January 31, 2013 - Super Bowl Parties

Hey gang, I know this Sunday is a BIG Party day, so we will not meet this week, but NEXT Sunday. We will focus on Valentine's desserts (all legal) and fish recipes, as we definitely need more of these. So, as we are NOT meeting on Super Bowl Sunday, and you probably have a party to attend, let's talk about healthy options for us: 1. Jicama is a fabulous veggie with some powerful crunch. You can eat it with hummus (no sugar), baked in the oven with oil and paprika (in the shape of steak fries), and simply by itself with salt. 2. Veggies and dill dip. Cut your veggies up and then mix a couple of tbs of light sour cream, 1 tbs of Duke's mayo and a lot of dill weed. Let this rest over night and eat with your veggies - YUM! 3, Make a HUGE bowl of Greek Salad with grilled chicken and watch it disappear. 4. Definitely take a sugar free dessert (home made) so you won't be tempted. I am attaching my brownie recipe. If you make it, I'd love some feedback. :) 5. Make a container of spa water for all to share - you'll be a hit! 6. Finally, cut up some apple strips. Then, mix Smucker's All Natural Peanur Butter and Smucker's Sugar Free Hot Fudge Topping (in the ice cream section - in a 1:1 ratio) and serve as a dip for the apples. Back up - they are gonna grab this like french fries. wink Okay everyone, that gives you some options so you can head to the store today with a PLAN IN PLACE. Let's be the trendsetters, the victory dancers, the freedom fighters who CAN ATTEND, CAN EAT, AND CAN LEAVE WITHOUT GUILT AND SHAME. Amen!!!

January 30, 2013 - To Drink Or Not To Drink

Good morning to everyone, As most of you know, one of our health imperatives is water and more water. However, sometimes I feel water becomes the "four letter word" in my life. How about you? But I can assure you, if you're stuck at a weight that is not your ideal weight - pull back on the calories and throttle the water. Yes? We KNOW this. But how about this............recently our pastor discovered that he has blood clots in both lungs. We knew something was wrong as his breathing was seriously compromised and he was so tired. Lack of oxygen - yes, but we didn't know why. Here's what we discovered. His blood is thicker than it's supposed to be and one of the doctor's FIRST directives was increased water input. That seems like a common answer, but listen to the schedule. They have instructed him that every 30 minutes he needs to be up and walking and HYDRATING himself. That's a lot of hydration pockets during the day. But they feel this is a critical component for all of us. I thought, "praise God for timers on my phone." And, while we "know" that water is critical to our weight loss, how about it's critical to keep our blood flowing and at the correct consistency that God created it to be? And, when our blood is thicker than normal, it causes our heart to have to PUMP harder to circulate that thick blood and then an enlarged heart can develop as well as a host of other serious maladies. UGH! I used to laugh and tell people, "I'm not fat, just thick." Well, in this case, both can cause our lives to be affected. If you look at the real value of water - it's probably the critical KEY. Our planet is 75% water, our body is 75% water and then somehow we get confused and convince ourselves that we "don't like the taste of water and therefore we don't consume any during the day." This is really not about whether we "like" it - I don't. When I pick up my water bottle I MAKE MYSELF take 10-12 gulps at a time. I also try to not drink anything else until I have met my water requirement. But after hearing this report from my pastor's doctor, I am becoming like the lion on the Wizard of Oz, "I will drink all my water; I will drink all my water; I will drink all my water." Grab your water bottle, keep it close, and set that timer. Let's move and drink every thirty minutes............we could create a little dance routine. AH, a fresh idea with which to play. Have a wonderful, water-filled day, PK

