Sometimes readers of the Bible see the conditions that God lays down for his blessing and they conclude from these conditions that our action is first and decisive, then God responds to bless us.
That is not right.
There are indeed real conditions that God often commands. We must meet them for the promised blessing to come. But that does not mean that we are left to ourselves to meet the conditions or that our action is first and decisive.
Here is one example to show what I mean.
In Jeremiah 29:13 God says to the exiles in Babylon, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” So there is a condition: When you seek me with all your heart, then you will find me. So we must seek the Lord. That is the condition of finding him.
True.
But does that mean that we are left to ourselves to seek the Lord? Does it mean that our action of seeking him is first and decisive? Does it mean that God only acts after our seeking?
No.
Listen to what God says in Jeremiah 24:7 to those same exiles in Babylon: “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.”
So the people will meet the condition of returning to God with their whole heart. God will respond by being their God in the fullest blessing. But the reason they returned with their whole heart is that God gave them a heart to know him. His action was first and decisive.
So now connect that with Jeremiah 29:13. The condition there was that they seek the Lord with their whole heart. Then God will be found by them. But now we see that the promise in Jeremiah 24:7 is that God himself will give them such a heart so that they will return to him with their whole heart.
This is one of the most basic things people need to see about the Bible. It is full of conditions we must meet for God’s blessings. But God does not leave us to meet them on our own. The first and decisive work before and in our willing is God’s prior grace. Without this insight, hundreds of conditional statements in the Bible will lead us astray.
Let this be the key to all Biblical conditions and commands: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13). Yes, we work. But our work is not first or decisive. God’s is. “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
John Piper
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
How To Survive Halloween
It’s that time of year again, the time that most children love and many parents cringe over: Halloween.
Even if you are not a fan of this holiday, you can use Halloween’s usual candy-fest as a "sweet" opportunity to teach your children lessons in health and nutrition.
Children are naturally drawn to salty, sugary, and unhealthy fatty foods, so this time of year is almost irresistible to them with all the free candy, cookies, cakes and other sugary “goodies” that are literally poured into their hands. Research shows that sugar suppresses the body's immune system - particularly problematic as we're now in the much-publicized cold and flu season, with the additional risk of H1N1 swine flu. Sugar can also be destructive to your family's health in a host of other ways.
With a little planning and foresight, you can help your kids control some of those natural cravings, moderate their sugar consumption and impart some terrific nutritional good sense in the process! Here are seven suggestions to help take the trick out of the treats your children bring home this Halloween:
Send your children out with a full stomach. Give them a good wholesome meal making sure it’s low in sugar, starches and bleached white flour. Prepare high protein meals like chicken or beef with veggies like green beans, broccoli, salad and/or carrot sticks. Have them drink lots of water and minimize any sugary drinks including juices, soft drinks, and sports drinks before going out. Remind the kids that since they’ll be eating candies tonight, the deal is that they have to eat a good dinner. They will be motivated to eat up so they can get started.
Offer to buy your children's candy from them. Even if it's 5 or 10 cents per piece, it’s worth not having them consume the unhealthy sugars, dyes and other chemicals in the “treats” for days or weeks on end.
Have your kids trade in their sweets for a better treat. Even if the trade is for one or more of their favorite desserts this is a much better option. Make a special event of it by taking them to their favorite dessert destination.
Offer to trade those bad treats for healthier activities like going to a movie, putt-putt golfing, bowling or some other fun family outing. The few hours you invest in having fun will make a special memory that will last much longer than a lollipop.
Offer to take your children on a trip to the health food store and let them discover healthier alternatives. Discover new treats like healthy CocoChia® Snack Fuel Bars or natural chocolate, carob, yogurt-coated nuts and raisins. The list is endless! Remember treats are fun, not staples in your diet.
Teach your older children to read labels and ingredient lists. Encourage them to avoid “goodies” with hydrogenated oils and artificial colors. Making them an active part of their nutritional choices now will lead them to making healthier lifestyle choices later in life.
Offer the trick-or-treaters who come to your home healthy treats like packets of nuts, seeds, raisins, beef jerky, popcorn or pretzels. Take the dollars you'd spend on the treats and convert them to loose change, passing out the coins to the kids. Take a stand and set a trend!
A safe and healthy Halloween is something all parents want for their children. Teaching children how to enjoy themselves without over-indulging can set the pattern for healthy lives and stop the disturbing increase in obesity that has become a major public health concern.
Great tips from livingfuel.com of whom we are official dealers of please let us know how we can help you.
Even if you are not a fan of this holiday, you can use Halloween’s usual candy-fest as a "sweet" opportunity to teach your children lessons in health and nutrition.
Children are naturally drawn to salty, sugary, and unhealthy fatty foods, so this time of year is almost irresistible to them with all the free candy, cookies, cakes and other sugary “goodies” that are literally poured into their hands. Research shows that sugar suppresses the body's immune system - particularly problematic as we're now in the much-publicized cold and flu season, with the additional risk of H1N1 swine flu. Sugar can also be destructive to your family's health in a host of other ways.
With a little planning and foresight, you can help your kids control some of those natural cravings, moderate their sugar consumption and impart some terrific nutritional good sense in the process! Here are seven suggestions to help take the trick out of the treats your children bring home this Halloween:
Send your children out with a full stomach. Give them a good wholesome meal making sure it’s low in sugar, starches and bleached white flour. Prepare high protein meals like chicken or beef with veggies like green beans, broccoli, salad and/or carrot sticks. Have them drink lots of water and minimize any sugary drinks including juices, soft drinks, and sports drinks before going out. Remind the kids that since they’ll be eating candies tonight, the deal is that they have to eat a good dinner. They will be motivated to eat up so they can get started.
Offer to buy your children's candy from them. Even if it's 5 or 10 cents per piece, it’s worth not having them consume the unhealthy sugars, dyes and other chemicals in the “treats” for days or weeks on end.
Have your kids trade in their sweets for a better treat. Even if the trade is for one or more of their favorite desserts this is a much better option. Make a special event of it by taking them to their favorite dessert destination.
Offer to trade those bad treats for healthier activities like going to a movie, putt-putt golfing, bowling or some other fun family outing. The few hours you invest in having fun will make a special memory that will last much longer than a lollipop.
Offer to take your children on a trip to the health food store and let them discover healthier alternatives. Discover new treats like healthy CocoChia® Snack Fuel Bars or natural chocolate, carob, yogurt-coated nuts and raisins. The list is endless! Remember treats are fun, not staples in your diet.
Teach your older children to read labels and ingredient lists. Encourage them to avoid “goodies” with hydrogenated oils and artificial colors. Making them an active part of their nutritional choices now will lead them to making healthier lifestyle choices later in life.
Offer the trick-or-treaters who come to your home healthy treats like packets of nuts, seeds, raisins, beef jerky, popcorn or pretzels. Take the dollars you'd spend on the treats and convert them to loose change, passing out the coins to the kids. Take a stand and set a trend!
A safe and healthy Halloween is something all parents want for their children. Teaching children how to enjoy themselves without over-indulging can set the pattern for healthy lives and stop the disturbing increase in obesity that has become a major public health concern.
