The introduction a few weeks ago of Intentional Eating is part of a plan to help you and I, as participants in the body of Christ, live the abundant life God calls us to live. Change begins when we want something better. This may be a better night’s sleep, less pain, more energy, or less brain fog.

As a bible believing child of God, I want His Word to make an impact on my life in every single way and every single decision. So, my mindset is vital to the process of surrender and living for God instead of the desires of my flesh.

Sadly, it has to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

No one, including myself, thinks they have a food addiction. That is, until we embark on the next diet adventure or try to eliminate processed food. At that point, our eyes are opened pretty wide.

The apostle Paul understood the struggle so well! After a long battle with his desire to please God and please his flesh he says:

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those show live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

Romans 8:5

In the scriptures, God gives clear instruction on how to follow him spiritually and physically. Since you and I are three-part beings, everything we do physically has spiritual impact. Just as everything we do spiritually has a physical impact. Focusing on Him for emotional needs and following His guidelines in the bible for our physical needs, will enable us to live an abundant life.

Mysty PFeffer

In looking at these emotions it is helpful understand our relationship to food. You know the unmet need-to-be-filled emotional roller coaster we venture upon when we’re bored, tired, sad, or lonely.

For others, it may not even be a relationship but mindless munching. Regardless of the reasons, we place a high value on pleasure and convenience in the choices we make every day. 

The sad part is the choices we make are so automatic they require no thought or effort on our part. Don’t feel guilty at this point or beat yourself up, because our culture has taught us to think this way.

The advertising and the internet cookies make sure they know what you want when you type your first three letters into the search bar. They’ll even provide tempting pictures and headings of the items you and I look at often.

However, what would it look like to stop and think before every choice? Asking myself questions like, “Do my choices honor God and the temple of the Holy Spirit? Do they help me function the way He designed me to function?

Of course, we do…sometimes!

The late Dr. Rex Russell’s book, “What the Bible says About Healthy Living” shows us a better way. He gives us three principles of eating the foods God created for us, not altering God’s design, and not allowing food or drink to become an idol are simple and realistic lifestyle goals (1996).

So, with surrender and dependence on the Living God for guidance, here are 15 strategies to begin Intentional Eating:

1. Intentional eating begins with prayer. Prayer for God to show you and I areas of addiction/idolatry that are hindering our daily function. Praying for wisdom to remove harmful substances and making them less desirable.
2. Remove toxic food or food altered from God’s design from the weekly grocery list. If the package has ingredients we cannot pronounce, it has been altered from God’s original design and is meant for shelf life not our lives.
3. Although we don’t want to waste food, intentional eating involves reading every label in the pantry, cabinet, and refrigerator. With our minds set on God and His plan, we can pray if we should buy it again. Also ask Him what we can replace it with, or maybe make our own version with ingredients we can pronounce.
4. God created vegetables and fruit with powerful antioxidants. To date, over 8,000 phytochemicals have been identified by Scientists. These antioxidants work together to fight cancer, environmental damage from pollution, heart disease and more! Therefore, eating a variety of three to four servings a day are recommended to prevent disease. I know this is hard for people who don’t like vegetables. They must not have had a mom who insisted on them at least trying them frequently at mealtime as a child. The rewards of giving them another try makes retraining taste buds worthwhile. It can be done with fasting, prayer, removal of processed food, and repeated exposure. I cover this in week two of the STRENTH approach to Christian wellness.
5. Give thanks for every day God gives us to be alive and an encouragement to someone else. We have the beauty of God’s Garden at our fingertips in every grocery store. It is an honor and privilege to have so much produce available to help us function. As we place Him high and lifted up in value above His provision for our daily comfort, we displace our potential idols.
6. Another intentional eating approach is to understand it is not necessary to eat meat every meal, every day. Exchanging pork and beef for beans, legumes, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, is a good start as we see clear direction in Gen 1:29. Eating chicken and red meat once a week in addition to plant items will give us adequate protein. Remember the festivals in the Old Testament? Israel ate meat at special occasions or for special guests.
7. Eating more fish is an excellent way to improve heart healthy, inflammation reducing omega 3 in God’s eating plan. Jesus served fish, ate fish, talked about it and used them in his miracles. It’s worth eating frequently and abundantly. However, Dr. Russel points out in his book, shellfish and catfish are bottom feeders and toxic chemical filters, they will make you sick! Therefore, they are not on God’s list of good things to eat.
8. Dr. Russell also reveals in his book that pigs eat until they are engorged, and they’ll eat anything, including raw sewage. Have you ever sat down to eat pork and it smelled funny? Their stomachs can’t handle all the food, so it seeps into their muscle, along with all the toxins, chemicals, parasites, and viruses they consumed. So gross, you and I may rethink this process before eating pork (1996).

9.         Using portion control keeps us from placing food in the idol position. Since our stomachs are roughly the size of the fist, a plate just a little larger than the fist will hold what our bodies need. Experts suggest balancing the plate with a healthy protein, fat, and carbohydrate. The great news about eating from God’s Garden is vegetables and fruit provide all the macro and micronutrients we need to live!  God loves us bunches, doesn’t he?

10.       Slow down when chewing. Digestion begins in the mouth with an enzyme called amylase. Honestly, how many times do you and I frequently swallow half-chewed food? More than I care to admit. It will help you enjoy your food more, make your satisfied quicker, and digest it better with less gas and bloating.

