How Am I Doing? 30 Day Challenge Day 20

Can you believe it? Just 10 more days to go on your 30 Day Challenge! Stay with it. Don't give up now. Press into Jesus and press through these next 10 days fully committed to the work you started. Can We Talk?!

Ask yourself...how am I doing on this challenge? Be honest! Nobody is looking but you and God. Maybe you ate something you said you wouldn't during this 30 days. Maybe you didn't wake up every morning and have that quiet time with God. Maybe you celebrated too much and gave into that piece of cake or glass of wine. Seriously, it is not the end of the world and more importantly God doesn't love you any less.

What I hope you get from this 30 days is that through Christ you have the strength and power to change your life. If you recognized that you overindulged, haven't been in fellowship with the Lord, or that you skipped a workout AND you sought to rectify that you are achieving success on this journey. Remember when you had no recognition. You were just eating any and everything whenever you wanted it and exercise was not even an afterthought? You prayed only on Sunday at church, but longed for a conversation with God during the week. Remember that time? Well, now it is long gone and you started a new life! You had a breakthrough. Look at you Overcomer!

I hope that you are learning to discipline yourself spiritually, physically, and emotionally during this last 20 days to deal with what's eating you so you can deal with what and how much you are eating. Maybe you have a heatlthy diet but you just don't like exercising. I feel you. Trust me. When I first started this journey I questioned God about every session. Are you sure Lord? Now I look forward to working out (most days that is). I hope this 20 days has given you a passion for moving your body!

Let's face it folks, we are getting older and it is in our best interest to move our bodies as much as we can while we still can. The earlier we start the better. Teach your children the value of a good healthy lifestyle that includes exercise. I'm praying that the Lord will give us a long healthy active life until we meet Jesus on the other side. Hopefully, another benefit of this 30 day challenge is that your children have seen you and you are setting a good example of how to live a healthy life that honors and glorifies our God.

As I have been talking to people throughout this 30 days I have made some interesting observations about what people think about health, food, and fitness. I want to share them with you in case you hold some of these ideas too.

•  Thin does not equate to healthy. Exercise has more benefits than just weight loss.
• You cannot out exercise a bad diet. Period. You have to add exercise to your life and you have to make some changes in food choices.
• Vegetarian is not synonymous with healthy. 
• Just because a food package has healthy, wheat, or organic on it doesn't make it true. Read the label and ingredients.
• There is a mountain of information and how to tips out there. Be a careful consumer. Not every diet and exercise tip is going to work for you or fit into your lifestyle. To maintain the new tip it has to work for you or you have to make changes to make it work.
• It is implausible to believe that you will never overindulge again or have something fattening that you have given up once you start eating healthy. It is going to happen so don't beat yourself up about it.

What's For Dinner?

Here are the recipes I promised. Also made some great fish tacos. Let me know if you want the recipe. Picture below.

Praise-Worthy Pepper Crusted Tuna

• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon paprika

• ¼ cayenne pepper

• 2 (6-oz) Ahi steak, about 1 1/2" thick

• 2 tbsp fresh coarsely ground black pepper

• Olive oil

• Field greens

• Fresh Fruit

• 2 Tbsp Salad dressing (light vinaigrette)

In a small bowl combine the spice mixture…combine salt, coriander, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Lightly coat fish in olive oil so that pepper and seasoning stay on the fish. Lay the tuna steaks out on a plate, and sprinkle the spice mixture evenly on both sides. Then roll the tuna in the ground pepper (coating the sides of the tuna) and gently press it in so that it adheres to the surface, being careful not to smash the flesh. Place tuna in a very hot lightly olive oil coated skillet. Cook until desired temp. 2-4 minutes of each side. Rare tuna ~ 2 mins. More medium rare ~4 mins. Add the tuna to your favorite salad combination. Here I paired the tuna with field greens, strawberries, cucumbers and red onions.

Heaven Oven Roasted Veggies (Before)



Heavenly Oven Roasted Veggies (After)

Take your favorite fresh veggies, coat them lightly with olive oil, your favorite herbs, and seasonings then roast them at 450-500 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Here I used corn, asparagus, tomatoes, red onions, green beans, carrots, garlic and, red and green peppers. Vegetables should all be relatively the same size for even roasting. I seasoned with kosher salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander, rosemary, thyme, and basil.

