Didja know???
-- Walking lowers stroke risk: a 12-year women's health study found that women who regularly walked at a brisk pace were 37% less likely to have any type of stroke and had a 68% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
-- Start lunch and dinner with a glass of water and a salad or a broth-based soup to help fill you up.
Happy Thanksgiving
Psalm 100
Friday, September 17, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The Importance of Sleep
Proverbs 3:24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
A very important (and overlooked) part of taking care of your body is getting the proper amount of sleep. I find this to be harder than walking past a plate full of chocolate! An article I read recently said that insufficient sleep causes a disruption of the appetite hormones leptin and ghrelin which direct fat metabolism. When these hormones become resistant to cues from the brain due to dietary abuse or lack of deep sleep, fat is not released efficiently and remains stored as excees weight in the body. (wwww.helium.com "The Importance of Sleep for Weight Loss" by John Phillip)
Highlighted on Yahoo.com was another interesting article entitled "7 Sleep-Stealing Foods to Stay Away From", and they discuss the sleep-depriving properties of caffeine, aged cheese, spicy foods, processed/smoked meats, alcohol, milk chocolate and ginseng tea. While it's not a comprehensive list, it's certainly a good start!
Personally, when I have sleepless nights (and there are many, believe me, because I can't seem to find the off switch to my brain when I lay me down to sleep), I try to resist the temptation to flip on the telly and instead open my Bible, read and pray. (It doesn't always work - last night I fell asleep to "Gone with the Wind".) There just isn't anything better for a good night's sleep than a clean conscious and some time with the Lord. Proverbs 3:24 is also a great comfort to me if I wake up in the middle of the night from a bad dream.
Take time this week to press pause by getting 7-8 hours of solid sleep each night. The weather is getting cooler, so it's time to open those windows, let the "perfect sleeping weather" breezes in, and give yourself a good workout -- the gift of snooze! zzzzzz.....
P.S. Little 20-minute power naps are terrific, too!
A very important (and overlooked) part of taking care of your body is getting the proper amount of sleep. I find this to be harder than walking past a plate full of chocolate! An article I read recently said that insufficient sleep causes a disruption of the appetite hormones leptin and ghrelin which direct fat metabolism. When these hormones become resistant to cues from the brain due to dietary abuse or lack of deep sleep, fat is not released efficiently and remains stored as excees weight in the body. (wwww.helium.com "The Importance of Sleep for Weight Loss" by John Phillip)
Highlighted on Yahoo.com was another interesting article entitled "7 Sleep-Stealing Foods to Stay Away From", and they discuss the sleep-depriving properties of caffeine, aged cheese, spicy foods, processed/smoked meats, alcohol, milk chocolate and ginseng tea. While it's not a comprehensive list, it's certainly a good start!
Personally, when I have sleepless nights (and there are many, believe me, because I can't seem to find the off switch to my brain when I lay me down to sleep), I try to resist the temptation to flip on the telly and instead open my Bible, read and pray. (It doesn't always work - last night I fell asleep to "Gone with the Wind".) There just isn't anything better for a good night's sleep than a clean conscious and some time with the Lord. Proverbs 3:24 is also a great comfort to me if I wake up in the middle of the night from a bad dream.
Take time this week to press pause by getting 7-8 hours of solid sleep each night. The weather is getting cooler, so it's time to open those windows, let the "perfect sleeping weather" breezes in, and give yourself a good workout -- the gift of snooze! zzzzzz.....
P.S. Little 20-minute power naps are terrific, too!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Self-Seeking
1 Corinthians 13:5 [Love] does not seek its own...
What does it mean to not “seek your own” when looking at it from a perspective of dealing with your own health and food?
Interestingly, the Greek word used for seek, “zeteo”, has one interpretation as “to crave”.
When we are trying hard to take care of our bodies through proper nutrition, sometimes we crave foods that aren’t the best thing for us to eat. I’m not talking about the occasional serving of dessert or slice of pizza that is eaten with intentionality, balanced in with the rest of a reasonable day’s menu. I’m talking about those late night trips to the freezer for a half-gallon of that ice cream that’s calling your name in a seductive Barry White voice (gotta love that commercial). I’m talking about that third helping of mashed potatoes or second (or third… or fourth…) donut. I’m talking about eating because it tastes so good we just want more and more, not because we’re even hungry.
Are we seeking our own when we eat/drink whatever, without regard to how it will affect our health in the short and long term? How is that loving our bodies? Do we elevate the importance of that craving above just about anything else at that moment, justifying it, only to within the hour regret our decision and say “Why did I just eat that?”