11.       Avoid eating three hours before going to bed or after supper. Eating right before bed can interfere with sleep and the body’s natural detoxification process. Fasting during this time allows it to remove toxins and wastes more effectively. It’s also a good time to wind down and begin a time of reading and prayer. Such practice helps prevent food or drink from becoming a God.

12.       Drink plenty of water, the standard 8-10 glasses, depending of energy exertion is a nice guideline. Unless there is a reason for water restriction in people on dialysis or with heart failure, it is safe to consume this amount of water each day.

13.       Reducing soda consumption is a smart and intentional way to reduce caffeine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners.  Also, the phosphoric acid in soda beverages rob calcium and precious minerals from the bones. A process that especially harmful for children who are building bone and adults who are trying to maintain the bone they have! Excess caffeine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners are thieves of good health. God didn’t make or even think about His people drinking pop (according to the bible). But man, sure has a way of making this poison look and taste appealing to line his pocket.

14.       Alcohol consumption is another thief of health. It may be best for special occasions, or if it’s an addiction, avoided altogether.

15.       Last, but not least, intentional eating helps us be aware of sugar intake. Large amounts of sugar contribute to diabetes, premature aging, decreased muscle tone, robbing of minerals from the blood to balance its effects, hyperactivity in children, obesity, cancer, decreased immunity, and heart disease. And this is only the beginning. Removing or drastically decreasing our desire for this substance is something to pray about.

Encouragement for Implementing Your 15 Strategies of Intentional Eating

In conclusion, God has plenty to say about what he put in the original garden as “good”.  He also gives us plenty of warning about idolatry. Any substance that has power over our everyday decisions and our health is an idol. But he has given us a way to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. His son came a took all our sin upon himself in his death and redeemed us through his resurrection.

 Praise God, we can count on the Holy Spirit to guide us through this process.

I am happy to serve you and offer recipes, and strategies to begin intentional eating. Pleasing our Father in heaven more may become more rewarding than satisfying our physical cells in the days to come. I find this hard too, and I’m with you, so if you need a coach to walk alongside you, I am here! Contact me at Mysty Pfeffer Wellness Coaching.

REFERENCES:

BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages.

Russell, Rex (October 2006) What the Bible Says About Healthy Living, Revell, 304 Jones Cove Rd. Asheville, NC 28805.

Today I want to provide you with 10 Cane-Sugar free hearty meals to break your fast.

Although the best part of breakfast is that it’s good any time of day. Even if your breakfast time is 11am or later!

Let’s face it, the myth that breakfast is the most important meal of the day needs to go away. If you break your nighttime fast at 11am or later, because you’re not hungry, listen to your body. When you are hungry, think about how important intentional eating can be for incorporating excellent fuel to start your day.

The great thing about trying these 10 hearty meals is they are free of sugar cane and won’t zap your energy midday or cause inflammation or brain fog. Some are sweetened with fresh fruit, that provides natural sugar, antioxidants, and fiber.

When I think about how much kids need this kind of breakfast too, I feel a little guilty. Because I remember my cereal cart packing days when my kids were young. They needed better, but I didn’t understand at the time how little nutritious fuel they were getting with packaged cereal. Although both my girls turned out pretty healthy, now I think more about being an example and providing better nutrition for my grandchildren.

They can break their fast with sugar free & hearty meals like the ones listed below instead of highly processed cereals, with synthetic vitamins, colorings, and chemicals that damage cells instead of build healthy cells. I know fruit gets a bad rap in the weight loss world, but I truly believe what God put in the garden is good and for our good.

So, if removing cane sugar from our palates is doable with fresh fruit and provides powerful antioxidants, I’m going for it!

Now, before I start there are a few things I want you to understand about me and my cooking and recipe development:

1. I am not a dietician and do not calculate calorie requirements, nor develop meal plans for people. My background is nursing, education, psychology, and coaching with 18 months of wholistic nutrition via Clayton College of Natural Health (which is no longer operating) and personal study of nutrition over the years. My love for whole food and whole people drives me to read as many nutrition books as possible. Books of particular interest are the ones that are driven by evidenced-based studies.
2. I do not count calories, fat, or carbohydrates when I eat or develop recipes. However, if you do, I respect your decision to do so and will provide that information for you. The reason I do not calculate these things is because I strive to create recipes that are whole food from God’s garden, using fruit, vegetables, grains, lean meat, spices, and herbs. When we eat whole food and cut out denatured processed food with dies, chemicals, flavorings, and additives, we are full and satisfied with smaller amounts for a longer period of time. Therefore, we maintain an optimal balance of macronutrients and bodily requirements, while maintaining a healthy weight.
3. Lastly, I practice and teach my clients intentional eating. A process where we savor food and use it for its purpose of sustenance (and enjoyment), while asking the Holy Spirit to lead us in utilizing the spirit of self-control. Keeping treats and small amounts of sugar for special occasions is the goal of a well-balanced healthy lifestyle. It guides us through the mindset of approaching God’s provision with respect and care, while not being controlled by our desire to consume large amounts of anything in daily use.

