Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Balanced Health
Two of my primary passions are cooking and eating. For me, the excitement begins by choosing as many fresh and organic ingredients as possible. Then my imagination runs wild as I create most of my own healthy recipes based on the plethora of foods from my kitchen or my own backyard.
If I have three organic chicken breasts, some fresh bell peppers, cilantro, and cheese, then I opt for sizzling fajitas. If I get down to a bare cupboard with flour, sugar, and salt, then I go for some amazing crepes, filled with eggs and cheese (while I send my hubby to the store for some sweet strawberries and whipped cream).
The key is working with what you've already got at home. If you have to run out for ten more ingredients (some that you've never even heard of), you're less likely to cook from home. And that's when take-out starts to sound like a cheaper and better option. But it's not!
The thing about well-rounded but tasteful cooking, is that you have to indulge frequently. Scrumptious consumption occurs by using high quality ingredients, such as organic and responsibly grown fruits and veggies reflecting every color of the rainbow. These colorful choices reward your taste buds while providing healthful antioxidants and vitamins.
But you've got to try new things! Instead of just carrots and broccoli, saute some eggplant and blueberries as well. Add in your favorite meat with some olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar; then toss the cornucopia of flavors over some rice or noodles.
The payoff of cooking with decadent ingredients is that you're more likely to savor each bite while also eating less. And when it comes time for dessert, opt for a metered helping of a lavish dessert or you could enhance the dining experience with a larger portion of low-fat sorbet or sherbet. Don't deny yourself, just eat smarter!
Balanced eating affects your overall health. If you nourish your body and mind with the stuff God cares about, then you will stop eating when your body says you are full. You'll also feel more motivated to exercise as you care for God's temple, which is your body (Romans 12).
I have frequently found myself in the trap of eating just because it makes me feel better. Or, I'll go for another soda instead of water because I feel tired. But that's when we need to turn our thoughts over to the Lord. Ask Him to give you self control. Trust Him to give you more energy!
God cares about your eating and exercise habits and wants to give you wisdom about your body and your overall physical and mental health. Take a walk and meditate on God's goodness instead of spending two hours on Facebook. Try to walk away from those menacing M&Ms since you've already eaten two hand-fulls today. Remember that God is your strength:
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:26).
As you cook with healthy and environmentally friendly ingredients, you will take pride in your culinary masterpieces and will feel good about yourself and God's planet. By choosing great eco-friendly foods, you will never compromise on life's daily indulgences.
Also, remember to surround your table with love, no matter what you're serving. Even when budgets are tight, take heart in this verse from Proverbs:
"Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred" (15:17).
Finally, as you carefully choose what foods fill your mouth this summer, always TAKE TIME TO PRAISE our KING:
"My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long" (Psalm 71:8).
If I have three organic chicken breasts, some fresh bell peppers, cilantro, and cheese, then I opt for sizzling fajitas. If I get down to a bare cupboard with flour, sugar, and salt, then I go for some amazing crepes, filled with eggs and cheese (while I send my hubby to the store for some sweet strawberries and whipped cream).
The key is working with what you've already got at home. If you have to run out for ten more ingredients (some that you've never even heard of), you're less likely to cook from home. And that's when take-out starts to sound like a cheaper and better option. But it's not!
The thing about well-rounded but tasteful cooking, is that you have to indulge frequently. Scrumptious consumption occurs by using high quality ingredients, such as organic and responsibly grown fruits and veggies reflecting every color of the rainbow. These colorful choices reward your taste buds while providing healthful antioxidants and vitamins.
But you've got to try new things! Instead of just carrots and broccoli, saute some eggplant and blueberries as well. Add in your favorite meat with some olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar; then toss the cornucopia of flavors over some rice or noodles.
The payoff of cooking with decadent ingredients is that you're more likely to savor each bite while also eating less. And when it comes time for dessert, opt for a metered helping of a lavish dessert or you could enhance the dining experience with a larger portion of low-fat sorbet or sherbet. Don't deny yourself, just eat smarter!
Balanced eating affects your overall health. If you nourish your body and mind with the stuff God cares about, then you will stop eating when your body says you are full. You'll also feel more motivated to exercise as you care for God's temple, which is your body (Romans 12).
I have frequently found myself in the trap of eating just because it makes me feel better. Or, I'll go for another soda instead of water because I feel tired. But that's when we need to turn our thoughts over to the Lord. Ask Him to give you self control. Trust Him to give you more energy!
God cares about your eating and exercise habits and wants to give you wisdom about your body and your overall physical and mental health. Take a walk and meditate on God's goodness instead of spending two hours on Facebook. Try to walk away from those menacing M&Ms since you've already eaten two hand-fulls today. Remember that God is your strength:
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:26).
As you cook with healthy and environmentally friendly ingredients, you will take pride in your culinary masterpieces and will feel good about yourself and God's planet. By choosing great eco-friendly foods, you will never compromise on life's daily indulgences.
Also, remember to surround your table with love, no matter what you're serving. Even when budgets are tight, take heart in this verse from Proverbs:
"Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred" (15:17).
Finally, as you carefully choose what foods fill your mouth this summer, always TAKE TIME TO PRAISE our KING:
"My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long" (Psalm 71:8).
