The Cross in Our Bodies

A friend forwarded this story to me and I had to comment on it.  It is told by a medical doctor who made the connection between his scientific knowledge and religious beliefs. After you read the story, please scroll down to my thoughts...and please share yours as well!

A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio... And I was BLOWN AWAY!  I want to share what I learned.... 

He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is... How He spoke the universe into being... How He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire..  Etc. Etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder.

 

At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) . And I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking..'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???

 Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.

And then I lost my breath. And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!! 

It was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin.. Here is how Wikipedia  describes them: "Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue" 

You see.... Laminins are what hold us together... LITERALLY.

 

They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what they LOOKED LIKE..

But now I do.  And I have thought about it a thousand times since... Here is what the structure of laminin looks like... AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it.... If you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see....

 

Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!!  Amazing.  The glue that holds us together.... ALL of us..... Is in the shape of the cross. 

 

Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.

           "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible And invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or Authorities; All things were created by him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."                        ---Colossians 1:15-17 

Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool.. Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very literal standpoint, we are held together... One cell to another.... By the cross. 

You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam breathed his first breath!!  

 

What I found when I googled laminin !!!!!!!!!!! 

          

Isn't that amazing?  God made the world so perfectly that He included as one of the building blocks the shape of the cross!  Skeptics may disagree and just say it was coincidence, but out of all the shapes God could have chosen, he decided on the cross.  

We are all truly children of God, safe in His arms and in His love.  Live your life from the inside out and show God to your world.  Imagine if everyone did this for even 1 minute a day? How much would the world change for the better???

Please feel free to pass this on, link to this blog or share with your friends. Let's spread the scientific evidence of God's love!

Living well, beautifully!

The Doorway to Yourself is Your Body

There is a tendency to connect your body - its shape, size, mass and physicality - to your self worth. We hear adages such as "You are what you eat," and we believe that thin people are happier, healthier and enjoy themselves more.  Striking images of fashion models with impossibly thin, sleek bodies bombard our conscious awareness from the time we can first assimilate these messages. 

Have you ever stopped to question these messages?  Or look behind the curtain to see who is pulling the levers?  The Wizard of Oz turned out to be a wise old man who knew that people respond to images of authority.  The Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man already knew the answers to their perceived lack (courage, brains and a heart) but they had to be shown the way by someone they believed knew more than they did. They searched outside of themselves for a solution, but only found it when the Wizard pointed them back inward.

The one place where the Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man failed to look for answers was inside themselves!

How well do you know YOU? When was the last time you felt a connection to something bigger than yourself (and I am not talking about eating a Double Pounder!)  There is a spiritual YOU that is waiting to be expressed in this material world.  If you don't believe me, try this simple experiment.

Do you like the number on the scale or does it ignite the Voice inside your head that tells you that you are not lovable because you are overweight?  Take a deep breath the next time you are about to step on the scale and get centered in yourself.  Tell yourself that you are going to watch your reaction to the number, just as an experiment.  Listen as an attached observer to the messages that the Voice immediately sends.  Notice their tone, their energy, whether the messages are critical and derisive or supportive and loving.

Did you experience a slight disconnect from your reaction and you?  If you did, that is great!  It means that you have just tasted the possibility that you are not the number on your bathroom scale.  YOU are so much bigger than that! 

YOU are a spiritual being living a physical experience.  YOU are perfect in your wholeness, completeness and worthiness.  YOU chose to live here on earth, at this particular moment in history, with the family, friends and circumstances you have already experienced. 

"But I don't know myself that way!" you cry in desperation and hopelessness.  "I have read books, gone to seminars, meditated and attended retreats. But nothing works!"

And that is where you use your body to find your way back to YOU!

When YOU step back from your physical self and just look, what do YOU see?  If you are overweight, obese or even morbidly obese, YOU might see an unhappy, judgmental person who uses food to comfort and calm unnamed fears.  Layer upon layer of fat cells have been piled up in an attempt to bury those fears.  But the fears are still there, bubbling just beneath the surface. And it is that fear that you are avoiding through food that had kept you from being YOU.

How do you stop this cycle of self-destructive eating patterns long enough so you can discover who YOU are?   What can you do to stop the endless struggle between your will power and the fears that cause you to overeat?  Are you doomed to lead an unhappy life because you can't seem to control what goes into your mouth?

There is a simple, effective way to end the struggle with weight.  You eat six portion controlled meals a day, provide your body with the correct balance of protein, carbohydrates and minimal sugar, and you will lose weight. It is a simple formula that works with your body's energy and fat storage system.  You no longer fight your body or its cravings, because you feed it what it needs to thrive.  And the fat just melts away, because your body no longer needs to store fat from the excess calories you gave it before.