So, without further ado, here are 10 Cane-Sugar-Free & Hearty Meals to Break Your Fast:

# 1 Spelt & Walnut Breakfast Bowl

You can use this recipe any time of the day and change up the grain to barley, quinoa, or farrow. Whatever your grocery store has on hand in their grain or seed isle that can be soaked overnight and heated gently in the morning to provide a good source of various vitamins. Don’t be concerned about the number of calories in the walnuts. You only need 1 ounce for this dish and that is about 3 walnuts, chopped. YES, you’ll get 185 calories, but you’ll also get 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber as well as heart rich omegas! God knows what he’s doing, he provides big impact in small amounts for a reason. We just have the convenience (and expense) of someone else making them easily attainable. Just picture the forager picking through that black drudge of a fallen walnut to get to the very hard nutshell and then trying to pry it open to enjoy the nutritious center!

Yep, go ahead and praise Him today for being born at this time!

# 2 A Mood Boosting Breakfast with Salmon Tortilla

I love using leftovers from the night before to break my fast. It’s two meals in one, so when cooking dinner, I begin to think ahead to breakfast. If you make your own tortillas, use unbleached organic flour and store it in the fridge for best freshness. Otherwise, it goes rancid after 30 days. I like grinding my own wheat berries once a week on my preparation day to incorporate all the nutrients God provided. If you can do that great, I can help you out with a prep day workshop. Another option is to look at the ingredients on the label and look for 100% Whole Wheat flour in your tortillas or whatever grain or grain less flour you prefer.

#3 Quinoa & Chia Breakfast Bowl

Quinoa is such a versatile seed, and I enjoy it in many meals! If you’ve tried it, you know what I’m talking about. It’s also a complete protein, is loaded with fiber and works in your gut like as the best stool softener ever! Yep, this old nurse just said that in a post. Believe me, gut health is one important key to brain and heart health and the sooner we feed our temples of the Holy Spirit the right fuel, everything else works better too!

#4 3 Way Asparagus Breakfast

I told you I’m usually thinking of breaking my fast with dinner, and since asparagus is on the menu at least once a week in our house, we have some leftover for the next day. Now, I was hesitant to buy this for a few weeks because it became so expensive, then I realized I pay almost that price for a fourth of what I get in an entire bundle when I go out to eat. So, why not buy the bundle and enjoy it in three meals? Since I’m always battling my fleshly desires for sugar, it’s nice to have something filling and enjoyable to replace the crave. Fresh fruit in season helps me do this. So, if you’re looking to remove the desire for sugar from your palate too, I hope you like this as a brunch or lunch idea. Your brain and heart will surely thank you!

# 5 Quinoa Breakfast Treats

I know, more quinoa, right? Yes! I got 5 lbs. on sale through a food distributor and it’s cheaper than the local grocery store. They used to sell a mix of quinoa and rice in a boil-in-bag, but I don’t see that anymore. No worries, quinoa is easy to prepare and keeps in the refrigerator for at least 7 days. Oh, and it quadruples in size so one cup raw equals a whole pan cooked! It can then be used frequently for various meals in place of rice or bread. I rinse mine according to package directions, add water in a 2:1 ratio, bring it to a boil, place the lid on it, and turn off the burner; leaving it there for at least 20-30 min. It is always light and fluffy and ready to use.

#6 Kale & Mushroom Pita Pockets

There are some really good whole-grain pita bread options in the grocery store. So, when reading how I make mine, don’t feel pressured to make the same thing or think it’s too difficult. The first thing I learned to do as a young lady beginning to cook is improvise! In other words, use what you have that is doable for you and incorporate the ideas in the recipe as something easily adjustable for your schedule, routine, or preferences. I grew up with my mom buying pita bread from the grocery store. It was probably in one of her fad diet magazine articles she always read.

#7 Avocado & Watercress English Muffin

Who says you can’t have fresh greens for breakfast? They are so refreshing and filling with eggs and whole grains. Although, these whole grains are not 100% cane sugar free, they are close. I use one teaspoon to help the yeast develop, but other than that they are mostly sugarless. See the graphic below of why I take two hours out of my week to grind my own flour and make my own bread. You deserve better too, better ingredients and better health. Again, I don’t expect others to go the extra distance to invest in a grain mill and wheat berries, however it is a wise investment. Maybe ask for one as a Christmas or birthday gift. It will be the gift that keeps on giving. When you read the labels below, you see why joints ache, and brains are foggy.

# 8 Kale and Apple Sausage Omelet

I use Aidell’s Chicken apple sausage for this hearty brunch or breakfast meal, but you can easily use ground chicken with an apple and spices. In fact, I’m going to have to come up with some of my own chicken-apple meat balls because I’m not sure if the “spices” on the label include MSG (monosodium gluconate). Each link is loaded with sodium too, about 700mg, if I made my own that would be reduced considerably. However, in a pinch, this packaged product claims no nitrates or nitrites are added to the product.

# 9 Peanut Butter & Apple

A simple apple with 2 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter has to be one of my all-time favorites! It’s also an easy meal for breaking the fast. However, it is most healthy when purchasing the all-natural peanut butter with salt only. Did you know manufacturers add partially hydrogenated oil to their peanut butter? Say what! Yes, it is cheap and fills the jar, but is so damaging to growing cells.

