Balance

Day 2- continued

Definition: Any association between two species populations

that live together is symbiotic, whether the species

benefit, harm, or have no effect on one another.

Mental, Physical and Spiritual! SYMBIOTIC!

In my search for answers "why I choose unhealthy food choices, when I CLEARLY KNOW they are wrong" I have unfolded a two facts:

FIRST: Habit

I have a history of eating for pleasure, I seek food during stress, I desire certain foods when I want to reward or comfort myself.... I hum and ahhh over a menu at a restaurant choosing what "sounds" good. Ya, know thinking "gee what do I FEEL like having".

Yet, why can't I use COMMON SENSE when choosing foods

KNOWING that I'll only feel worse and the effects are SAD making poor food choices.

Yes, I want to step back into the 80's and BLAME MY MOTHER. After all, "we're Italian" by heritage. So, the moment you wake up, sit up and make eye contact with your mama - It's ALL ABOUT FOOD! Ok, food sustains life. But, in my life food was the driving force for everything! "Your father works hard to put food on the table...." "Come sit, have something to eat..." "what's a matter??.... ahhh... Sit I'll make you something to eat!". I could go on and on.... but the reality is

I AM NOW AWARE OF THIS! Food is not the enemy, just a Money is not the evil.... it is the soul of MAN that is the problem.

SECOND: Spiritual Warfare

I don't want to point out the obvious -

For those who know the Lord, Who know the Word of God.... KNOW that only a relationship with the Lord Can Satisfy.

Emotional Eating, Eating for Socializing, Eating because ..... Well, really I've never really needed a reason to Eat. JUST .... Mangiare!

This past few months, I have become more and more convinced that being overweight and struggling with "diets" stems from having developed/aquired Unhealthy Habit and it is a SPIRITUAL Battle.

It makes me disappointed and Sad to see Nurses, Doctors and Ministers of the Gospel! - Overweight.

Yet, I better take the "chocolate layer cake" out of my eye before I judge others who have a chocolate chip in theirs!

Matthew 7:4

How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

That is why I'm on a mission, journey to discover the truth. For me!

21 days of developing new lifestyle habits: Physically, Spiritually and Mentally

Again:

BALANCE - Mental, physical and Spiritual. When one thing is not functioning properly it WILL affect the other two areas of our lives. It can't help it - they are intertwined, related, symbiotic. Think about when you stub your toe! A simple example. The Physical Pain is expressed by a scream (maybe a few expletives) ..... "OH GOD! Help me, that hurt". Then Fear sets in (Mental and Spiritual is involved in fear) that the toe may have broke!

Yap, Physical, Mental and Spiritual. I think you know what I'm talking about....

ok, lets go to the next step:

You walk past Cinnabon Store at the Mall and smell the fragrance of the warm Cinnamon rolls floating past your nose. Your mouth waters, your eye's light up and then BAM! You say " I don't really NEED that"... but your body mysteriously follows the aroma and you even STAND IN LINE to wait your turn to buy the stupid roll that you know isn't good for YOU!

Mental, Physical and Spiritual - BATTLE IS HAPPENING! Think about it!

Accountabiity

1 John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Spiritual: I will overcome - Therefore I shall not be ruled by my desire to EAT!

When I want to eat something that isn't a healthy choice I WILL CONFESS HIS WORD. "Greater is he in me than he that is in the FOOD!". OH, ya.... I don't want to be EVE and eat the forbidden fruit! well, apples are good, but APPLE Pie's are NOT a healthy choice!

Mental: I will learn today. I think I'll research herbs that decrease inflammation.

Physical: PUMP IT UP today.

Although "Bob Green" in this book "The Best Life Diet" states in Chapter One - Phase One- Title: Weigh IN. "...put away the scale away, and don't look at it for another four weeks." He states that fluctuation in your weight during the early stage of weight loss can send you on an emotional roller coaster. The scale isn't a good indicator of what's going on in your body due to water-weight gain or loss."

