Just the other day a question popped into my head: “Why do people eat?” My first thought was to relieve hunger. Then another question: “Why do people get hungry then?”

Have you thought about that?

God designed you so that you must eat to supply nourishment to your body. God gave you taste buds so that eating is pleasurable. Because it feels good, you want to do it.

God also gave you hunger so that it becomes uncomfortable when you don’t eat. So he gave you two “insurance policies” to ensure that you eat so that your body receives the nourishment it needs to stay healthy.

Here are 4 things proper nourishment does for your body. Just remember the word MINT.

• Metabolism – Your body needs nourishment to convert the food you eat into energy for you to work, play, love

• Immune Function – Your body needs nourishment to defend itself against disease

• Nerve Strength – Your body needs nourishment to maintain the messaging network that the brain uses to communicate with your body

• Tissue Growth and Repair – Your body needs nourishment to build muscles and heal wounds

But what if the food that you are eating is not nourishing? What if the foods you are eating are so addictive that not only do they crowd out the foods you need, but you are unable to control the amounts that you eat?

It is clear to me that this is an overlooked key to healing binge eating. The physical part of healing occurs when you begin to fulfill the purpose of food, which is to nourish your body. Healing foods are used to replace any addictive foods from your diet so that you can exercise self control in your eating.

Think about your current eating pattern – if you suffer from binge eating disorders, I doubt that you turn to salads or broccoli when you are emotionally upset. Instead you probably crave carbohydrate-heavy foods since the body breaks them down quickly, giving you an instant sugar high. You feel calmer – that is until the next craving hits.

To get off the roller coaster and start healing, then you must supply your body with the foods that keep it in MINT condition – foods that God made originally for your body like dark green vegetables (rich in magnesium, which is needed for all MINT functions) and fruits like apples, oranges, pears, and strawberry. You also need limited amounts of lean protein like beans, fish, turkey, chicken, lean beef, eggs.

And you do need some carbohydrates but they must be the slow processing kind like brown rice and sweet potatoes. That way, you won’t trigger the sugar hits that compel you to overeat. Be sure though to pay attention to how you feel when you eat carbohydrates until you know how much you can tolerate to stay in balance.

So in addition to prayer, using a journal so that you can identify your binge eating triggers, you must eat for nourishment to restore balance to your body. Your body will thank you for it!

Did you find my tips on overcoming emotional eating useful? You can learn a lot more about this topic and how to achieve healthy weight loss. Check out my Take Back Your Temple eBook and all the bonuses that you get with it.

Click here to learn more.

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ ebook
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

This is personal for me because my grandmother died of a stroke when she was only 47 years old. And in my “before” picture, I looked very much like she did – short woman, big belly. Not only does waist size increase your risk of stroke, but also your risk of developing diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

So women, if your waist is above 35 inches and men, if your waist is above 40 inches, make it your top priority to get your waist out of the danger zone. I did because I did not want anything keeping me from living out my God-given purpose.

To measure your waist size, use the smallest point with your stomach relaxed; if you lack a waist, then measure around your navel. I use a Myotape (you can find one on Amazon.com) to make it easier to get an accurate measurement.

What are some things you can do to reduce belly fat? First, eat mostly real foods the way God made them. Decrease fake food – foods processed and packaged by man. I’ve come to learn that big bellies mostly come from eating a diet high in sugar, white flour products (white pasta, cookies, crackers, bread) and other processed foods.

When you eat sugar and simple carbohydrates like most breads, pastas, fruit juices, and sugared drinks, your body breaks them down very quickly into glucose, flooding your bloodstream. Your body then releases insulin to try to restore balance. Insulin not only moves the excess glucose into the cells but it is also a fat-storing hormone.

So if you are trying to lose belly fat and still eating a diet high in sugar and other processed foods, then it is like trying to start a fire with damp wood! Eating sugar and simple carbohydrates also can increase food cravings. The more you eat, the more you want. But eating real food gives your body the nourishment it needs.

