I'm Full! Now What?

God day Planners   

As you hurry through your day, remember that planning is the key to success for maintaining a healthy eating and exercise lifestyle. Can We Talk?! It takes NO thought, effort, or energy to be sedentary and to eat whatever you want whenever you want it. But eating healthfully and regular activity takes thought, energy, effort, and preparation, and the D word DISCIPLINE. Christ can teach us to be disciplined in every area of our lives, including a healthy lifestyle. We have to ask ourselves, am I really worth all of that? Is the legacy of a healthy lifestyle for my children worth all the effort and energy? God says...YES! I say...YES!!! What do you say? 

Here is our question for today. Please feel free to drop your temple related (emotional, spiritual, relational, financial, physical) questions to me. Glad to answer and share with the group! Got a recipe you would like to share or a testimony, please send them.

Dear Aqua

Help me understand: We should eat a balanced meal...and get in our correct servings of each food group; however we should stop eating when we are full. What happens if you get full before you finish, like what if I don't get all of the servings in for that day?

Dear Operation

Great question! In general feeling full is a good "problem" to have because so many people don't KNOW that feeling, because we've have ignored the signal for so long that we have silenced it. There is a long answer and a short answer. The short answer is nothing. Remember we are looking at a lifestyle of healthy eating, not just a day or two when we think we can do it. Also we are incorporating these lifestyle changes a little a time so that we can stick to the changes and not create an unrealistic plan that we cannot maintain. SOON, you will love the planning process, you feel out of sorts when you have not planned adequately, and your thinking about healthy eating and exercise will be more natural and automatic. Remember, to change our lives we have to change the way we think. Be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind!

The long answer is really more complicated. I will answer as succinctly as possible, but I have to elaborate just a little. According to the USDA, A “healthy diet” is one that:

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

Even newer guidelines released at the end of 2010 have a more effective and comprehensive focus.

 “Because more than one-third of children and more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, the 7th edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans places stronger emphasis on reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical activity. The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans focus on balancing calories with physical activity, and encourage Americans to consume more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and seafood, and to consume less sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and refined grains”.

As long as you are eating healthfully as described above CONSISTENTLY (more often than not) the couple days here and there that you feel full and stop eating are not a big deal. Your body is going through changes to adapt to the plan you have introduced. If this is happening frequently, you’ll need to investigate further. You might also add a multi-vitamin to your diet if you are concerned about getting all your recommended vitamins and nutrients.

Your body is the temple of the Living God! Live Well in His Name!

I'll Have the Salad!

God afternoon all!

I hope this week finds you well and walking in the marvelous light of Jesus. No matter where you are right now... at this very moment, He loves you with an undying and unfailing love! His passion for you greatly exceeds anything you can ever imagine. Are you certain of this fact?

This week (hey and it's ONLY Wednesday) I had no less than 5 conversations about salad as a healthy meal choice. My antennas went up when some of those I spoke with told me what they were putting IN and ON their salads. Can We Talk?! Salads can be a healthy choice, but salads can also be very deceptively high in fat and calories if we are not careful as to how we LOAD that salad down. For example, the salad at a local fast food restaurant is 650 calories...OUCH! (No wonder that salad was so good). How is that for healthy eating? Three major factors for keeping a salad healthy (low in fat and calories) are the amount of the salad, the toppings, and the dressing. We wanted to provide you some tips about salads to keep your salad light, healthy, and working for your new lifestyle.

1. Make your own dressings. You control the fat and calories.

2. Having chicken or fish on your salad? Put the chicken or fish on the salad while it is still warm. The greens will start to wilt and less dressing is required.

3. Use pecans or other nuts instead of croutons for texture and crunch. Careful of the amount.
4. Use a light extra virgin olive oil with a dash of lemon pepper seasoning instead of salad dressing.
5. Use less dressing. Add a squeeze of lemon to the salad and use less of your favorite low-fat dressing.
6. Need some variety and need to increase daily fruit servings? Add fresh fruit to your salads.
7. Check out WebMD's tips for healthier summer salads.