Well, for me, I disagree. It motivates me each time. I weight first thing (after the bathroom) in the morning. My scale has the weight, water weight and BMI. Never the less. It makes me accountable to look at what I did the day before! No, delusion there. Yes, I exercised yesterday, but I also ate BROWNIES! So, how do I cry when I see weight gain- Fat not water! OUCH!

TODAY- I'm going fill up my pitcher of water with lemon and a pinch of cayenne pepper ! and drink my 8+ glasses (8 oz glasses). This is fabulous for energy and detox. (detox- I'll talk about that subject later). We do this in the hospitals for our patients. Fill up the pitcher so we can calculate the intake of the patient for the day. Well, I find that "people" always say that they drink a lot of water. But, truth is most of the time the suck on the same bottle all day! Or they start a bottle and forget where they put it and start a new one.... well, let's just say - reality is MOST people "Think" they drink a lot but don't. So, I say pour the days amount of water (add lemon juice which is great for "detox" and Cayenne pepper which speed up the metabolism) and be ACCOUNTABLE to drink all the water in the pitcher by the end of the Day!

The simplest calculation is the 60-40-20 rule.

• Total Body Water = 60% of body weight
• Intracellular fluid = 40% of body weight
• Extracellular fluid = 20% of body weight

Yes, Water is LIFE! Although some Physicians tell you that you can count coffee, juice and teas as fluid intake

I SAY NO. WATER, WATER, Water.... (Unless your on a fluid restriction due to health reasons- ie. CHF)

Gotta run - literally - 15/15/15

Salute! to my friends and Family

......... and PRAISE GOD FOR A NEW DAY - I commit this day unto Him and will praise HIM for his goodness.

Lord fill my heart and mouth with praise for YOU. (this way my mouth will be too full to shovel in food, and my heart will be satisfied for you and not seek the wrong foods! especially brownies). AMEN

wow

Yikes, what is it about when the sun goes down? I do great all day long and then "BAM"

And I have no problem whipping up chocolate brownies! But what annoys me the most is :

What I know, I don't do! What is that about. I have the knowledge. I believe I have the desire.

I have the resource for strength (Power in the spoken Word). But, no.... like an addict I throw it all aside and slam down even the brownie dough. So, that's why I need to NOT give up. NOT give in when I fail. I will now go and exercise my booty! I will now confess, I don't like how I feel when I eat Sweets! I will confess that I would rather of had something healthy to eat. I would rather have an apple! I love Apples. I want to marry an apple (oh my I'm on a sugar high!)

Gotta GO! Bye.

success?

15/15/15 note:

Today I completed 45 minutes of exercise! - A Beautiful walk In the snow around the house, up and down some hills! Ahh it felt great! Fresh air, sunshine... all of His beautiful nature surrounding me. And the benefit of how exercise (Activities) diminished appetite! Today, I choose to eat smaller portions of foods that were not at the top of my "good choice" list, like "Dutch Apple Pancakes!" Wow, Always a challenge when you have "goodies" around... like during the holidays.

I've found that the Lord answered my prayer and I've had songs in my heart. I've sung out loud today, hummed and la la la around the house (not that anyone wanted to listen to me) but, I've felt HIS joy today! I worked on an old embroidery project I had for 10 years! yikes talk about needing to finish something I start - THIS IS THE YEAR! And, I love that while doing this blog I re-read the book "Who switched off my Brain? Love that book! I'm grateful for His faithfulness to me. I choose to serve him with my life! Yes, 15/15/15 accomplished today - and the day is not yet over.

TODAY I started my 21 days (days it takes to develop a habit) and proud to say - I'm on it. I will develop a new lifestyle of living! I will confess and speak the WORDS.