Now, I’ll admit the all-natural peanut butter takes more work. I’ve found the simplest way to mix it is to find a bowl with a lid and pour the entire contents of the jar into the bowl and mix it with a fork. I store the bowl in the fridge for easy access and no further need to stir. The texture of the “Crunchy” is my personal favorite, and find it is very filling until my next meal.

# 10 Eggs and Kraut with Fresh Herbs

Ok, I know what you’re thinking, sauerkraut for breakfast….no way! Haha, I know it sounds crazy but when you give up sugar your taste buds change! We have new and exciting dimensions in flavor to explore. You and I also need to feed our good gut bacteria daily to enhance our immunity and our mood. In this article the whole egg and cholesterol myth is debunked as well.

Did you know eggs have all the B vitamins you’ll need? Yes, according to a National Institute of Health article on the nutritional facts of eggs, “. The egg yolk contains high amount of vitamin A, D, E, K, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, and B12, while egg white possesses high amounts of vitamins B2, B3, and B5 but also significant amounts of vitamins B1, B6, B8, B9, and B12 (Table 2). Eating two eggs per day covers 10% to 30% of the vitamin requirements for humans” that’s a hearty meal for sure! (1). The only vitamin I don’t see in this baby is vitamin C, but eat an orange or kiwi with this and you’re covered.

Last thoughts on 10 Cane-Sugar Free & Hearty Meals

I hope and pray this post helps you develop some sugar free and hearty meal ideas for breaking your fast other than cereal. There are so many more ideas out there from popular Christian Bloggers your options are limitless! Regardless if you are following a vegan, paleo, gluten free, or just a normal person like me plan, there are recipes available everywhere on social media.

Best wishes to you on your journey for a wholesome eating lifestyle!

REFERENCES:

The Golden Egg: Nutritional Value, Bioactivities, and Emerging Benefits for Human Health (nih.gov)

Réhault-Godbert, S., Guyot, N., & Nys, Y. (2019). The Golden Egg: Nutritional Value, Bioactivities, and Emerging Benefits for Human Health. Nutrients, 11(3), 684. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11030684

A simple and delicious breakfast is always a day changer! The good news about this quick and easy meal is you can do it the night before as you prepare your dinner, then just heat it in the microwave 30 seconds the next day.

I used fresh milled hard red wheat berries to make my pita bread and Bread Beckers pita bread recipe (the recipe is below). It was easy to follow and only took an hour of my prep day. I know that may sound like a long time for some people, but when a loaf of bread takes 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours from start to finish, I consider that a “quicker” bread.

Don’t sweat it if you don’t have time to make the bread or if you are avoiding bread altogether. You can substitute eggs for the bread if you’re on a low carb plan or use your local grocery stores whole grain pita pockets to save time. Walmart carries BFree, a nondairy, Non GM0, vegan and gluten free brand of pita bread. It’s a little pricey; $5.49 for 4 pockets, although they are a pretty good size and can be split in half for a one-person meal. Kroger carries the “Old World” Brand that is $2.49 for 12 oz. So, you do have options.

God’s merciful provision to sustain us never ceases to amaze me! The benefits of Kale, mushrooms, and garlic are phenomenal. We are given plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to sustain and nourish us throughout our day. At the same time, this meal helps build our immune systems and fight off the environmental toxins we encounter daily. Give thanks to the Lord for such goodness, his love endures forever, as Psalm 118 reminds us.

Enjoy his precious Word today my friend, and maybe a Kale & Mushroom Pita Pocket too!

God’s garden is good!

Bread Beckers Pita Bread Recipe—adapted to my lower sodium consuming tastes.

1 and 1/4 Cups Lukewarm Water

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Onion Powder

3 Cups Freshly Milled Hard White Wheat

2 1/2 Tsp. Yeast

Combine the water in a large bowl. I grind my wheat berries then add the salt and onion powder with my whisk. Stir half of the flour into the water and mix well. Add remaining flour and knead until smooth (about 5-10 min). I divided this into 8 balls (hers made 6). Flatten with a rolling pin and make into 6-inch circles. Place them on a cookie sheet and let rise about 45 min. Preheat oven to 500 degrees and I baked them 10 minutes or until brown and puffed in the center. They will be hard when you get them out, but soften as they cool. I split them in half and make pockets. Store extras in the fridge until you are ready to use them.

Refrences:

Pita Bread, The Bread Beckers, Inc. Recipe Collection. 305 Bell Park Dr. Woodstock, GA 30188, www.breadbeckers.com (770)516-5000

Week 7 of the Strength Approach to Christian Wellness begins with T. T= Thank God for His faithfulness as we actively express our gratitude. God loves us despite our continually turning to the things of this world to satisfy our longings. The good news is we can tell him in prayer our deep desires, and our struggles. At the same time, when we feel that hot shower in the morning, sip on a brewed beverage, and break our fast, we find God is faithful.

Thankfulness and actively showing gratitude for our daily provision and in our communities has a way of filling us with assurance. A warm flow of contentment spreads instead of anxiety when we trust Him. Sometimes we may say, “You know I’m not feeling it yet God, but I know you’ve got this!” But God listens and understands, as he stands beside us along the way, providing our greatest needs.

