Sunday, September 19, 2010

Snacking and Weight Loss

Can you snack and still maintain your weight?  Yes!  But you have to chose wisely and understand what nutrition your body needs every 2-3 hours.  

Aside from being popular sources of energy, snacks play an important role in our weight-loss program. Specifically, snacking gives the body an energy boost when needed, and is also beneficial for weight control. Research shows that snacking lowers both total and LDL (or "bad" cholesterol).

When you are in the weight-loss phase of your Medifast plan, your snacks will be your Medifast Meals. You will eat 5 small meals a day and one Lean & Green meal, so you are getting all the energy you need from these sources.

When you are on weight maintenance, healthy snacking is essential to keeping your metabolism going and your energy up. Good snacks include: fruits, vegetables, low-fat yogurts, crackers with low-fat cheese, cereals and small handfuls of raisins and nuts.

Here are some guidelines on how to maximize the health benefits of your snacks:
  • Select a snack with a combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat.
  • Pick a snack that is a good source of vitamins and minerals that you wouldn’t otherwise get from foods.
  • To help control your weight, choose snacks that are less than 200 calories.
  • Eat every two to three hours.   
Maintenance of your ideal weight does not have to be hard or difficult.  Good choices, made throughout the day, are essential to maintaining your healthy weight, feeling good and having lots of energy!

To learn more about Medifast and the 5 & 1 Plan, please visit Emoowered Weigh

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Coincidence or a Wink?

Recently, I came across a small, compact book about Christian living in the most unlikely place - a Dollar General store!  They carry books from Thomas Nelson, the big Christian publisher.  The copyrights may be several years old, but the wisdom that flows from these pages is timeless.

My current read is a book by Squire Rushnell called "When God Winks at You."  He has collected stories over the years about coincidences, that he believes are really winks from God.  In Squire's opinion (and mine), God is just waiting for you to ask him for help, so He can let you know He is thinking about you.

As Squire says, "Every time you receive what some call a coincidence or an answered prayer, it's a direct and personal message of reassurance from God to you - what I call a godwink."

Has that ever happened to you? Something so unbelievable that it can't be explained except by calling it a "godwink."  (Let me know so I can write about it!)

This book is full of amazing stories that will leave you breathless in wonder.  After reading "When God Winks at You," you will be filled with the desire to look for all the "godwinks" in your life that happen right before your eyes!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

God's Window

When I was young, my mother used to tell me a story about God, looking out of heaven's window.  He would stand at the window and just watch all that went on the world he created.  But she would always remind me that God could also look inside of what he created - into my heart and see my true intentions.

So if I misbehaved (which rarely occurred, because I was God's perfect child...) God could see instantly if I was truly sorry for hitting my brother or taking an extra piece of cake. 

As an adult, this image of God standing at His window has shifted and aligned with new realizations about my life, my purpose and how I may serve Him. The childhood version made God seem too remote and uncaring. Instead of God standing passively at His window as my mother described, I now see myself and my relationship with Him in a different light.

Or through a different window pane, if you will.

The Universe is constantly changing, creating, growing and dying.  The cells in your body change every minute of every day.  Each breath you take causes a chain reaction of change in your body as oxygen is delivered to your cells and carbon dioxide is removed.  You could say that each moment in time is a new creation - it has never occurred before and it will never be the exact same again.

Since we live in a Universe that is always creating something new and different, I realized that God must like change. Why else would He have created what he did? He could have just as easily made a static world, where nothing ever grows, evolves, dies and is reborn.  But He didn't...so that leads us to the next logical step.

If I am a creation of God, then I must be part of the change that He likes to experience! But how does God experience life in this three dimensional world that I live in? That is when I had my break-through moment. 

I am the window through which God sees this world!

God sees this world through my eyes, hears the cacophony of sounds through my ears, and tastes the flavors and textures of life through my tongue and skin.  I am the window pane through which He experiences this world!

But wait - what if I have let my windows become caked over with guilt, shame, regret or anger?  What if I my focus on the past or the future affects the clarity of the glass?  What if my emotional pain has dirtied the window pane through which God sees the world?  Is that really the way I want Him to see the world?

I control my thoughts and the direction of my focus and attention.  If I spend too much time remembering a painful event or waiting for something to happen in the future so I can be happy, my glass is not clear.  Only my focus on the present moment, with all of its gifts of love and wonder, will I keep the view open.

My awareness of this moment creates the transparency God needs!

I am the window for God to see my world.  When I stay in the moment of Now, He can see through me. I can hear His guidance and feel His love, because I am in the moment with Him. 

How clean are your windows?