Turn up your fat burning furnace by swapping sugar and simple carbohydrates for increased fibrous vegetables, especially the green ones like Turnip greens, Mustard greens, Collards, Cabbage, Broccoli, Spinach, Watercress, Kale, Bok Choy and all types of salad greens (go easy on the salad dressing because many varieties are loaded with calories), high fiber fruit like apples, pears, and oranges, and lean protein like fish, chicken, turkey, beef, and eggs. These keep your blood glucose stable – no insulin overloads!

Drink water or herbal teas, especially green tea, with a touch of honey. Don’t substitute fruit juice…you need the whole fruit. The fiber in the whole fruit satisfies your sweet tooth and because the sweetness is naturally packaged with fiber (God is so smart), it does not cause the sharp spike in glucose like the fruit juice does.

Foods and drinks with high fructose corn syrup will also make your belly size increase. Soft drinks are loaded with it. Eliminate those from your diet. In addition, go through your refrigerator and cabinet and eliminate products with high fructose corn syrup. When I did this, I was shocked at how many products contain it – products like salad dressings, ketchup, barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, meat marinade, and others. You can always substitute brands without it.

If you want to know more about the dangers of high fructose corn syrup, then this video will blow you away: Sugar: The Bitter Truth. It’s long and the doctor’s language is colorful at times, but it is great information.

Remember, experts say that waist size is now the best indicator of your risk of disease. So eat real food in reasonable amounts – vegetables, fruit, lean protein, and limited amount of whole grain products – and your waist will love you for it!

“Fruit for food, leaves for medicine.”

Where does this prescription come from? It comes from Ezekiel 47:12:

“Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”

Ezekiel 47 is a beautiful picture of the heavenly temple. In Ezekiel’s vision, healing waters flowed from this temple. The water nourished the fruit trees near the temple and the fruit and leaves provided wonderful benefits. While it is a vision of Christian life in the Spirit, you can also apply it to your Christian health efforts. After all, your body is God’s temple!

“Fruit for food, leaves for medicine.”

Do you believe that your health and weight would change for the better if you took this advice daily as seriously as you took a daily pill from your doctor? I’ve mentioned this before in previous messages, but I have to repeat it: Experts believe that many lifestyle-related diseases (like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer) can be prevented simply by eating 2 1/2 cups of vegetables every day.

Remember, Popeye ate Spinach for super strength! Okay, he is a fictional character but the idea is rooted in reality. Spinach is rich in iron, vitamins and minerals for energy. And most of us have heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

So if chronic diseases run in your family, you especially owe it to yourself and the ones you love to start putting this into practice, little by little if necessary.

“Fruit for food, leaves for medicine.”

Start today by picking up some fruit and leaves at the store to make this prescription easy and convenient for yourself. Make eating whole fruits and green leafy vegetables at least half of what you eat every day.

High fiber fruits to try include: Pears with skin, Apples with skin, Berries (Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries), Bananas, and Oranges.

Leaves to try include Turnip greens, Mustard greens, Collards, Cabbage, Broccoli, Spinach, Watercress, Kale, Bok Choy and all types of salad greens (go easy on the salad dressing because many varieties are loaded with calories). Cabbage prepared with Wiley’s Greens Seasoning is my favorite.

Here are two of my favorite sites on the benefits of fruits and vegetables and both contain great recipes:

www.morematters.org

www.whfoods.com

Too often when Christians wants to lose weight, they focus on what to give up. But that is a sure way to defeat. Rather focus on what to add to your diet to heal, energize, and nourish your body.

And in doing so, you will improve the quality of your life now and in the future. Remember: “Fruit for food, leaves for medicine.”

Post it as a sign on your refrigerator. I did!

Pretend for a second that someone gives you a high performance race car. And let’s say that you are asked to take it a few laps around a track. No problem, you say. But instead of filling your tank with high grade gas, the attendant fills your tank with sugar and melted Crisco.

You try to drive the car, but the gears grind, the car chokes, sputters, and finally just stops, defeated.

Would you be suprised that the car could not race? No, because you know that sugar and melted Crisco is not the fuel that runs a car efficiently.