January 29, 2013 - Bloopers

I love watching the end of some movies or the bloopers posted from certain shows. They are raw and uncut. It's good, to me, to really see the nature and actual person of the character I have been watching. Most of the movie/video/show displays controlled and practiced segments - some that have been filmed and re-filmed up to one hundred times for a 30 second segment. WOW. Several insights: 1) perfection takes time and energy and 2) life happens. AMEN! REAL LIFE REALLY HAPPENS and it doesn't matter how long I walk this health journey, I still have times when my OTHER LIFE wants to manifest. So how about I'm sitting at a nice lunch with a group of people on Sunday and the hostess has prepared a meal with several things which allow me to eat. (now, I went prepared just in case, but she knows me and planned a couple of things for me - GREAT!) Then she announces, "however, I have no sugar free dessert." I smile - it's okay, I brought an apple. That's the movie version - all smiles and beautiful response. No worries. Then the blooper - she starts stirring a big bowl of brownies with Gherideli chocolates and pecan pieces and then I really smile. "You're not bothered by all this, right?" She asks. "NO, no.........never," I respond. Blooper....I could imagine myself licking that bowl, her finger, and the spoon. Sound familiar? But the amazing part of this story is that I REALLY know, I cannot. I would love to say, "aww, I never want it again." That would be lying. When those brownies came out and were served hot with chocolate chip ice-cream to everyone at the table but me another blooper was going on in my head, but a smile eked from my face. I remembered the apple in the car and finally settled back to enjoy my coffee and stuff napkins up my nose so I could pass the plates without licking each one. BLOOPER......right? But that's the real me. I did get to the car, eat my apple and feel such a since of relief that again God had helped me face a REAL issue and REAL feelings with REAL strength. I hear from many of you who feel you are not really strong enough to live a life of discipline. None of us are perfect at this - but Jesus is. He came to give us freedom from these temptations and he knows them as well as we do. So while I was rolling a blooper in my mind, the crowd was watching the film. And the ending turned out great in spite of the blooper I was "viewing." Just keeping it real. So how about you? Any bloopers lately? It's okay - remember we are walking this journey together! I had to endure 30 minutes of watching everyone eat those brownies and giggle, but it saved me from 24 hours of guilt and shame. WHEW! And let me tell you - that self-loathing and long mirror talks I used to have were a BLOOPER TO BEHOLD. Love you guys and praying for continued strength from the one who loves us More Than Life. PK

January 26, 2013 - The Changes We Face

Good morning, Most of you know how I love science-related things. I know God allowed me to teach science because I am a visual learner. He desired to convey messages to my small brain that allowed me to visually connect and find meaning. As we approach the change of a season, there are certain patterns and colors which enable us to evaluate and determine, in fact, that a new season has arrived. We depend on that don't we? And yet, even though change comes and goes like clock-work, there are variables that are solidly consistent that allow the changes to be celebrated. I am going somewhere with this. (wink) Once our health plan is concrete and established, that MUST become the constant to which change - for a season - doesn't cause us to revert to an unhealthy lifestyle. There are variables that must remain constant in order to offer our bodies the best opportunity to embrace health: water, rest, non-sugared/non-starchy foods, a balance of lean proteins, veggies, and fruits. Those must be constant - we KNOW that. But, there are "seasons" that come into our lives, some of which we did not provoke, nor can we order. The loss of a loved one, a change in our occupation which often changes our daily schedule, a sickness that lasts longer than we anticipate can all pull us from the daily "routine" of choosing health. Many people tell me that they were doing well with their health until an outside force knocked them down and they never recovered. I want us to embrace change - it is coming and will never stop - but the variables of our health must be what we always return to whether comfortable or not. There are four seasons that we experience every year as humans.......always. But God allows those changes to occur EVERY year so we are not shocked or unprepared. We can always rest assured they are coming. So are the obstacles which would desire to pull us from choosing health. Let's plan for them, watch for their signs, understand that change happens to us all and not use change as an excuse to be unhealthy. Come on family - I know some of you are struggling in bad marriages, bad reports from the doctors, etc. In times of difficulties, let's choose health MORE and offer our organs the BEST opportunity to not complicate the unfortunate changes. Change comes and goes, but God's Word is constant and His desire for us to be healthy is UNCHANGING. Let's CHOOSE health as our constant. Have a fabulous weekend. PK

