow that to happen?

– Receive the Word with your ears. Commit yourself to go to church and listen to God’s Word being preached.

– Read the Word with your eyes. As I said, having a Bible in your house is not going to bless your life. You have to have the Bible in your heart.

– Research the Word with your hands and mouth. When studying the Word of God, keep a pencil in your hand. Write down what God teaches. Talk about what you’re discovering with other believers in a small-group environment.

– Reflect on the Word with your mind. Think about and chew on God’s Word.

– Remember the Word with your heart. You’ll rarely have a Bible with you when you need it. Commit God’s Word to memory.