Friday Food for Thought: Beauty Tips

Beauty Tips: Being truly beautiful starts from the inside out.

Yes there is of course a physical element to it, like drinking plenty of water and eating fresh clean foods everyday, like the baby carrots I am currently partaking in as I write this post. But there is also, and more importantly, a Spiritual element to being beautiful. Being a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ is the BEST beauty secret I know.

He makes you glow from the inside out. Having a personal relationship with Christ puts the aging process in a much different light. The world will tell us that as we age we are not as beautiful as when we were younger, but in the Spiritual it is definitely the opposite.

As you age, or mature in the LORD the more beautiful you become. His life lived out through you makes you the best and most beautiful you that you can be.

So take some time each day and really soak in the beauty that is our LORD. Soak in the fact that He loves you so much He died and rose again to give you life; real life. Soak in the fact that He is seated at the right hand of the throne of God making intercession for you and me RIGHT NOW!! AMAZING!!!!!

So today relax in Him, breathe into Him and feel yourself becoming more beautiful from the inside out as the moments pass.

Have a Blessed weekend!!

Healthfully Yours,
Dawn

Monday Goals for the Week:

Jacquie at Fit after 40 sets goals for herself and sticks with them. She truly inspires me. So this morning I was thinking about her latest goal and how she blogs about where she is at in it each week, and thought that would be a good thing for me to do, set some goals.

So on Mondays we will be discussing setting and keeping goals. We'll set immediate goals and more of long term goals as we go. This week we're settle on immediate goals.

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So last week was a difficult one to fit exercise in to. This week hopefully will be a little less hectic. Today is a very busy one, but beyond today it looks like maybe it will be a little calmer, but we will see!!

Even though I have not had the major intense workouts, I have still been working out and stretching. My knee has had a slight set back because of the less intense workouts and stretching, so this week I am right back at it. Working hard and getting my head back in the game, so to speak =)

I was eating pretty good up until the weekend. And then cravings hit and I didn't want to be a good girl with my eating, but I didn't do to badly. I am, however, right back at it on this Monday morning. My goal this week in the eating department will be to plan ahead more. I am not good at this. But when I do plan, I eat sooooooooo much better. So that is the plan this week, to have a plan!!! Good plan eh?!?!!

In the exercise department, the plan is to bike more. My sweet husband got our recumbent bike pedals readjusted for me and now I'm off and running, er a riding!! So my goal this week is to ride at least 15 minutes a day and then hopefully by Friday worked up to 30 minutes. That's the plan, and to also continue with my knee home PT exercises and stretches.

So what is your goal for this week? Go ahead, set a goal for eating and exercise this week and then write it down and read it everyday to help keep you on track, and you can share here in a comment if you'd like or e-mail me. It helps to be accountable to someone.

Well have a beautiful day and a goal hitting week =)

Healthfully Yours,
Dawn

Eating Out....How to deal!!

So today I went and had our taxes done (so glad that is completed), and since my doc's appointment got canceled for today and rescheduled for next week I called my friend G, for lunch. She obliged and we went to lunch.

Now my plan was to go to Panera Bread, because I know exactly what to order and the calories, but she wanted to go to Zio's and since this is my FAVORITE Italian Restaurant, I obliged. And it was delish. But my dilema was what to eat? So normally I get a veggie primavera, but the last time my sweet hubby and I went I got a veggie pizza and it was just delish, so I decided to opt for that again.

Now the problem with a place like Zio's is the bread they bring, and I do love me some bread and that Olive Oil dipping sauce, well let's just say I could LICK THE PLATE!! So what's a girl to do? Well, this is what this girl did. I ate two small pieces of the bread (probably not adding up to a regular size piece of french loaf bread) and I probably had maybe 2 teaspoons of the oil (maybe), I opted more for the spice end of it. It was so good.

I had a salad no dressing and didn't eat the croutons and had them leave off the cheese, and then I ordered a veggie pizza no cheese and had 3 pieces of 8 and had them box up the rest. There are no nutritional values for Zio's so I had to try and figure it out. I think I got pretty close. It came up to 564 calories, way more than I usually eat at a meal, but it was a special meal with a friend, and I do this very rarely, so it was fun. I had a balanced and healthy supper tonight, and I'm right back on track.

When you eat out, it is wonderful to eat a salad first and avoid the bread unless you have the will power to only eat a little bit. Order your entree and a box. Box up half of it and eat the other half. You have a wonderful supper or lunch for the next day, and you don't leave so stuffed you hurt.

I enjoy eating out, but I really like to make healthy choices, and I don't feel deprived AT ALL!!!!!

Have a Blessed evening!!

Healthfully Yours,
Dawn

Being Serious...

About positive changes ~~ and deliberate!!

