YOUR HEALTH
I have a confession to make. Somewhere along the line, food has become way more important than it should be. I think it all began when we moved to Texas. My friend Harvey Dickerson was right when he had concerns about two mountain-loving people moving to the flat lands. Living in Texas was difficult for me, and Texans do two things: 1) Eat BBQ and 2) Watch football. Well, I don’t do the later, but I began eating to socialize.
Moving to Arizona was a dream and total God thing; yet, these have been some of the most challenging times of our lives for a variety of reasons, including unplanned jobs changes. Needlesstosay, I’ve started stress-eating.
I used to be a person who looked at food at fuel, but now I enjoy food WAY too much. I don’t mean to offend the foodies out there, but as a country, we have placed food way too high on the priority list. Food IS fuel.
When you consider our taste buds are just one, tiny component of our entire body, we are giving them all the power. We are choosing taste over health. Combine stress eating with all the hormone issues I continue to face, and my body is not happy. Every day, I have more aches and pains from carrying weight I was not designed to have. ENOUGH!
Eating doesn’t have to be miserable, but we need to put it in its place. We need to start considering the consequences of a poor diet: Diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, back pain, hip pain, inflammation, mental deterioration, sleep apnea…all attributed to being overweight. Something else to consider is how expensive food has become. The more recipes you use and the larger the meals, the more expensive it gets. Lean eating will save you and me money!
Perhaps you are coming out of winter and feel you need to shed a few pounds. Maybe you have recently been diagnosed with Diabetes or another weight-related issue. Or like me, you just may need to put food back in its place and stop stress eating. Will you join me in getting back to fueling up our bodies instead of stuffing them and ultimately destroying them?
Start by eliminating packaged goods, especially high-fat ones like cookies, cakes, chips etc. Commit to just three healthy meals a day without snacking. I’ve tried so many ways of doing this, and I am using a different approach this time. If I am tempted or feel the urge to eat, I am seeking God instead. I will spend time in prayer, reading the Bible, or doing something creative, using the gifts He’s given me.
Clean out the junk in your house: cabinets, frig, and freezer. You don’t need it! Buy lean protein and fresh vegetables and eat them for lunch and dinner. Try fruit in the morning with some healthy grains. Drink plenty of water because that will fill you up and prevent hunger pain, which are often dehydration.
For me, cooking can be soothing, but I need to manage my stress in healthier ways despite the storm we are in. I’m grateful for yoga and the great outdoors. We had such a wet and cold winter, and I didn’t get out enough. Hopefully we won’t heat up too fast here in Phoenix so I can spend time in nature to renew my spirits.
Chant with me: food is fuel! We need to start saying NO to all the chemical-induced, processed food that will kill us in the end and say YES to healthy options.
YOUR LIFE
The quote on my April calendar was “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start” (Nido Qubein). What a great reminder as we enter the month of May already this calendar year. And if you feel as if you haven’t accomplished what you wanted by your current age, start where you are; start now!
I am re-watching the series, The Chosen, for the second time. How interesting that even Jesus got anxious about His ministry. When He was young, He pestered His Mom about doing miracles and the work of His Father, but Mary would say, “Your time has not yet come.” The Scriptures really don’t tell us if this happened, but He was a young boy on earth living like any other kid…except He was God’s chosen One.
Fast forward, and He was hesitant to do too much too soon. He kept checking in with the Father, and Mary was the one who asked Him to turn the water into wine. His reply to her? “My time has not yet come.” Her answer, “If not now, then when?” You know the rest.
Life is a delicate balance of doing what we can right now but not rushing things beyond God’s timing. When we feel like we have blown an opportunity, we must trust God will use our detour to teach a lesson, strengthen our faith, or simply to build us up for something else down the road.
Today is a new day! Approach it with hope in your heart and a spirit of trust in the One who made the day.
YOUR CAREER
Warning: If you are using Linked In for job postings, you may not reach who you want. Linked In is quickly losing trust and respect from individuals and top contributors because of bogus job listings and from companies expecting free work just to considered for employment.
Requiring a candidate to do a project, case study, or some other lengthy, time-consuming act is ridiculous and just shows how ill-equipped some companies are with the hiring process. Did I mention it is a major time trap and guarantees you will have a lengthy time-to-fill?
I can’t tell you how many postings I’ve read that are fake or network marketers trying to get you to give them thousands of dollars. And shame on the companies that say it’s a job when in reality they just want free labor.
Until Linked In cleans up their act, you are going to miss the best candidates who don’t want to bother with it and the cumbersome, annoying process of finding employment.
MONTHLY FEATURE
If you are embarking on the healthy eating journey, you may need to reset your mind and spirit. I have a booklet that does just that: Time for a Shift. Go to my store to purchase the PDF, and once the order processes, I will Email you the file.
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