Take the example of King David for instance. In his prime, he experienced the pressure of cruelty and unjustness. In his old age, feeling spent of strength, he pours out his heart to God. Apprehension almost overtook him as he was scorned, accused, and conspired against by his enemies. Yet, he praises God as each of his basic needs were met. Do we react the same way today?

His example of thankfulness in times of distress and turmoil are impressive. Although the pressure from his adversaries’ mounts, he says, “I will hope continually and will paise you more and more. Oh God from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. You who have made me see many trials and calamites will revive me again. I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness. O my God; I will sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed (Psalm 71: 9,13,17, 20, 22,23).

A grateful heart recognizes God is still worthy of praise when circumstances are out of control. In our comfort filled lives of convenience and ease we sometimes forget to praise Him when we feel defeated and weak.

The life-threatening enemies chasing down our abundant living are stress, and poor lifestyle choices in the land of abundance.  We’re not remembering the hardships of hiding in caves, or scavenging for sustenance from local farmers.

Our biggest battle is self-control.

A fruit of the Spirit we attribute to niceness, and kindness in a land of opportunity, buffets, and technology. However, for us, this age of information also comes with long work hours, and the stress of balancing work life with home life. Therefore, we are primed and ready for losing self-control in our down time.

The harmful nutritional and mind-numbing choices we make reflect our need for rest. Take for example, cell phones loaded with distracting games, puzzles, or videos, or the enticing draw of the local fast-food joints. The choices we make are ones easily available that don’t require deep thought on our part. However, they do offer a short escape from the day.

But what message does this repetitive mindless activity send to our souls or the people we love? Could it be nourishing a healthy body is too much work and down time is coveted more? How valuable is my health or my children compared to this device or this meal? What activity for myself or with them would build closer connection, physical health, and community?

Thankfulness In Action

Perhaps a short game of kickball, basketball, or soccer would boost energy levels for the caregiver, while releasing energy for kids after a long day at school. Following the activity with a family devotion, over a lovely fruit and vegetable tray, offers them sharing time with God at the center.

Even if we are beyond the caregiver role, we can find opportunities to be thankful and active in someone else’s life. Our church does a pray and go once a month, we pair up with another person and pray for specific house numbers on different streets in our neighborhood each month. This is a great activity for people of all ages to incorporate in their neighborhoods.

Maybe you love to cook, yet don’t want to cook for one person. Begin a soup or dinner exchange with a few close single friends and bring your dishes to a gathering, with a set of trays. Divide the meals or soups into the trays and you’ll each have a wonderful time together while taking home a different (and healthy) dish for each day of the week.

Activities together create a sense of thankfulness because we are stronger together. The Holy Spirit works in and among us when we love this way. We are more grateful, carefree, and lighthearted. Therefore, a stronger sense of self comes with faithfulness to our own small community.

The more involved we are with others, the less we think about our battle scars of self-doubt, self-reproach, and just getting through the day. We have an active plan to make a difference.

In the process, our focus is on God’s plan of unifying a family. A family of neighbors, churches, communities, and individuals.

Moreover, thankfulness in prayer and action allows us to move beyond our weaknesses. Trusting Him with every anxiety, binge moment, or stressor brings about His thoughtful plan to make us more like His son.

He knows failures train our hearts to trust him more, because we’re still here, still trudging through. Yet, victory over despair is won with each act of faithfulness on His part.

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

biblegateway.com

Therefore, thanking him for his faithfulness and asking Him to teach us how to be actively grateful in our communities is something, we can begin practicing today. I think, God is eager to hear and see us proclaim His wondrous deeds in our lives. My prayer is that you see it too.

When I first got married, there was a recipe in the local church cookbooks called, “Poor Man’s Meal”. Since I was a new bride and we were poor, this dish was right up my alley.

After all, Poor Man’s meal only called for ground beef, onions, potatoes and cream of mushroom soup. New cooks need easy too, ya know!

Well fast forward 34 years and I realize, I have not cooked that in years! Why? I guess I outgrew it as my cooking skills advanced beyond casseroles. However, I am revisiting the dish today and vamping it up a bit. Instead of potatoes and cream of mushroom soup, I’m using fresh shitake mushrooms and cabbage.

Remember, when we make our own soups (casseroles), we control the amount of salt, fat, carbs they contain.

Benefits:

Cooked cabbage is high in fiber, vitamin K and polyphenols. Polyphenols are antioxidants that help fight cancer and inflammation. Eaten raw or in salad it retains a good dose of Vitamin C, the powerful immune boosting vitamin we all need. Cabbage combined with the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in this Poor Man’s Meal are sure to provide enough sulfur compounds to help you and your family to fight any infection that comes along.

Devotion:

 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9 Bible Gateway

Jesus gave up the glory of heaven so we might have a taste of real richness. Wealth that has nothing to do with material things, money, or food. He gives us an opportunity to know Him through his Word and His life. In Him, our fullness dwells. I hope you take a moment to rest in His provision today.

Meditate and taste His Word alongside a dish of nutrient packed vegetable stew like this Poor Man’s Meal today! You’ll find a sense of gratefulness as you remember the days of truly being poor. With Jesus at your side, those days are a thing of the past.

Grace to self for times of weakness is the topic for week six’s STRENGTH Approach to Christian Wellness. Let’s face it, we all have setbacks, obstacles, and moments of weakness. Showing ourselves grace keeps us from condemnation because change is a process.