January 23, 2012 - Let Go of the Old

The last few days of winter get so long for me. The last hour of a trip nearly turns me around. The last leg of a 24 trip to another country and back seems unbearable. But the end of one journey is usually the beginning of another. Right? And the way we embrace the end can really influence how we begin the next chapter. I see this all the time in people's lives. And while the past DOES HAVE ITS PLACE, there is a time for the old leaves to be swept away by the winds of change and new life to begin. That is the pattern established by God and we see that played out over and over before our eyes. As we approach the month of chocolate, I mean the month of LOVE, the real draw for us is to look back to the patterns of our past and "allow that cheat" for a special event. There were certain times where it was legal to cheat - it just was. It was the accepted cheat. Right? I know this sounds almost laughable, but I think if we "allow a cheat here" and a "cheat there" the word cheat becomes familiar and could easily become the excuse. Can I propose something different? How about we teach our children to cut flowers from fruit and create baskets of homemade, healthy yummies for their friends and teachers for Valentine's Day? Maybe some kids would laugh, but you'd be surprised. Could we consider sending our spouse an editable arrangement of their favorite fruits? Could Valentine's chocolate be the Smucker's Peanut Butter and Sugar Free Fudge and six beautiful apples? YES! Let's allow the end of our sugar-filled holidays to cause us to embrace a NEW WAY - a new journey. Let's teach our kids to be trendsetters with no fear of the backlash. Somebody has to...... I don't know about you, but my mom still wants to buy me candy every Valentine's day as she did when I was 8. (which is why I was in Weight Watchers in grade school - LOL) Breaking the cycle of Valentine's chocolates will take some effort, could be a LONG process, might cause some frustration as you re-purpose (or re-gift) every box of chocolate you receive. But, once the old tradition has passed away and the new embraced, the next season will be easier. Our kids will grow up realizing that great health is NOT just a seasonal task that comes and goes and embraces the word "cheat," but great health is a life style of choosing those things we WANT to eat and enjoy because we know we CAN. Now that's a NEW concept........and new is good. :) Have a great Wednesday and choose well, PK

January 18, 2013 - Protect The Truth

Have you ever REALLY wondered and asked yourself, "what is God's will for my life?" Anyone other than me ever had that real conversation? Sometimes I wonder if we feel the postcard will show up in the mail next week and simply tell us WHAT TO DO! That would be easy wouldn't it? Let's be real - we all need EASY at times. But I have found that life is not always accommodating. UGH! For example, we are fasting this week as a church family. I wish that was easy, but it's not. I am now to the place of really having to deal with my flesh and spend those depravation times listening more to the voice of the Holy Spirit as opposed to my stomach. Again, not easy. As I lay awake in the middle of the night (hunger keeping me on the edge of sleeping), and meditated and sang, I thought, "wow, it's amazing how much clearer I can hear the Spirit of the Lord while on this journey." Just because I feel sometimes I can't hear God, or I don't know his will for my life in a particular area, doesn't mean he isn't speaking CLEARLY or that He is the least bit confused and doesn't know His plan. God doesn't reason like we do - he is ALWAYS IN CONTROL AND ALWAYS HAS A PLAN. It's easy to view God as a man - and men are sometimes spot on and other times not. We cannot allow our thinking to transpose to this place. God wants the best for us EVERY DAY - NO EXCEPTION - and even on a bad day, when mankind may have disappointed us, God will not. Now maybe you're saying, "PK, I have begged God to get this weight off me." I understand, I did that for years. I prayed every prayer, got in every prayer line, spoke to my flesh, spoke to the refrigerator and was still obese. Yes, I did! Did God's plan to provide healthy foods for my life change? NO. Did God's plan for me to be healthy and live in victory change? NO. Did God purpose and plan for me to be unhealthy and feel like a failure? Absolutely, NOT. God was consistently speaking and offering help, I just wanted to be thin without being disciplined (that's the truth) and blamed God for "giving me bad genes." God became the scape goat. Freedom, for me, came when I moved to short periods of very low calories and lots of hydration. Piece by piece addictions to certain foods began to break. The longer I denied myself access to those items, the more I came to see the truth - the more I could really HEAR God's will in the area of health for me. Once I connected with the truth, built a wall of protection around the truth (......."I will eat............no longer.......") the cycle of excuses in my life became the quiet voice and God's voice moved to the forefront. Is there an area in your health journey that you are still making excuses for? TODAY is a great day to silence the flesh and allow God's voice to speak. Then, build that wall, protect the truth and connect with the FREEDOM DANCE. Have a great weekend, PK

January 17, 2013 - ACT NOW!

