December 28, 2012 - New Year's Eve Parties

New Year's Eve Parties are right around the corner and that takes some grocery shopping for us. Let all the trend setters lock and load, pack and carry, laugh and enjoy! Remember as you pack for the party, cover your bases. If you're not certain what's being served, plan a meat, some "finger food" veggies you can nibble while socializing and your own sparkling water. No one needs to know you're packing. (wink) Even last night at a party, when some saw I wasn't eating the bread or the croutons, I saw people passing their food off and refusing to eat the bread. I think they felt I was on some weird, hard diet and they were helping me. I hate for people to be awkward - I simply said "I'm not eating that right now." At a party is not the easiest or best time to uncover how we got healthy. Right? We need to remember, eating healthy is not the popular choice or the easy choice. When I asked for a third bowl of salad (I KNOW - I was hungry), they were smiling and looking at me odd. I simply stated, "I just LOVE salad." (which is not REALLY the truth, but it was the best choice) Then I thought......"Why do I need to comment?" If I was asking for a third piece of bread, I wouldn't do that. Nope, but anyway, the word for today is plan ahead! I didn't eat dessert so when we got home, I cut a big apple and ate it with some natural peanut butter and sugar free hot fudge mixed together. YUM! Then added a cup of Sleepy Time Peach Tea and Truvia - double yum! At the end of the day, I wasn't mad at myself nor angry that I had eaten too much. I LIKE feeling that way! Let's make a plan........ on January 1st we will ALL open our eyes and smile that we had a successful evening and made great choices. No bitterness or anger will reside within us from a fallen journey - AGAIN. Right??? And we will renew our strength by celebrating success and not comforting our failures. You can do it - I believe in you. A little bit of planning carries us a LONG way. We'll talk again on Monday, but remember as you shop to think about color. I am doing a lot of reading on inflammation right now and the foods that contribute to that condition and it's long-term effects on disease. One of the articles I read yesterday said, "eating well is like taking medicine everyday. If people could eat well, they could eventually strengthen their bodies to block and fight the establishment of so many known diseases." I will share some of this later. The issue is that inflammation lays silent until it's often such a fight that it's near impossible to win. Thanks for hanging with me this year! PK PS - Healthy 4 You Life Group on the January 6th at 6PM. It's chili and soup night.....YUM!

December 27, 2012 - Law vs. Grace

Good morning to all, Praying this chilly morning finds you warm and cozy. I have been drinking coffee and playing with my IPad mini for several hours. I am getting ready to get cleaned up and head to the pool to work out. I saw Les Miserables yesterday and was so reminded of God's grace and faithfulness in our lives. And, while reading this morning from James, remembering again that compliance with the law cannot save me. (I do realize the consequence of sin, and am grateful for the saving GRACE of Jesus) Remembering also that the commandments were summed up into only TWO - Love God and love others AS I LOVE MYSELF. Do I love myself?? Can I love others as God desires if my only thoughts concerning myself are loathing??? Not sure. :) We really need to conquer those nagging thoughts of failure and low self-esteem. There is NO GOOD in that manner of thinking - I know, I lived there for years. :( What about this.......if the law cannot save us, then can a "diet" plan filled with regulations "save" us from an unhealthy future??? For a season....maybe yes, but we will eventually falter (break the restriction LAWS) because our flesh is so powerful at times. Yes? BUT.......loving ourself ENOUGH to choose health and healthy eating is a much better plan than the legalistic journey of "do's and dont's." Filling my house with healthy choices is GRACE to me, not law. I eat protein, veggies, and fruits because I WANT to and the consequences are GOOD to my body. To me, this is such a deep parallel to the contrast between LAW and GRACE. So, enjoy your day, choose well, and reap the consequences of GREAT CHOICES. Much love, PK