Great tips from livingfuel.com of whom we are official dealers of please let us know how we can help you.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Motivation, Determination, & Destination
These are 3 must have components for achieving anything in life that is worth pursuing. The problem is that our default status is one of laziness and contentment. There are times for both but neither one has a place in pursuing a life changing physical, spiritual and mental make overs.
What make over?
The one that helps you loose weight by learning the science behind the food you eat and growing spiritually in a way that you never thought possible. Sounds like a massive undertaking but I assure it is worth it and doable with the 3 things listed above.
Motivation- This will come from a competent personal trainer and spiritual coach but you must come with a level of motivation to see it through.
I cannot give this to you and I will not try, you have to want it. That means you have to get excited about what could be spiritually, physically and mentally. If you can do that then there is a lot we can accomplish.
Determination- Another thing that I cannot give you, having determination will get you through the low times whether they be cravings, pain, injury and time. Determination is that glare in your eye at the end of a growling workout that says "I got 10 more in me". Or "I failed eating right but I WILL do better today".
Destination- Arguably the most important of the 3 but cannot exist without the others and also cannot be given to you. A goal, a place to get to, a destination, is the only way to get to a location without driving in circles. Stopping and starting again and again is a good example of not having something to work towards. Simple or complex big or small whatever they are, you need to set them ahead of you and make them attainable.
Now go to the website and stop making excuses!
Get your butt in gear and in shape before you see your family during the holidays and learn how to survive them.
What make over?
The one that helps you loose weight by learning the science behind the food you eat and growing spiritually in a way that you never thought possible. Sounds like a massive undertaking but I assure it is worth it and doable with the 3 things listed above.
Motivation- This will come from a competent personal trainer and spiritual coach but you must come with a level of motivation to see it through.
I cannot give this to you and I will not try, you have to want it. That means you have to get excited about what could be spiritually, physically and mentally. If you can do that then there is a lot we can accomplish.
Determination- Another thing that I cannot give you, having determination will get you through the low times whether they be cravings, pain, injury and time. Determination is that glare in your eye at the end of a growling workout that says "I got 10 more in me". Or "I failed eating right but I WILL do better today".
Destination- Arguably the most important of the 3 but cannot exist without the others and also cannot be given to you. A goal, a place to get to, a destination, is the only way to get to a location without driving in circles. Stopping and starting again and again is a good example of not having something to work towards. Simple or complex big or small whatever they are, you need to set them ahead of you and make them attainable.
Now go to the website and stop making excuses!
Get your butt in gear and in shape before you see your family during the holidays and learn how to survive them.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sprouted Breads
Sprouted Bread Click Here
This link I found is both informative and accurate about the health benefits of sprouted bread. I have been using Sprouted breads for years and highly recommend the Ezekiel brand of sprouted bread. Their cinnamon raison goes great with my eggs and turkey bacon in the morning and is a way healthier and easily assimilated whole carb and protein source. Not to mention the amino acids and high vitamin content.
If you are trying to loose weight limit your intake of grains and sugars having only one slice a day.
If you are trying to gain weight try having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on sprouted bread before bed.
Get out there and enjoy health foods!
This link I found is both informative and accurate about the health benefits of sprouted bread. I have been using Sprouted breads for years and highly recommend the Ezekiel brand of sprouted bread. Their cinnamon raison goes great with my eggs and turkey bacon in the morning and is a way healthier and easily assimilated whole carb and protein source. Not to mention the amino acids and high vitamin content.
If you are trying to loose weight limit your intake of grains and sugars having only one slice a day.
If you are trying to gain weight try having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on sprouted bread before bed.
Get out there and enjoy health foods!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Why Was Zedekiah Roasted In The Fire?
The horrors of physical suffering correspond to the horrors of moral and spiritual outrage. Sometimes this means that people's suffering is directly correlated with their immorality and belittling of God. This will be the case, for example, with the eternal suffering of hell. It will correspond in perfectly just measure with the outrage of an individual's sin.
But often the correlation is indirect. Everyone suffers physically because of the outrage of Adam's sin, and because of God's subjecting all of creation to futility (Romans 8:20). But these sufferings do not all correspond to an individual's particular sins. All physical suffering corresponds to moral and spiritual outrage, but not all suffering corresponds directly to individual sins.
What is stunning and essential to see is that physical horrors correspond to spiritual horrors. God knows that we do not feel horrible about the spiritual horror of our sin. We take it lightly. But we get very angry and very agitated and very indignant about the horrors of our physical suffering. So God correlates the two in order to make plain to us how horrible sin is. Belittling God feels like a light thing to us. Being burned feels huge.
So hell will be physical, not just spiritual, even though the greatest outrages of life are not physical. The greatest outrages of life are spiritual—the demeaning of God by unbelief and indifference and rebellion is the greatest outrage in the universe. It may produce the holocaust or it may produce self-exalting philanthropy. But the magnitude of the moral horror in both cases is mainly Godward. Belittling God's infinite worth is the ultimate outrage.
Here is a picture of what I mean.
God says to the exiles in Babylon concerning the false prophets, Ahab and Zedekiah:
Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: "The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire," because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. (Jeremiah 29:22-23).
I am shocked by the term "roasted." Why such a description? It actually happened, that's why. Nebuchadnezzar roasted them. And why did it happen? Why such an outrageous physical horror and why such an outrageous physical word used to describe it?
Because speaking false things about God and committing adultery does not feel outrageous to us. But roasting someone in the fire does. So God correlates the two so we would learn what is really outrageous in the world. Demeaning God and breaking covenants.
The physical suffering of this age is God's warning: This is how horrible and outrageous sin is. Flee it while there is time. Turn to Christ for forgiveness.
The physical suffering of eternity is God's judgment: This is how horrible and outrageous sin was. Now there is no fleeing. It is too late.
But often the correlation is indirect. Everyone suffers physically because of the outrage of Adam's sin, and because of God's subjecting all of creation to futility (Romans 8:20). But these sufferings do not all correspond to an individual's particular sins. All physical suffering corresponds to moral and spiritual outrage, but not all suffering corresponds directly to individual sins.
What is stunning and essential to see is that physical horrors correspond to spiritual horrors. God knows that we do not feel horrible about the spiritual horror of our sin. We take it lightly. But we get very angry and very agitated and very indignant about the horrors of our physical suffering. So God correlates the two in order to make plain to us how horrible sin is. Belittling God feels like a light thing to us. Being burned feels huge.
So hell will be physical, not just spiritual, even though the greatest outrages of life are not physical. The greatest outrages of life are spiritual—the demeaning of God by unbelief and indifference and rebellion is the greatest outrage in the universe. It may produce the holocaust or it may produce self-exalting philanthropy. But the magnitude of the moral horror in both cases is mainly Godward. Belittling God's infinite worth is the ultimate outrage.
Here is a picture of what I mean.
God says to the exiles in Babylon concerning the false prophets, Ahab and Zedekiah:
Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: "The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire," because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. (Jeremiah 29:22-23).
I am shocked by the term "roasted." Why such a description? It actually happened, that's why. Nebuchadnezzar roasted them. And why did it happen? Why such an outrageous physical horror and why such an outrageous physical word used to describe it?
Because speaking false things about God and committing adultery does not feel outrageous to us. But roasting someone in the fire does. So God correlates the two so we would learn what is really outrageous in the world. Demeaning God and breaking covenants.