Wholly Halibut Fish Taco

Your body is the temple of the Living God. Live well in Him.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

A Journey To Healing Begins With a Single Revelation 30 Day Challenge Day 11

We never know where our revelation is going to come from. Sometimes it is one obedient act in seeking God's grace, goodness, help, or mercy that will lead us to that revelation. We could be reading the Word, talking to our best friends at breakfast, or sitting in church listening to a message. God is not trying to hide anything from us. He wants us to get IT. Whatever your IT is. He wants you to know. Can We Talk?!

This week we spent some time talking about the "how to" of living healthy lives to honor God. I wanted to make sure that we also talk this week about the "want to" of living healthy and why it is so important for us to maintain this way of living for ever. Forever? Is this possible? I only signed on for 30 days! I hear ya. But, no, 30 days is only the beginning. It's the beginning of your new healthier life in Christ.

In the book, Crave, that I mentioned at the beginning of the challenge, the author is talking about defining ourselves by the numbers on a scale and she writes "Define your week by obedience, not by a number on the scale. The scale can only measure how much your body weighs. ...So I had to stop and ask myself the following questions:

Did I overeat this week on any day? No.
Did I move more and exercise regularly? Yes.
Did I feel lighter than I did at this time last Wednesday? Yes.
Did I eat in secret or out of anger or frustration? No.
Did I feel that, at any time, I ran to food instead of to God? Nope.
Before I hopped on the scale, did I think I'd had a successful, God-pleasing week? Yep!
So why oh why do I get tied up in a stupid number?"

So friends as I mentioned before there are lots of ways "how to" lose weight, stay in shape, reach certain fitness and health goals, but our "want to" must come from a desire to be obedient and to please our Father. She also writes in the book "Numbers on the scale are an indication of what your body weighs, NOT an indication of your worth". I hope this helps you settle some inner feelings you might be dealing with in your own journey to a healthier you.

Know that God loves you right where you are right now. He is not waiting to see if you can lose any weight or get through this 30 days without any mistakes before He loves you. Thank Him that! He knew you before you were born and His love for you is infinite and never failing. It is not predicated on the numbers on the scale, your waist size, or anything! Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. God just simply passionately loves you, period! I want you to love you and never let anybody make you feel that you are unworthy or unlovable because of the numbers on the scale.

      
Today we have not so much of a question as a testimony and revelation from a sistah in our community who is learning some of the "how to" by calorie counting. Please remember to pray for one another as we journey together.

Dear Aqua

I tried to start right today. I only have 680 calories out of 1400 for today :(
Inst oatmeal 2 pks plain #cal = 220
Yo crunch lowfat strawberry-banana yogurt 6oz #cal = 180
Cashew pieces 2 oz #cal = 320
(220 + 180 + 320 = 720) OMG - I spent 720 cals on this food.
16 oz H2O. Only 680 cals rest of day. Really an eye opener. Revelation!!! for me. WOW & OUCH.
I'm learning something. Still got my training wheels on. One meal at a time.

M
 I am so glad that you are learning to track your calories. When we first start out it is a good idea to right them down and count them religiously. Once we get better, reach weight and fitness milestones we can eyeball the meal, add the calories then we can move to tracking which is less stringent.

I am also loving the revelation! You could have had more filling meals for 720 calories. Nuts in general are good for you, but make sure you don't over indulge. Have your nuts in a healthy trail mix. Add Cheerios to mix to decrease the calories even more. Try to keep your snacks at no more 200 calories.

We have to know how many calories we are consuming each day if we are going to reach our goals. If you splurge one day on a sweet treat, you should account for the splurge in your dietary totals.

As you move through this process you will learn more about your body and what kinds of modifications work for lifestyle. Ask God to always be your compass so that you can make good choices for your temple.

I am proud of you and thrilled for you. Press on 20 more days to change your life!

Remember that revelation without action is just information. The important step to revelation is the action applied to the information that causes you to move, change, grow and BECOME in Him!

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

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

What's For Dinner Tonight? 30 Day Challenge Day 9

When we start eating healthier we have to learn how to cook our favorite foods in healthier ways. Yeah, no more ham hocks in the beans and bacon in the greens. Don't kill the messenger! Sometimes we miss the gravy and sauces that were staples in our diets and we can get bored with grilled, sauteed, pan-seared. We want something hearty. So many times, it is NOT what we are eating it is how it is prepared. Can We Talk?! 

