#18 Why Are People Choosing The Wrong Apples?

When given a choice -- why do most people choose the wrong apples?  Adam and Eve had a choice to make back in the garden of Eden and you know how the story ended -- they chose the wrong fruit as well (Genesis Ch. 2).





Should I choose this apple or...




this apple (pie)?


Well I have to say, I didn't choose the apple pie (smile) -- I chose the apple.  I believe people choose the wrong apple because we have this overwhelming addiction to sugar.  Therefore, after so many years of consuming products with sugar in them it's hard to say "NO" to it's temptation.  BUT it's easy to make the right choices when you absorb yourself with like-minded individuals who share your quest for clean eating.  I am encouraged by people who make health a priority in their lives.  When I find myself leaning on the wrong side of the food fence, I stop and think about those who I subscribe to on-line cheering me on to make wise choices.  We make choices every day with what we put in our bodies.  So let's "CHOOSE" to put in a variety of good clean food that will help us look and feel our best.

Here are just a FEW of the people who inspire me to push away the apple pie, the white sugar, white flour and all the other stuff that is not good for a clean eating lifestyle. 

Ivy Larson - Clean Cuisine

Here is one of her videos:

Holiday Easy Apple Crisp Recipe with Cranberries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGYyX0Nmjn8&feature=plcp

You will be amazed at how you can substitutes healthy ingredients and get a very tasty outcome.  She has a ton of great videos that will inspire you.

Tosca Reno -- Oxygen Magazine

Here is one of her videos:

Tosca's Favorite Fruits (from Oxygen Magazine)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=CkD5-IPnoh0&feature=endscreen

Tosca is one of my she-ro's in the clean eating business!!!  Check out her videos and be amazed by this 40-someTHIN momma!


One more...

Cassey Ho -- BlogilatesTV

Here is one of her videos:

How To Start Clean Eating

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8784JC75Zbw

Very encouraging tips and excitement from this gal about eating clean.


By-the-way (BTW) -- by subscribing to these ladies YouTube channel, every time they make a new video you will be notified by email...how easy is that to stay encouraged!!!

You too can be inspired to choose the

over the

UPDATE -- UPDATE on the Green Smoothies...

My favorite green smoothie so far consist of spinach, strawberries, apples and pineapples.  I have tried smoothies with Collard greens, Kale and Turnips -- they have a very strong taste -- unlike spinach, which has a very mild flavor. I have also switched books from "132+ Green Smoothie Magic" to "Green Smoothie Recipes and 99 Fountain of Youth Superfood Secrets."  I made this change because of the way the recipes were listed in the 1st book (it was not very specific in what quantities to use for each smoothie ingredient) so I was doing a lot of guessing with each recipe and that pretty much defeated my purpose.  I will continue to keep you posted on my favorites...

Until next time...


Please leave a comment on the left.  Thanks for visiting.

#17 Be Intentional in Whatever You Do!

I love listening to Randy on Bott Radio Network (91.5 FM here in MO) and his program called, Intentional Living.  It lets me know that in whatever we do we need to make up in our own minds to be intentional.  What is intentional?  It means, to me, that you are doing it on purpose -- with all your heart and mind.

The bible says, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men -- Colossian 3:23 (New International Version).  In other words, I do whatever I do as if the Lord is watching -- not for man's benefit.

So that introduction brings me to this..."I Choose Joy!!!"

What does that have to do with Healthy living???!! 

A whole lot.  When I choose joy, I am saying -- no matter how bad my day is, no matter who makes me mad, no matter what the weather, what the scale says, who hurts my feelings, who cuts me off on the road -- you get the point -- I am going to CHOOSE JOY!  Why, because I have a choice.  I can choose how I am going to respond to these issues.  Only me.  No one else can choose for me how I am going to respond.  I INTENTIONALLY choose JOY.

How that effects my health -- because I live at peace with my choice,  I am not burden down with ulcers or depression or other ailments.  I shake off the thoughts that want to burden me down.  I choose joy instead of all the other negative adjectives out there.

Does this mean I never have a bad day any more or I just walk around with a big smile on my face everyday?



Hey look at me, I'm happy with no cares in the world!!