Victory comes in permanent lifestyle habits that build a stronger mind and body. But as we know, it doesn’t happen in one or two weeks. A better understanding of grace to self comes when we have a better grasp of God’s grace.

For instance, the biblical definition of grace is typically described as unmerited favor from God. We cannot earn grace because it is the Sovereign will of God. Throughout the Old Testament this favor was bestowed upon Noah, Abraham, Israel, David, and many others.

As we look at the New Testament, we see the term grace most often associated with salvation (redemption of our souls) and sanctification (becoming more like Jesus).  However, there is also a new aspect of power in the Spirit as a nuance to the term (Elwell, 1997).

Acts 6:8 “Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 

Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

Romans 1:5 We learn from Jesus, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations.

Bible Gateway.com

It’s interesting that alongside this power from the Holy Spirit, we also see suffering and stewardship linked to grace (Elwell, 1997).

Titus 2:11-12– For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.

Bible Gateway

Grace is given so we are strengthened in times of weakness. So, we look like a people called to live for God and not slaves to things of this world.

What makes a biblical view of grace so important for us today?

We are facing astronomical attacks on our bodies and minds every day! We need the power of grace outside ourselves to counteract daily attacks. You and I may be aware of gaslighting (repeated messages used for mind control) and fearmongering tactics among the media. But the manipulation of our minds does not stop there!

The attacks come through substances we are fooled into thinking is fuel for our bodies too! It is so subtle we experience extreme guilt when we lose control.

However, promises of pleasure and fulfillment in advertisements and social media alongside additives and flavorings in food, are only meant to bring you and I back for more.

The deceptive manipulation of our minds and taste buds hits the dopamine center of our brains that controls feelings of pleasure.

My friend, doctors around the country are speaking out and warning us about the dangers to our minds as well as additives and chemicals addicting us to products. Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Robert Lustig, and Mark Hyman are just a few doctors sounding the alarm.

All these doctors have developed functional medicine plans to help people get real and permanent relief from chronic pain and inflammation. But also to eliminate food addiction. What we can learn from these doctors is how processed food is contributing to disease, and depleting our bodies, and our minds, of vital nutrients.

Nutrients that help us fight obesity, dementia, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, ADHD, depression, or brain fog.

So, today grace starts with letting go of the guilt and becoming aware of how badly we’ve been deceived. The addictive properties of food are partially to blame. They act upon the neurotransmitters in our cells to create the pleasure response.

Moreover, when we’re facing stress, loneliness, and depression, we want the pleasure center activated. However, the more we allow ourselves to respond in this way, the harder it is to stop the habit.

Dr. Amen says, we build tracts in the brain with the repetitive behavior. Did you know that electrical pathways in the brain inhibit reasoning and will power as a result of addiction?

Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, an interventional cardiologist and founder of the Galen Foundation, describes casomorphines in cheese, gluteomorphines in bread, artificial sweeteners, and sugar cane as catalysts to inhibit reasoning in our brains. 

They sound like drugs, don’t they?

I will link Dr. Jamnadas’ YouTube video below so you can visit the site and listen for yourself. It’s called, “Addiction: Why We Can’t Fast or Keep a Diet.”

The bottom line is we must replace the harmful habits with helpful habits that are accessible, realistic, and will become doable routines (Amen, 2020). But first, we’ll have to fast and pray as our Comforter, Councilor, and Mighty Prince of Peace gives us the power to resist.

The Daniel Fast is a great place to start! I can help you with this! Once our old taste buds die off in 10 to 12 days and are replaced with new ones, we can defeat brain depleting temptations.

I have some great preparation ideas in some of my workshops and during Wellness Coaching, I’d be happy to help you with developing a new approach. In the meantime, I will pray you are empowered with wisdom and knowledge so you can give yourself grace in times of weakness.

I leave us with Psalm 19:7-14 as we stay the course:

References:

Amen, Daniel, Amen Clinic, Your Ultimate Guide to Gut Health | Amen Clinics

Biblegateway.com

Elwell, Walter A. Entry for Grace, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology 1997.

The Galen Foundation, December 24, 2021

Week five’s STRENGTH Approach to Christian Wellness theme is one of hope. It is also one of setting a date to release desires for worldly things to God.

Let’s face it, we are focused on numbers. It doesn’t matter if the number relates to our bank account, retirement plan, grocery bill, or the number on a scale, our minds associate success with numbers.

They are also important for helping people control their blood pressure and blood sugar. Numbers on lab results identify problems inhibiting abundant life. Things like chronic kidney disease, heart disease. and autoimmune disease benefit from attention to numbers.

I get it, because I’ve seen the results dash the hopes and livelihoods of hundreds of people over the years! And I don’t want that to be me and you.

Although we cannot prolong our lives any longer than they were determined by God, we can choose items that give us live life to the fullest.

 A circumstance Jesus wants for us (John 10:10). Adjusting our attitude towards others in love is a start. Reducing chronic pain with fruits and vegetables, and not relying on processed food is another.

We have the scientific research at our fingertips on how we view life and what we eat affects us mentally and physically.

