I-522. You have the right to KNOW.

Hot topic, right?
It's very simple.  If food has been Genetically Modified/Engineered (the food has been changed from it's original NATURAL design in some laboratory) you and I have the right to now this information so we can decide if we want to buy that product.
You will hear opposition to this, no doubt.  But it always comes back to eating food that is not itself...how God designed it and nature produces it.  We are a packaged/processed country and that is a fact of reality not likely to change anytime soon. But if I want to better my health and be able to make informed decisions, I need to trust that the products I eat are accurately labeled and giving me all the information available about that product.
Do your own research and ultimately choose your side. But please take the time to investigate and feel 100% convicted in your choice.

http://yeson522.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lPFkesAKRU

http://blog.seattlepi.com/boomerconsumer/2013/10/22/vote-yes-on-i-522-consumers-need-to-know-if-food-products-contain-gmos/


*Funny side bar.....
5/22 (522) just happens to be my wedding anniversary. For those of you who know me, I find this God's awesome sense of humor :) He speaks to me in a variety of creative ways!

Just a month is all it takes.

I recently had the opportunity to read an amazing article written by a well known health and fitness expert. You know when you hear or read something and you can't stop thinking about it? You want to tell everyone you know (whether they want to hear it or not) all about your experience? I knew this article was meant for my eyes that day, and I am living the truth that I am called to share things that hit me. So here it goes.

Calories Count.

You already know this. The marketing in our culture bombards us with "Only 100 cal per serving" and "Low-fat", "Zero Trans Fat", "High in Fiber", and so on.  But what are we truly to listen to, believe, and adopt? These labels are purely for sales - please don't fall for them. And please don't succumb to the crazy fads/eating plans/whatever-they-call-it that Hollywood (and your neighbor) are "on."  Severe and restrictive diets only breed severe metabolism and deficiency issues, which is a bigger problem - and a different post.  So back to the topic at hand......

Personal tid-bit: I have never counted a calorie in my life. Nope. I've never weighed my food, tracked my daily fat intake, or measured total calories.  Not that I don't think it's valuable, but I've never been one to micro-manage much. And truth? I really like to eat. I don't want to pause before every meal or snack to document what's about to be sucked down in the next three seconds. If I'm out in a restaurant, I am entitled to eat whatever I want, darn it. I'm a hungry girl, burn a gazillion calories a day, a busy wife and mom...I have no time for this! Give me my grub (and another basket of chips and salsa, please) and let's move on.

This is not to say I'm oblivious as to what I eat. I DO pay attention to ingredients and sugar content. I despise artificial anything (I can almost taste the aspartame as I write this - yyyyuuuck!) And I am, overall, a very health-conscious consumer. I stay far way from the obvious no-no's and try to make sound choices for myself and my family. But..........................I stand convicted. I really had no idea "how much" I was eating (or wasn't eating; more on that later.)

Rewind.

So over the summer, I was carrying on in the usual way. And I just felt God saying, "You aren't doing all you can."  WHAT?!?!  Seriously, Lord, how do you expect me to change anything right now? Kids are home, vacations are coming up, I am nearly over-training, and yet I hear Your voice telling me there's more?? Insert an open mouth and dropped jaw; perfect for the bowl of ice cream I ate just to spite my new bummer revelation.

Then, I stumbled upon the article that I was meant to read. Calories (and what kind of calories they are) C.O.U.N.T.  I am no dumb dumb,  of course they count.  Aren't I suppose to eat, like... 2000 a day? And as long as I'm doing that, all is well?  And I eat protein. Yeah, I do. And I watch my sugar and salt and I drink water and, and, and..........And then I realized, I didn't really kmow. Like, for sure know.  I was accustomed to generalizing and so far, it worked. But I turned 43 in August and I could feel it wasn't working anymore. No, I was not "fat" - that isn't where I was. But I didn't feel my best and I believe when we feel our best, we are able to live our best and serve God every day.  So, I got over myself and my pride and started searching for ways to cinch it up in the kitchen.

I started writing down everything I ate and the nutritional content of it.  UH, NO THANKS. Nobody has time for that. But I know that's where it starts because documentation = realization. I'm not an iPhone addict but realized this might be my ticket to efficiency. Since I don't do Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. I gave myself permission to exchange that time to start working with an App that would help me on this road to discovery. This was about my health and I felt good about using the tools technology offered. I knew it wasn't going to be long-term but simply just to help me become better acquainted with my eating habits and food choices.