The physical suffering of this age is God's warning: This is how horrible and outrageous sin is. Flee it while there is time. Turn to Christ for forgiveness.
The physical suffering of eternity is God's judgment: This is how horrible and outrageous sin was. Now there is no fleeing. It is too late.
Monday, October 26, 2009
New Fitness Plans. Including Food***
Here at Life Fitness Academy we are always trying to come up with new ideas, workout and food plans for your heath and well being. We have recently become affiliates with Living Fuel. Living Fuel leads the nutrition world in purity, potency, quality and truth. Being the Leader in Superfood Nutrition means producing the healthiest and most complete foods available anywhere in the world. Living Fuel nutritional products are made from organic all-natural, whole, raw and potent ingredients. Living Fuel’s position and purpose is to change lives with leading-edge, high-end superfoods.
Most of your new plans include these products and we are excited to offer them to you. All the plans listed below include
1) One grocery trip with your trainer (we will show you what to look for in good ingredients and explain the good and bad food to you);
2) One cooking class for you and two friends. We (the client and I) will pick out a few items and buy the food and we will come to your house and show you how to prepare the foods.
3) A comprehensive guide for eating out. This will help you in your life long journey for health as you vacation or are just looking to go out for the evening.
4) 24/7 accountability and support through phone, email or text. We are always ready to help you no matter if you are trying to choose the right foods at a family dinner or looking for help to resist a late night craving. We love what we do and love helping people just like you!
5) Our whole sale prices on Garden Of Life products as well as our price on LivingFuel. This alone could save you
$100's a year!
Here are our new monthly (30 day) plans:
Silver $980.00
7 days a week home-cooked organic dinners
A complete list of all our recipes
Breakfast and lunch suggestions
Nutrition Coaching and accountability to ensure your success
Personal training 2x a week
Challenging home workouts
Strength and flexibility instruction
Gold $1599.00
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks from Living Fuel products
Living Fuel SuperBerry, Living Fuel SuperGreens, Living Fuel Living Protein, Living Fuel Omega 3&E, and Living Fuel CocoChia Sustained Energy bars.
A complete list of all our recipes including some savory sweet recipes
Nutrition Coaching and accountability to ensure your success
Education on how to choose the right supplements and medications
$40 additional sessions upgrades
Personal training 2x week
Challenging home workouts
Strength and flexibility instruction
Spiritual accountability and help with growth materials, such as books.
Help with balancing stress as it pertains to different areas of your life
Money back guarantee!
Platinum $1699.00
Breakfast and lunches from Living Fuel
Living Fuel SuperBerry, Living Fuel SuperGreens, Living Fuel Living Protein
5 days a week home-cooked organic dinners
A complete list of all our recipes including some savory sweet recipes
Nutrition Coaching and accountability to ensure your success
Education on how to choose the right supplements and medications
$40 additional sessions upgrades
Personal training 2x week
Challenging home workouts
Strength and flexibility instruction
Spiritual accountability and help with growth materials, such as books.
Help with balancing stress as it pertains to different areas of your life
Money back guarantee!
Most of your new plans include these products and we are excited to offer them to you. All the plans listed below include
1) One grocery trip with your trainer (we will show you what to look for in good ingredients and explain the good and bad food to you);
2) One cooking class for you and two friends. We (the client and I) will pick out a few items and buy the food and we will come to your house and show you how to prepare the foods.
3) A comprehensive guide for eating out. This will help you in your life long journey for health as you vacation or are just looking to go out for the evening.
4) 24/7 accountability and support through phone, email or text. We are always ready to help you no matter if you are trying to choose the right foods at a family dinner or looking for help to resist a late night craving. We love what we do and love helping people just like you!
5) Our whole sale prices on Garden Of Life products as well as our price on LivingFuel. This alone could save you
$100's a year!
Here are our new monthly (30 day) plans:
Silver $980.00
7 days a week home-cooked organic dinners
A complete list of all our recipes
Breakfast and lunch suggestions
Nutrition Coaching and accountability to ensure your success
Personal training 2x a week
Challenging home workouts
Strength and flexibility instruction
Gold $1599.00
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks from Living Fuel products
Living Fuel SuperBerry, Living Fuel SuperGreens, Living Fuel Living Protein, Living Fuel Omega 3&E, and Living Fuel CocoChia Sustained Energy bars.
A complete list of all our recipes including some savory sweet recipes
Nutrition Coaching and accountability to ensure your success
Education on how to choose the right supplements and medications
$40 additional sessions upgrades
Personal training 2x week
Challenging home workouts
Strength and flexibility instruction
Spiritual accountability and help with growth materials, such as books.
Help with balancing stress as it pertains to different areas of your life
Money back guarantee!
Platinum $1699.00
Breakfast and lunches from Living Fuel
Living Fuel SuperBerry, Living Fuel SuperGreens, Living Fuel Living Protein
5 days a week home-cooked organic dinners
A complete list of all our recipes including some savory sweet recipes
Nutrition Coaching and accountability to ensure your success
Education on how to choose the right supplements and medications
$40 additional sessions upgrades
Personal training 2x week
Challenging home workouts
Strength and flexibility instruction
Spiritual accountability and help with growth materials, such as books.
Help with balancing stress as it pertains to different areas of your life
Money back guarantee!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Why We Love The Doctrines Of Grace
Unconditional election delivers the harshest and the sweetest judgments to my soul.
That it is unconditional destroys all self-exaltation; and that it is election makes me his treasured possession.
This is one of the beauties of the biblical doctrines of grace: their worst devastations prepare us for their greatest delights.
What prigs we would become at the words, “The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6), if this election were in any way dependent on our will. But to protect us from pride, the Lord teaches us that we are unconditionally chosen (7:7-9). “He made a wretch his treasure,” as we so gladly sing.
Only the devastating freeness and unconditionality of electing grace lets us take and taste such gifts for our very own without the exaltation of self.
-John Piper
That it is unconditional destroys all self-exaltation; and that it is election makes me his treasured possession.
This is one of the beauties of the biblical doctrines of grace: their worst devastations prepare us for their greatest delights.
What prigs we would become at the words, “The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6), if this election were in any way dependent on our will. But to protect us from pride, the Lord teaches us that we are unconditionally chosen (7:7-9). “He made a wretch his treasure,” as we so gladly sing.
Only the devastating freeness and unconditionality of electing grace lets us take and taste such gifts for our very own without the exaltation of self.
-John Piper
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Flavorful Fall Favorites
Roasted Pumpkin and Fall Vegetables
Yield: Approximately 6 servings
Ingredients
One 3 lb. sugar pie pumpkin
1 tablespoon each olive oil and melted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large carrots, sliced
4 small red potatoes, halved and sliced
1 apple, halved, cored and cut in 12 slices
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped, or 1/4 tsp dried
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. and have a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch pan ready. Cut top of pumpkin about 2 inches below stem and scrape out seeds and pulp with a spoon. Mix oil and butter in a small cup and lightly brush some inside pumpkin, then sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt. Place cut side down at one side of the pan and pile carrots, potatoes, apple, onion and garlic at other end of pan—and drizzle with remaining oil mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining salt, the thyme and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread out.
Roast 30 minutes, turning vegetables over once. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F., turn pumpkin over and continue roasting 15 minutes--turning vegetables once more, until vegetables and pumpkin are tender. Fill pumpkin with vegetables and cut in wedges to serve.