If you have tips for healthier salads send them to me or post in the comments section of the blog. DearAqua4HisTemple@gmail.com

Make your food choices COUNT! LESS is the new MORE. Eat LESS...move MORE!

Your body is the Temple of the Living God! Live Well in Him!

Exercise and Injury...What Can I Do?

God Day Conquerors!  

Are you staying true to the health, wellness, fitness, and spiritual goals you set at the beginning of 2011? It's Springtime! Many folks have abandoned their new year's resolutions, but not you! It is time for new beginnings. Even if you have fallen off the goals you set, now is the time to start again. Our God is a second, third, fourth....chance God. It is also time to declutter our homes, lives, and minds. What an awesome time to invite the Lord into our hearts and into our lives for some intimate conversation and strategic planning!

I encourage you to give away 10 items in your home during your spring cleaning! You will be relieved and someone else will be blessed. Make sure it is really nice stuff. I got these cool sneakers from a dear friend when she completed her closet spring cleaning. Let us not be consumed by the romance of stuff. We can't take it with us! HEAVEN is already furnished! Praises to God!

Have you submitted your plans to the Lord? Can We Talk?! The Word tells us to give the Lord our plans and we will see those plans come to fruition (Proverbs 16:3). Now that doesn't mean we make the plans and give them to God as the final version. God is not in the business of blessing our mess! That means we submit a VERY ROUGH draft of our plans to God and He has the final say about the execution of those plans. The Message says "Put God in charge of your work, then what you've planned will take place.” Once God is in charge of our plans we can't fail, because He can't fail! Amen?!

Today's question comes from a community member who is out of state. Please pray for “T” in your prayer time. Injury and pain are major limiting factors for exercise for many people. We should always seek the advice of a doctor before starting any exercise regime, particularly when preexisting pain, injury, and health concerns are present.

Dear Aqua

My weight issue is weighing me down. I am so afraid of exercise because of the pain I have every day of my life. I just don't want anymore of it. I have a total knee replacement, bi-lateral bulging disk in L4 and L5 with bone spires and a second rotator cuff surgery that they could not repair all the way. I know that I look at what I cannot do instead of what I can, but what can I really do? God is so able to do above and beyond what we ask or think, I am just tired of asking. Love T

Dear T

There are exercises that you can do. You may have to modify them to make sure that you don't further injure yourself. I am not sure where you are in your rehabilitation process, but some exercise and rehab may help with the pain that you are experiencing. Always check with your doctor about what limitations you should adhere to so that you do not exacerbate your injury. In fact ask the doctor is there a person, place or organization that he/she can recommend that can help. You may be able to walk and may be able to do seated exercises. I heard the other day that "Walking is still the undisputed king of exercise".

Because of your limitations with EXPENDING energy it is going to be important for you to monitor your energy CONSUMPTION. In short, it is going critical for you to monitor WHAT and HOW MUCH you eat. We can give you encouragement and support virtually, but I do recommend that you find some help in your community for nutrition and exercise programs to meet the needs that you have. Call community centers and local churches to see if they offer low to no cost exercise programs. A good program will have a trainer who understands and is able to work with people with injuries.

Don't let your injuries keep you from seeking help. In fact those injuries should be the fuel that cause you to knock on every door and leave no stone unturned. God's desire is not that you live in pain. He wants you to prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers. Seek His will for a healthier life and lifestyle. Don't get tired of asking! God is an ever present help in the time of trouble. We will be praying for you. In fact, right now we speak healing and deliverance in your body in the name of Jesus! Stay in touch with us about your progress. 

Your body is the temple of the Living God! Live Well in His Name!

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A Test Becomes a Testimony!

God Morning Temple Lovers 

Today we are going to experience a powerful testimony from Liz. With God's help she is winning the war on diabetes and its complications. One take home message from this testimony is NOT to wait until we are forced to and faced with the choice before we start caring for God's temple. Another take home message is knowledge is power or better, what we DO with the knowledge that brings about the power. We have to educate ourselves if we are going to live healthier for the glory of God! You can send your success stories, struggles, questions, and comments to DearAqua4HisTemple@gmail.com. You can also leave your comments on this blogspot. Let's get right to it, Can We Talk?!