Hey, we are clipping this week along. Whew! As many of you know, I stand squarely on Galatians 5:1. And while being at the opening of the Dave Ramsey series last night at my church, I saw another principle that really applies to our health journey: TRUTH + ACTION= FREEDOM! I was reflecting on several of his basic, introductory ideas and they were great! But.......each one required action and his conclusion was ACT NOW! He created a comparison chart for two men who both invested, but one of the men waited 8 years to start. (I think it was 8). While they both reaped a reward for ACTION, the one who started early and KEPT TO THE PLAN reaped the greatest benefit. That's us! Also, each of the men had a responsibility to the journey. That's us, TOO! It's not enough that we KNOW that overeating, being overweight, being dehydrated cuts years of health from our journey. It's not. We can "know" that all day.......but if we never ACT on that knowledge and stay to the JOURNEY, the result will be different. I was really captivated by the ACT NOW. You know I love the whole "no excuses" rule and wanted to share this morning that each of us has the opportunity on a daily basis to choose health. Let's not allow all the variables of our lives to keep us from doing what's best for us. This is not a selfish decision - it's a selfless decision. Why? Somedays it's extremely difficult to say "no" to the comfort foods. Right? But our future, and the future of our children and grandchildren, is also affected. Moral of the story - ACT NOW. The sooner we pursue action, the greater the return. I'm on the chart! You? Love ya, PK

January 16, 2013 - My Fitness Pal

Well, well, finally a chance of snow flurries coming to my back door tomorrow. Flurries are not 6 inches, but I will take them. It brings out the little girl in me. Right, Rocky? :) This week is a week of real self-denial as our church is embracing a 7 day fast, as a church family, as we move closer and deeper in intimacy with God. While the days have not been easy, it's AMAZING that when I feel hungry I can stop and use my eating time to pray. And, go figure, I'm still alive. It's also amazing how much stronger I feel spiritually when not BOGGED down with food. Know why? Food takes a lot of energy to digest. It pulls from the available resources to try and convert the food we've ingested into energy and nutrients for our body. ****one side note - and if we've swallowed our food whole, it takes more energy. Anyway...... I think we often view fasting as a four letter word, but there is a principle behind denying our flesh. Sometimes we REALLY need to remind our bodies that we are in control. Discipline is another word that many of us struggle with - me too. But bringing our fleshly appetites into a normal range has many benefits on many levels. God created us with the ability to choose, and with that gift comes a need for discipline. I would LOVE it if my internal appetite would shut off at the exact amount of calories daily that were needed to maintain my top, goal weight. How about you? Then, no struggle, no hunger, no feeling deprived.......but that is not what happens. God allows us to choose our foods, our portions, and our poison (if you will) with the expectancy that we will choose well. He gives us the Holy Spirit, who guides us into ALL truth (not just spiritual truth), but we must access him and ask for help. What about this? I know Weight Watchers and Fitness Pal have these cool calorie/point counting, computer/iPhone apps that allow you to track everything. What if we thought of the Holy Spirit as our Fitness Pal??? Let's submit to him all our foods, exercise, health journey throughout the day and when we have exhausted our "points" - we STOP. How about that? :) I see this time of fasting as helping me hear more clearly and since my new Fitness Pal (the Holy Spirit) speaks in a still, small voice - that's a good thing. Holding you close in my heart today fam, PK

January 15, 2012 - The Small Things

Good morning, Not a lot today, pretty tired. I am working every free moment on the book. I feel strongly about this. :). I do want to keep celebrating the small areas of change that each of us are making in the health arena! I have a picture in my house that reads, "don't neglect to celebrate the small things; you may look back and realize they were the BIG things." How true! My doctors continued to say, "if you could only lose 10 pounds, it would make a huge difference." That's a small thing but to me it looked like a mountain. Now, I realize the value of the small thing. So today I pray God open our eyes to the small things all around us that could someday be the HUGE ones. Look around and celebrate the small successes! They all matter. Much love, PK

