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Veg4Health Newsletter
Small
Steps Toward Health!
Oftentimes
it seems people want to start improving their health, but they just
don't know where to start. Perhaps it's been so long since
they've done anything towards restoring life and vitality that it's
completely overwhelming. Knowing where and how to begin often
empowers them towards change. It may seem trite and perhaps
over-used, but it only takes small steps, repeated over and over which
lead to health. You can't go from couch-potato to tri-athlete
in
a day, a month and probably not even in a year. But you can
start
moving, start changing and start starting TODAY! And health
isn't
just what we eat or how we exercise. It's about ALL of our
life
and our choices in every area. What good does it do to
discipline
the body if we forget our souls? What good does it do our
spirits
if we think and meditate all day and never move? The small
steps
listed below are meant to give encouragement and direction to all of us
- whether couch-potato or athlete. We all have areas in our
life
which need some extra attention and momentum.
Small
steps towards health
- Begin NOW - There really is
no time like the present to make changes.
- Spend
time in prayer and fellowship with the Lord - what does He say about
your health and what you should do? Be obedient to what He
places
on your heart.
- Examine
your vocation - could it be making you sick? Would a change
be
appropriate? Open your mind to different possibilities and
using
your God-given talents to their fullest.
- Go to bed 1 hour earlier - sleep before
midnight is twice as effective as sleep after.
- Add 1
extra whole, plant-based food to your meals - adding an extra fruit or
vegetable at every meal can add up to big differences
- Get
moving today - "invest" in a pedometer and keep track of your steps
each day. Try increasing your steps every day - even if it's
only
100 steps
- Get up 15 minutes earlier and spend that
extra time stretching - what a great way to loosen up before beginning
your activities
- Complete a crossword puzzle or sudoko -
brain exercise is an easy and important way to improve your overall
health
- Go
play tag, rake leaves or have a snowball fight with your children or
grandchildren rather than watch the news or read the paper.
- Pick
one bad food choice or habit and decide to eliminate it for the next
week. When successful, celebrate and pick another
one.
Small changes can make big differences in our lives and health.
- Learn
your vitals - cholesterol, glucose, weight, blood pressure and waist
measurement. Ignorance isn't bliss - it's dangerous.
- Forgive
someone who has wronged you. Unforgiveness is the same as YOU
drinking poison and expecting the OTHER person to get sick.
Give
it to God and move on.
- Commit to spending your next weekend
playing and relaxing - not on catching-up with everything you didn't
get done last week.
Remember
the old Chinese proverb, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a
single step." Whatever your goal or your starting point, it
only
takes small daily decisions to move you forward. Every day
you
will do some things which affects your health. Only you can
decide if they will move you in the direction you want to go.
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Wow!
We have had such a good time lately preparing lots of treats with
pumpkin. It seems over the summer, we relish the fresh fruits
and
seemingly forget about how much we enjoy pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins,
pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin soup. Once the first day of
autumn
arrives, whether we see any leaves change or not, we start thinking
PUMPKIN! We tried a new recipe for pumpkin pie which we
absolutely LOVE! My son loves it because pumpkin pie is his
favorite and I love it because it's a pie without a crust.
Don't
ask me why, but one of my challenges in the kitchen is pie
crust.
Perhaps it's because my mom never showed me how, or it's too humid in
Florida
, or too hot, or
perhaps I am just too lazy
to go to all that trouble. But a pie without a crust is a
little
bit of heaven to me. And hopefully it will be to you
too.
All it took was a blender, a pie plate and an oven. Fast
prep,
quick clean up and a delicious and HEALTHY treat that we all loved -
without dairy and without a crust! Enjoy!
Click here
for the recipe.
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