What I’ve described is exactly what happens if you start an exercise program while still eating a diet full of sugars, simple carbohydrates, and the wrong types of fat. With such a diet, it takes every ounce of energy just to get through the day. Asking yourself to exercise on top of that is as futile as the poor car trying to run around the track with Crisco and sugar in the tank. It will not last.

A diet full of Omega 6 fats, which most processed foods are, taxes your body. It makes your blood thicker and sluggish so that it can’t deliver oxygen to your muscles efficiently. It makes your joints ache. Mentally, it can make it more difficult to solve problems and make wise decisions.

These symptoms make it very uncomfortable to exercise and when you associate pain with something, you usually avoid it.

It amazes me when experts say that if you had to choose between eating nutritiously and exercising, they think it is better to exercise. But I say it is ridiculous to try to exercise without the right fuel to power the activity. I think it is smarter to get your diet right by making some small changes and once you’ve got the right fuel in your body, then add the exercise.

You see, when you eat too many processed foods, you are eating a hibernation diet, or Fall diet to equate it with the seasons. That’s why you feel tired and don’t want to exercise. You just want to sleep, which is exactly what the enemy wants. Preferably permanently.

So what can you do today to turn things around in your Christian weight loss program? You need a diet made for activity, or a Spring diet. A Spring diet will restore your energy, help you think better and even look younger. It’s time for the body of Christ to wake up!

Here are two things nutritiously to bring Spring back to your body. Like any health advice, please consult with a medical professional before putting it into practice.

1. Start drinking 1/2 of your body weight in ounces of water per day. If you weigh 200 pounds, then that would be 100 ounces daily. That works out to about 12 cups per day (if each cup is 8 ounces). Twelve is about the maximum number of cups anyone needs so if you weigh more than 200 pounds, then still make 12 cups your goal.

If you don’t drink any water currently, just add 1 cup per day until you work up to your goal amount. This will also allow your body to get used to it.

2. Start eating 2 1/2 cups of vegetables a day. Have you ever heard that eating green M&Ms makes you sexy? Wrong – eating green vegetables does! The green leaves of plants have an Omega 3 fat in them called Alpha Linolenic Acid. Omega 3 fats are like WD-40 for your body and loosens things up. They help make your joints less stiff and make your blood flow more smoothly. Not to mention that losing weight will be easier for you.

So load up on the greens: turnips, mustard greens, collards, cabbage, broccoli, cabbage, watercress, bok choy and all types of salad greens. Other fibrous vegetables are good too but greens are best. Learn more about the powerful benefits of vegetables at
http://www.morematters.org.

Here’s a shocking fact about the vegetables: it is said that most lifestyle diseases can be prevented simply by eating 2 1/2 cups of vegetables every day! How cool is that?

So make the water and the vegetables a priority and then work everything else in your diet around that in moderate portions. Do that for 10 days and then try starting your exercise program. I guarantee you will feel better and exercise will be much more enjoyable!

Be blessed in health, wealth, and wisdom,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ eBook
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

The author said that Omega 3 fats start out in the green leaves of plants, which is the part of the plant with the highest metabolism. The leaves must be active, because they are responsible for converting sunlight into sugars. Fish also have a lot of Omega 3 fatty acids because they eat seaweed and other green plants in the ocean.

In contrast, our modern diets are filled with another type of fat – Omega 6 fats. Instead of active fats, Omega 6s are storage fats. While Omega 3 fats are light and fluid, Omega 6 fats are thick or hard. Think about the difference between Olive Oil and Crisco. They can cause excessive blood clotting and make your arteries stiff.

Many processed foods are loaded with Omega 6 fats because food processors discovered that these fats increase the shelf life of products like cakes, cookies, chips, cereals, breads, and spreads. Obviously, increased shelf life means increased profits. Good for them, bad for us.

In addition, cows are generally fed corn and soybeans (high in Omega 6 fats) to fatten them up for market, whereas in our grandparent’s day, cows ate green grass. So their meat contains more Omega 6 fats.

Now, don’t get me wrong – both Omega 6 fats and Omega 3 fats play a role in your body’s health. But because the two oils compete for space in your cell membranes, you want to eat more of the lighter, fluid Omega 3s.