No, I don't have great days everyday, I am human, but it's still a choice -- I can wallow in my issues or I can choose joy!  No matter how bad they tend to be in my eyes -- I CHOOSE JOY.  It makes my days very bright and life worth living.  Joyce Meyers states in her book, "Battlefield of the Mind" --

"Even a person who is really positive won't

have everything work out the way he would

like it to all the time.  But the positive person

can go ahead and decide to enjoy himself no

matter what happens.  The negative person

never enjoys anything."

So I say all of that to encourage you as well.  Don't allow your situations or circumstances to dictate how you are going to respond to life.  Right where you are, you can put a smile on your face and say -- "Lord it's yours."  Make up in your mind that you don't have to allow "IT" -- (whatever or whoever "It" is) to eat you up inside -- or you can say, "That's OK, I'm going to be joyful and trust that You have my back.  You will not allow this thing or person to bring me down.  I'm going to trust You today Lord with this situation.  It's in Your hands.  Take control!!!"

I choose ...



Why not join me!!!

Update on the green smoothies

Oh, by-the-way -- the green smoothies are not going well (I still choose joy ... haha).  The reason is because they don't have specific amounts to the recipes.  I'm pretty much making them up myself and that defeats my purpose.  I will perhaps be trying another book -- I am recording my findings and I don't have a favorite to report as of yet.  I will keep you posted...

Until next time...

Please leave a comment on the left.  Thanks for visiting.

#16 A Look Back at All That I'm Thankful For This Year!!!

Can you believe it??  It's almost Thanksgiving!!!  I just can not get over how fast the year is going.  

I remember when...

It was just January and we were celebrating my dear hubby's 48th birthday...

It was just May when my son, Adrian, who had not played baseball in awhile, joined St. Angela Merci and played from May-July and he also turned 15...

It was also just May when I was at the flower store picking out perennials and annuals over the spring to beautify my front porch and yard.  I was just filling up my bird feeders to feed the hummingbirds (my friend Tony and his family (they come back every year))...


















It was also just May when both my boys had their 8th grade home school graduation...



Adrian

 

Jordan

I had the privilege of handing them their diplomas...

It was just June when we visited the Dominican Republic on vacation, stayed for an entire week at beautiful Punta Cana in an all-inclusive resort...

It was also just June when me and my boys tagged alone with my dear hubby on a business trip to Las Vegas for another week and just soaked up the sun at the pool, took pictures of all the beautiful hotels on the strip and just enjoyed being away...

It was just August when I started this blog, started another year of home schooling (9th GRADE) and also my son Jordan joined the boy scouts...

It was just October when I celebrated my 47th birthday...woohoo...

And now here I sit typing this November blog reminiscing over how good The Lord has been to us this year.  So much to be thankful for.   Not just for the things we have done or the places we have been but because He has allowed us to live, move and have our right minds every single day.  We can do nothing without Him and I'm so thankful for my family and friends.  It's always easy to find things to complain about -- but when I just think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done for me -- my soul cries out HALLELUJAH --  thank you Lord for what You have done for me. Thank You for the opportunity to share my thoughts in the form of this blog for the world to see and not be put in jail for doing so.  Thank You for our rights and our freedoms.

And get this ... the year is not over -- my son Jordan will turn 14 in December and we get to celebrate one of my favorite holidays of the year -- Christmas -- Christ's birth.

So I want to encourage you -- before Thanksgiving gets here -- reminisce over how good God has been to you.  Thanksgiving can be everyday.  Thank Him and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!

Until next time...

Please leave a comment on the left.  Thanks for visiting.

#15 The Great Green Challenge and THANKS!!!!!

Have you heard about them? 

?????

Have you ever tried one of them?  What is "IT" you ask?

Why it's GREEN SMOOTHIES!!!!

Well my readers, so far, I like them.  You noticed I didn't say love -- YET.    The reason for that is because there are 50,000+ (maybe a little exaggeration) recipes to choose from and I've ONLY made up about two of my own (and they were so-so).  This is going to be my way of getting in needed veggies and hey, what the heck -- I love smoothies and it will give me a reason to enjoy my new Ninja blender (I posted on last Friday's blog). 

Have you ever seen the movie Julie & Julia??? One of my all-time favorites  -- and one of the many reasons why I blog today.  Here is a little blurb about the movie: 

Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking

profession is intertwined with blogger

Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook

all the recipes in Child's first book.

Love, love, love this movie....check it out if you haven't seen it!

So I am going to take a personal challenge and use a book that I recently purchased -- 132+ Delicious Green Smoothie Recipes that Trim & Slim (Green Smoothie Magic) by Gabrielle Raiz.  Hopefully by doing a book full of recipes my smoothies will no longer be so-so but F A B U L O U S!!!!



