W3 (Women Who Worship)

Have you every had one of those days where you felt hungry shortly after eatting breakfast.  That was me this morining, so I made smoothies, it was really good so I wanted to share it.

Protein Smoothie

1 Banana

1/2 c. frozen Raspberries

1/2 c. Frozen Strawberries

1c. Almond milk

1/2 c. Orange Juice

1 scoop protein powder

1 scoop fiber greens (GPRX  Jordan Rubin Product)

1Tbsp. E. V. coconut oil

 Blend the first 5 ingredients about 1-2 minutes then add the rest of the ingredents.  Enjoy!!!

Almond milk is made from almond nut and its great if your lactose intolerent or avoid milk.  This is a great way to boost your matabolism.

Matt. 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

If you like dressings a little bit more flavorful you can increase the herbs by a 1/4 tsp I suppose. I like it the way it is and it had the seal of approval from my picky dressing eater.

Better than WishBone Italian

1/2 a large Shallot
5 large cloves of Garlic
1- 2″x 2-1/2″ inch chunk of Red Bell Pepper
2 tsp of Rapadura
1 tsp of dried Basil
1/2 tsp of dried Orgeano
1/2 tsp of dried Tarragon
1/2 tsp of Sea Salt or to taste
20 turns on my grinder of Black Pepper. So to your preference.

1 Cup EVOO
1 Tblsp of Stone Ground Mustard
2 Tblsp Flax Seed Oil
4 Tblsp Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Peel shallot and garlic chop coarsely, dice red bell pepper. Take all vegetables plus the dry ingredients and mince finely on a wooden cutting board. (or food processor.) Wisk together some of the EVOO with the mustard to emulsify the oils. Place minced mixture into a clean 1/2 pint jar and add liquid ingredients. Allow mixture set out overnight to bring the flavors together. The dry ingredients should soak up most of the vinegar leaving a mild vinegar taste. Actually the Original is more vinegar tasting.

Cat.

Hi,

I am back on track again, sorry its been awhile.  Here are 5 superfoods with a powerful punch against disease.

5 Superfoods:

1. Pomergrantes: antioxidant, helps prevent cancer, heart disease & stroke

2. Cinnamon: antioxidant, improves blood sugar levels & cholesterol levels.  1/2 tsp. daily reduces fasting glucose by 18-29%,  LDL 12-26%.

3. Avocadoes: raises good HDL, stabalizes blood sugar & cleanes liver.

4. Wild Salmon: IT MUST BE WILD NOT FARM RAISED.  high in omega3. Proven to prevent cardiovasicular disease and diabetes.

5. Flaxseeds: high omega 3, good for the heart and brain.

Eat to Live!!

Christie,

Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.

I have kept up! I am not a statistic of those who make a new year resolution and quit in a couple weeks. My quest for a healthy lifestyle continues.

I have lost a grand total of 13.5 pounds since January 5!! I haven’t bought new jeans yet, but I tried some on and fit (although quite snugly ) into 3 sizes smaller than what I started, but my loose fitting jeans are just gonna have to work for now… I reached my 10% goal and am going for 15%, why not?!

The best part is I did most of this weight loss by diet… And now I am finally working in the exercise. At first I walked at the mall with my girlfriend a couple times a week, but she has since moved to Florida, so my walking buddy is gone! But, I now have broke out my old THE FIRM video tapes to do strength training and aerobic exercise. I have worked out 60 minutes at least 3 times a week for the last 2 weeks… I think that is a good start!

The bad part about all this is… My sagging skin. HELLO!? I am still in my twenties, I am supposed to have taut, wrinkle free skin. My belly looks like a 100 year old ladies face! I guess the bikini I was hoping to get into is out of the question…. But, I suppose that is the evidence of my dear son… He leaves a ’stretchmark’ on my life!

Thanks for your support and for those who are noticing my weight loss. I challenge you to a quest for health! PS… I found some great ice cream treats that are full of fiber so it makes up for the sugar! But, I haven’t figured out how to get the cheese in daily.

Sunshine

Hi,

Sometime ago I mentioned that I was taking a different route to weight loss that includes, lots of healthy saturated fats and real food! The first two weeks were tough. Taking in two tablespoons of liquid coconut oil before each meal was not exactly easy but I did it. This is the suggestion for someone over 180 pounds in the book,”Eat Fat Lose Fat” by Mary Enig Phd, and Sally Fallon. The first weeks are to condition your body so that it doesn’t think it’s starving. I ate three regular meals, no snacks. Because the coconut oil was giving me the feeling of satiation, I did not eat as much nor feel hungry between meals. Did I lose any weight? No, however… I could feel my body changing.