What do you think “self-seeking” means when dealing with your relationship to food?
What does it mean to not “seek your own” when looking at it from a perspective of dealing with your own health and food?
Interestingly, the Greek word used for seek, “zeteo”, has one interpretation as “to crave”.
When we are trying hard to take care of our bodies through proper nutrition, sometimes we crave foods that aren’t the best thing for us to eat. I’m not talking about the occasional serving of dessert or slice of pizza that is eaten with intentionality, balanced in with the rest of a reasonable day’s menu. I’m talking about those late night trips to the freezer for a half-gallon of that ice cream that’s calling your name in a seductive Barry White voice (gotta love that commercial). I’m talking about that third helping of mashed potatoes or second (or third… or fourth…) donut. I’m talking about eating because it tastes so good we just want more and more, not because we’re even hungry.
Are we seeking our own when we eat/drink whatever, without regard to how it will affect our health in the short and long term? How is that loving our bodies? Do we elevate the importance of that craving above just about anything else at that moment, justifying it, only to within the hour regret our decision and say “Why did I just eat that?”
What do you think “self-seeking” means when dealing with your relationship to food?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Course Description and Schedule
This semester we will be studying God's word and exploring our relationship with food and eating from a biblical perspective,using the book "Press Pause Before You Eat: Say Goodbye to Mindless Eating and Hello to the Joys of Eating". This book was written by Dr. Linda Mintle, co-author of the book "Lose It for Life" with Stephen Arterburn, licensed marriage and family therapist, social worker, professor and a national expert on the psychology of food, weight and body image and relationships (read about her on her blog at http://drlindamintle.com/). Many of the concepts and ideas will easily translate into helpful tools for other areas of our lives (for example, topics such as "Spiritual Hunger Requires Spiritual Food", "Tackle Your Emotions", and "Renew Your Mind".
Additionally, I will be teaching from the perspective of a personal trainer, so I will be incorporating occasional ideas on nutrition, eating, exercise, and will be giving a weekly demo of a physical exercise for anyone to use in their own workout routine.
Here is the schedule:
Week 1 Sept. 12th Part 1 - Purpose Chapter 1
Week 2 Sept 19th Part 1 - Purpose Chapters 2, 3
Week 3 Sept 26th Part 1 - Purpose Chapters 3, 4
Week 4 Oct 3rd Part 2 - Attend Chapters 5, 6
Week 5 Oct 10th Part 2 - Attend Chapters 7, 8
Week 6 Oct 17th Part 3 - Understand Chapters 9, 10
Week 7 Oct 24th Part 3 - Understand Chapters 10, 11
Week 8 Oct 31st Part 4 - Strategize Chapters 12, 13
Week 9 Nov 7th Part 4 - Strategize Chapters 13, 14
Week 10 Nov 14th Part 5 - Execute Chapter 15 (LAST WEEK)
Your part in this study, as always, is to be on time, commit to attending regularly, come prepared by having read your weekly assignment, and bring your own beautiful and unique personality and perspective so we can learn from one another! If you need to miss a session, you will be expected to keep up your reading from the schedule above.
Additionally, I will be teaching from the perspective of a personal trainer, so I will be incorporating occasional ideas on nutrition, eating, exercise, and will be giving a weekly demo of a physical exercise for anyone to use in their own workout routine.
Here is the schedule:
Week 1 Sept. 12th Part 1 - Purpose Chapter 1
Week 2 Sept 19th Part 1 - Purpose Chapters 2, 3
Week 3 Sept 26th Part 1 - Purpose Chapters 3, 4
Week 4 Oct 3rd Part 2 - Attend Chapters 5, 6
Week 5 Oct 10th Part 2 - Attend Chapters 7, 8
Week 6 Oct 17th Part 3 - Understand Chapters 9, 10
Week 7 Oct 24th Part 3 - Understand Chapters 10, 11
Week 8 Oct 31st Part 4 - Strategize Chapters 12, 13
Week 9 Nov 7th Part 4 - Strategize Chapters 13, 14
Week 10 Nov 14th Part 5 - Execute Chapter 15 (LAST WEEK)
Your part in this study, as always, is to be on time, commit to attending regularly, come prepared by having read your weekly assignment, and bring your own beautiful and unique personality and perspective so we can learn from one another! If you need to miss a session, you will be expected to keep up your reading from the schedule above.
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