Kale and Yams
Yield: Approximately 4 servings
Ingredients
1 large bunch kale, 4 cups chopped, pressed firm
4 cups Garnet yam, rinsed well, chopped
2 cups red cabbage, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups onion, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sea salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon hot red pepper, minced
¼ teaspoon curry powder
Directions
Rinse and drain kale well. Steam kale and yams. (Kale should still be colorful and yams should still have some firmness.) While kale and yams are steaming, place oil in a large sauté pan and heat on medium high. Add red cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and hot red pepper, cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently and adding small amounts of water if necessary to prevent sticking. Season with sea salt and soy sauce.
Place these cooked ingredients in a large mixing bowl; add kale and yams and gently mix well. Serve.
Cranberry Ambrosia
Yield: 2 ½ cups
Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Slightly less than ¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
5 medium oranges, peeled and cut into small sections
Directions
Combine cranberries, honey and ginger in a small saucepan. Cover and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional three minutes, or until cranberry skins pop, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in orange rind. Cool 15 minutes. Stir in orange sections. Chill 8 hours.
Source: Nicki Rubin
Yield: Approximately 6 servings
Ingredients
One 3 lb. sugar pie pumpkin
1 tablespoon each olive oil and melted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large carrots, sliced
4 small red potatoes, halved and sliced
1 apple, halved, cored and cut in 12 slices
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped, or 1/4 tsp dried
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. and have a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch pan ready. Cut top of pumpkin about 2 inches below stem and scrape out seeds and pulp with a spoon. Mix oil and butter in a small cup and lightly brush some inside pumpkin, then sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt. Place cut side down at one side of the pan and pile carrots, potatoes, apple, onion and garlic at other end of pan—and drizzle with remaining oil mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining salt, the thyme and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread out.
Roast 30 minutes, turning vegetables over once. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F., turn pumpkin over and continue roasting 15 minutes--turning vegetables once more, until vegetables and pumpkin are tender. Fill pumpkin with vegetables and cut in wedges to serve.
Kale and Yams
Yield: Approximately 4 servings
Ingredients
1 large bunch kale, 4 cups chopped, pressed firm
4 cups Garnet yam, rinsed well, chopped
2 cups red cabbage, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups onion, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sea salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon hot red pepper, minced
¼ teaspoon curry powder
Directions
Rinse and drain kale well. Steam kale and yams. (Kale should still be colorful and yams should still have some firmness.) While kale and yams are steaming, place oil in a large sauté pan and heat on medium high. Add red cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and hot red pepper, cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently and adding small amounts of water if necessary to prevent sticking. Season with sea salt and soy sauce.
Place these cooked ingredients in a large mixing bowl; add kale and yams and gently mix well. Serve.
Cranberry Ambrosia
Yield: 2 ½ cups
Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Slightly less than ¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
5 medium oranges, peeled and cut into small sections
Directions
Combine cranberries, honey and ginger in a small saucepan. Cover and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional three minutes, or until cranberry skins pop, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in orange rind. Cool 15 minutes. Stir in orange sections. Chill 8 hours.
Source: Nicki Rubin
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
21 Day Thanksgiving Fat Burn Boot Camp
There is still time to get into our first annual 21 Thanksgiving Fat Burn Boot Camp!
If you can register by midnight 10/25/09 you can still get in but hurry because we are filling up fast. This boot camp will not be repeated again till next year! If you have ever wanted to get into shape fast you can do it now and before the holidays.
$100 gets you 3 weeks of combat style fitness boot camps and a easy to follow meal plan to help you maximize your results. This will be great fun and will also be a great learning experience for you all.
Monday thru Friday 8 am. With special make up classes on Tues. and Thursday 5:45 am and 5:30 pm As well as Saturday at 9 am. If you can make it out please let us know
www.nashvillepersonaltrainer.net
If you can register by midnight 10/25/09 you can still get in but hurry because we are filling up fast. This boot camp will not be repeated again till next year! If you have ever wanted to get into shape fast you can do it now and before the holidays.
$100 gets you 3 weeks of combat style fitness boot camps and a easy to follow meal plan to help you maximize your results. This will be great fun and will also be a great learning experience for you all.
Monday thru Friday 8 am. With special make up classes on Tues. and Thursday 5:45 am and 5:30 pm As well as Saturday at 9 am. If you can make it out please let us know
www.nashvillepersonaltrainer.net
Monday, October 19, 2009
Are You on a Stress Diet?
Stress is part of our lives. It can motivate excellent performance or drive us to the other extreme. Stress can also increase levels of cortisol, a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, resulting in adverse effects on your brain, blood sugar, bones, muscles, immunity and appetite—to name just a few. Called “the stress hormone,” cortisol can also cause you to gain weight and increase your risk for an unhealthy heart.
Cortisol is one important hormone. It helps to support normal glucose metabolism, blood pressure levels, insulin release, immune function and inflammation levels—which means it can have some positive effects. When it’s released in small amounts, cortisol can help you quickly tap into energy, memory, immunity, equilibrium and lower your sensitivity to pain.
When you’re under chronic stress, however, increased levels of cortisol can wreak havoc by adversely affecting your brain, thyroid, blood sugar, bones, muscles, blood pressure, immunity and inflammation levels. Too much cortisol in the body, for instance, can result in foggy thinking, feeling run down, altered blood sugar levels and muscle discomfort. That’s not all, though.
Cortisol can also affect your appetite. Elissa Epel, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco (USCF), Department of Psychiatry says, “Cortisol and insulin shift our preferences toward comfort foods.” Epel is a leader in the UCSF Center on Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment.
Lack of sleep is a stressor, too, and can be catalytic for negative metabolic changes that can lead to weight gain. Not getting enough shut eye can directly affect two important hunger hormones called leptin and ghrelin, says Kristen Knutson, Ph.D., a research associate who specializes in sleep and health at the University of Chicago’s Department of Medicine.
In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, participants who slept only four hours per night had an 18% decrease in leptin, the hormone that tells your brain you’ve had enough to eat and a 28% increase in ghrelin, the hormone indicating you’re hungry. Results of the study indicated that the sleep-deprived participants had a 24% appetite increase.
To add to the vicious cycle, increased cortisol levels can increase your girth—which is not good news for your heart. But that’s not all. Fat cells also produce cortisol, so if you happen to be stressed and overweight, then you could have double trouble.
Stressors can take on many forms, too. For example, women who were overweight gained weight when they had to deal with common stressors such as job demands, struggling to pay bills or family-relationship strains, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Managing your stress is important. Eating sensibly, getting enough sleep, exercising, journaling, breathing exercises and listening to music are just a few ways you can relax, thereby helping to keep your cortisol levels in balance—and avoiding the stress diet at all costs.
Source: From Jordan's Desk
Cortisol is one important hormone. It helps to support normal glucose metabolism, blood pressure levels, insulin release, immune function and inflammation levels—which means it can have some positive effects. When it’s released in small amounts, cortisol can help you quickly tap into energy, memory, immunity, equilibrium and lower your sensitivity to pain.
When you’re under chronic stress, however, increased levels of cortisol can wreak havoc by adversely affecting your brain, thyroid, blood sugar, bones, muscles, blood pressure, immunity and inflammation levels. Too much cortisol in the body, for instance, can result in foggy thinking, feeling run down, altered blood sugar levels and muscle discomfort. That’s not all, though.