As the weight and fat layers melt away, the real YOU will emerge. YOU will seek expression, love and joy in your life and your entire perspective will change. YOU will finally be living from YOUR purpose, not allowing outside forces or messages to direct your actions.  YOU will have come home to YOU. 

On the road back to discover YOU, the number on the scale becomes just a number, not a definition of your self-worth.  The Yellow Brick Road truly does lead you home! 

To learn more about this amazing, life-changing program, please visit Empowered Weigh.  Or contact me!

Living well, beautifully!

Kathy Eriksen
Certified Health Coach
Take Shape for Life
Empowered Weigh

You Have Got to Read this Book!

Have you heard about the latest book by Geneen Roth called Women Food and God?  I just finished it and I am still assimilating all of its wisdom, insights and spiritual messages. 

The premise of the book is that you are what you eat.  Whatever you tend to eat, where you eat it, and the triggers that caused you to eat it are all clues to your relationship with others, yourself and God.  Your relationship with food is an exact mirror of your feelings about love, fear, anger and God.

I was skeptical at first, but after reading about Ms. Roth's retreat students, thinking about her examples of when she cut off parts of herself because of pain, I became a believer.  Gently, by use of metaphor and stories, she leads you to that place you knew of all along -- your bigger self.

Not the physical self that may have become large from poor eating habits.  But your bigger self - the one you were born with and the one you are meant to show to the world.  That part of you that knows you are bigger than your pain, or your loneliness or your depression, and she waits for you to see her. 

Ms. Roth has walked the path of obsessive compulsive eating.  Since she was a teenager, she has lost and gained over one thousand pounds!  It was only when she was on the verge of suicide that she did something totally radical:  she dropped the struggle, ended the war with herself, and began trusting her body and questioning her beliefs.  The beauty of the process that Ms. Roth experienced shines on every page of this book.

Let me leave you with this quote from the book.  If it resonates with you, then please buy and read this book (You can order it from Amazon for $13.00).  If this statement does nothing for you, then don't bother.  Here goes:

"It has never been true, not anywhere at any time, that the value of a soul, of a human spirit, is dependent on a number on a scale.  We are unrepeatable beings of light and space and water who need these physical vehilces to get around.  When we state defining ourselves by that which can be measured or weighed, something deep within us rebels. 

"We don't want to eat hot fudge sundaes as much as we want our lives to BE hot fudge sundaes.  We want to come home to ourselves.  We want to know wonder and delight and passion, and if instead we've given up on ourselves, if we've vacated our longings, if we've left possibility behind, we will feel an emptiness we can't name.  We will feel as if something is missing because something is missing - the connection to the source of all sweetness, all love, all power, all peace, all joy, all stillness.  Since we had it once - we were born with it - it can't help but haunt us.  It is as if our cells remember that home is a jeweled palace but we've been living as beggars for so long that we are no longer certain if the palace was a dream.  And if it was a dream, then at least we can eat the memory of it."  -- Geneen Roth, Women Food and God

Living well, beautifully!

My New Life

My new life is unbelievably full of joy and love (which is so much better than that bloated,full feeling I had when I was 12 pounds heavier). The naysayers in the crowd are probably rolling their eyes right now, so allow me to explain.

When I mastered my body, I discovered that I changed more than just my clothes size. My entire perspective has cracked wide open and life's possibilities are flowing thru me. I see everyday as one of possibility and hope, instead of simply a repeat of the day before. Each encounter I have is infused with new enthusiasm and I feel joy radiating from me.

All this from a diet program???

First, Take Shape for Life is definitely NOT a diet program! It teaches how to set goals, focus on your values and structure your life around what is important to you. As the fat melts away from your body, your mind also sheds unwanted thinking patterns.

It is a transformation of the body and mind!

If you ready to claim your life and start living healthy, call me, send me a text or email. I can help you!

Go to www.davideriksen.tsfl.com to learn more.

Living well, beautifully!

The End or Is It Just the Beginning?

Day 23 - Monday, July 5, 2010
Day 24 - Tuesday, July 6, 2010

We were out of town and did not have internet, so I had to combine both of these posts.  This is the end of my weight loss journey, but it really is the beginning of a new way of living.

I almost reached my weight loss goal. I guess its true what they say - the last ten pounds are the hardest!  I am happiest about the inches I lost from my stomach and waist!  I truly feel as if I am ten years younger, because I know I look better in my clothes (I have been wearing items that I thought I would never wear again). And that confidence in my appearance shows in everything I do, including sharing my thoughts in this blog.