And so, after a weekend away over Labor day (and some undocumented meals at The Cheesecake Factory) my husband and I downloaded a great app that we have been using for exactly one month.  Know what? As much as I hate to admit it, I wasn't doing a great job. Shout out, God, you were right. And here it was - all proofed out on my phone (ahem, personal palm computer) in black and white.  For me, some of the information was already known. But some was shocking: 1) I was usually under the necessary calories I needed each day.  2) I was only consuming 30-40% of the needed protein intake for my profile.  3) I sometimes skipped meals (eek!)  4) I was way over on sodium. 5) I didn't really get enough water. There's more, but overall, this raised my eyebrows.

After a month of our dedication to knowing more, we both feel healthier, have more energy, sleep better, work out harder, make better choices, are not as moody, and can now feel it when we don't eat enough!!  (This leads to problems, Friends. Your body requires food/fuel, especially if you are trying to lose weight. You will not succeed long-term if your body feels deprived, not to mention the vitamin/mineral pitfalls when you don't get them!) So whatever you might discover, over-eating, trans-fast addiction, sugarholic, protein deficient, under-eating, dehydration, too much saturated fat - IT IS WORTH A MONTH OR SIX WEEKS OF LEARNING ABOUT IT.  Eventually, you won't need an App to tell you how you're doing. But much like hiring a Personal Trainer, at first you must be taught and once you understand, you go off on your own. (Trainers often work ourselves out of a job, but that's the irony of good training.)  Every now and then, you might need a tune-up with your new best-friend-app, but for now, I strongly suggest you set a date to start and commit for at least one month.

Because in the end - Calories Count.

 

*If you would like to know what App I am currently using, contact me at balancepersonaltraining@comcast.net

....Was talking to a friend not too long ago about goals, to-do lists, dreams, life setbacks, etc. While we were analyzing and dissecting from all angles 

(and at one point, writing all scenarios out on paper) 

a quote I'd recently read popped into my mind.....

"Prayer is intended to be your first priority; 

not your last resort."

I promptly remembered that no matter what your current life's circumstances, talking with God about it often eliminates or decreases the amount of time we need to spend working on it. I am grateful for that truth and 

I need to check myself and ask,

 "Have I prayed about it as much as I've talked about it?" 

Because God is a muuuuuch better problem solver that I am!

Welcome Back!

The hiatus was unintentional, Friends......Life gets in the way sometimes. So on that note (while this morning has been non-hectic so far) I bring you a dose of encouragement. Should you be one of the many who deem the start of school/the fall your "new year," let's start off with a simple truth:

It will take four weeks for you to notice 

a change in your body/health. 

It will take eight weeks for your 

friends and family to notice. 

And it will take 12 weeks for the rest of the world. 

Give yourself 12 weeks.

Do. Not. Give. Up.

 

More on what is making us unhealthy, sick, and fat.....

Find the Hidden Sources of Sugar

Sugar is everywhere -here are Jillian Michael's tips on how to avoid it now.

Let's get something straight — stay far, far away from high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Seriously, this stuff really puts the "junk" in junk food! The people who make it have tried to claim it's the same as sugar, and while it's chemically similar, our bodies process it in different ways. HFCS is processed only by the liver, making it a greater contributor to obesity, diabetes, and more. It's the most abundant source of calories in a lot of foods out there and it's terrible for you because it boosts your fat-storing hormones. Look at your labels and you'll find HFCS in so many foods that line the shelves in our grocery stores. It's found in most soft drinks, processed foods, breads, candy, flavored yogurts, salad dressings, canned vegetables, and cereals. But just because high-fructose corn syrup is evil doesn't necessarily mean halos are hovering over other sugars. There's more sweet stuff out there that you need to avoid!
We still have far too much of the non-corn variety of sugar in our diets, and it's definitely not doing anything good for our health or our waistlines. The average American eats more than 30 teaspoons of sugar a day — that's more than 114 pounds of sugar a year!
While sugar is everywhere, you must do your best to eat it in extreme moderation. The World Health Organization recommends no more than 12 to 15 teaspoons a day, or 48 to 60 grams. Your best bet is to keep that amount as low as possible. Check your food labels — anything with "sugar" should obviously be avoided. However, sugar has many aliases. I'll give you a hint: Anything that ends in "-ose" is a sugar. See what I mean in the list below, and beware of these sweeteners in the foods you eat!
Aspartame
Dextrose
Evaporated cane juice
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrates
Galactose
Glucose
Honey
Invert corn syrup
Lactose
Malt
Maltose
Malt syrup
Maple syrup
Molasses
Rice syrup
Sacharin
Splenda
Sucralose
Sucrose
Now that you know what not to eat, there are some sweeteners that are okay to use, like organic maple syrup, Monk fruit, Nectresse, Stevia, and Truvia. The following are okay — but only in moderation: agave syrup, wild organic raw honey, and cane juice. Keep an eye on what you're consuming and limit yourself.

So funny/true!

If this doesn't make one think.....