Cortisol can also affect your appetite. Elissa Epel, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco (USCF), Department of Psychiatry says, “Cortisol and insulin shift our preferences toward comfort foods.” Epel is a leader in the UCSF Center on Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment.
Lack of sleep is a stressor, too, and can be catalytic for negative metabolic changes that can lead to weight gain. Not getting enough shut eye can directly affect two important hunger hormones called leptin and ghrelin, says Kristen Knutson, Ph.D., a research associate who specializes in sleep and health at the University of Chicago’s Department of Medicine.
In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, participants who slept only four hours per night had an 18% decrease in leptin, the hormone that tells your brain you’ve had enough to eat and a 28% increase in ghrelin, the hormone indicating you’re hungry. Results of the study indicated that the sleep-deprived participants had a 24% appetite increase.
To add to the vicious cycle, increased cortisol levels can increase your girth—which is not good news for your heart. But that’s not all. Fat cells also produce cortisol, so if you happen to be stressed and overweight, then you could have double trouble.
Stressors can take on many forms, too. For example, women who were overweight gained weight when they had to deal with common stressors such as job demands, struggling to pay bills or family-relationship strains, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Managing your stress is important. Eating sensibly, getting enough sleep, exercising, journaling, breathing exercises and listening to music are just a few ways you can relax, thereby helping to keep your cortisol levels in balance—and avoiding the stress diet at all costs.
Source: From Jordan's Desk
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Walking by Faith, Not by Sight
We walk by faith, not by sight…while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. (2 Corinthians 5:7 and 4:18)
The Christian life is a walk. It is comprised of day by day steps from where we are to where the Lord wants us to go (both spiritually and geographically). This walk is undertaken by faith, not by sight. "We walk by faith, not by sight."
Walking by sight is the natural manner by which human beings walk. This is true both for literal walking, as well as for taking the proverbial journey through life. When engaged in physical walking, people rely upon visual data (along with input from other human senses, like sound, smell, and touch). Likewise, as the unredeemed are engaged in their trek through life, they set their course and proceed by that which their natural abilities provide. We who know the Lord Jesus Christ cannot walk in this manner in His kingdom. We must walk by faith, by depending upon our Lord, His word, and the work of grace by His Holy Spirit. Spiritual progress is made "while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen."
So often, things are not as they appear to be in the natural. Consider Joseph being sold to slave traders by his jealous and deceitful brothers. It did not look like Joseph was being groomed to be Prime Minister in Egypt. Think of Pharoah and his army closing in on Israel, as they were trapped beside the Red Sea. It did not look like Israel would be delivered and the Egyptian army would be destroyed. Remember young David standing before gigantic Goliath. It did not look like the giant would be defeated and David would enjoy a thorough victory. Only eyes of faith could really appreciate what was actually happening.
The cross of our Lord Jesus is undoubtedly the greatest example of things not always being what they appear to be. As Jesus hung upon the cross, it appeared that godless men had defeated the most godly man that ever lived. "Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst…Him…strong>you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death" (Acts 2:22-23). Yet, in fact, God was at work, preparing a resurrection victory over sin and death for all who would believe. "Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it" (Acts 2:24).
Heavenly Father, I want to walk with You by faith. I desire to respond to the circumstances of life by what You have said in Your word and by what You are able to do. Too many times, I have set my course by sight, relying upon the appearance of things. Teach me to trust in You more and more, in Jesus' name, Amen.
The Christian life is a walk. It is comprised of day by day steps from where we are to where the Lord wants us to go (both spiritually and geographically). This walk is undertaken by faith, not by sight. "We walk by faith, not by sight."
Walking by sight is the natural manner by which human beings walk. This is true both for literal walking, as well as for taking the proverbial journey through life. When engaged in physical walking, people rely upon visual data (along with input from other human senses, like sound, smell, and touch). Likewise, as the unredeemed are engaged in their trek through life, they set their course and proceed by that which their natural abilities provide. We who know the Lord Jesus Christ cannot walk in this manner in His kingdom. We must walk by faith, by depending upon our Lord, His word, and the work of grace by His Holy Spirit. Spiritual progress is made "while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen."
So often, things are not as they appear to be in the natural. Consider Joseph being sold to slave traders by his jealous and deceitful brothers. It did not look like Joseph was being groomed to be Prime Minister in Egypt. Think of Pharoah and his army closing in on Israel, as they were trapped beside the Red Sea. It did not look like Israel would be delivered and the Egyptian army would be destroyed. Remember young David standing before gigantic Goliath. It did not look like the giant would be defeated and David would enjoy a thorough victory. Only eyes of faith could really appreciate what was actually happening.
The cross of our Lord Jesus is undoubtedly the greatest example of things not always being what they appear to be. As Jesus hung upon the cross, it appeared that godless men had defeated the most godly man that ever lived. "Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst…Him…strong>you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death" (Acts 2:22-23). Yet, in fact, God was at work, preparing a resurrection victory over sin and death for all who would believe. "Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it" (Acts 2:24).
Heavenly Father, I want to walk with You by faith. I desire to respond to the circumstances of life by what You have said in Your word and by what You are able to do. Too many times, I have set my course by sight, relying upon the appearance of things. Teach me to trust in You more and more, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Time For a Heart to Heart
Women are literally the heartbeat of so much in our society. They bring expertise, care, experience, warmth, insight and inspiration to those their lives touch—at home, at work and in their communities.
A woman’s greatest asset, however, may also be her greatest liability: her heart.
The reason? Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States, with one in four women dying from heart disease. Additionally, 23% of women die within one year of a heart attack, while two-thirds of women who have a heart attack fail to make a full recovery.
The risk gets worse as time goes on. As women approach their mid-life years, risks for heart disease and heart attack can increase. One in eight women between the ages of 45 and 64 has some form of heart disease, increasing to one in four women for those who are over 65. What’s more is that within six years of having a heart attack, 46% of women are disabled with heart failure.
Heart failure, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood as it should. For some, that means that the heart can’t fill with blood as necessary. For others, it could entail blood not getting to the rest of the body with enough force. Some people, however, may experience both of these effects.
Heart failure happens over a period of time, and can affect one or both sides of the heart. If it affects the right side, then the heart is unable to pump blood to the lungs where it gets oxygen. This can result in fluid buildup in the feet, ankles, legs, liver, abdomen and sometimes the veins in the neck.
It heart failure affects the left side, then the heart can’t pump oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Right-sided and left-sided heart failure leads to shortness of breath and fatigue. Most people with heart failure, unfortunately, have both sides of the heart affected.
Heart disease has serious implications for women’s health and their quality of life, and that’s why it’s essential for women to take care of their hearts. The encouraging news is that women can reduce their risk for heart disease by up to 82% just by leading a healthy lifestyle.
If you want to guard your heart, be sure to eat a heart-healthy diet including foods rich in omega-3s and other healthy fats, whole grains (including oats), as well as plenty of vegetables and fruits. Getting regular exercise, maintaining healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, a healthy weight, not smoking and limiting alcohol intake can help, too.
The truth is that women often look after the hearts of others. Maybe it’s time they start caring more for their own as well.