January 14, 2013 - The Tree in the Garden

Happy Monday to all, (Sorry this is late - I now work on Mondays and as soon as I got out of bed, there were work issues I HAD to touch immediately. In a lull - so here goes.) Update: my weekend trip to Nashville went very well. God really helped us and we have some clear direction. Devotional Cookbook: I have found a way to get all nutritional info, BUT I am having to type all ingredients in and build nutritional layout. It is going to take me a couple of extra weeks, but in the end, having all the details will be good. So please be patient - I will get it done and printed - but it could be April. I will be going to Thailand on a Mission's trip the end of next month through March 10th, so that is a time chunk. But it is coming. :) Today, in my quiet time, one of the devotionals (which echoed the sermon at church yesterday) reminded me that God is always speaking into our lives. ALWAYS! He initiates the conversation and because we are close to him, we hear. Then, we have a choice of whether to respond. When God called to Isaiah, it wasn't a response to Isaiah's cry for God. NO - Isaiah heard God say he had no one to represent him. Then, Isaiah responded. I thought about many of us, as Christians, crying out over and over to God and then living and eating as we please. Finally, in our desperation, we get to the bottom end of survival (that was me) and snuggle close to God only to hear him say, "I want you to live and I want you to eat the good things I've created for you. But of the tree in the middle of the garden labeled "Starch and Sugar", you must not eat - for when you do, it will continue to give you a sugar gut and cause your body to store fat which will eventually lead to an unhealthy future." Now, you are laughing I KNOW, but when GOD DROPPED THAT TRUTH INTO MY HEART, I could not deny it. I responded, "YIKES - NO WAY TO LIVE WITHOUT THOSE BASIC ELEMENTS." But, most of mankind has lived successfully without the processed foods that we consume and feel we cannot annihilate. Yes they have! Conversation: Me: "But God, have you ever tasted pizza or brownies?" God: "I am the creator of all life. There is a way to utilize my goodness upon the earth and still enjoy these." Me: "Really?" God: "Yes, but remember the tree in the garden. NOT from that tree. I have a tree from which you may create and I will help you." Me: "Will I suffer alone?" God: "No, I will cause you and others to have creative ideas about healthy foods that taste good and will supply your cells with nutrition and allow you to live long and HEALTHY lives." Me: "Whew! Thanks for others and God ideas. I am not afraid to explore." Just a little "play on words" this morning but really, the closer we are to God in our quiet time, the more we hear. Remember, the sound of someone's voice stretches much further than the reach of their hand. Here God's voice today as you spend time with him and live victoriously. Love to all, PK

January 10, 2012 - The Scream of Starch!