December 26, 2012 - Wrapping the Gifts

Merry Christmas! I pray your day yesterday was filled with fun and laughter. Mine certainly was. I got a new baby - I Pad Mini - whom I have loving named Gigi. Why? I don't know. :) As we opened gifts yesterday, I couldn't help but wonder, "what new gifts can be opened for our team this coming year?" "What are the new foods, the new recipes, the new adventures sitting in front of us?" I now have all the 96 recipes that are going into the book recorded, printed and ready for editing. I am editing and uploading morning blogs, and working on finding nutritional values for all recipes. (that could take some time - ugh) Tthat's a new adventure sitting in front of me........something new to be unwrapped. I am also traveling to Thailand in March to work with an organization that helps children over there. I am just now beginning to raise support for the trip. Would love your prayers! New adventure for me. I want to be a voice in this year. I am also asking God for opportunities to speak more in this upcoming year. Where ever He needs me to go and what ever He needs me to say - I'm available! Are you making your requests known to God? Are you dreaming BIG and asking God to use you totally? I was reminded recently how GOD HAS OPENED YUMMY RECIPES FOR US IN 2012. I really don't take credit for this - a thought will come to me of how to mix this and that, I run to the kitchen and try it (some work and some need tweaking), and then respond to my husband's question, "where did you get this recipe?" "GOD!" Unwrapping the gift of health has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. BUT......here's the ticket - for so many years I would "unwrap" the NEXT diet plan, the NEXT miracle, diet pill, the NEXT "give me a chance" food journey. In about February, when the Valentine's candy would emerge, off the wagon I would fall. Then, I would try to re-package the program and start again only to decide "this is really not the plan for me." Anybody identify? How about you purpose today to unwrap a HEALTHY eating plan (that contains NO CHEATS) and be done. NO more re-packaging, NO more excuses, NO more failure. The next package you unwrap would be a healthy blood report that gets rewarded with a new shirt. Then, and from hence forth, you unwrap healthy, new foods and recipes as God shares them with you and you RE-GIFT them to this team who knows that we can live healthy in an unhealthy world, eat food that tastes amazing that's packed full of great nutrients, and successfully grow old as Moses did where he led people, looked out over mountains and enjoyed life. Now that's a gift I want to unwrap. How about you? Have a good one - PK

December 24, 2012 - Your Christmas Treat

GM and Merry Christmas! We are closing another year of health and looking forward to improved health in 2013. Improved? Absolutely! There is always room for improvement. Our food can taste better, be fresher, our blood reports better and our spirits laughing and enjoying strong bodies. Isaiah 61 talks about PROCLAIMING - well, let's proclaim! But, proclamation without actions is simply words in the air with no feet. I NEVER want to say again, "well, next year I'm REALLY gonna try to get healthy." NOPE - I'm doing health! NOW. You, too, or you wouldn't read this daily. Good job! BUT.....there is something to be said for aligning our actions with our declarations and watching our bodies come back to the health God purposed for us. The world offers every excuse for failure - fast foods, processed foods, sugared foods, too much food. YES? But we have chosen to be healthy and for our families to be healthy and our lives are offering success instead of failure to those around us. This Christmas, the GREATEST gift to anyone is Jesus Christ and I believe the second greatest is our health. Let's be honest, when we eat good, drink good, feel good, and look good...........we often ARE GOOD. It's amazing how extra weight and tight closes can bring out the worst in us. Well, maybe just me. :) Someone posted on Facebook last night that they were on an eating binge and felt horrible and ashamed. That was me for many years. I would dread the Christmas Eve Service as often my "big girl" clothes were beyond zipping and I felt sluggish and defeated. Can you relate? But not this year and I pray never again! Choosing to be healthy cannot be a fad, or the holidays win. NO.......I beat the holiday bulge. It doesn't control me or my response to others. So, gotta run and start the Christmas Day preps - made a sugar free cheesecake with a pecan bottom last night and a raspberry/blueberry reduction to serve on top. YUM. Getting ahead is a great thing, so I get to enjoy the morning. Here's a little Christmas something for each of you: As you know, people often give baked goods as Christmas gifts. Well, I choose not to taste. It's hard sometimes but an opened door, FOR ME, is an opened door. So, while my husband was eating and smiling, eating and smiling, I decided to find a treat for Kathy. I took 1 tsp of Smucker's Natural Chunky Peanut Butter (stirred well to get the oil mixed in) and 1 tsp of Smucker's Sugar Free Hot Fudge Topping (room temp) and mixed together. (I KNOW - I don't do sugar free products.........but it's Christmas and I am watching my husband enjoy all the goodies). I mixed this on a plate and sliced a HUGE apple to dip it with. YUM!!!!!!!! It's such a yummy, chocolate taste. I love it! I have been eating a small portion daily. When it's gone - it's gone - but so is Christmas. :) So, if you're headed to the store for the last minute items, try this. You'll be shocked how yummy. Merry Christmas FAM - I pray this is your best Christmas and Jesus brings peace to your home and life as only He can. Kathy