This past week my schedule was changed. The kid's needed a baby sitter for Sir Cuteness and you know I was RIGHT THERE all the way. It was so fun!! And I'll be babysitting from time to time as they need me to.

Now all this babysitting changes my schedule quite a bit, so it becomes crucial that I am deliberate about my work outs and eating right. It is much more difficult to do those things when your schedule changes.

Let me encourage you today that even if your schedule changes, start making plans to how you can switch up your exercise time to meet the change, and be sure and make healthy eating choices even on the run. It can be done!!!

Yesterday was such a warm day here, and Dak decided to go for a run. So I called my sweet hubby to find out if I could go walking while he ran, and he said he didn't see why not, just to watch my form and then stretch it out if I could. It was soooooo great!!!!! This is the first real cardio I have done since being back from Mayo. It felt so good. So this afternoon I'm going for another walk ~~ yippee!!! I'm ready to get back to some good ole fashioned cardio!! But of course all in due time, all in due time. =)

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!!

Healthfully Yours,
Dawn

Friday Food for Thought...

So on Friday's we'll do a segment called "Food for Thought". I love a regular Friday kind of post to wrap up the week.

This week my food for thought is on being deliberate. You do not get healthy and well on accident, just like you don't brush your teeth on accident or take a shower on accident. So when you eat, don't do it by happenstance. I so used to do that. I have shared before that I used to eat out of boredom, emotions, etc. Now I eat on purpose, to fuel my body and to be the best that God created me to be.

Just before I sat down to write this I was sooooooo hungry. Instead of reaching for crackers or something else with little nutritional value I decided (made a conscious decision) to eat some baby carrots and sun-dried tomato hummus. I am now satisfied and not stuffed or still wanting something more to it. Lunch is right around the corner so I didn't want something too filling and that snack was just enough.

Speaking of snacks, I am working on a post about them that will be after this one on the blog, because I started it before this one, it just isn't finished yet. But please always check out the labels on my side bar to go to specific items. I try to keep it very organized and easy so you can find the topic you'd like to read about.

So this weekend as you go about your days and nights, remember that come Monday you will be so happy that you were intent in your eating habits and you didn't abandon your exercise program, even if it's a little stretching on the weekends. It is so worth it.

Healthfully Yours,
Dawn

Let's Tackle Supper ...er..ahh....Dinner....

Whichever you call it, Supper or Dinner it can be a struggle, especially if you cook for a family. Now in my house I cook for the boys (Dick and Dak) and then I cook something entirely different for myself. This is just not feasible for a lot of people I know, so that is why it is a GREAT idea to cook healthy for all and still have everyone enjoy it.

Small changes can make a big impact in the long run when it comes to cooking and calories. For instance, if you currently cook with shortening or lard, switch to extra virgin olive oil whenever possible. If you cook with butter (which I do for the boys), you might try switching to the butter with omega oils added to them, this is a nice alternative and my family doesn't even know the difference.

If you are currently using whole milk, try switching to 2% (we use skim). It's the little changes that will cut down calories over the course of one meal, sometimes by 100's of calories. It's true. I want to share with you some of my favorite meals to fix for the "boys". We had one just last night.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole (CEC for short =) and you can find this recipe here. It does take a little time, but if you use a rotisserie chicken it cuts your cooking time way down. But at only 320 calories a serving, it is totally worth the time you take to make it. My hubs LOVES this one!!! Dak, well if you leave the black olives out he's in, if you don't he's out. Last night, he was out. So he ate the rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy. He was happy. It was a win win for all involved =)

One of my biggest issues with supper (dinner, whichever) is the fact that I like to eat while I cook. You can consume an ENORMOUS amount of calories doing that. You can rack up a whole meal worth of calories long before the meal even starts!! So this has had to be an area of discipline for me. It isn't like I can just remove the temptation, I'm cooking supper with it. So I must show restraint and discipline. And also I get out the baby carrots and count out 10 or so (about a serving) and munch on those while I cook sometimes. It helps me out a lot and only 30 calories. Again, a win win =)

So you may be wondering what I ate last night. So glad you asked =) I had my own little rendition of Chicken Enchilada Casserole without the chicken and the white sauce. My version was about 270 calories and full of delicious flava LOVED IT!!! So much so that I fixed it again for lunch. I'll get it up on the recipe blog soon. really I will =)

I have so much more to say about the foods we eat and how we prepare them. I just feel like these posts get so long sometimes and I want you to be able to follow easily. So in coming posts we'll be breaking down some of these things and talking about the nitty-gritty of living a healthy and well life for the Glory of the Father. Because that is truly what it is all about!!!