GM all, I am leaving this afternoon for another visit in Nashville. Would covet your prayers for a safe and productive trip. :) Also, just as an update, I am working every evening on my Devotional Cookbook. I was clipping along FINE until it got time to create the nutritional information. UGH! That is taking forever. I've lost a week working with various programs to determine the best route. In some, I like ALL the nutritional info listed, but ALL of my recipes have to be retyped and this company has ingredient brands I've never seen and I don't know how they will affect the taste. The ONE I really like, is easy and has most of what I use, ONLY gives the calories per serving, carbs, fat, protein - NO breakdown of fiber, net carbs, or sugar. One night when the tears surfaced in my eyes, I thought, well the cookbooks of old had NO nutritional value. But I kept reminding myself, "I REALLY examine in most products/ingredients the sugar/ fiber ratio against the carbohydrates." SO, I am wrestling trying to determine what's the best route. We must have carbs - our body converts them to energy in our cells. However, sugars can be defined in several ways. It's not that we are on a carb free health plan. NO - our fruits and veggies have fructose in them. They process through the liver and this takes a slower, metabolic path - which is what we want. :) When you evaluate a recipe and you see carbs that appear high, if you cannot compare and subtract the fiber and the sugar alcohols, then a flag COULD go off that says "DON'T EAT." However, fruit and vegetable carbs are going to metabolized differently. So, I am in a confused state and I hate that. As I am creating this book, I am also doing a lot of reading on sugars. Sugar comes in four forms: glucose (simple sugar - the main sugar our cells need for energy - best found in fruits and veggies), fructose (sugar from fruits/veggies), sucrose (table sugar= 1 fructose and 1 glucose), starch (glucose strung together - basically PURE sugar). Starch floods our blood stream with sugar and causes our cells to scream, "I WANT MORE SUGAR." Ever eaten some crackers and in half an hour, you're wanting more. You think, "gosh, I'm still hungry." No, you're not - the starch has done it's conversion duty and like a two year old who wants what it wants when it wants - it screams "FEED ME MORE SUGAR OR I'LL KEEP SCREAMING AND CRAMP YOUR STOMACH UNTIL YOU DO." Have you ever experienced that? I have. Now we know that when children are screaming for our attention the WORST thing to do is give them what they want. They become undisciplined and demanding. That sin nature, if not tamed and shaped, can become a severe problem. Anyone seeing the correlation this morning? Anyway - if I choose to go with the fancy labeling, the book will be delayed for a month or two. On the other hand, if I go with simple labeling, will people really see that 36 carbs coming from apples and blueberries as opposed to white flour processes differently and has different results following consumption. Does anyone really care??? Your thoughts this morning? PK

January 9, 2013 - The Fire Door

I have spoken with so many people in the last few days about open doors in our lives that draw us in a wrong direction. Sometimes we willingly walk toward them, but often we have no clue as to what opening "that door" will allow. I know - I lived there. I remember a very vivid picture from the movie Back Draft that will be forever imprinted in my mind. The scene shows a fire fighter in a house with a roaring fire. The rookies are trying to get out and reach for a door knob - however the veteran fighter grabs one of their hands off the knob and places it on the door. The young man immediately draws his hand back as the door is extremely hot. Well, guess what awaits them on the other side? Trouble. Now, any of us might quickly grab and open ANY door as it appears to be the WAY OUT. It's a door with which we are familiar as we have often accessed and utilized its availability out. But when there's a FIRE on the other side, that friendly door can become a TRAP. THAT door may be the worst possible route of escape or path to freedom. Why am I bringing this up? These "doors" exist in REAL form in our lives in multiple areas. It's not just about starch and sugar - it could be relationships, business ventures, television shows....so many things. I met with a young man yesterday who needed to be reminded that not ALL doors are great routes to freedom. And, when we KNOW where the closed doors are, better to leave them closed. The problem is that we often don't know. For years, I thought my problem with my weight was heredity. WINK. (maybe that's what I wanted to think) But finally I began to take a CLOSE examination (hand on the door) and access the Holy Spirit (who guides us into all truth) and have begun to discover some doors that MUST REMAIN CLOSED. As I told the young man yesterday, when we KNOW there's trouble behind a door and we open it.........what can we expect? He really wanted something badly, but REALLY knew it wasn't a good situation. Let's bring yesterday's discussion into our lives today. Can we really determine the door that looks like a way out and yet is the WRONG PATH? What concerning our health needs a truth infusion? Time for an honest evaluation and a real check-up. It's a new year. Let's thank God that he is the veteran fighter who KNOWS where the fire is and KNOWS when to remove our hand from the wrong knob. Then, let's be obedient and quit reaching for the knob. I finally have identified some fire doors in my life and am praying for the Holy Spirit to slap me HARD anytime I reach for one. Yikes! Have a truth-infused day! PK