On this journey to discovering the healthy you that has been screaming to get out, we have to change the way we think about food. I told you this before. This is not a diet, it is a way of life. So, the question is how do I incorporate the foods I like into my new way of thinking and living? Well, only you can really answer that question, because you know what you like. I will give you some observations that I discovered over the past 2 years and you can tweak them and build on them based on your lifestyle.

You don't have to use pork fat to season your food. I know that is a tough one for some of us. But trust me, you can give this up. You can start with using smoked turkey and then gradually work your way to nothing, if that is what you desire. For the 30 Day Challenge I have been eating vegetarian and adding new fruits and veggies to my diet. I did not use any meat to season my food this time.

I like to cook, but I don't like spending all day in the kitchen. I like meals that can be cooked quickly and easily with little effort, but at the same time I want something filling, hearty, and delicious. I discovered that the crockpot is a healthy girls' best friend! Check out these two recipes. I'm a kitchen sink or kitchen pantry sort of cook. I throw everything in pray something good comes from it. Most of time I get it right. I like trying different combinations of seasonings. Don't be afraid to experiment!

 Believer’s Braised Kale

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped peppers (Tricolor)

• ½ cup chopped onions

• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or 2 dashes of cayenne pepper

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 2 bunches of kale (cleaned and torn into pieces)

• 2 cups low sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable stock

• Capful of apple cider vinegar

• ½ cup of red wine

• 2 bay leaves

                                 • 3 sprigs of thyme

Directions

Wash Kale in a sink of cold water, filling the sink several times until the bottom of the sink is clean. Place all ingredients in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Greens should be tender.

Switch It Up: If you don't like Kale you can substitute any greens you like. The cooking time will decrease for greens like Swiss Chard. Mustard greens and collard greens will be about the same time.

Spirited Spicy Navy Beans

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Navy beans rinsed and drained

• ½ cup chopped peppers (Tricolor)

• ½ cup chopped onions and celery

• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 dashes each of ground coriander, ginger, oregano, cumin, chili powder
• 4 gloves of chopped garlic
• 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1 – 8 ounce can of chopped chipotle tomatoes
Directions
Place all ingredients in the crock pot on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 7-8 hours. Beans should be tender and broth should start to thicken. Serve with brown rice.

Switch It Up: Don't like navy beans, try pinto beans or your favorite type of beans. Add some ground turkey, chicken, or beef to the beans. Use a smoked turkey leg to season the beans. Use tomatoes with no flavor for less heat. Add 1 cup chopped (large chunks) carrots.

Some other observations:

Swiss Chard reminds me of spinach in both taste and texture.

Kale doesn't remind me of anything I've ever eaten before. Except for when I was a kid eating grass. Haha! It's good though. I promise.

Eating vegetarian and getting in the proper amount of daily protein is challenging.

The first time I had vegetable stir I really missed meat. Not so much the meat  itself, but the fat from the meat marrying with the veggies when cooked together.

Drinking 90 ounces of water a day is VERY challenging. (We'll talk about H20 consumption later)

Think you're eating healthy? Before that first bite "google" what you are eating to find out how many calories and calories from fat you will be consuming. For example...How many calories in a cup of brocolli and cheese soup from Jason's deli? or How many calories in a subway meatball sub or How many calories in a piece of fried chicken? You just might make other choices.

You have recipes or observations that you would like to share? Love to share them with the community.

Ask me how to make these dishes.

Heavenly Oven Roasted Veggies

Before Roasting

After Roasting

Praise-Worthy Pepper-Crusted Tuna Salad

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



Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Guess Whose Been Cooking?

I wanted to share with you an email from a community member. I hope this post encourages you and motivates you to keep living well in His name. Her email is a prime example of how we have to change our minds before we change our lives. Can We Talk?!  

A life of healthy eating and exercise requires a lifestyle change and discipline. Plain and simple. She was someone who did not like cooking. Now she is cooking, tracking calories, and exercising. Planning ahead is another key to consistency in healthy living. She is also including her children in her workout program. Having a workout partner helps you stay on track, motivated, and provides support and accountability.