I am far from being discouraged, because I now know how to eat healthy, prepare simple but delicious meals and feel so much better!  The difference, of course, was following the 5 and 1 Plan.

Why does that work so well?  Because our bodies are designed to be fed in small increments throughout the day.  We need protein, carbohydrates and small amounts of fat and sugar spread over 6 meals, so our blood sugar does not spike, but remains constant.  My body knew that it was being fed properly, timely and well, so it gave up its fat stores.  And the extra weight around my stomach just seemed to melt away!

I have found myself again!  She never left, but she was covered up by my negative thinking ("You're over 50 - you're not supposed to look good!")  And now that I have rediscovered my enthusiasm for living well, I am focusing on other areas of my life that need attention (my desk, for example).  The ripple effect of losing the inches and weight continues to spread throughout my life.

I will leave it to a poet and philosopher to sum it up:

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rediscover what lies within you.  Take the time to be gentle with yourself. Find out who you are. And if excess weight stands in your way, take action now to place your body back in its natural rhythm.

Live well, beautifully!

To learn more about the Take Shape for Life program, please visit Empowered Way

Declare Your Freedom From...

Day 22 - Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy Fourth of July!  I always love this holiday, because it represents such a leap of faith into the unknown.  No other country was formed the way the United States was - with a group of men who decided to try a different form of government that they created.  It had never happened before, and will probably never happen again.  (If you want to really appreciate how difficult it was for the Founding Fathers to take the steps necessary to break away from England, watch the movie, "1776.") 

Today is another day to declare you freedom -- from your limiting beliefs, self-judgment and criticism about what you ate over the weekend.  Take a minute to write down those thoughts, just to bring them out into the open.  Then think about whether you will change your behavior just because of the harsh criticism you level at yourself at the slightest opportunity.  If the answer is, "probably not," isn't it time to try something different?

Did you know that the more energy you put into something, the stronger it gets?  Think about how often you judge your eating habits as "bad," "unhealthy," "stupid," or "weak."  Whenever you focus on these negative thoughts, you reinforce them and you have just set yourself up for failure.  You will never win the game of negative self-talk vs. willpower...because they are both sides of the same coin.

Instead, focus on positive behavior and ignore the negative self-talk and the ongoing contest it has with your willpower.  Declare your freedom from the tyranny of self-loathing and step into a new world, one you have never tried before.

Wouldn't you rather get the weight off fast, easily and safely, while you are learning new eating habits? You see results in pounds and inches lost, have no contest with your willpower and know that you are eating healthy.  You ignore the judgmental voice in your head, and after a while, you will notice that the volume has been turned way down!  You are free from your old habits, therefore you are free from the judgmental voice.

How do you step into this new world of freedom?

Start on Medifast today.  Eating 5 Medifast meals and one "lean and green" meal means you eat 6 times a day.  You control your energy intake and manage your insulin pump, so you no longer crave highly processed, high-glycemic foods (soft drinks, candy bars, bagels, etc.)  You no longer want those things, so you don't have a contest with your willpower and your desires. 

The best part is that you are free to focus on other things in your life.  The energy you once directed towards self-criticism can now be focused on more positive aspects of your life, like the clothes that were stuck way back in your closet that you can now wear!

There is no better day than the Fourth of July to declare your freedom - from yourself!


Freedom never tasted so sweet!

To learn more about the Take Shape for Life program, which uses Medifast meals, go to
Empowered Way

Living well, beautifully!

Weight Loss is the Biggest Gain of all

Day 21 - July 3, 2010

Three weeks have flown by! As my body and eating habits have changed, I spend much less time and energy thinking about when I am going to "get in shape" or "start yoga." I am no longer obsessed with future action plans that will make me feel better -- I feel better right now!

And that gives me all the power I need to create my life, right now, in this moment.

How did eating portion controlled meal replacements rock my world?  What is it about eating healthy that I missed before now?

There are many reasons that Medifast meals work so well, but I have distilled three main points from my own experience:

• Medifast meals feed your body what it needs, so it is not overloaded with sugar and carbohydrates. Your body receives the nutrition, protein, fats and carbohydrates it needs, in the proper proportions, to allow the cells to do their job - process the food into energy, instead of fat storage.
• Behavorial and eating changes are supported by physical evidence. When your body switches from fat storage to energy burning, physical changes take place rapidly and become very noticeable. Others in your life compliment you on your appearance, which only reinforces the new changes and increased motivation to continue. 
• Cravings and poor eating are no longer an option.  When my body switched from fat storage to fat burning, there was a more subtle consequence that took me days to recognize.  Cravings for sugar and carbohydrates simply disappeared into the ether!  I never would have believed it, until I went back to my childhood haunt several weeks ago.  This is the place where I ALWAYS over indulged, ate poorly and did not care, because it was the lake.  I always gave myself permission at the lake to eat whatever I wanted, which was pretty much anything that was not tied down.  And I would always be unhappy with myself after we returned home...until now.  When we returned to the lake several weeks ago, the same cookies, soft drinks, chips and salsa were set out.  BUT I DID NOT WANT ANY OF IT.  There was no contest of will power or self-talk...I just did not want to eat it.  So I skipped that food and stayed with my Medifast meals and a delicious lean and green meal of grilled chicken and vegetables.  And I was free from the emotional habits I had formed many years ago in childhood!

If I were to sum up the effects I have experienced over the last three weeks while on Medifast, it would be this:   I am free from my emotional eating habits to eat healthy, live well and thrive.

The Take Shape for Life Convention is only 5 days away! I am so glad I took the leap of faith and jumped into this program, because now I understand its power.  And I can look Dr. Andersen (the founder of the TSFL Program and the guru) in the eye and say, "Thank you for creating TSFL - it has changed my life!"

To learn more about Take Shape for Life and Medifast meals, please visit Empowered Way or send me an email!

Living well, beautifully!

How Can I Survive?

Day 20 - July 2, 2010

It's the start of the 4th of July weekend!  Fun, fireworks...and lots of food.  How can I survive?

What I have learned over the past 3 weeks are the following:

• I now have a different vision of myself as healthy, vibrant and alive. If a poor food choice is available to me, I don't even give it a second glance because my vision is stronger than the temporary temptation.
• I feel so much better - like I can take on the world!  I never expected to experience such a strong sense of commitment, and it is to myself.  This way of eating feeds me, both body and soul.
• My cravings for sugar and carbohydrates are gone, caput, dissolved.  I never realized I wanted the Cranberry Limeade from Sonic because I had to keep my blood sugar levels elevated...I did not see that my desire for cookies was the same thing.  To be free of cravings is a marvelous thing!
• When I see other people eating lots of carbohydrates, sugar and fat, I just want to tell them that they are slowly killing their bodies.  When they stay on the merry-go-round of processed foods, sugar and carbohydrates, they continue to feed the furnace of stoking their glucose levels, and storing the excess energy as fat.  There is absolutely a better way --- 

That is all for now. We are off to the lake, for fireworks, fun, and food!  I will survive and thrive!

Happy 4th of July - be safe!

Living well, beautifully.
Go to Empowered Way to learn more about Take Shape for Life.

A Lost Kitten and a Leap of Faith

Day 19 - July 1, 2010

What does a lost kitten have to do with a leap of faith?  More than you might think!

We came home from Colorado to a yowling kitten, stuck just over our heads in one of the pecan trees.  He looked terrified, lonely, and hungry, because his world had just changed.  His source of comfort and love was no longer there (his mama) and all he had for protection was his ability to climb a tree.  When I stood under the tree and crooned to him, he took one long look, then jumped into my arms.  Talk about a leap of faith!

When I started the Take Shape for Life program, I felt as if I had left the known and familiar world of many food choices, mindless eating and a "just enjoy the moment" type of attitude.   The problem with my eating habits before this program is that...I never knew I had a problem!  I ate healthy (sort of), I only gained 1-3 pounds a year (but they had all added up around my waist), and I was in good shape for a 51 year old woman (I turned a blind eye to the flabby arms and legs). 

So what does my lack of insight into the state of my health have to do with a lost kitten? 

For the kitten, being chased into the tree was a life changing experience.  He trusted his instincts and leap forward into a new life.  For me, having successfully been on the Take Shape for Life Program for 19 days has also been a life changing experience.  The layers of self-denial have been peeled away and I now see the exact direction I was heading before I took my leap of faith.  I was heading towards being overweight, unhealthy, tired and living a mediocre life.  Basically, the epitome of middle age.

But now that I have discovered that I can lose fat while eating healthy, that I have more energy than when I was in my 40's, and I look great in a bathing suit, I feel like I have created a whole new life!  None of this would have happened if I had not taken the leap of faith and tried the Take Shape for Life program. 

I will never forget the courage it took for that kitten to leap off that branch right into my arms.  I will never forget the moment when I decided to just "do it" and start on this program.  Both were life changing decisions with profound consequences. 

Are you ready to get started on your new life?  Go to Empowered Way to learn more about the Take Shape for Life program.  Or send me an email or message on FaceBook!

Oh, btw, does anyone want to give a beautiful, courageous kitten a loving home?