Source:
Jordan Rubin
A woman’s greatest asset, however, may also be her greatest liability: her heart.
The reason? Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States, with one in four women dying from heart disease. Additionally, 23% of women die within one year of a heart attack, while two-thirds of women who have a heart attack fail to make a full recovery.
The risk gets worse as time goes on. As women approach their mid-life years, risks for heart disease and heart attack can increase. One in eight women between the ages of 45 and 64 has some form of heart disease, increasing to one in four women for those who are over 65. What’s more is that within six years of having a heart attack, 46% of women are disabled with heart failure.
Heart failure, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood as it should. For some, that means that the heart can’t fill with blood as necessary. For others, it could entail blood not getting to the rest of the body with enough force. Some people, however, may experience both of these effects.
Heart failure happens over a period of time, and can affect one or both sides of the heart. If it affects the right side, then the heart is unable to pump blood to the lungs where it gets oxygen. This can result in fluid buildup in the feet, ankles, legs, liver, abdomen and sometimes the veins in the neck.
It heart failure affects the left side, then the heart can’t pump oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Right-sided and left-sided heart failure leads to shortness of breath and fatigue. Most people with heart failure, unfortunately, have both sides of the heart affected.
Heart disease has serious implications for women’s health and their quality of life, and that’s why it’s essential for women to take care of their hearts. The encouraging news is that women can reduce their risk for heart disease by up to 82% just by leading a healthy lifestyle.
If you want to guard your heart, be sure to eat a heart-healthy diet including foods rich in omega-3s and other healthy fats, whole grains (including oats), as well as plenty of vegetables and fruits. Getting regular exercise, maintaining healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, a healthy weight, not smoking and limiting alcohol intake can help, too.
The truth is that women often look after the hearts of others. Maybe it’s time they start caring more for their own as well.
Source:
Jordan Rubin
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Brown Dog Foundation
The Brown Dog Foundation is a non profit organization that works to provide life saving treatment for pets when the pet's owner is facing temporary financial crisis:
"At Brown Dog Foundation it is our mission to offer pet owners in temporary financial crisis an alternative to euthanasia when their pet faces a treatable life-threatening condition in order to restore the quality of life for pet and owner."
Vet bills are extremely expensive, and to a pet owner who is out of work or facing financial crisis, it is nearly impossible to afford the costs of medical procedures and surgeries.
Our pets are often who we turn to when facing hard times, so not only does Brown Dog serve to save the lives of animals, but provides support to pet owners who desperately want to keep their best friend alive.
This spring, I lost my job and was out of work for close to four months. I could barely afford to pay for groceries, let alone pay medical bills if something had happened to my chocolate lab, Gurley Brown. At the same time, I don't know how I would have made it through that difficult time in my life if I didn't have Gurley. Your pets love you unconditionally, even on days when it is hard to love yourself.
Right now, Brown Dog Foundation works to help pet owners throughout Middle Tennessee, but sticking to the Nashville area is not enough. Currently, Brown Dog is raising money for a national fund, to expand Brown Dog's services across the country.
A main portion of the national fund is being developed through the Brown Dog Dublin Marathon campaign. I am part of a group of runners who are fundraising our way to the Dublin Marathon. Each runner has committed to raising $4,000 and training to run 26.2 miles in Dublin Ireland on October 26, 2009. The money we raise will help spread Brown Dog's mission throughout the country.
If you are able, I encourage you to donate to this cause. It is one that is very important to me. If it wasn't, I definitely wouldn't be running 26.2 miles!
Learn more about the animals who have been saved by Brown Dog at http://www.browndogfoundation.org/successes
For more information about Brown Dog and to donate to my campaign online visit
http://www.browndogfoundation.org/eburcham (Please note donations are not updated automatically).
Make checks payable to:
Brown Dog Foundation- Dublin
Erin Burcham
1903 B. Beechwood AVE
Nashville, TN 37212
Please feel free to email me with any questions. e_burcham@hotmail.com.
Thank you for your support!
"At Brown Dog Foundation it is our mission to offer pet owners in temporary financial crisis an alternative to euthanasia when their pet faces a treatable life-threatening condition in order to restore the quality of life for pet and owner."
Vet bills are extremely expensive, and to a pet owner who is out of work or facing financial crisis, it is nearly impossible to afford the costs of medical procedures and surgeries.
Our pets are often who we turn to when facing hard times, so not only does Brown Dog serve to save the lives of animals, but provides support to pet owners who desperately want to keep their best friend alive.
This spring, I lost my job and was out of work for close to four months. I could barely afford to pay for groceries, let alone pay medical bills if something had happened to my chocolate lab, Gurley Brown. At the same time, I don't know how I would have made it through that difficult time in my life if I didn't have Gurley. Your pets love you unconditionally, even on days when it is hard to love yourself.
Right now, Brown Dog Foundation works to help pet owners throughout Middle Tennessee, but sticking to the Nashville area is not enough. Currently, Brown Dog is raising money for a national fund, to expand Brown Dog's services across the country.
A main portion of the national fund is being developed through the Brown Dog Dublin Marathon campaign. I am part of a group of runners who are fundraising our way to the Dublin Marathon. Each runner has committed to raising $4,000 and training to run 26.2 miles in Dublin Ireland on October 26, 2009. The money we raise will help spread Brown Dog's mission throughout the country.
If you are able, I encourage you to donate to this cause. It is one that is very important to me. If it wasn't, I definitely wouldn't be running 26.2 miles!
Learn more about the animals who have been saved by Brown Dog at http://www.browndogfoundation.org/successes
For more information about Brown Dog and to donate to my campaign online visit
http://www.browndogfoundation.org/eburcham (Please note donations are not updated automatically).
Make checks payable to:
Brown Dog Foundation- Dublin
Erin Burcham
1903 B. Beechwood AVE
Nashville, TN 37212
Please feel free to email me with any questions. e_burcham@hotmail.com.
Thank you for your support!
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Fight Against Breast Cancer
New research adds to the growing body of knowledge about actions women can take to lower their breast cancer risk. The new report is an update of previous research, adding results of 81 new studies to the findings of more than 800 that have followed women in the United States and around the world to see who develops breast cancer and who doesn't.
The study provides good news for women in the form of steps they can take to protect themselves, such as:
Be as lean as possible without being underweight. A healthy body mass index is defined as being above 18.5 but no greater than 25. Women closer to the lower end of the healthy weight range have the most protection from breast cancer.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. If you can't do that, at least do some. Some activity is better than none, but the more, the better.
Limit alcohol consumption. If you drink at all, limit your intake to one serving a day.
Breast-feed. New mothers should breast-feed exclusively for up to six months -- the evidence is convincing that mothers who breast-feed reduce their risk for breast cancer.
Further, increased screenings may not be the best option for women, and men.
Separate studies suggest that some cancer tests can result in false positives. Two studies -- one looking at prostate cancer and the other at breast cancer -- show that increased screening brings false positives and the costs of emotional anguish and sometimes unnecessary treatment.
While the prostate cancer study and the breast cancer study looked at two different cancers in two different populations, both studies came to similar conclusions; a lot of patients are receiving unnecessary treatments.