Last week I dropped down to one tablespoon of coconut oil before my meals and took 1/2 a tsp of high vitamin cod liver oil in the morning along with also taking the suppliments I regularly do with Cantron, the alternative cancer treatment I’m using. I ate normally. Only this week… my appetite was lower than it has been in years so I was able to maintain the lower food volume. My diet is based on the Omnivore’s Manifesto, on the cover of “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan, “Eat Food- Not Too Much- Mostly Plants”. This book defines “real food” as foods your grandmother (or great grandmother) would recognise as food, foods like I ate as a little child if you skip Crisco, margarine and white bread. Unprocessed food that looked like the plant or animal it came from were what I remember when I was really young. I eat mostly vegetables, fruit, some meat, fish or poultry, raw or cultured dairy, and a bit of grains.  One thing I am learning about myself in the last few months is that I cannot eat grains that have not been sprouted before grinding into flour, or soaked in some acidic medium such as buttermilk without bloating and other unmentionable discomforts. Rye and artisan sourdough breads have become my staples but even those I monitor my intake.

Today I got on the scale and to my astonishment, I’ve lost 5 pounds since last week. If you think that is alot, I agree… but I cannot deny how I feel physically which is great!  What has really suprised me about the fat I’ve lost is that it is almost all “belly fat”. Who’d have thunk it? Eat saturated fat, lose belly fat.

In His service, Cat 

Hi, Bloggers

The following is a story by Walt Larimore (Focus on the Family):        GENERATION XL    Being overweight is the No.1 health problem afficting children in the U.S.

    Sarah was a patient of Dr. Larimore who wanted to be a missionary or Bible translator.  Unfortunately her live was cut short.  She didn’t die from a car accident or a gunshot.  She died form obedity.   Sarah became obese as a toddler.  At 7 years  of age she had diabetes and at 8 she was her 1st hospitalization for it.  At age 10 she had hight blood pressure.  Her family’s lack of attention to these problems led ot asthma, heart problems and many hospitalizations.  At age 14 her body gave out.  Her last hospital stay was for a diabetic coma that led to a massive heart attack.  Dr. Larimore was with Sarah when she took her last breath.

I don’t know what you are thinking but I have a  sick feeling in my stomach as I am writing this.  This is a tragedy that didn’t need to happen.  I can’t help to think about the what if’s in her life.

More than one- third of Michigan’s school kids watch at least 3 hours of T.V. on school nights.  About 9 million children older than 6 are considered obese- and more than 300,000 thousand of them live in Michigan.  “Childhood obesity has become a majior health problem in Michigan, ” says Univ. of Michigan pediatric endocrinologist Joyce Lee, M.D.

O.K. we know there is a real problem with the state of our childrens health.  Now we need to take action to change this here are some practical things we can do for our children.

1.  Set the example: next time you are tempted to eat ice cream as your late night snack grab an apple or mango instead.

2. Don’t eat while you watch T.V.  especially dinner make that a time for catching up on each others lives.  You tend to eat more infront of the TV.

3. Limit TV time, try to cut the time in half.  So if your kids watch 3 hours a day cut it down to 1 1/2 hours. replace the other time with physical activity

4. Offer a wide range of healthy foods and let them choose.  Example for lunch (one from each group) a fruit set out an orange, apple, kiwi and let them choose.  The same with veggies and protein.

5. Don’t reward your kids with candy all the time. Be creative and give them a sticker or have a treasure pot of goodies they can choose from.

6. Make exercise a part of your daily  (at least 5 day) routine for at least 30 minutes.  Go for a family walk, ride a bike  get them a mini trapoline.   Kids sit  and play video games to much, they need to get out and move.        

 It is plain to see we have some serious issues but it is never to late for change.  As parents we can’t sit back and waite for someone else to intervine when it is our job.  I know it isn’t an easy job being a parent but we can find hope and strength in the Lord.   Pray and ask God for wisodm and He will give it to you.

All of the information came from either march 2007 edition of Focus on the Family magizine or Fall 2007 Living Healthy magazine form Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan Magizine.  Please if you have any question feel free to leave them on the comment page, let me know what works for you. 

Christie,

Romans 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So I feel kinda silly writing about my weight watchers experience while these other ladies are writing about organic and cooking, and no sugar, OR no sugar substitutes. I personally am not ok with cooking everything. I like my food convenient and easy to do. I don’t have time to do all the cooking, not to mention learn HOW to cook. I drink water, but I WILL not drink juice. I think it is TOO much sugar and carbohydrates.

Anyway, I will continue to let you know my progress since I have already begun. This week makes the beginning of the 4th week of WW. I have lost a total of 6 pounds!!! YEAH! That is great! I lost 2 pounds from last week! And I went down a pants size!!

I think I can stick this out. I love food, but this feeling of accomplishment is so good. I ate a reese’s peanut butter cup tonight. It was good and it fit into my budget!!

Tell me how your quest for health is. If you are doing WW, let me know and we can be accountable for one another.

Sunshine

Hi,

Did you know that the average American consumes 150 lbs of sugar a year (M.D. Don Colbert).  Here is another interesting fact 1 soft drink contains 10 teaspoons of sugar and most kids drink at least 3 cans a day.

10 Reasons to decreese your childs sugar intake

  1. Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease.