I plan on making all 132 smoothies in this entire book and blog about them starting November 16th.  I will blog my favorites and some flubs and maybe include a picture or two.  Start drinking date -- November 12th, 2012 and continue till I've tried every smoothie.  I will be drinking a smoothie for breakfast.  Join me if you feel inclined or just check back on Friday's to see where I am on this journey.

Don't worry, my blog won't just be about the smoothies I've tried for that week -- I will continue to blog about other things "HEALTHY"  in each blog.

Also, I wanted to say a big "Thank You" for viewing my blog.  I've hit the 1,000+ viewers mark!!!

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doing the happy dance!!!!!!

Again, I say Thank You.  I appreciate all the feedback and I look forward to sharing more with you.  If you would like to share the blog with others, feel free.  Let's get and stay healthy together!



Until next time...

Please leave a comment on the left.  Thanks for visiting.

#14 Books That Encourage Me For A Healthy Lifestyle!

I want to say first off, I receive no money or anything for suggesting these books, these are just some of my favorites that have helped me along the way.

While perusing one of my favorite places "Goodwill" I noticed a book that sounded very "freeing" to me.  It was called Freedom to Eat by Jackie Trottmann.

In her table of contents some of the things discussed is -- My Struggles, Seeking the Magic Cure, Stuffing -- And I Don't Mean Stove Top, Get In Touch With Your Feeling Through Writing, Throw Away the Scale, Practice Meditation (which she has a meditation CD), Clear Clutter From Your Life and so much more!

This was a freeing book for me.  It changed literally how I eat today.  I always pull this book out when I need that encouragement to keep me on track.  Jackie is a St. Louis native.  After reading her book, I found her website and wrote to her telling her how much I enjoyed reading it.  We have met since then and are now good friends that encourage each other in the Lord.  God is so good!  At this time, Jackie is not taking any orders on this book but you may be able to reach her for other things like meditation Cd's and check out her blogs at http://guidedchristianmeditation.com .

Another one of my all time favorites is Tosca Reno's Eat-Clean Diet Recharged!

This is Tosca's story.  At age 40 author Tosca Reno found herself miserable, overweight, stuck in an unhappy marriage and living an unfulfilled life. Her self-esteem was at an all-time low. She barely recognized the woman she had become. Determined to change her life for the better, she entered the doors of her local gym and never looked back. The minute she hopped on the treadmill she felt like she was taking control of her life again. Her confidence grew as she found the motivation to take care of herself - something she had lacked for years. After learning how to Eat Clean, Tosca's life accelerated to new heights of health, vitality and confidence.

As she shed unwanted pounds, Tosca underwent a profound transformation. For the first time in her life she was happy to take center stage. She was confident, joyful and ready to take on the world. At age 42, with the support of her now husband, Robert Kennedy (who is now deceased), she entered her first physique contest. Undaunted by the younger competitors, Tosca took fifth place in her class.   

To find out more about Tosca -- you can just hit Google.  You will find plenty.  She has lots of great books as well and her Eat-Clean Diet is not a "Diet" -- it's a "Lifestyle."

One more I will mention is Fit For Life Not Fat For Life by Harvey Diamond.  When me and my hubby decided to get on the right track with eating -- we turned to Diamond!  This book works on this premise --  In the Fit for Life book series many dietary principles are recommended including eating only fruit in the morning, eating predominantly "live...high-water-content" food, and if eating animal protein to avoid combining it with complex carbohydrates.

I still do a lot of the things suggested in this book today.  For instance, both me and my hubby eat fruit in the morning.  All types of fruit.  I'm big on smoothies.

One of the newest books that I have come across is Smoothies For Healthy Weight Loss by Elisabeth Peters.  If you have a Kindle Fire, you can get this book for free.  I am really getting into Green Smoothies and will be going on a 3 day cleanse using this books smoothie recipes.  I just purchased a Ninja mixer, which by the way, if you don't own one this is a very nice one to invest in.  I purchased it from Bed, Bath and Beyond.  You can get a 20% off coupon on-line by visiting their website. 



So those are some of my books that I enjoy for good health.  I hope you will look into them and see if you can gleam hope and encouragement at the same time by reading them. 

Until next time...

Please leave a comment on the left.  Thanks for visiting.