Scientific Facts

“The new field of nutritional psychiatry provides evidence for diet quality as a modifiable risk factor for mental illnesses.” (1)

“Meta-analyses of observational studies have shown that a healthy diet and Mediterranean diet are associated with lower risk of depression. People with mental illness have been identified as having poorer diet and other lifestyle behaviors that impact health, and less understanding of the impact of lifestyle behaviors on health (2)

Refined sugar and white flour carbohydrates increase chances for heart disease while whole grain, high fiber foods are protective. Saturated fat is not the cause after all (3).

Individuals with a stronger network have better heart health, neurological, endocrine, and immune function than less supported individuals, thus lowering disease risks and extending long-term health. (4)

We are Better Together and Embracing God’s Plan in the Garden

Moreover, consuming more whole grains, beans, and eating less meat; will provide substantial protein and fiber to remove toxins from the body. The toxins create free radicals that are damaging to cells and contribute to disease, anxiety, and pain. The results of which alter mental stability, and lab values.

 Heads up! Something is wrong when our culture accepts altered food bathed in unrecognizable preservatives as nurturing to our bodies! We also fall for the lure and lies of material possessions for satisfaction.

Therefore, numbering the days of reliance on comfort food, material items, gossip, getting even, or whatever is hindering vitality and life will bring new life to the hope within. 

More importantly, don’t let lasting change intimidate you. It may mean taking baby steps to get where you want to be and not changing everything at once. I can help you with this in individual Wellness Coaching, since I’ve seen it multiple times and battle it myself.  

A point of hope to remember is King Hezekiah. When he was sick and dying, he pleaded with the Lord and the Lord gave him fifteen more years (2 Kings 20). I imagine as the leader of a nation; he had a great deal of stress and his own struggles with lifestyle choices.

However, Hezekiah’s feeling of hopelessness brought him to complete surrender. The same place repeated failures bring you and me. But glory to God! His plea to God brought him through, and it will bring you and I through times of difficult change too.

Remember, God is faithful, and He gives us the strength. His love enables us to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). I am with you too and will pray for you! Just leave me a comment or contact me for a free consult.

References:

Nutritional psychiatry: the present state of the evidence | Proceedings of the Nutrition Society | Cambridge Core

Marx, W., Moseley, G., Berk, M., & Jacka, F. (2017). Nutritional psychiatry: The present state of the evidence. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(4), 427-436. doi:10.1017/S0029665117002026

Full article: A Mediterranean-style dietary intervention supplemented with fish oil improves diet quality and mental health in people with depression: A randomized controlled trial (HELFIMED) (tandfonline.com)

Natalie Parletta, Dorota Zarnowiecki, Jihyun Cho, Amy Wilson, Svetlana Bogomolova, Anthony Villani, Catherine Itsiopoulos, Theo Niyonsenga, Sarah Blunden, Barbara Meyer, Leonie Segal, Bernhard T. Baune & Kerin O’Dea (2019) A Mediterranean-style dietary intervention supplemented with fish oil improves diet quality and mental health in people with depression: A randomized controlled trial (HELFIMED), Nutritional Neuroscience, 22:7, 474-487, DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2017.1411320

Fat, Sugar, Whole Grains and Heart Disease: 50 Years of Confusion (nih.gov)

Temple N. J. (2018). Fat, Sugar, Whole Grains and Heart Disease: 50 Years of Confusion. Nutrients, 10(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10010039

The health consequences of stress in couples: A review and new integrated Dyadic Biobehavioral Stress Model – ScienceDirect

Shrout, Rose M. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA b Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA Received 12 May 2021, Revised 3 August 2021, Accepted 9 August 2021, Available online 13 August 2021, Version of Record 24 August 2021.

Oats are wonderful for providing fiber and plant-based protein for breakfast or snacks. In these peanut butter and white chocolate chip granola bars the benefits are double. They provide minerals like magnesium, phosphorous, zinc and manganese, while the wonderful B vitamins, B1 and folate are present too. The fiber helps sweep cholesterol out of the colon, feeds good gut bacteria, and helps us stay full longer.

All-natural peanut butter is used in this recipe because it contains only peanuts and salt. There is no hydrogenated oil or sugar added. Peanuts provide more fiber and polyunsaturated fat to this snack, so we are more satisfied. Not only that, but they also provide another source of necessary minerals, B vitamins, biotin, and vitamin E.

Take a look at these two ingredient labels below and ask yourself, “What is better for me and my family?“

God’s plan for our provision and the benefits of food in their natural form will always be better than man’s poor substitute! The good news is we don’t have to settle for less!

We have choices for better snacks for our families. Although few in number, there are companies that try to maintain the integrity of our food. The more we, as concerned parents, place our money where our values are, the bigger the impact on healthier products being offered.

⁶ Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity

    than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

⁷ The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,

    but a companion of gluttons shames his father.

Proverbs 28:5-7 ESV – Evil men do not understand justice, but – Bible Gateway

So, to keep the integrity of these granola bars, I wanted to minimize the sugar and maximize the heart-healthy benefits of this snack. Remember the American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons for men.

Our little guys and girls are those future men and women!

Let’s start protecting them now. Although I’d like to get away with 1/4 cup of sugar, there is a 1/3 cup in this recipe. And that is 16 teaspoons for two batches of roughly 36 granola bars (depending on the size you cut). The white chocolate chips add a little more sugar there are 16 tablespoons in a cup and each tablespoon of Simple Truth Organic White Chocolate Chips has 7grams of added sugar for a total of 112 grams in the entire two batches. About 3grams per bar plus the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. The total amount makes just under a teaspoon of sugar per bar.