 

When I first came to the United States some 20 years ago I was a petite size 0, but as the time went by I gained weight slowly year after year. Once I enrolled in a lifetime membership at a fitness center and only used it for 3 months. I had no commitment and eventually I stopped going. I had no motivation at all and always had many excuses for not going. As the years progressed I continued to gain weight inch by inch in my waistline.Why? Because I love food and since I am not a good cook I ate mostly in restaurants with a complete course meal, from appetizer to dessert. I also like to eat snacks, mostly junk food. Once in a while if I felt heavy I would take a walk, but not consistently. 

BEFORE



With this lifestyle I thought I am doing fine, until one day I went for a yearly checkup; my blood test showed an elevated blood sugar. My doctor told me I had diabetes. I was in disbelief and denial. To prove to the doctor that she was wrong I began to exercise consistently 7 days a week. I would jump on the treadmill 45 minutes a day and on top of that I walk another 30 minutes after the treadmill. I started eating vegetables (I don't like veggies that much). I forced myself to eat them with tears rolling down my cheeks because I was thinking I might not be able to eat the food that I want anymore. I cut down all of my carbohydrates even white rice which I love so much. Back home we eat rice with every meal.  

I felt like I was out of order and all over the place, but I was driven and my focus was to shed some pounds and let my doctor know that she made a mistake. I eventually managed to shed 15 lbs in 3 weeks. I went back to see my doctor for a follow up and she was surprised of my dramatic weight loss but she STILL started me on maintenance medication (I have a history of diabetes in my family). 



I was diagnosed with Diabetes ~Type 2. Type 2 Diabetes can likely be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle. I wish I can turn back the clock, however I finally came to terms with this disease and I made a choice to stay fit and healthy to fight any complications that might come along the way. My lifestyle has changed so much since then. Exercise along with eating healthfully and taking my medication regularly is the vital tool for keeping me healthy today. I learned to look at and count the nutritional value on every can or package of food that I get from the store. I can still eat what I want, but only a small portion and learned to substitute this for that.

Everyday is a struggle, but I made a decision to stay healthy. To some of us exercise is like an obligation and sometimes it is hard to incorporate it in our lifestyle. I will share some of the tactics that I read from the magazine to help stick to an exercise plan. I got this from the Diabetic Cooking magazine that I subscribe to monthly.

1. Workout with a friend: Chatting with a pal makes the time fly by! (We do this at our gym in the church)

2. Always carry around gym shoes and exercise clothes: Being prepared will make you more likely to stick to a plan.

3. Add purpose to your workout, such as walking or riding your bike to work or even to the convenience store.

4. Focus on how good you feel when you're done: Exercise is proven to relieve stress and anxiety. Instead of a drink after work, de-stress with a walk. Commitment to living a healthy life style not only help to prevent complications and diseases but also helps us gain self confidence and an overall healthy attitude.


AFTER

Throughout this health and wellness journey I put my life, faith, and trust in God. Every single day of my life I ask for His help to give me strength and encouragement. I thank Him so much for graciously giving me strength, especially when I made some progress in changing and maintaining my new way of life, for without Him I am nothing.

Your body is the temple of the Living God! Live Well in His Name! 

To Eat or Not to Eat?...Before A Workout

God day! Just a quick question and some encouragement for you today. I hope the weekend was awesome and restful. The weekend can often be one of the toughest times of the week for us to stay motivated and committed to our new lifestyles. On weekends we tend to have a more relaxed schedule so our planned eating and execise often falls by the wayside. Be careful of this trap. I hope that you are staying active and keeping up with your goals. What, you say you have no goals?? Can We Talk?! We have to set goals for ourselves for health and fitness just like we do for everything else in our lives, our careers, our families, our finances, our ministries. You get where I am going! Remember if you don't know where you are going, how do you know when you get there? Set some measurable goals. When you reach them we'll all celebrate with you. Deal?