How can you take advantage of the above knowledge to improve your
health and get slimmer?

Eat more of these foods:

• Leafy green vegetables and other vegetables
• V8 and other mixed vegetable juices
• Beans
• Walnuts (watch the portions because they are high in calories
• Fish
• Foods prepared with olive oil, canola oil or flaxseed oil

Eat less of these foods:

• Fast food (loaded with Omega 6 fats)
• Prepared foods made with butter, margarine, cottonseed, soy, safflower, or sunflower oil
• Foods with “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated oils” on the label

While you can supplement with fish oil or flax oil pills, their effect will be limited if your diet is loaded with processed foods.

So start eating the right fats and watch yourself get slimmer! And even better, pass this article on to your family, friends and others in your mailing list so they too can experience the joys of
good health!

Omega 3 Resources

Shocking Video: The Rat Race (Omega 3s and the Brain)
Prevention Magazine: The Vanishing Youth Nutrient

Be blessed in health, wealth, and wisdom,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ eBook
www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

P.S. Six years ago, I made up my mind to lose my excess weight for good. I praise God for waking me up to what I was doing to myself. I thought about what my life would be like today if I had not heeded the chest pain warning God sent to me then. I was in horrible shape and I would be even worse now if I continued down the same path.

Let me ask you a question – on the current path you’re taking with your eating and exercise habits, where will you be 6 years from now? Will you be better off or worse? If worse, then I beg you right now – turn around. Today is the easiest change will ever get for you. Tomorrow will be much harder.

Make a decision to get your copy of my Take Back Your Temple ebook today and see for yourself how small changes can make a difference in how you look and feel. I promise – if you don’t think it is worth every penny, then I will cheerfully give you a refund, no questions asked.

http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

Don’t you owe it to yourself to live your best life now? Take Back Back Your Temple can get you on the path to it!

A plum is firm, juicy and smooth. But take that same plum, remove its juice and it becomes a shriveled, dry, wrinkled up prune. A similar thing happens to you if you don’t drink enough water.

Think about the difference between the young and the elderly. Many elderly people are dehydrated, which accounts for dry, wrinkling skin and flat, shapeless muscles. In contrast, younger people are flexible, their skin is dewy, and they have firm muscles.

Unless you keep yourself well hydrated, you will eventually “prune up”. You lose up to 10 cups of water every day through urination, sweating, and even breathing!

You need water to help you think clearly and to remember (your brain is approximately 80% water). You also need it to cushion your joints and protect them against injury. In fact, in the book “The Body’s Many Cries for Water” by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, the doctor said that a primary cause of joint diseases, arthritic pain, and back pain is chronic dehydration – because the fluid between your joints is decreased, bone begins to rub again bone, causing the joint or disc to wear out faster. Or it causes the bone to grind against nerves, causing pain.

In addition to cushioning your joints, water is needed to convert food into energy, eliminate waste, and maintain a healthy weight.

Drinking adequate water ensures that your liver supports your fat burning process because it produces bile, which is needed for fat digestion. Your liver is a backup organ for the kidneys, and the kidneys must have water to filter your blood. If they don’t get it, the liver must assist – which means it has less time to help with fat breakdown. Give the kidneys plenty of water to do their job, so the liver can concentrate on doing its task.

So what is the ideal amount of water to drink? The following are some recommendations, but please get advice from your personal physician if you have any existing kidney, heart, or other disease before increasing your water intake.

According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, it is recommended that you “drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight.” So if you weigh 160 pounds, you need 80 ounces of water, or 10 eight-ounce cups of water each day. Drink it regularly throughout the day.

In addition, Dr. Batmanghelidj recommends that you drink one and one half additional ounces of water for every ounce of beverage you consume containing caffeine, carbonation or alcohol.

Drinking extra water after caffeine-containing beverages and alcohol is recommended because they dehydrate your body. Also, eating sugar makes your blood syrupy and eating excess salt makes your blood like the Dead Sea. Both of these make your heart have to pump harder to get the blood flowing, which contributes to high blood pressure and joint pain. If you do eat food high in salt and sugar, be sure to drink a glass of water 1/2 hour before and 1/2 hour after to help dilute your blood to help it flow more freely.