God bless you and I hope you enjoy making your own Peanut Butter & White Chocolate Chip Granola Bars with your kids!

There are some days you just want a small taste of chocolate. Since the 72% Cacao chips by Simple Truth are nice for making a healthier chocolate chip cookie, there will be less guilt for my cookie loving friends. Oh, and these are made without eggs too.

I also wanted the full fiber, vitamin E, and nutrients provided by the fresh milled whole grain. Hopefully my gluten free friends will remember I use 1/2 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup of arrowroot flour with 1 tsp xanthan gum for a gluten-free version.

Although, I didn’t get to taste these cookies because I’m detoxing from sugar this month, my best taste tester, said “These are really good.” I don’t get “really” good very often… so take that however you like.

God is faithful to give us just what we need, while not giving too much for a big ego.

Here is what you need to get started for these Vegan Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

¼  Tsp. Salt

¼   cup coconut oil melted

1 1/4 Cups of fresh milled whole grain flour (or 1 cup unbleached flour)

½   Cup unsweetened coconut flakes

½   Cup 72% Cacao Chocolate Chips

¼   Cup Unsweetend Vanilla Almond Milk

1   Tsp vanilla

¼    Cup Sugar plus one scoop pure stevia*

¼    Cup Vanilla almond milk

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl combine the flour and salt. In a separate bowl combine the melted oil, milk, vanilla, sugar/stevia. Whisk until well combined. Add the flour mixture, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips.

Use a small teaspoon or cookie scoop to place 10-12 dough balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

**a Scoop of Stevia looks like this:

Time is moving on! It’s already week four of the Strength Approach to Christian Wellness. I pray these last three weeks of strategies will help you establish lasting change. Today’s strategy is E=Engage Others for Support.

Now, the last thing you and I want to do is engage lightly. It is not a flippant effort to get someone else involved in what we are doing. Rather, it involves establishing a meaningful contact or connection. Because, my friend, we cannot do the most challenging things alone.

Take the engagement of Mary to Joseph, for example. The betrothal agreement at that time was in essence a marriage; however, it occurs prior to living together and consummating the marriage. Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp in their book, How People Change point out the many instances in the bible where we, as Christ followers, are married to Christ.

Lane and Tripp ask, “What does it mean to be married to Christ?” Jesus loves us so much he died for us, so his affection in bringing us into relationship with Him is evident. When we are “married” to Christ, we honor him with our attention, our bodies, our consumption of goods, and even our attitudes.

But do we truly honor this engagement? How do we place things, people, food, jobs, success, or money ahead of Him? Lane and Tripp say in their book we are enticed by comfort and after a hard day we think we deserve it. This quote in their book really resonated with me:

“Comfort and leisure are good things, but when my personal comfort becomes more to me than Christ, it impacts my behavior sinfully.”

Tripp & Lane

It sure does! That’s why I need to engage others for support. Honest, bible-believing friends and family are needed who not only encourage me, but hold me accountable for my actions.

Because, my friend, we cannot do the most challenging things alone. Loved ones may not understand at first the desire for new habits. However, earnestly enlisting their attention and support helps the process.

Think about how many times you’ve started a lifestyle habit and someone close to you unwittingly tempts you to take three steps back. 

Maybe well-meaning family and friends like us just the way we are. Or they may begin to feel a little insecure if we change too much. They like comfort and leisure as much as we do! Regardless of their reasons, our loved ones need to understand why our efforts and intentions for a better life are so important.

Sincere conversations with those we love engages them in the change process. When we share the heavy burden of discontentment with the way we are now, they truly understand why we need their support. Especially if the lifestyle change is avoiding certain establishments, vulgar language, violent movies, or bringing tempting items into the house.

Engaging Others for Support, Step by Step

Once the burden in shared, boundaries can be set in place to avoid temping, cajoling, or creation of circumstances to sabotage our efforts. Whether, the focus of our goal is to improve health, relationship, or reduce anxiety, asking for support is acceptable. Here is what this looks like in action:

1. Share your deepest desire to change with your trusted friend or loved one.
2. Tell them what areas you need help in the most. 
3. Ask them to pray with you and for you every day of your challenge.
4. Let them know ahead of time what activities you will not be participating in as you establish new habits.
5. Together, discover new areas of entertainment or activities that are equally enjoyable and place Christ first in our hearts.

Consider the following scriptures:

“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.  1

Corinthians 10:17

“Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.”

1 Corinthians 10:24

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

1 Corinthians 12:12,13,26

Change is a battle of our flesh against the temptations of the world and God’s will for us. He wants us to have Shalom–wholeness, harmony, delight, and flourishing (1). But our flesh longs for things not created or designed by God to allow Shalom to take place.

So, as you and I engage in this battle to improve our lives with sustainable lifestyle changes, we can call on friends, loved ones, and the body of Christ to encourage us along the way.

I am here with you and rooting for you!

References:

Lane, Timothy S. Tripp, Paul David 2019. How People Change, New Growth Press, Greensboro 27404

McLelland, Kristi, 2019, Jesus and Women In the First Century and Now, Lifeway Publishing, One Lifeway Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234