January 8, 2012 - The Quarry I Came From

Reading this morning from Isaiah 51:1-2, a real nugget (wink) jumped out at me. Consider this, "Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance - all who seek God. Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined. Yes, think of Abraham, your ancestor, and Sarah, who gave birth to your NATION. Abraham was only one man when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation." We COME FROM THAT QUARRY! We are cut from the same rock. Watch this. I know sometimes when we are having to FIGHT for our health, and some like me since they were children, the temptation to feel forsaken and wronged by God can take root. It's almost like, "what did I do that was so bad that this daily struggle is my punishment?" Ever felt like that? I have. As I read the passage this morning, there are a couple of things we need to remember: 1. The enemy of our soul will always WAR against the truth of God's great plan and purpose for each of us. 2. Satan's greatest weapon is to get us to question God, as if he were a man who is prone to disappoint us. 3. When we feel abandoned or forsaken, sometimes we can become whiny or bitter. That attitude begins to take root and we begin to see our health as everyone else's fault. 4. The Bible says Abraham was blessed and from Sarah's birthing of a nation we come. 5 If we come from Abraham's rock, and he was blessed, then we are blessed. Like things give birth to like things. YES!!!! 6. If we can begin to view our determination to be healthy as a blessing from God, because we come from a blessed quarry, this will bring an added layer of life to our spirit. (how many know it's easier to choose well when things are going well and you've got a smile?) Right? We weren't cut from a rock of failure and disease and despair! NO! We came from a ROCK of blessing and greatness. May our attitudes, in every area reflect that today! May you choose foods out of a mindset that we are blessed to eat the BEST food. (and, it just so happens that it's healthy) Amen! Laugh out loud today - jiggle that belly - it's good for toning. PK

January 7, 2012 - The Price of Convenience

Good morning, We had a great time at our Healthy 4 You Life Group last night. Such good and healthy food! I know sometimes eating healthy seems impossible, but knowing HOW to cook and WHAT to cook can turn that mountain into a small hill. We laughed and commented that each month there are new ideas and foods to try - how can we get bored? If you haven't been able to attend, hop in next time. Bring a healthy dish to share, the recipe, and your notebook. We are building healthy cookbooks each month. And might I add - the food is not just ok, not just good, but actually "bite somebody" good! wink Also, we discussed the value of regular attendance. Priscilla reminded us that her greatest victory came when she joined the group and started coming monthly. There is something to be said for a community that understands and STANDS with you during the battle. Each month we talk through our recipes, but we also share tips, encouragement and most of all we pray. We PRAY! We speak healing into our bodies and we petition the Lord according to His word for wisdom (book of James). We totally understand that the world's way of processed foods loaded with words we cannot pronounce, sugar and starch may taste good and be convenient, but convenience has a price. I'm about to preach! I'm not talking about the price to your bank account - although eating out can be pricy - while other processed foods could be cheaper than whole foods - I'm taking about the price to our health. When we consider the air that we breathe, we often don't think about its weight. In fact many would say air has no weight because it is something we cannot see. But if you fill two balloons, attach them to the end of a balancing scale, pop one, then you will see that air has weight. Often the price of convenience is not something we see for years. I want to reassure you - there IS A PRICE. Priscilla said last night that eating healthy has caused her to have to cook. I understand - I cook now more than ever. But I'd rather cook now, as she does, than discover the price tag of convenience is more than I intended to pay at a later date. Yes, I would. :) Grab an apple, make some apple chips (thank you, Linda - as soon as I get a corer I will DO THIS), or cook in quantity while you're in the mood, and freeze some for when you're not. We got this! Have a great day, PK

January 4, 2012 - Hope

Can you imagine living life with no hope? I cannot. Even in the dark seasons of life, I KNEW somewhere there was a place of hope. With no hope, there's no life to me. As I think of eating healthy, I think of giving my internal organs hope. How about that? They cannot feed themselves nor hydrate themselves - without our offering hope to them - they have none. They are bound to the dungeon of fatty tissue and clogged arteries. I am currently preparing to go to Thailand on a mission's trip, as I feel strongly about being a voice for children who have no hope. (I would covet your prayers as I will be there from March 2-9) I think that same sound is resonating within me for our bodies. We need to be giving our bodies hope that they can be healthy for all the days God ordained for us. When the sonogram showed I had a fatty liver several years back, and the doctor said, "the best you can HOPE for is cleaning some of this up and the worst is someday it could turn to cancer or some other disease," I never really got that. I never figured out that my liver had NO HOPE outside of my turning my health around. My liver was hopeless to make the changes and it's only recourse would have been bad. I KNOW that now. So, today, let's give our organs, blood vessels, and bodies HOPE. Choose well today - they are counting on us to give them a chance to live well. PK