In the breast cancer screening study, women were given a clinical breast exam in addition to mammography. For every additional cancer found there were 55 false positives. According to the prostate cancer study's authors, between the years 1986 and 2005, 1 million men were incorrectly diagnosed with prostate cancer. If health officials would simply recommend that you get some sensible sun exposure, use a safe tanning bed or supplement with oral vitamin D3 (like Oceans 3 by Garden Of Life) if you can’t get out into the sun, there could be major advances made in the fight against cancer.
In fact, a standard recommendation like that could potentially cut cancer rates in half! I can’t think of ANY other intervention that could possibly come close to that.
Vitamin D has a protective effect against cancer in several ways, including:
Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells (which, if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer)
Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells
Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation)
Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous
There is now overwhelming evidence pointing to the fact that many of the 560,000 cancer deaths expected to occur this year could have been safely prevented with optimal vitamin D levels.
One recent study also points out vitamin D’s potential in treating breast cancer; not just in preventing it. Researchers found that calcitrol (the active form of vitamin D) can induce a tumor-suppressing protein that inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells specifically.
Sources:
U.S. News & World Report September 3, 2009
ABC News September 1, 2009
www.mercola.com
www.gardenoflife.com
The study provides good news for women in the form of steps they can take to protect themselves, such as:
Be as lean as possible without being underweight. A healthy body mass index is defined as being above 18.5 but no greater than 25. Women closer to the lower end of the healthy weight range have the most protection from breast cancer.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. If you can't do that, at least do some. Some activity is better than none, but the more, the better.
Limit alcohol consumption. If you drink at all, limit your intake to one serving a day.
Breast-feed. New mothers should breast-feed exclusively for up to six months -- the evidence is convincing that mothers who breast-feed reduce their risk for breast cancer.
Further, increased screenings may not be the best option for women, and men.
Separate studies suggest that some cancer tests can result in false positives. Two studies -- one looking at prostate cancer and the other at breast cancer -- show that increased screening brings false positives and the costs of emotional anguish and sometimes unnecessary treatment.
While the prostate cancer study and the breast cancer study looked at two different cancers in two different populations, both studies came to similar conclusions; a lot of patients are receiving unnecessary treatments.
In the breast cancer screening study, women were given a clinical breast exam in addition to mammography. For every additional cancer found there were 55 false positives. According to the prostate cancer study's authors, between the years 1986 and 2005, 1 million men were incorrectly diagnosed with prostate cancer. If health officials would simply recommend that you get some sensible sun exposure, use a safe tanning bed or supplement with oral vitamin D3 (like Oceans 3 by Garden Of Life) if you can’t get out into the sun, there could be major advances made in the fight against cancer.
In fact, a standard recommendation like that could potentially cut cancer rates in half! I can’t think of ANY other intervention that could possibly come close to that.
Vitamin D has a protective effect against cancer in several ways, including:
Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells (which, if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer)
Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells
Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation)
Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous
There is now overwhelming evidence pointing to the fact that many of the 560,000 cancer deaths expected to occur this year could have been safely prevented with optimal vitamin D levels.
One recent study also points out vitamin D’s potential in treating breast cancer; not just in preventing it. Researchers found that calcitrol (the active form of vitamin D) can induce a tumor-suppressing protein that inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells specifically.
Sources:
U.S. News & World Report September 3, 2009
ABC News September 1, 2009
www.mercola.com
www.gardenoflife.com
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Love Handles Are Nothing to Laugh At
Since we live in a nation where two of every three American adults and more than one in six children and adolescents are overweight, we certainly see our fair share of fat. It goes by many pet names, too, including beer bellies, love handles, pot bellies, thunder thighs or too much junk in the trunk.
No matter what we call it or how much fun we poke at it, the truth is that fat may just have the last laugh on us if we don’t do something about it. It’s really not that funny at all and may even contribute to some serious health implications.
You may be familiar with one form of fat known as subcutaneous fat. It’s the fat that's right under your skin and is the kind of fat measured with body fat calipers to give an estimate of total body fat.
But not all fat is only skin deep. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is buried beneath the muscles and surrounds the vital organs.
These two types of body fat act differently in the body, too, according to experts. Tim Church, medical director of the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas says, "If you put visceral fat in a Petri dish and you put subcutaneous fat in a Petri dish and stimulate them, the visceral fat will produce a lot more inflammatory molecules that can raise a person's risk of heart disease and diabetes."
A major contributor to this threatening visceral fat is found in the omentum. It’s a fatty layer of tissue located inside the belly that hangs underneath the muscles in your stomach and drapes over the stomach.
Excess fat and inflammatory chemicals stored in the omentum are harbored as a “beer belly” and can go directly into the liver via the portal vein—causing a toxic dump in the body.
Additionally, a fat-padded omentum may cause bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels to increase and also take insulin out of circulation in the body, contributing to blood sugar imbalances. Since the omentum is near the internal organs, it can subject them to damage, too.
But wait…there’s more. As you store fat, fat cells usually increase in size, not number—at least for most folks. The exceptions may be those who gain a lot of weight and those who have liposuction.
Trim adults have about 40 billion fat cells, but an overweight person may have two to three times that amount. Here’s why: if a person continues to overeat, fat cells continue to grow. When they reach their expansion limit, they don’t divide. Instead, they signal nearby immature cells to start dividing to create more fat cells.
As fat cells get larger, they also produce cytokines, which increase the body’s inflammation levels. If those fat cells increase in size to the point at which they burst open, then even more cytokines are released, causing more inflammation.
In short, excess fat and fat cells are chemical factories that secrete toxic hormones and other harmful substances straight into the bloodstream. This can cause adverse effects on metabolism, weight and overall health—which certainly is no laughing matter.
Source: Jordin Ruben
No matter what we call it or how much fun we poke at it, the truth is that fat may just have the last laugh on us if we don’t do something about it. It’s really not that funny at all and may even contribute to some serious health implications.
You may be familiar with one form of fat known as subcutaneous fat. It’s the fat that's right under your skin and is the kind of fat measured with body fat calipers to give an estimate of total body fat.
But not all fat is only skin deep. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is buried beneath the muscles and surrounds the vital organs.
These two types of body fat act differently in the body, too, according to experts. Tim Church, medical director of the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas says, "If you put visceral fat in a Petri dish and you put subcutaneous fat in a Petri dish and stimulate them, the visceral fat will produce a lot more inflammatory molecules that can raise a person's risk of heart disease and diabetes."
A major contributor to this threatening visceral fat is found in the omentum. It’s a fatty layer of tissue located inside the belly that hangs underneath the muscles in your stomach and drapes over the stomach.
Excess fat and inflammatory chemicals stored in the omentum are harbored as a “beer belly” and can go directly into the liver via the portal vein—causing a toxic dump in the body.
Additionally, a fat-padded omentum may cause bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels to increase and also take insulin out of circulation in the body, contributing to blood sugar imbalances. Since the omentum is near the internal organs, it can subject them to damage, too.
But wait…there’s more. As you store fat, fat cells usually increase in size, not number—at least for most folks. The exceptions may be those who gain a lot of weight and those who have liposuction.
Trim adults have about 40 billion fat cells, but an overweight person may have two to three times that amount. Here’s why: if a person continues to overeat, fat cells continue to grow. When they reach their expansion limit, they don’t divide. Instead, they signal nearby immature cells to start dividing to create more fat cells.