If you currently do not drink the recommended amount of water, then simply add an extra cup each day until you reach your recommended amount – then stay there each day.

Over 50 years ago, Dr. Olaf Michelsen wrote, “It is more important to get adequate water every day than getting enough calories.”  This makes sense when you consider that you can live only about 3 days without water, but over 30 days without food!

Drinking water is a great discipline that also reminds you of your constant need for God. You can’t say, “Well I drank water yesterday so I should be fine today.” You need a constant supply of fresh water to function at your best. And so you need God in the same way:

John 7:38
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Jeremiah 2:13
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns–broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

So make a commitment to refresh yourself with spiritual and physical water and your life will overflow with benefits!

Be blessed in health, wealth, and wisdom,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ eBook
www.takebackyourtemple.com

P.S.  To learn more strategies about how to change your life mentally, physically, and spiritually, then evaluate my Take Back Your Temple ebook. You can evaluate it for 30 days, use the tips and change your life. If you don’t agree it is worth your investment then you can ask for a full refund, no questions asked!

But I know you will agree, like the dozens of testimonials I’ve received, that it is one of the best investments you can make in yourself:

http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

With a busy schedule, you need energy and lots of it. You can’t afford to put low quality fuel into your body. Asking your body to adhere to a busy schedule while eating a poor diet is like asking a car to run the Indianapolis 500 with sugar in the gas tank. You just aren’t going to get very far! You’ll be exhausted and irritable all the time. You also won’t be able to enjoy your life to the fullest.

Below is my list of top 10 high energy foods – okay, I cheated a little on number 10 because it isn’t a food but still very important to maintaining your energy levels.

After the list, I will explain why these foods and others like them are important for energy production. I listed them in order – those that contain the most energy-building vitamins and minerals to the least:

• Whole Grains
• Fatty fish (especially Salmon and Tuna*)
• Sunflower seeds
• Dairy products (Milk and Yogurt)
• Chicken
• Eggs
• Nuts
• Mushrooms
• Beef
• Water

Vitamins and minerals are organic nutrients that the body uses to maintain normal metabolism and health. Vitamins function as chemical partners for the enzymes involved in cell production and tissue repair. Minerals help facilitate the absorption of vitamins.

The food you eat is the primary source for these elements since most cannot be manufactured in the body. Let’s focus on the vitamins and minerals responsible for energy maintenance.

Vitamins That Enhance Energy

• Thiamin (Vitamin B1) is essential for helping the body convert carbohydrates into energy. Foods that are good sources of thiamin are beans and peas, whole grains, brewer’s yeast, and sunflower seeds.

• Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) and Niacin also help us use the energy obtained from our food more effectively. Sources of Riboflavin include milk, yogurt, mushrooms, and whole grains. Niacin food sources are mushrooms, whole grains, tuna, salmon, chicken, and beef.

• Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) assists in protein metabolism. Foods high in Pyridoxine include spinach, bananas, soybeans, sunflower seeds, tuna and beef.

Minerals That Enhance Energy

Several minerals also assist in energy metabolism. These minerals are Phosphorus, Zinc, Iodine, Copper, and Chromium. Here are the food sources for these minerals:

• Phosphorus: Dairy products, poultry, fish, eggs, whole grains, nuts, seeds

• Zinc: Poultry, fish, eggs, whole grains

• Iodine: Salt-water fish, dairy products

• Copper: Seafood, nuts, seeds

• Chromium:  Egg yolks, whole grains

In addition to these foods, you want to maintain a varied diet of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein sources for good health and energy. With all of these foods, you want to use moderation in your portion sizes since overeating also drains your energy.

Let’s not forget the most important nutrient of all – water. Your body is composed of 60 to 70 percent water. Because so many of our bodily functions depend on water, it is estimated that you can only live for four days without it.  Your body does not have a mechanism to store excess water, so you must take certain measures to ensure that you maintain an adequate water intake.