Here's our question. Remember if you want to add a response to the question feel free to leave a comment on the blog or at the email address DearAqua4HisTemple@gmail.com

Dear Aqua

If I'm going to work out in the am, should I eat breakfast first?

Dear Operation...

That really depends on you, your schedule, what you hope to accomplish. If you work out in the morning and eat breakfast first, you need to wait about 30-45 minutes before working out. I worked out in the morning, but didn't have time to eat and wait the full duration of time. So for me working out in the morning meant working out on an empty stomach. If you choose this make sure that you at least drink water prior to workout. 

There are arguments in the literature for the benefits of both (eating before workout and working out on an empty stomach) it just depends on which school of thought you follow. School #1 Working out on an empty stomach to burn more fat OR School #2 working out after a low calorie meal (with carbs and protein) to preserve muscle mass. A protein shake is also a good alternative to a full meal prior to exercise.

Whenever possible I try NOT to work out on an empty stomach. I have seen people work out on an empty stomach get into trouble. They might experience nausea, dizziness, and hypoglycemic episodes. Where experts do agree is never work out on a full stomach. That is probably the take away point. As you get stronger and more fit and learn more about your body, you will find out which strategy works best for you.

Your body is the temple of the Living God! Live Well in His Name!



Oh! My Aching Muscles!!

God day everyone! I hope that you are enjoying life to the fullest! This is what God desires for us. The response from our first communication was overwhelming. Our community is growing! Please make sure you forward as appropriate. Our first in house clinic is in the works. I’ll be giving away 2 personal training sessions with none other than Minister Ronald Marshall of The One Training, LLC. Check him out here. http://www.theonetraining.com/

We also have a testimony from a community member who is winning the war on diabetes through faith, diet, and exercise. Stay tuned! Take the Diabetes Risk Assessment on this blog page. We have great question today which many of us have dealt with and still deal with if we are keeping our workouts fresh and meaningful. Send questions and sign up to be on the distribution list at DearAqua4HisTemple@gmail.com

Dear Aqua

Is there anything I can do to help my sore muscles in between exercising/strength training?

Dear Operation…

Check out this great article on WebMD about muscle soreness. The link is provided below. You've heard it said, "no pain, no gain". I don’t advocate punishing our temples for the sake of fitness. But we do have to push our temples past our personal comfort zones to see results. With that said, unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your perspective, soreness goes with the program. I still get sore if I do a new activity that my muscles haven't "seen" before or "seen" in a while. Not real good news, but the good news IS the muscle is being worked (getting stronger) and conditioned! As long as it is only mild to moderate pain you should be okay to keep exercising, resting the muscles when you are not exercising as much as possible. Heat (hot pack or warm bath), ice, and stretching may also offer some relief. Make sure you are stretching before and after the workout routine. You can also take some over the counter pain relief, an anti-inflammatory. Please see recommendations from the article about more severe pain.

Ah, now what would Jesus say (WWJS) about our sore muscles? Our faith is like a muscle. Just as the muscle must be stretched to the limit of it's endurance in order to grow and be strong, so does our faith. God stretches our faith through trials and testing so that we become strong faithful believers. The pain we feel as we go through testing is meant to draw us nearer to God increasing our faith, love, and dependence on Him, that pain is not meant to move us away from Him. (Side note: The pain we feel after exercise will also draw us closer to God too! Haha! I know I called on Him many times when I was trying to climb a flight of stairs when I started working out). The pain we feel when we train our muscles is also not meant to deter us from exercising but to keep us motivated and moving forward, knowing that the benefit and the victory, just like with God’s testing is on the other side.

Don't let those sore muscles deter you, it is natural. You are in training. You are doing a great job! Celebrate the soreness! Your victory is on the other side!

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/sore-muscles-keep-exercising?page=2

Your body is the temple of the Living God! Live Well in His Name! 