I want to leave you today with the verse I woke up with going through my head. I love waking up with the Word permeating through my heart. This morning it was:

Romans 12:2 (New International Version)

^"2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

I loved having this go through my mind. I meditated on it and what God was speaking to me through it. And I started thinking about different areas in my life that I need to be challenged in, and have been challenged in, in the last year of so. Health and wellness being just one of them. We do not need to be conforming to the pattern of this world in anything, our health included, but we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. WOW!!! I love the fact that we can be TRANSFORMED by renewing our minds in Him. How do we do that? Read the Word and meditate on it. Know it. Memorize it. Consume it like you would your favorite dessert. Live it. Breathe it. Oh how I love Him!!! And then what happens? We will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will. We will know His will. We'll be able to test it and approve what His will is in a particular situation. It is all right in front of us in the Word. OH HOW I LOVE HIM SO!!!!!

So if you are struggling today, pick up the Word and pray and ask God to start speaking to you through it. He will child. He loves you so today. He will do it!!!!!

Love you ~~

Healthfully Yours,
Dawn

A New Thought on an Old Problem...

Lunch ~~ sometimes it is a trap. I know that many of you work outside the home and the temptation to run through the drive-thru is always there. Because let's face it, with dollar menus and even dollar and below menus, like Taco Bell, you can eat out cheap; but at what cost?

Just because something is within your budget doesn't mean it is the best choice. One of the themes of my life last year was "God's Best". I would feel like if I was getting ready to do something, I'd hear God whisper to my heart, "Is that My best?" Best. The word kept coming up. Somethings are not bad, but is it the best, God's best for your life? These are great questions to ask yourself especially in the area of exercise and eating right. When it comes to health and wellness it is hugely important to ask yourself if this is the right choice, the best choice, God's best choice for my life. Yes, even if it is at lunch. What we put into our bodies is so important. It is the fuel that makes them go. So putting in the Best things in is always better.

So back to lunch:

Oh wait let's back up to breakfast just a minute. Just wanted to let you know that I'll be posting some recipes on my recipe blog sometime this week. I'll link you there as soon as I have them up and then you can follow the labels on the side, breakfast, lunch etc.

Okay back to lunch:

I don't eat out much at lunch, but if I'm out and about and do eat out (which I used to do A LOT) I suggest something like Panera Bread (yes you can call ahead and get take out, no drive-thru but just think you get a few extra steps in =) and I like to order off of the You-Pick-Two menu. My fav is 1/2 Mediterranean Veggie and 1/2 Cafe Salad with the dressing that comes with the Apple Fuji Salad. I went to their web site and figured it up and it is 380 calories, 11 grams fat. Not too terrible for eating out. So that's one idea. Their website is great. You can go on their site and build your own meal and know exactly what you're getting when you get there. GREAT!!!

Another option is to pack your own. But there again you can fall into the convenience trap, what with all the packaged lunch foods they have now.

I have never been a big chip eater. I mean I've ate a lot of chips, it's just never been my bad food of choice. If I'm gonna eat something not so good for me, I'd just as soon have a nice big oatmeal raisin cookie or chocolate chip brownie bar. Yep I'm a sweets girl (more on that in another post :o). But I did used to like some crunch with my lunch =) So now I get that crunch with baby carrots. It makes me so happy to get a nice serving of baby carrots (about 10-15 or so) and eat those instead of chips. Yummy. I know, they are not salty. But it is the little changes that you make in the details of your diet that make the biggest impact. This is one of those changes that take you from 110 calories (for Baked Lay's or Pretzels, more for regular chips) to 35 calories for carrots. That is a BIG difference, and over time that really adds up.

Now for what I do for lunch: A lunch staple for me is tofu and veggies. Now I know ya'll are saying what tofu blech? But you could substitute a nice lean chicken breast with veggies. And sometimes I'll have a sandwich on Ezekiel Bread. If you don't know about this oh-so-good for you bread, you should. You really should!!! It is just as it sounds, out of the Bible, Ezekiel. It is sprouted bread and is so very good for you. It is hearty at 80 calories a slice, and it sticks with you. So if I make a sandwich for lunch, I usually take one slice and have an open face or cut it in two and have a half a sandwich with my tofu and veggies. I'll be talking more about tofu on my recipe blog. And again I'll let you know when I have those posted.

Another option of course is a nice healthy salad. You can use different greens like Romaine and Leafy lettuce or get a packaged lettuce with different varieties and then just add all your favorite veggies. I packed my sweet hubby a veggie salad for lunch today with spinach, romaine, carrots, green peppers, button mushrooms, bacon (center cut, grease drained =) cheese (Italian blend) and sunflower seeds. It is a nice blend of veggies but with some protein.

So let me know what you do for lunch. I'm really enjoying hearing what ya'll do. I'm getting some good suggestions.

I'd like to leave you with another of my favorite verses ~~ LOVE YOU!!!

Ephesians 3:16-19 (New International Version)

^"16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Healthfully Yours,
Dawn