You lose up to twelve cups of water per day through various means, so you need a continual supply of fresh, clean water to keep your system flushed and running cleanly. Another good reason to drink plenty of water is that when you become dehydrated, your thinking becomes impaired. Lack of adequate water also has a profound effect on your energy levels.

So how much water should you drink per day? Most experts recommend that you take your body weight and divide that number by 2 (half) to determine how many ounces of water you need to consume per day. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you would need 80 ounces of water per day, which would translate into 10 8-oz. glasses of water daily. At the very least, strive for 8 glasses of water per day.

* If you are pregnant or nursing, limit your tuna servings to 2 a week due to concerns with mercury in this type of fish.

To learn more about ways to increase your energy and slim down, then check out my Take Back Your Temple ebook. Click the button below to learn more:

But first, what is ‘metabolism’? Think of a running car engine. Just as a car burns a certain amount of gas on idle, so your body burns a certain number of calories at rest. Calories are simply measurements of energy.

Resting metabolism is the number of calories you burn just to stay alive – organs like your heart,liver, and brain all need calories to run.

Since your body is at rest most of the day, it’s wise to maximize your calorie burn during those times. The more calories you burn the more pounds of fat you will shed.

So here are those little known tips to increase your resting metabolism:

1. Drink Green Tea with Lemon: Green tea has component in it called ‘catechins’ which can increase your ability to burn fat and calories. It can also lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Unfortunately, less than 20% of catechins in green tea survive digestion for the body’s use. However, if you add lemon juice, that boosts the catechin absorption rate 13 times more than drinking green tea alone.

If you don’t like the taste of lemon, then add orange, lime, or grapefruit juice. It’s the vitamin C in citrus that does the trick.Two cups of green tea per day is recommended. Sweeten your tea with a natural no calorie sweetener, like Stevia or Truvia.

2. Eat Spicy Food: Red peppers contain a substance called Capsaicin, which is the “heating” component found in cayenne pepper, chili pepper, and red pepper flakes. So sprinkle some red pepper flakes to flavor your food or use cayenne pepper in tomato soup or juice to give it a kick.

3. Use Caffeine with Caution: If caffeine does not make you jittery, then drinking up to two cups of coffee each day should give you a metabolism boost. Don’t overdo this one: overdosing on caffeine can contribute to heart irregularities. Go easy on the sugar and cream too – the extra calories you added would cancel out the extra calories you burned.

4. Lift your Weights: Your metabolism drops 2-3% each decade after age 20. After that age, you typical become less physically active and start losing lean muscle. Muscle burns 5-10 times the number of calories than fat does at rest, so if you aren’t strength training and you are eating the same number of calories as you did when you were younger, then you will gain weight automatically.

So pick up some weights or resistance bands and start strength training to preserve your muscles. Order the Take Back Your Temple eBook for an easy routine to get started right away:

http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

5. Eat More Protein: When you eat protein, only 80% of the calories are available for the body’s use. The other calories were burned off just doing the work of breaking down the protein for digestion. Compare that to 95% of calories available from carbohydrates and fats. So eat lean protein with every meal and snack – examples include chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, eggs, meat substitutes.

While none of these tips alone causes a huge metabolism boost, the combined effects along with consistent exercise, strength training, and solid nutrition will turn your body into a more efficient fat
burner.

Be blessed in health, wealth, and wisdom,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com

P.S. Want even more little known secrets on reaching your ideal size? Order the Take Back Your Temple eBook and discover a secret that will help you burn 9 times more fat when you add it to your current routine.

However, keep the following principle in mind as you practice each tip: You will only get out what you are willing to put in. This is a biblical principle: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

So to reap excellent health, you must sow the habits that lead to the harvest.