Labels: balance, faith, food, health
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Learn to carry less
As I was walking out the door to take my littlest one to gymnastics, I was struck by a thought-provoking observation. She was holding my over-sized purse and announced, "Mom, I can't carry it; it's too heavy." So, I responded, "Well, just set it down then." It hit me that as a mom, I often do the same thing; I inevitably take on more than I can carry.
At first glance, this might seem insignificant; but, for some of you, it really hits home. My daughter was trying to be sweet by helping me beyond her actual ability. And even though it was making her uncomfortable, she still wanted to lift my bag to show that she could.
As moms, we frequently say, "Sure, I can cut out those 150 cowboy paper hats for the preschool," even though we're getting buried amongst the plethora of laundry piles flooding our hallways. But, this means we don't have time for that workout at the gym.
We say, "Sure, I'll be team-mom for my son's baseball team," even though we have 100s of emails flooding our in-boxes and piles of dishes attacking our kitchen sinks. This simple "Sure..." adds tons of extra tasks to our weekly list: snacks, the team banner, snack-bar, the team party, and the achievement certificates, etc. The result is very little free-time for that overdue hair-cut or manicure!
In addition to cut-outs and team-mom duty, we volunteer once a week at the elementary school so we can show our kids that we care. It feels worthwhile because we get to interact with their friends and the teachers as well. But, when do we get to catch up on the grocery shopping or the checkbook?
Granted, it's rewarding to offer our skills, especially for those of us who work primarily out of the home. For instance, I really enjoy translating documents into Spanish for a teacher who needs to communicate with a Hispanic student's non-English-speaking parents. But, it is one more item on my list, which means I don't get to do that "something else" for myself.
When we do all of these altruistic acts in the names of love and charity, we end up depleted and totally stressed out. Well, some of us...the ones who aren't SUPER MOM! And maybe you never feel tired or strung out, but speaking for the collective "mom" community, I think most of us are running on fumes.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't commit to any of these great services; it would disappoint me to miss out on some of these amazing opportunities. But, we should prioritize by picking a few helpful projects, rather than trying to do them all at the same time.
Some people are really good at saying, "No...I'm just too busy." Others are too sweet and nice all the time; they feel an obligation to say "YES" to everything. So my advice, as on most things, is to FIND BALANCE. Agree to help with the most significant things and people; learn to turn down some of the other requests.
Give yourself permission to let someone else serve this time. You can always sign up for snack-duty the following month or cut out the Valentine's hearts in February instead of turkeys in November. You should enjoy a hot bubble bath or that fabulous novel while it's nice and chilly out, NOW! Or bake that pumpkin pie this morning because you happen to have an extra forty minutes to do so.
Enjoy the upcoming holidays with a little bit more time for yourself. Share how you've learned to carry less by saying "No" to some things. We'd love to hear from you. :)
At first glance, this might seem insignificant; but, for some of you, it really hits home. My daughter was trying to be sweet by helping me beyond her actual ability. And even though it was making her uncomfortable, she still wanted to lift my bag to show that she could.
As moms, we frequently say, "Sure, I can cut out those 150 cowboy paper hats for the preschool," even though we're getting buried amongst the plethora of laundry piles flooding our hallways. But, this means we don't have time for that workout at the gym.
We say, "Sure, I'll be team-mom for my son's baseball team," even though we have 100s of emails flooding our in-boxes and piles of dishes attacking our kitchen sinks. This simple "Sure..." adds tons of extra tasks to our weekly list: snacks, the team banner, snack-bar, the team party, and the achievement certificates, etc. The result is very little free-time for that overdue hair-cut or manicure!
In addition to cut-outs and team-mom duty, we volunteer once a week at the elementary school so we can show our kids that we care. It feels worthwhile because we get to interact with their friends and the teachers as well. But, when do we get to catch up on the grocery shopping or the checkbook?
Granted, it's rewarding to offer our skills, especially for those of us who work primarily out of the home. For instance, I really enjoy translating documents into Spanish for a teacher who needs to communicate with a Hispanic student's non-English-speaking parents. But, it is one more item on my list, which means I don't get to do that "something else" for myself.
When we do all of these altruistic acts in the names of love and charity, we end up depleted and totally stressed out. Well, some of us...the ones who aren't SUPER MOM! And maybe you never feel tired or strung out, but speaking for the collective "mom" community, I think most of us are running on fumes.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't commit to any of these great services; it would disappoint me to miss out on some of these amazing opportunities. But, we should prioritize by picking a few helpful projects, rather than trying to do them all at the same time.
Some people are really good at saying, "No...I'm just too busy." Others are too sweet and nice all the time; they feel an obligation to say "YES" to everything. So my advice, as on most things, is to FIND BALANCE. Agree to help with the most significant things and people; learn to turn down some of the other requests.
Give yourself permission to let someone else serve this time. You can always sign up for snack-duty the following month or cut out the Valentine's hearts in February instead of turkeys in November. You should enjoy a hot bubble bath or that fabulous novel while it's nice and chilly out, NOW! Or bake that pumpkin pie this morning because you happen to have an extra forty minutes to do so.
Enjoy the upcoming holidays with a little bit more time for yourself. Share how you've learned to carry less by saying "No" to some things. We'd love to hear from you. :)
Labels: balance, family, kids, moms