As fat cells get larger, they also produce cytokines, which increase the body’s inflammation levels. If those fat cells increase in size to the point at which they burst open, then even more cytokines are released, causing more inflammation.
In short, excess fat and fat cells are chemical factories that secrete toxic hormones and other harmful substances straight into the bloodstream. This can cause adverse effects on metabolism, weight and overall health—which certainly is no laughing matter.
Source: Jordin Ruben
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
We Will Be Glorified for the Glory of God
(Author: John Piper)
Someday, at the coming of the Lord Jesus, all who are in Christ will be glorified.
Those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:30)
The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:21)
That is, we will be glorious.
The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (Matthew 13:43)
But our glory will not be our own but the glory of Christ who is the image of God. We will be glorified with his glory.
To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:14)
The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. (Isaiah 60:19)
The result of our being glorious with the glory of God is that in the end God will be glorified by our glorification.
Your people shall all be righteous . . . the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. (Isaiah 60:21)
Therefore, do not let your joy or your hope or your theology or your preaching rest finally on what you are or what you will be. Rejoice finally in this: that what you will be is a joyful reflection of the glory of God. And he will be all in all. Be glad that you are not the final point of it all, but a happy pointer.
Someday, at the coming of the Lord Jesus, all who are in Christ will be glorified.
Those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:30)
The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:21)
That is, we will be glorious.
The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (Matthew 13:43)
But our glory will not be our own but the glory of Christ who is the image of God. We will be glorified with his glory.
To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:14)
The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. (Isaiah 60:19)
The result of our being glorious with the glory of God is that in the end God will be glorified by our glorification.
Your people shall all be righteous . . . the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. (Isaiah 60:21)
Therefore, do not let your joy or your hope or your theology or your preaching rest finally on what you are or what you will be. Rejoice finally in this: that what you will be is a joyful reflection of the glory of God. And he will be all in all. Be glad that you are not the final point of it all, but a happy pointer.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Brain Function
I was reading today at mercola.com about optimal brain function and how eating fresh vegetables will help your brain to perform at peak levels.
You can read the articleClick here!
The article reminded me of something that I know to be true, you can prevent nearly every kind of illness or disease with proper nutrition. Not only is a healthy diet great for helping you lose weight but when you are not on a diet but have changed your way of life to be a preventative diet by making better choices. Like eating whole, raw and organic foods you will not have the problems most Americans suffer from. Aside from that you will lose weight and feel great all in the same process.
Can it be that simple?
Yes!
Try it for 30 days and you will notice the difference, no matter if you suffer from diabetes or you just need to detox, eating right can and will take you far. There is one catch, you must commit to it, this is not a quick fix program but the foundations to life and a healthy one at that.
If you are thinking about making some changes but are unsure if you can do it, email me and we can sit down and talk more about. If you live out of Nashville, Tn. we can set up a phone conversation or I can just email you. If you think you can do this the rewards will be great! Don't just do it for yourself think of your family, the way we eat is often selfish and hedonistic. We eat for pleasure and taste but not for life, because we think eating healthy will taste bad. It won't! Maybe taste different, but not bad.
Stop eating to satisfy cravings and eat for life! You body will soon crave those very foods that give you life, it's an education.
You can read the articleClick here!
The article reminded me of something that I know to be true, you can prevent nearly every kind of illness or disease with proper nutrition. Not only is a healthy diet great for helping you lose weight but when you are not on a diet but have changed your way of life to be a preventative diet by making better choices. Like eating whole, raw and organic foods you will not have the problems most Americans suffer from. Aside from that you will lose weight and feel great all in the same process.
Can it be that simple?
Yes!
Try it for 30 days and you will notice the difference, no matter if you suffer from diabetes or you just need to detox, eating right can and will take you far. There is one catch, you must commit to it, this is not a quick fix program but the foundations to life and a healthy one at that.
If you are thinking about making some changes but are unsure if you can do it, email me and we can sit down and talk more about. If you live out of Nashville, Tn. we can set up a phone conversation or I can just email you. If you think you can do this the rewards will be great! Don't just do it for yourself think of your family, the way we eat is often selfish and hedonistic. We eat for pleasure and taste but not for life, because we think eating healthy will taste bad. It won't! Maybe taste different, but not bad.
Stop eating to satisfy cravings and eat for life! You body will soon crave those very foods that give you life, it's an education.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Heart Healthy Recipes
Easy Oatmeal (Serves 2)
Ingredients
1 cup of rolled oats
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon yogurt
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil or butter
honey to taste
Directions
Soak the oats overnight in 1 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of yogurt added. In the morning, add remaining water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1–2 minutes. (Soaked oatmeal cooks very fast.) Add the oil or butter and honey.
Source: Nicki Rubin
Maple-Crusted Salmon and Mixed Greens (Serves 4)
Ingredients
1 1⁄2 pounds fresh salmon fillets
extra virgin olive oil
butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
6 cups baby lettuces, or mixed greens such as watercress or Mache
1 red pepper, seeded, cut into a julienne and sautéed in olive oil
1 pound brown mushrooms, washed, dried very well, sliced and sautéed in butter and olive oil
3⁄4 cup basic salad dressing (see recipe below)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brush sides and bottom of salmon with olive oil and place on non-stick baking sheet. Brush the top of the salmon with maple syrup and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Place under broiler for another 2 minutes until just lightly browned.
Meanwhile, mix greens with dressing and divide between four plates. Make a mound of red peppers and mushrooms on each plate. Place a portion of salmon on each mound of greens, and pour pan juices over. Serve immediately.
Basic Salad Dressing
Ingredients
1 teaspoon Dijon-type mustard, smooth or grainy
2 ½ tablespoons raw wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
Directions
Place the mustard into a small bowl. Add vinegar and mix. Add olive oil in a thin stream, stirring continually with a fork, until the oil is well-mixed. Add flaxseed oil and use immediately.
Source: Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions
Ingredients
1 cup of rolled oats
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon yogurt
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil or butter
honey to taste
Directions
Soak the oats overnight in 1 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of yogurt added. In the morning, add remaining water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1–2 minutes. (Soaked oatmeal cooks very fast.) Add the oil or butter and honey.
Source: Nicki Rubin
Maple-Crusted Salmon and Mixed Greens (Serves 4)
Ingredients
1 1⁄2 pounds fresh salmon fillets
extra virgin olive oil
butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
6 cups baby lettuces, or mixed greens such as watercress or Mache
1 red pepper, seeded, cut into a julienne and sautéed in olive oil
1 pound brown mushrooms, washed, dried very well, sliced and sautéed in butter and olive oil
3⁄4 cup basic salad dressing (see recipe below)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brush sides and bottom of salmon with olive oil and place on non-stick baking sheet. Brush the top of the salmon with maple syrup and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Place under broiler for another 2 minutes until just lightly browned.
Meanwhile, mix greens with dressing and divide between four plates. Make a mound of red peppers and mushrooms on each plate. Place a portion of salmon on each mound of greens, and pour pan juices over. Serve immediately.
Basic Salad Dressing
Ingredients
1 teaspoon Dijon-type mustard, smooth or grainy
2 ½ tablespoons raw wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
Directions
Place the mustard into a small bowl. Add vinegar and mix. Add olive oil in a thin stream, stirring continually with a fork, until the oil is well-mixed. Add flaxseed oil and use immediately.
Source: Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