December 21, 2012 - Trash Talk

YEA! I'm back on line. It's really amazing how much we depend on our electronically - powered devices and when they are down - yikes! It took almost four days to work things out after going to a wireless home phone. But praise God, I'm connected again. This morning the chimes are ringing boldly on my front and back porches from the force of the wind. While we cannot see the wind, it definitely makes its presence known. Now, in my case, all this strong wind is filling my yard AGAIN with a heavy load of leaves. UGH! You know what that means. I see the yard being covered with leaves, but the leaves know they must fall to the ground in preparation for the new growth on the trees in the spring. Same scene - two different perspectives! I wonder how often we allow a negative perspective to overshadow the GOOD which is intended for a particular situation? As soon as the negative statement proceeds from our mouths, I wonder just what type of power it has? We cannot see the wind, but we SEE its power. Making negative statements about our day, our situation, our weight changes nothing. However, speaking and declaring the truth of God's word as we begin the day, does change things. The problem..........we "try" this for 2 days and if the result we "thought" was to occur doesn't, "this must be for EVERYONE but me." Really? Let's leave the "trash talk" buried deep within 2012 and boldly march into 2013 declaring, "God plans to do GOOD by me and not harm me. He provides a good hope and good future for me." Let's commit to allow the dead leaves of negative statements about ourselves and futures to be BLOWN AWAY by the power of the Holy Spirit. God's word was TRUE, is TRUE, and will ALWAYS BE true. NOW......I've tried the reverse and been whacked also. I would stuff myself, declare how beautiful I was and other promises from God's truth, gain wait and be mad at God. Can I be real? Can you believe it? It's true and I am thankful you are more stable than I. I'm not saying that declaring truth means we can stuff ourselves. What I'm saying is that we often cloak the morning with our negative declarations and in that pocket of self-pity, we comfort ourselves with extra layers of food throughout the day - for certainly if I declare that I am fat and ugly - I MUST BE. Let's STOP..........speak well, declare well, change the atmosphere and see if confidence can help us say, "NO" when we need to. Love you deeply, PK PS - Healthy 4 You Life Group on January 6th at 6:pm at my house. Love to see you!

December 17, 2012 - Decorate YOUR Plate for Christmas!

Sorry this is late, I have been a busy girl. :) For those of you who know me well, you know I am a girl of color! I THINK that's one of the reasons I love Christmas so much. It's not the gifts, but the color and the decorations. I think one of the greatest delights of healthy eating is all the colors available to us. Meat and potatoes people - or people who don't eat veggies - have a somber eating experience, I think. Bringing color and creativity to the meal selection is really important to our survival. Someone asked me last night if not having starches meant my meals were boring. I guess that's a matter of semantics??? What they would consider boring could be different than what I NOW consider boring. Yes, lean proteins, fruits and veggies sounds simple - but it's really not. They felt deleting pastas and rice dishes limited my meals. But I reminded them #1 - meals are about refueling and I don't live for meals to bring me happiness any longer and #2 - I CAN EAT what I wan, but I CHOOSE to eat what brings health to my body. That's a shift in perspective. She asked about eating out - I told her I can eat anywhere. It's my choice. If the only item on a menu was a loaded hamburger, (which it never is) I can eat the meat, the veggies, and throw the bun away. Then, I told her I usually always have an apple close by which can add some color and fiber. BAM.............I told her, "if you want to be healthy, you can be. But, you must desire it more than the taste of rice and pasta." The moral of the story - rice and pasta don't have the color or the nutrition of steamed veggies or a salad. Decorate your plate for Christmas and give the gift of health to YOURSELF! PS - start planning now for our first Healthy 4 You Life Group on January 6th at 6:00 at my house. It's chili night - bring your best, healthy chili or soup. Please let me know you're coming so I can prepare. PSS - sliced jicama is a great addition to your salads. It provides GREAT nutrition, low fat, no sugar, slightly sweet taste and the crunch! YUM!

December 14, 2012 - Who Knew?

Good morning, How about that meteor shower last night? Any one see anything majestic? God is so good to allow us to see a few of the wonders that I am sure entertain him daily. :) I have been doing some additional research on xylitol. In addition to bringing health to your gums and teeth (mine have done a 180 degree turn around), one article reported that many are using xylitol with their neti pots and nasal solutions and are seeing great results with chronic sinus infections. Other people who are using xylitol in their everyday lives and are seeing a dramatic DECREASE in asthma and respiratory infections. WOW! My grand daughter suffers from winter asthma and I thought she had not had a bought because she was thinner, but I wonder if it's the xylitol???? She normally misses a good number of days each school year. She has not this year. :) I don't know - but this is certainly worth keeping our eyes on. However, the pharmaceutical companies would never verify this to be true. Could you imagine the cost to them? YIKES! But what a healthy gift for us. :) I love it - a natural sugar replacement that allows us to bake and enjoy our yummies while keeping our gums, nasal passages and lungs healthier. What could be better? Merry Christmas to US! If you find any coolness about the xylitol, pass it along. Talk to you Monday. PK