Without further delay, here are the tips:

1. Create unstoppable motivation. Go deeper than the shallow reasons for wanting to shed pounds. Looking good or fitting into a certain size is an okay goal but that is not enough to keep you going when you want to quit. God did not put you here just for your own pleasure – He created you to make a difference. Consider the many ways that getting fit will positively impact your life and the lives of others:

• It will give you energy to fulfill your God-given purpose

• It will empower you to be a better spouse, parent, employee, or business owner

• It will enable you to be a positive role model and perhaps influence others to take care of themselves

• It will strengthen you mentally and emotionally so you can handle life’s challenges well

• It will give you the discipline you need to reach your goals in all areas of your life

Right now, think beyond yourself and come up with reasons as to why you getting healthy is a great gift for your friends, family, and others within your circle of influence.

2. Eat a high protein breakfast. A study from Purdue University found that eating a breakfast of lean, high protein foods such as eggs and Canadian bacon led to study participants having a greater sense of fullness and boosted their mood throughout the entire day. These same results were not found if the added protein was at lunch or dinner. The great thing is that this one small change may lead to better self control in your daily food intake overall.

Other high protein foods to consider adding to your breakfast include low-fat yogurt (make sure it has less than 10 grams of sugar per serving), turkey bacon, a protein fruit smoothie, a protein breakfast bar (again less than 10 grams of sugar and at least 5 grams of fiber), low-fat cheese, and low fat milk or unsweetened almond or soy milk. I do recommend organic dairy products if you consume them to avoid the added hormones and antibiotics found in regular dairy products.

And a quick note…if you are skipping breakfast, that is the worst thing you can do concerning weight loss. When you skip meals, your body thinks you are starving and holds on to fat for dear life. The one thing that all weight loss success stories have in common (besides exercising regularly) is eating breakfast. So join them by doing the same.

3. Make at least one of your exercise sessions 1 hour each week. A study at the University of Victoria in British Columbia found that people who exercised for 60 minutes burned almost 5 times as many calories in the hours after the workout versus those who did only 30 minutes. Can you believe it? Double the time, but 5 times the results! Going longer forces your body to raid your fat stores to come up with the calories needed for repairing muscles and other recovery tasks.

But if you are not exercising at all and are in poor shape, do not start with 1 hour as your goal. Start with 10 minutes and then add on 5 minutes each week so that you ease yourself into handling the longer workout.

And please, if you are going to put in the extra time to exercise then commit yourself to embracing the effort. Why make it any harder on yourself than it has to be by complaining about it and dreading it? Instead, smile and act as if you have already achieved the healthy results you want. I guarantee with that attitude shift, you will be enjoying the results in reality sooner than you think.

So put these tips to the test this week to jump start your weight loss. And if you are seeking even more ways to get the best results, then check out the Take Back Your Temple ebook as well:

http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

Be blessed in health, wealth, and wisdom,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of ‘MoneyWise Weight Loss‘ and the ‘Take Back Your Temple‘ ebook

Please forward this email on to all others for whom this information will be a blessing.

When you eat sugar, you raise two neurotransmitters in your brain: serotonin and beta-endorphin. Both of these neurotransmitters influence your mood and give you a sense of calm, well-being, comfort, and just generally make you feel good. This is why many people crave sugar when they are emotionally upset.

However, your blood sugar levels spike too high when you eat sugar and your body has to release the hormone insulin to bring the blood sugar back into balance. If too much insulin is released, your blood sugar crashes, leaving you tired, irritable, moody, and brain fogged.

For many people, this sets off a daily cycle of blood sugar spikes and crashes as they consume more and more sugar to try to restore those initial feelings of calm and comfort – but it never lasts.

To break free of sugar addiction for good, you first need to address its spiritual and emotional aspects, then its physical aspects. Here are seven ways to do this.

1. Go Back to the Beginning. For many of us, our attachment to sugar goes back to childhood. In my own situation, I learned to associate sugar with comfort. My mother worked a lot as a single mom and before she would leave me with the sitter, she always gave me candy money so I could walk to the convenience store around the corner to get a treat. Now, I missed my mother and I was lonely, but the only comfort I had as a child was the candy. Eating the candy made me feel better.

Unfortunately that pattern continued as an adult. Whenever I felt emotionally stressed or upset, I craved candy and other sweets, never realizing that I was coping the same way I did when I was five. Take a moment to think about your own sugar addiction history. When did sugar become a coping method for you? Chances are, it was during periods of stress or emotional distress.

