Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Wellness Wednesday #13

Hello Everyone! Here in northern California the temps are beginning to warm and we are having blue skies again! I'm glad I have that to cheer me up because when I stepped on the scale this morning I had a surprise! 323#! OUCH!!! I am really hoping that it is because of my time of the month/bloating and NOT because I've been enjoying too much homemade bread! I hope next Wednesday will bring a better report.

However, I did start the day off right. Even though hubby needed to sleep an extra half hour to prepare for an important interview, my body woke me up at 5:30 AM without an alarm and I got dressed and walked with the DVD all by myself! So in spite of what the numbers say, I am feeling overall victorious this week.

I've been walking.
I've been doing more reading about nutrition.
I have not had any cookies, no donuts at church, no extra treats.
I managed to alter my bread recipe to use no white flour and ALL of my family likes it!
I have been finding time to dig into God's Word every day.

The last one is the most important in my opinion. I am not one to place a heavy yoke on a person that they must read so many chapters of the Bible a day or at a certain time or certain way. But, I do believe that taking in God's Word is our best nourishment! Paul writes in Romans that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. My Grandma Hopkins instilled that in me. If I only remembered one thing she taught me, that would be key.

This week I have been reminded of this. Since I got a new Bible at Christmas with one of my gift cards (This one for my old eyes!), I started out reading through the Gospels. Currently I am reading Luke and was reminded in Luke 3 and 4 how first Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit after John baptised Him (I believe that all Believers in Christ are given the Holy Spirit with salvation) and then he was tempted by the enemy (who I won't credit by naming) for 40 days in the desert. When Jesus answered his enemy's temptations and accusations, He always used the Scripture and reminded him that "Man does not live on bread alone." (Luke 4:4)

I am taking that to heart and applying it to my life. Part of becoming "Well" or "Whole" is being spiritually whole. This journey would be impossible without faith in Him. Just as my body needs fuel, so does my spirit. So, the last two weeks my routine has been to walk with hubby at 5:30, take a shower and then spend about a half hour reading in my Bible. Sometimes I pray then, but mostly I am reading, soaking in His Word. I am amazed, though I shouldn't be, at how many times during the day, something from what I read that morning comes to mind and is applicable to my life. And you know what else? The more I read, the more I want to read. Some mornings I do not want to stop. I believe that faith is like a muscle - use or lose. Just like you don't physically lose a muscle, just the strength, not practicing or feeding your faith will make it weak.

So my challenge to you all this week is to take Jesus' example - he frequently went off by himself to pray and commune with God. Try to find some quiet time to fuel your spirit. This is certainly better food for you than any other. Does this all sound strange to you? Do you not know about who Jesus is? Don't be afraid, many don't. If you would like to know more, please feel free to email me or you can also click on the red "ready?" button at the right.

And one last thing I wanted to share with you that I read in Perfect Weight America by Jordan Rubin. I had been concerned and kind of knocking myself that I have not been eating enough fresh food, other than some smoothies. Then I read this and it made so much sense.


From Page 69:

Winter: Eat 75% cooked foods and 25% raw foods. Eat warming foods like fish, chicken, beef, lamb and venison. Also eat potatoes, onions, garlic and eggs.

Spring: Eat 50% cooked foods and 50% raw foods. Tender, leafy vegetables are now available such as Swiss Chard, spinach, romaine, parsley and basil.

Summer: Eat 25% cooked foods and 75% raw foods. Most of the fruits are in season and fresh.

Fall: Eat 50% cooked foods and 50% raw foods. Look for more warming fall foods like root vegetables, garlic and onions.


Doesn't this make sense? This is how God provides the food to us!

I will be double posting this over at My Journey To Wholeness where I plan to be posting more recipes and ideas in this new year. You are welcome to join me over there if this interests you. Thanks for joining me again for another Wellness Wednesday. Remember that if you post a comment, I will be praying for you this week. And if you lurk - I pray for you too because He knows who you are. God bless you all in your journeys this week!

4 comments:

Deborah said...

Theresa, you are exercising now and don't forget that you WILL build muscle as you increase your activity and weight gains can reflect leaner body mass. Get a measuring tape and take bust, waist, hips, thigh, upper arm and calf measurements to track more accurately what is going on with your body. You can lose an inch on your waist and gain a couple of pounds and that would be a good thing.

Sometime this spring, Irene and I are probably going to do the Master Cleanser fast again. Why don't you consider doing it with us? It is a great way to detox and make your body more efficient at getting the bad stuff out in general. I always figure if Jesus fasted for 40 days then there are spiritual and probably health benefits to it and this is a really good way to fast when you need to function. It cleans out all of your body's systems and can help with migraines, energy levels and all sorts of things. http://www.therawfoodsite.com has lots of good information about it and the supplies.

Donna B said...

It sounds like you are doing wonderfully, Theresa. Did you ever hear of The Lord's Table? It is an online Bible study for people who struggle with overeating. I have gone through part of it, and it so emphasizes what you say about the word of God being our true nourishment.

Patricia said...

Well you certainly seem to be on your way to wellness. In a country so full of delicious temptations it can be a challenge. I pray the Lord encourages you each day.
Patricia

Charlotte said...

I like reading the Bible every day too. I'm glad that you are doing such a good job with nourishing yourself, in all ways, you are SO important, and I am encouraged by you.
Having a Bible routine helps me cope with stress way more than my exercise routine, but I've been trying to exercise each day...dropped the ball here for a while on that one...Praying.
Love Charlotte