If you have encouragement, recipes or testimony for others in our community please email me. I would love to hear about your progress. Having trouble staying focused, we want to help. Got questions? Email us Enjoy and be encouraged! 

Dear Aqua 

Guess who's been cooking (trying anyway)??? Cooked my lunch for tomorrow...Sweet chili shrimp w/ brown rice plus a banana for my desert...435 calories

For breakfast...my rendition of Starbucks protein plate...1 hard boiled egg, 1/4 of a granny smith apple w/ 1 tbsp of Jif omega-3 peanut butter, and 1/2 of a fiber one oats and strawberry with almonds bar...255 calories

Planned my dinner also...Marinated grilled salmon fillet and baked sweet potato slices with 1 tbsp of smart balance olive oil spread and a dash of cinnamon...380 calories

I have planned a healthy mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack totaling....174 calories.....For a total of 1244 calories. After my workout I will earn 293 calories...A protein muscle recovery shake and the other half of my fiber one bar will be 290 calories. If I stick to this workout plan and eating plan I will lose 5.8 lbs in 5 weeks.

Thanks for telling me about the myfitnesspal...it's the greatest. Got my son working out with me. We pray before each workout. He's trying to get in better shape before summer...he pushes me on the days I don't feel like it & I push him on the days he don't feel like it....and on the days that neither one of us feel like it...the Holy Spirit is pushing us...pray for us. And post more recipes...I kinda like cooking...

Luv ya...and keep on being a blessing! J
 
Dear J
 
This brings me great joy! Great joy! I am praying for you and your family. Love, love the calorie tracking. It is major to stay on target. And look at you and your baby....see what an impact YOU have on others! What a great legacy!!

I know this is just a snapshot, but looks like you need to add some plants to your diet. Remember your fruits and veggies! Make it easy on yourself and prepare lunch for the whole week. When I am really on my game, I cook 2 meals on Saturday or Sunday to last me for lunch and dinner for the week. Get those small containers and store it in fridge in servings that are ready to take, heat, and eat.

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

Holiday Eating Caution

Hello Conquerors!

Last week we celebrated the resurrection of our risen Savior! I pray that your Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday were all that you wanted and needed. We know as faithful believers that we could not have the power and glory of the Resurrection without the sorrow and pain of the Crucifixion. Jesus came to die. We thank God for this sacrifice and we are grateful that death was not the final answer. He got up with all power, might, dominion, and sovereignty in His hands. He holds the keys to hell, death, and the grave. He is alive and He lives in us! Glory to God!

As we continue on our journey to caring for our temples we must be mindful of the snares and pitfalls of holiday eating. For me staying on track with my diet becomes more difficult on holidays because food can be the center of many of our celebrations. Once I get off track after a day or two of partaking in the holiday fare, I find myself on a slippery slope of undisciplined and unplanned eating. Does this happen to you?

First we have to be aware of the issue. (OK, I just told you, were you listening?). Holiday eating can be a danger to staying on track with your new healthier lifestyle. The danger lies in the amount of food, sometimes the preparation of the food, and in the fact that we often choose to forgo exercise during the holiday.

Secondly, we have to come up with a plan to enjoy our favorite foods in moderation. Listen, I eat the foods that I like, I just don't eat as much and I try to prepare my favs in a healthier way. If I am not the chef I just keep the portions small. Try not to make a big deal out of what you can and cannot eat, being picky can take all the joy of sharing a meal together. Make the fellowship the most important part of your gathering, not food.

Thirdly, be prepared to start your healthy eating routine immediately after the holiday is over. Stock the fridge with the food you routinely eat. Prepare a healthy meal and have it ready. Skip the take home plates or as my family calls them "to go CARTS". What?! You need a cart to take the leftover food home? These yummy treats keep us off track well after the holiday is but a distant memory.

Lastly, enjoy yourself! Enjoy your time with friends and family as you celebrate, fully committing to enjoying the food you are eating without feelings of guilt, shame, or defeat. We are not defeated because we get off track. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus who loves us. God wants us to live in health and abundance, not in guilt and shame.

I speak God's blessings over you, your family, your journey in Him to a healthier temple. Whatever you need, God will supply it according to His great love and abundant riches. 

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

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!