Lessons

 Lessons

 

When I got up this morning, February 16, my weather app informed me we had a -17 temperature and a -36 wind chill (did you know weather forecasters didn’t begin to give wind chills until the 60s?  And they really took off with wind chills in the 70s and 80s.)

 What a year this has been, yes?  Derecho, COVID, and extraordinarily cold temps we’ve not experienced in years.  So how is your appetite during these stressful times?  I know I’ve written this before, but it seems like mine is even worse during this time.  I finish breakfast and look at the clock to see how much time I must get through before I can eat lunch.  I begin to plan lunch.

 And after lunch?  Right.  I look at the clock to see how much time I must get through before I can eat supper.  I begin to plan supper.

 But I’ve learned a few lessons about my relationship with food during these past 12 months.

 The more involved I am with a task I am interested in, the less I think about food.  Those tasks can vary--reading, going through old photos, completing a Bible study. . .

I’ve also learned I need to eat vegetables and protein at my meals, for these foods fill me and stay with me longer.

This next lesson we’ve heard many times, but it bears repeating for me.  Do not go grocery shopping when you are hungry.  So why did I head out to do exactly that last evening at 4 p.m.?  By the time I finished shopping, I was ready to grab anything to satisfy my growling stomach.  Even the beef jerky looked good, and I NEVER eat that (one of the few things I don’t eat).

 The Bible verse that comes to mind in light of these lessons is this from Proverbs:  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.”  (Prv. 3:5, Life Application)

 I need to trust the Holy Spirit to guide me in how to use my time, when to eat, what to eat, how much to eat, and when to go grocery shopping.

 

                                                                                                                                     Sharon Witty  

Water, Sleep and Exercise

Three critical elements of a healthy lifestyle are water, sleep and exercise. When we get tired of focusing on what we eat, lei’s try putting the emphasis on these three instead. We may just discover one makes a difference in our weight or hunger.

Drinking water is good for the body. It can suppress our appetite, help burn fat, stimulate metabolism, and even reduce stress by avoiding dehydration.

 

Sleep is critical to a healthy body. Sleep maintains a balance of hormones – even those that trigger cravings. Our bodies need a regular sleep pattern to stay healthy.

 

Exercise – oh, I had to bring that up! Yes, exercise is important to our bodies. Let’s try moving more each day. To reduce sitting is a great place to start. Walking around the house, cleaning, and performing daily tasks all help our bodies perform properly and that leads to good health.

 

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV).

 

Gloria D. Stewart

Fear

 

Fear

 

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you.  I will help you.  I will uphold you with my victorious hand  (Isaiah 41:10 Life Application).

 

            Last week during morning prayer time, I came across this verse.  Reflecting on it, I realized how much I relate to it.

       Often I fear food--I fear accepting an invitation to any gathering that involves food; I fear and crave, at  the same, a buffet line; I fear what others think of my appearance; I fear becoming hungry and not being able to eat for a time; I fear food--period

            As I continued to reflect, I recalled this verse: “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2Timothy 1:7 Life Application).

            Once again, the Spirit moved in my spirit, reminding me of Real Truth.  Food is not my enemy.  Food is one of God’s gifts, given to me to provide nourishment my body needs for good health.

            That gift is accompanied by the gifts of power and self-discipline.  God has given me the power and discipline to eat when it is time to eat, to eat what my body needs at that particular time, and to eat only what my body needs.  Sometimes I think I make this food thing way too difficult.

            The Wise One has it all figured out.  Because God loves me, the Creator has given me all that I need to have a healthy body, using the gifts available to me.

 

                                                                                                                                    Sharon Witty

 

P.S.  God has also given me the self-discipline to shop the outer aisles of the grocery store and avoid the snack aisles 😊.

 

P.P.S Next time, let’s discuss not being dismayed, or discouraged.

Blank Pages

It is a new year and we have blank pages to fill. Are you ready for another year - if it's not too much like 2020? Maybe we can make 2021 a better year by taking control of ourselves. I won't encourage New Year's resolutions because they don't usually last, so let's work on one day at a time instead.

I like having blank pages to fill in and I like having new beginnings; a fresh start, a clean slate. First, I'm going to get rid of all the Christmas treats and goodies left over and stock the kitchen with healthy choices.