Passion Project ~ 4 His Temple

Hi all

Been a long time. I know. With God's guidance I am starting a new passion project. Here is the opening email. If you want to get on the distribution list, please email me @ DearAqua4HisTemple@gmail.com. The "Dear Aqua" as you will read is a place for sending ALL temple related questions. Your body is a temple of the living God. For now I am combining the blogs, we will see how God evolves this project. So...in the spirit of this blog...Can We Talk?

God day Conquerors!


Welcome to 4 His Temple! Thanks for signing up for this email group. Please feel free to forward this to anyone that you know who wants support and encouragement for feeding their temple. Some of you did not sign up, but I just wanted to inform you of this new passion project and invite you to participate. If you reply with your request to be added to the email group, I will add you to the distribution list.

A little background...I have been informally encouraging people to start eating and living healthier lives to the glory and honor of God through diet and exercise. I got started in 2009 because I was overweight and unhealthy really with no plan to change. Until I stepped on the scale...Ouch! What a reality check! I decided that I would get myself in shape and get my swagga back...ha! Ya feel me?! Seriously, not just that, but how much more could God use me (you, us) if I (we) were healthy and fit? I knew that I could not do it without God's instruction, guidance, and support. We will talk more about that part of the journey as we grow. I just want you to know that you need Jesus if anything I share with you and that you share with one another is going to make any sense. In order for us to be successful on this journey we need a new way of thinking about how we treat our temples. We have to change the way think before we change the way we live. Agreed?

I am just starting with the email, because I felt of sense of urgency in my spirit to get this message out there. We will develop later with how to vblogs, in house clinics for fellowship and support talking about everything we feed our temples including the Word of God. Haha! I told you already that we need Jesus. Did you think we were not going to crack open the Word to accomplish success on this journey? My hope is that we build an online community that translates to real life support and encouragement for those looking to incorporate healthy eating and fitness into their everyday lives.

I don't have all the answers and I don't have a magic bullet, fairy dust or anything that can turn this into a quick fix journey. You may not be able to use everything that I share because it does not fit into YOUR lifestyle. However, your commitment is necessary to look for ways to tweak the information to change your own life and impact the lives of those you love by pulling from what I share and what is shared here by others.

Are you eating well? Do you exercise? Have you surrendered your life to Christ? All of it? Even the part that loves to lie around doing nothing for hours on end? Whew! OK, confession is good for the soul. Let's move on!

So what do YOU do? For now, reply this message to be added to the group. If you are on twitter follow me Favored1Aqua and search for the hashtag #4HisTemple. Send your questions (all things temple related) to this email address DearAqua4HisTemple@gmail.com. We are going to talk about food, exercise, the Word of God, loving the body you have right now and more all in the context of living a life that pleases God. 4 His Temple is your place to be inspired, encouraged, supported, and loved and to give the same as God guides.

What do I do? Send encouragement, support and information about getting started to staying motivated. I'll take your ideas for building and supporting this community. Remember this is YOUR PLACE. I'll share your health and fitness tips, recipes, ideas, struggles and successes with the group and I will answer your questions and share them with the community.

Here is our very first question:

Dear Aqua

What is better choice? Turkey and cheese on wheat or tuna on wheat?

Dear Operation...

Always depends on how much you have. When we think about food, quantity is as important as quality. 80% of weight loss and maintenance is what and how much you eat, exercise counts for the other 20%. You cannot use exercise alone to change your body and maintain health. Are you eating half the sandwich? Turkey is probably the best bet if the tuna has mayo. TIP: Only eat half the cheese. You won't miss the other half in terms of taste, but half the fat and calories are eliminated. TIP: Drink a full glass of water before you eat. TIP: Stop eating BEFORE you are full. The signal from your stomach to your brain that says..."I'm full" is delayed. If you keep eating until you really are full you will feel stuffed.

Okay everyone, that's all I have for now. I am excited about this journey. Can't wait to hear your success stories and hear how you in encouraged others to live and eat well 4 His Temple. Until next time.
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Your body is the temple of the Living God! Live Well in His Name!