January 3, 2013 - Secrets

I hate to feel like everyone in the room knows something I don't - that people are deliberately keeping things from me and it's harmful somehow. I really prefer the truth. I may not understand nor like it, but I'd rather have the truth than a secret. I can always tell when something is in that pocket. There's a cloud or shadow around and I find myself saying, "what do I not know here?" That's wasted energy for me. My life is busy, as is yours, and trying to unravel the truth costs me time and often a lot of time. Where am I going with this? One of my health goals this year is my "Back to Basics" campaign. The more I read labels and check ingredients listed on the internet, the more I am convinced that the food industry has secrets! They need to increase shelf life with chemicals. But we really don't know what those chemicals do in our bodies long term, do we? (I can't pronounce half of them either) And, we really don't know what secrets those little guys carry. In contrast, real turnip greens cooked with water and seasonings or fresh herbs have no secrets. I cooked them, they are real foods, and I KNOW exactly what is in them. To me, that's the safest thing to do. I really feel that as the cost of food rises, the secrets in food will as well. It's all about the shelf life. Now, I realize some of the products I love are going to need to be replaced and some of my restaurant experiences watched more closely, but I just feel deep inside me that food production is being infused with fillers to off set the cost. And, those fillers "may not" be the best options for us. OK, Kathy, you're getting out there...........I know. But, just remember, God created food in it's natural form for our bodies to bring us health. Manufacturers are not as concerned with our health as they are with paying their employees. Am I there yet? NO! But I am on the road. I can't eliminate all processed foods, but I can start to evaluate the ones I consume most and start there. Just tossing this your way. Whole foods have no secrets. :) Have a beautiful Thursday! PK

December 2, 2013 - Cause and Effect

I pray your New Year's Day festivities were exactly what you wanted them to be! What a great way to start the year with the Dawgs pulling off a big win. :) I was smiling and yelling and my throat is sore this morning. Oh well, it was worth it. Now, it's time for a serious refocus. During the holidays there were a multitude of eat-out opportunities and parties. And while I love them so much, I do better with a routine. I have gained a couple of pounds over the holidays and was sooo excited when I went to bed last night to be back in the routine. While going out, or going to parties and taking something yummy to share, is great fun it often adds the extra portions and calories that definitely have an effect. So, while I never ate off plan, I ate too much of "on plan" stuff and exercised very little as there was no time. Do you remember when we were in school and we studied cause and effect. I always taught my children, to examine the sentence and determine which HAD TO HAPPEN FIRST. That was the cause and the second part of the sentence is the effect (it was always about chronology and not placement in the sentence). For us, we don't gain weight first and then we over eat - we eat more calories than we need and the scale officially notifies us. That's simple cause and effect. My problem was having so many fun things scheduled in a 6 week period that I never returned to protocol and then I just finally caved in and said, "three more parties, and then back to the routine." That's where I find myself today. YEA! Now while too many pieces of cheesecake with fruit and sugar free whipped cream is the cause of a few pounds on the scales (effect)......I now work backwards. Going back to the planned meals and regular times of day refueling will be the cause and the scales running right back to normal will be the effect. Great principle. AND, let's always remember, grabbing 5-6 pounds is SO much easier than 50. And while I can say I cleared the holidays with no unhealthy foods, I cannot say I cleared the holidays in a pure state - too many eating out ventures and too much processed foods. But you know what, I enjoyed every party, every family, every function. I laughed a lot this holiday season, used my new Kitchen Aid (a LOT) and cooked more than ever. Loved it all! But it is the cause of the 6 pounds. Gotta be honest. So today, back to routine, back to cooking and eating at home, and back to the basics. One of my health goals this year is to REALLY work on deleting processed foods. I have been reading a lot about inflammation, diseases, and causes. Need to fight harder for whole foods. Have a great day and let me know if you're coming to our Life Group at 6pm at my house. I am making a pot of low carb chili. Yum. All are welcomed, and friends too - please advise.