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.