(Side note: isn't it crazy how when you want to do something that is good - you hit challenges? Things that would seem to distract or keep you from your goal. Well - I'm determined and ready to JUMP over them with the strength of the Lord. )

Fresh Start

Psalm 40:3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

Prayer: Lord Thank you for the start of something NEW today. I pray, as the word says, for YOU to put a NEW SONG in my mouth. Today, I choose to seek YOU in everything I say and Do. I pray that the NEW song is one of praises to you that comes from a thankful and joyful Spirit. Direct me today, Guide my thoughts and actions through the power of your Word. Amen

DAY 1

Spiritually: I choose today to do "all unto the Lord". As I speak, eat and move... may it be to the Glory of God. I will Use HIS word to find Strength to DO what I know I should DO. Today is a fresh Start for me. This is the beginning - a new thing! So again, I pray that as I meditate on His word, speak His word and Live His Word I will be successful in starting NEW habits and lifestyle Choices.

Mentally: I will start today learning about "Detox" of Thoughts and emotions

From Dr. Caroline Leaf's book

"Who switched off my Brain?"pg 106-108

DETOX STEP 1

Ask yourself the following questions:

• How may "could-have," "would-have or "should-have" statements have you uttered today"
• How may "if onlys" were part of your inner vocabulary today?
• How many times have you replayed a converstaion or situation in your head that pained you?
• How many scenarios have you created of the unprediciable future?
• How much time do you spend speculating?
• Is your mind passive?
• Are you honest with yourself
• Do you go through the motions of the day, not really committed to a goal, saying one thing but meaning another
• Is your thinking distorted? Are you forming a personal identity around a problem or disease? Do you speak about "my arthritis," "my multiple sclerosis" or "my heart problem"?
• Do you ever make comments like "nothing ever goes right for me," "everything I touch fails," or "i always mess up"?

If you answered yes even to one of these, your thought life needs detoxing right now.

Consciously controlling your thoughts is not just the first step in this process; it is the main step. Medical research increasingly points to the fact that this is one of the best ways, if not the best way, of detoxing your brain because it allows you to get rid of those toxic thoughts and emotions. in fact, forward-thinking doctors won't administer drug therapy anymore without some form of cognitive behavior therapy which aims at changing behavior by changing thinking.

Dr. John Sarno, a professor of clinical rehabilitation medicine at New York University school of medicine, has authored many excellent books including a groundbreaking one that proposes the theory that most back pain stems from psychological problems rather than physiological. Such theories lie at the heart of the body-mind connection. in this case, Sarno hones in on how thoughts can harm the body by causing debilitating back pain.

In his book, The Divided Mind: The Epidemic of Mindbody Disorders, Sarno dissects the full Spectrum of "psychosomatic disorders." An illness is deemed psychosomatic when doctors can't find a physiological cause for it, somethings dismissing it as "all in the mind." while there diagnosis is right, their reasoning is wrong. Thoughts do cause illness and should thus be studied and controlled. If they are powerful enough to make us sick, they are powerful enough to make us healthy as well.

That's why a change i your thinking is essential to detox the brain. consciously controlling your thought life means not letting thoughts rampage through your mind, but learning to engage interactively with each one. Your job is to analyze a thought before you decide either to act or reject it.

How do you go about doing that? By "looking" at your mental processes. That may sound strange since it is impossible to crack open your skull like an egg and have a look at what is going on inside your brain. It is possible, however, to learn about your mental processes and then actively get involved in changing them. in fact, it's not just possible, it's essential.

Although, this is just an excerpt from the book - It's a NEW start today to "think about what you "think about". Choose to think about today :

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4

Physically: Today make time for a 15 minute BRISK walk. During the day make your self Stretch, reach, bend, squat .... MOVE MOVE MOVE any opportunity. THINK about how you feel as you do these movements. SAY TO YOUR SELF.

I FEEL SO GOOD when I stretch, walk, MOVE!

Have you ever thought about how Toddlers are so active (not many fat toddlers!)

So, find ways to move, move, move - Sounds crazy but skip, jump and play!!! today.

Eating: Today, take the challenge to look at food as a source of energy! If you reach for something that is "not healthy" (full of fat, fried, high calories) then AT LEAST stop and say before you choose it "THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY CHOICE".

If you still choose to eat this food, then SAY TO YOUR SELF as you eat it "I really don't like eating this, I know I won't feel good after I eat it.... this is NOT a good choice". There is power in our words!!!

Salute! To the NEW DAY!