2. Sugar can cause can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.

3. Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.

4. Sugar contributes to obesity.

5. Sugar can cause a decrease in your insulin sensitivity thereby causing an abnormally high insulin levels and eventually diabetes.

6. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.

7. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit  hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

8. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.

9. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.

10.  Sugar can reduce the learning capacity, adversely affect school children’s grades and cause learning disorders.

The next time your child asks for candy instead of giving it to them offer then a variety of fruit to chose from.

Every parent wants to give their children the best they can.  I believe as parents we can give them a good start to life by the food choices we make for them.    Like always if you have any questions or would just like to make a comment please do.

Christie

Proverbs 28:26  He who trusts in himself is a fool but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.                           

Hi, bloggers

There is a lot I could say about all of these artifical sweeteners and it’s not good.  But I don’t expect you to take my word for it so I am including wed sites that you should look at and pass along to anyone you know who drinks diet soda.

I will tell you a little just to give you a little info.   Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharine, Splenda, ect….)   have shown to lead to  health complications.  Research show it’s linked to several types of cancer.  Aspartame is 10% methanol alcohol with used as a paint thinner.  Most people drink diet pop to lose weight but in fact they actually gain weight and increase there chances of diabetes and obesity.  Artifical Sweeteners are BIG business that pads someones pocket at the expense of peoples health.  Unfortunately people in the industry  are to often motivated by greed.

Please visit these sites:

Mercola.com  more specific:  www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/deadly_deception.htm

www.womentowomen.com/nutritionandweightloss/dietsoda.aspx

www.thetruthaboutsplenda.com

I hope and pray that the information I give you will help lead you and your family to better health. 

Christie

Proverbs 20:17  Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.  

Hi,  Bloggers

For those of you who are waiting for the diet pop blog I will post that on Wednesday.

What is the best food to feed our children and ourselves for that matter.   Jordan Rubin says we should serve food that God has created.  If you think about that, it makes sense.  If God created it for us to eat  than we should eat it and eat it in its most natural form. 

Babies 8-18 months: They are developing and growing and need easily digestable and nurishing foods.  That is why God created breast milk so our babies can get exactly what they need and easily digest it.  To many babies are developing GERD or acid reflux mostly becasue they are eating the wrong food or eating certian foods to early.  Good foods for this age is avacado mashed, apple sauce, yogurt, ect.. you get the idea.  French fries and cookies and things like that are very hard on a babies digestive system and don’t provide any nutrients.  The best choice would be to give our growing babies living food that will nurish their growing bodies.   

Pre-K to elementry: For this age I would say breakfast is very important espescially one that is high in protein.  When children go to school they need the protein to get them through the day and help them focus on school work.  I have talked to teachers who have told me they know if a child has ate breakfast or not by their behavior.  Pop tarts and store bought granola bars are not really a good choice, it is loaded with sugar and very little if any protien.  Some kids they are on a sugar roller coster from the time they get up until the time they go to bed. What I mean is they ate high sugar food spiking glucose level and them drops off quickly, which set them up for all kind of problems.   I know most parents have the best intentions for their children and we are easily decieved by the advertising companies, they spend billions of dollars every year to get our business.   Like fruttie pebbles has 12 essentail vitamin and minerals but they fail to tell you they are man made in a labatory somewhere and the fact that it is loaded with sugar.  ( this is an example)

Well I know I have given you a lot to think about so know let discuss what we can do about it.  Here are some ideas for healthy breakfast and lunches.  Lets remember to eat food God has created and a varity of it.

Breakfast:  1) Ezekiel bread (sprouted whole grain bread) they have several different knids (sold at meijer & county market in the freezer section) I lightly toast it and put organic butter & sunbutter or almond butter (in place of peanut butter) 2) Protein smoothie put plain yogurt, protein powder, frozen berries, banana, and a little apple juice.  I would highly recommned adding GPRX fiber greens.  3) Free range eggs and fruit.

Lunch: This is a good time to think varity.  When I pack my kids lunch  I always make sure my they have a fruit, vegetable, and protein, and a healthy goodie.   White bread really has no nutritional value so if you make a sandwich Ezekiel bread is good choice.  1) Instead of peanut butter and jelly try sunbutter and fruit spread.  2)I like to make ants on a log its fun and healthy. Put sunbutter on a celery stick and add some rasins or cranberries 3) Give your kids choices like carrot sticks, sliced green or yellow pepper, cucumbers, broccoli.  4) Give them some choices of fresh fruit (not fruit cups) and make some homemade fruit dip with your kids like plain yogurt and honey or sunbutter, be creative.  5) A good alternative to cookies & candy is fruit leathers, date bars (health food store), dried fruit, or Panda’s raspberry bars (health food stores).

Habits are hard to break so we should try our hardest to create healthy habits for our children.  It isn’t easy being a parent in this world but God has overcome this world and he can give us the strenght to do our job as parnets. 

Please feel free to ask questions and share this website with someone.

Thanks Christie

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.