All I can do is take eating one day at a time. If I mess up one day by eating too much I'll start fresh the next day and not scold myself too much.

We have blank pages for 2021. Let's try and make the best of each new day and encourage ourselves, not feel defeated.

Eating healthy is a great choice for filling those blank pages. Let's try to get off to a great start this New Year - one day at a time.

"Give me only my daily bread," (Proverbs 30:8b NIV). 

Holiday Baking and Temptations

 This time of year can be challenging in a lot of ways: gift shopping and wrapping, baking and cooking, cleaning and decorating, partying and programs. (Maybe not so much this year, with COVID-19 limitations). However, there is one challenge that remains: wanting to overeat on all the sweet treats that only appear this time of year.

     Traditionally, I have baked my holiday cookies and candies in anticipation of a full house of family for Christmas. That doesn’t seem to be in the picture for this year, so I need to adjust my plans. 

     For several years my daughter-in-law and I got together with my sister-in-law and baked our favorite recipes. We had about six different kinds of cookies that we shared at the end of our day. It was a fun way to get an assortment of sweets.

     Though I don’t need a big array of goodies this year, I’d still like to have a tray of assorted sweets for Christmas Eve. I don’t want the temptation of cookies all season so if I bake I plan to put them in the freezer until they are needed. For me, out-of-sight-out-of-mind works pretty well. 

     It is okay to indulge in those special treats we only get once a year as long as we don’t over indulge. We don’t want to feel deprived, or that might lead to a binge of what we desire.

    ”The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him,” (Romans 14:2-3 NIV).

     Let us eat as our consciences allow and be cautious of judging others.

by Gloria D. Stewart

Food and Nothin' but Food

 

Food and Nothin’ but Food

 

Today I’d like to add to Gloria’s insightful blog of November 5.  She encouraged us to focus on our food, to really taste it by eating slowly.  I read once that we should put down our utensil after each bite and chew 30 times! 

 

The times I have sat down to a holiday meal, eaten quickly and then eaten seconds are many.  Of course, I could have seconds.  Twenty minutes had not yet passed for my brain to realize my belly was full.  That’s how long it takes for our mind to tell us, “Okay, you’re full.  You need to stop eating now.”

 

Since reading that article, I have slowed down my eating, and it has helped me with the amount of food I eat.  BUT (seems like there’s always a “but,” doesn’t it) I’m still not focusing on my food.

 

When my husband died twenty years ago, I determined I was not going to watch TV when I ate but was going to sit at table.  I’ve done well with that, BUT (yep, here comes another one). . .

 

I began to read while I was eating.  Then I progressed to playing “Words with Friends” on my phone--DISASTER.  I can finish a whole meal without having tasted a bite.

 

Admittedly, it’s hard to sit at table alone to eat a meal, yet God has blessed me with food to eat so that I can nourish my body.  A healthy body enables me to serve the Holy One.

 

I’ve pretty much let go of reading at table, and I’m trying to wean myself off “Words.”   I find being present to my food, eating slowly makes a difference in the amount of food I eat and in my enjoyment of my food.

 

We know that God gives us “good gifts” (Mt. 7:11, Life Application).  I need to be grateful during this Thanksgiving time for God’s gifts to me, one of them being food.  Perhaps one of the ways I can show God my gratitude is to be aware of my food by eating slowly and focusing on my food and nothing else.

 

Gloria and I pray each of you readers a Blessed, Safe Thanksgiving.

 

                                                                                                                                    Sharon Witty

 

Mindful Eating

How often do we hurry through a meal, barely tasting the food we ate? Hurry is the most common culprit for mindless eating. It can lead to over-eating when we haven’t given our stomachs time to register our fullness in our brains.

 

Mindful eating is a good practice that helps us focus on what we are eating. A slower method of eating allows us to focus on the aroma of the food, the beauty of the food’s presentation, and the real taste of the food.

 

“A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work,” (Ecclesiastes 2:24 NIV).

 

We need to be present when we eat – paying attention to each bite and savoring the flavor and fillingness of the food. We should allow ourselves to feel satisfaction after a meal.

 

This month of thankfulness is a good time to be mindful as we eat our meals. We are fortunate to have food to eat; let us praise God for our blessings – one bite at a time.

 

by Gloria D. Stewart