2. Re-think your coping choices. The bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:11: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Remember that a child does not have many options when they experience emotional pain, but adults do. Have compassion on the child/person you used to be but recognize that your way of coping then does not fit you now.

3. Ask God for help. Attempting to deal with emotional pain with food, sugar, sex, drugs or other addiction is like trying to fill a hole that does not have a bottom. No matter what you put into that hole, it will never be enough. The only thing that is big enough to fill the hole is God. Strengthen your relationship with him through prayer, praise, worship, and bible study. Ask him to reveal and heal any sources of emotional pain you have and receive that healing by faith.

4. Add more whole foods to your life. Eat high fiber fruits like apples, pears, and oranges to satisfy your sweet tooth without the sugar rush. Eating reasonable servings of sweet potatoes, brown rice and whole grain pasta also help keep your blood sugar stable and increases the body’s natural production of serotonin. Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables and other colorful vegetables to replenish B and C vitamins in your body; these vitamins help your body convert food into energy, but eating large amounts of sugar depletes them. Eating lean sources of protein like chicken, fish, turkey, beans, and low-fat dairy products (in moderation) will also help to curb hunger and cravings.

5. Limit the sugar in your life. If you are sensitive to sugar, change your diet to limit your exposure to it. Otherwise it becomes a case of “the more you get, the more you want.” Learn to read labels. A good guideline is to replace any prepared food or drink that has more than 10 grams of sugar per serving with one that has less sugar. Sugar goes by many names besides the obvious ones (those with sugar or syrup in the name) such as dextrose, fructose, glucose, galactose, sucrose, maltodextrin, barley malt, and molasses. If one of these names for sugar is one of the first three ingredients on the label, replace it with something else.

Also, limit your intake of fruit juice to less than 1/2 cup – fruit juice also raises your blood sugar quickly. Limit your intake of artificially sweetened drinks too, because they can keep your taste for sugar alive. Lastly, limit foods made with white flour and white rice because the body breaks them down quickly and reacts to them in a similar way as to eating sugar.

6. Make your own feel-good chemicals. I mentioned earlier that eating sugar increases chemicals in your brain that make you feel good. There are other natural things you can do that have the same effect:

* Exercise. If sugar addiction is a problem for you, I recommend that you exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes most days of the week to make some endorphins. If you aren’t exercising at all now, start with 10 minutes a day and work up. But here is a tip: When you are exercising, grin – show your teeth. When you smile, you send an “all is well” signal to your brain and it releases even more “feel good” chemicals. Also, when you give a wide smile, your mouth is open slightly, which increases your oxygen intake when you exercise, making it easier do. So smile when exercising. I dare you to put it to the test and see.

* Sunshine. Sunshine also increase the body’s production of endorphins also, so get about 15-20 minutes of sunshine exposure a day if you can.

* Hugs. Hug others as much as you can. If you don’t have anybody to hug, then hug yourself. The more hugs, the better. If you are married then have sex often. This releases feel good chemicals as well.

* Laughter. Get a clean joke book or watch a comedy program and make yourself laugh several times a day.

* Uplifting music. In the bible, David used music to calm King Saul whenever a distressing spirit came upon him. In similar fashion, listen to music that emotionally moves and soothes you, like beautiful classical music or praise and worship music a few times a day.

7. Find your joy. The bottom line is that you cannot have true peace or joy as long as an addiction controls you. Ask yourself: is food or sugar one of the few sources of joy or pleasure that you allow yourself? If that is the case, you can bring your life into balance. Take the time to think of other things you can add that bring you pleasure so that these activities are restored to a healthy place in your life.

I hope that you have found these tips helpful! I’d also like your feedback. What questions do you have about losing weight or getting healthy? Contact me and let me know. I am planning to add audio and video content to the www.takebackyourtemple.com website that will address the most asked questions.

I look forward to your feedback!

Be blessed in health, wealth, and wisdom,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of ‘MoneyWise Weight Loss‘ and the ‘Take Back Your Temple ebook