Health and Wellness Class 5

Class 5
Review Class 4 Assignments – How’d it go?
Assignment from last week: –
Supplements – detox  - digestive enzymes, probiotics, Facebook group for accountability and sharing  

Assignment for next week & health discussion
Let’s talk toothpaste/ fluoride is toxic! – (kiss my face, spry as options), gum (pass out pieces)– options, benefits of oil pulling: whitens teeth, strengthens teeth, gums, jaw – prevents cavities & gingivitis, banishes bad breath, relieves headaches, helps you sleep better, clears sinuses, detoxifies the body
Salad dressing cautions & options…   honey and lemon, apple cider vinegar, garlic, olive oil... vegannise or hummus on veggie sandwiches/ black bean burgers,

Reasons you may not be losing weight:

1) Your body is operating from an energy deficit (Mike mentioned this a couple of weeks ago).

When there is a chronic energy deficit (fewer calories coming in than going out), over time the body starts thinking food is scarce. This results in the body holding on to fat as a way to protect itself. To make an analogy, think of your body like a house. If you’re not making enough money to pay your electricity bill, what do you do? Well, you turn down the heat in your house to compensate. The body operates in a similar way. When there are not enough calories coming in, the body saves energy by reducing body temperature (slowing the metabolism), turning down digestive juices (making digestion weaker), reducing the pulse, and slowing thyroid function (resulting in less energy). This is a built-in survival response by the body, to help you go longer on less food. This is often induced through calorie counting and dieting.

2) You’re not healthy yet.

Weight loss is not a priority when your body and internal organs are not nourished. You can’t short-cut to weight loss, it should come only after the body is healthy enough to do it naturally.

3) You’re eating food that exceeds your body’s current digestive capabilities.

When you eat food that exceeds your body’s ability to digest, those foods end up work against you. This is common in people who are struggling with nutritional debt. Nutritional deficiencies make the body more sensitive to harder to digest foods, particularly dairy and gluten. Often it’s necessary to remove those foods while you work towards nutritional wealth. When your body gets richer so-to-speak, then you can usually add them back in without problems.
Also when you’re eating food you can’t digest– you’re NOT actually absorbing and assimilating the nutrients you are actually eating. So in turn this creates MORE nutritional debt. (we discussed the importance of digestive enzymes last week – especially with cooked food)

4) You cut out all carbs.

When you’re not eating enough of the right carbohydrates that are essential to stimulating metabolism and the conversion of thyroid hormone (T4 to T3) in the liver, weight loss is unlikely. Without an adequate store of carbohydrates (glycogen) in the liver, the body will not make enough of this very important thyroid conversion. An easy way to self-check yourself is by taking your body temperature first thing when you wake up in the morning. If it’s lower than 97.8 degrees upon waking, your inability to lose weight is probably related to #1 and/or #4.

 - Find a great healthy recipe and bring it in to share next week.

- Read Chapters 9 & 10

Made to Crave – C6 - 8

Quotes to cling to this week
“Growing closer to God has more to do with positioning my heart toward His” – Yes, I am going to get healthy: but….. the deeper reason for choosing to purify myself is to grow closer to God.
I will become a person of self-discipline to honor God and live out the fruit of ‘self-control’.
“That food choice is permissible but not beneficial; therefore, I choose NOT to eat it.”
 “My issues with food will NOT hold me back in my calling and commitment to Christ.”
“God’s divine power gives me all I need to experience victory in my struggles!”
“I will define my week by obedience.”

Reflective Questions and Sharing – we will cover more of these next week since we did not complete them as well as some from C9 and 10
Pg 67  2 - 5
Pg 76  2, 3, 5
Pg 84    1, 3, 6

Health and Wellness Class 4

Class 4
Review Class 3 assignments – How’d it go?
Assignment from last week: – remember .. baby steps – at any point this becomes overwhelming and you find yourself failing more than succeeding go back to the week before and just stick with those steps and keep following through… 
Those who eat eggs – switch to free range eggs
Start eliminating all white flour products from your diet – white rice, breads, pasta – use multi-grain, quinoa, rice… wheat isn’t so great
Has everyone done away with pop/ soda? If not.. it’s time…
Meat – eliminate processed meat such as – hot dogs, luncheon meats, spam, sausage.. meat that is not in it’s original form

Assignment for next week
Let’s talk Supplements – Are you taking any?  What?  If none.. start!
Let’s talk detox --- quarterly – every season is a good way to remember – several options available - email me for ideas: Lillian.LifeCare@gmail.com
Facebook group for accountability and sharing? YES!  started - email me if you want to join- if you haven't already
Read Chapters 6-8 in Made to Crave

Made to Crave – C4, 5
Quotes to cling to this week
-  “I must be aware that desperation breeds degradation.” 1Peter 5:7-8  See page 42
- When tempted and ready to cave: “I was made for victory. I was made for more than this. I will find my way to that truth.”
- I will be persistent – keep asking!
- I will embrace my true identity – Use “Who I Am in Christ” from Freedom in Christ Ministries or Made to Crave Pg 52 & 54
- I will find the deeper reason
- I have a hope and power like never before from God!

Reflective Questions and Sharing
Pg 47, 2 & 3
Pg 56, 1, 3, 4

HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLASS 3

Class 3
Review Class 2  - assignments – How’d it go?
Assignments – Let’s Get Movin’!
No eating 3 hours before you go to bed
Those trying to lose – lunch has to be your biggest meal – go light in the evening or.. make an attempt to eating small meals all day every 3 hours
- 5 min stretch daily         - workout/ get moving:  do something at least once this week if you are not working out at all… others: do at least 2-3   - try doing a few high intensity workouts…  5-10 minutes…  Mike demonstrate:  30 seconds of intensity, 10 sec break, repeat - running in place, jumping jacks, crunches, squats, plank, lunges, push ups, etc.
Made to Crave – C1-3
Quotes to cling to this week:
 “Each time I crave something I know if not part of God’s plan for me, I will use that craving as a prompt to pray.”
“The purpose of my struggle with food is so much more than the scale or the clothing size I wear.” Ask the Lord what it is. “Am I really ready to surrender?”
“I will not allow food or anything apart from God be my comfort, my reward, my joy, my stress or sadness reliever, or… my happiness!”
1Cor 10:23 “Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial”. I have the power available to me to choose what is beneficial.   See Pg 195 in your book for more passages.
“I am choosing to look at this journey as a process of embracing healthy choices rather than denying myself.”  Food is like a drug that is sabotaging my body, my mental energy, and even my spirit.

Reflective Questions and Sharing
Pg 25, #3 & #4
Pg 32, #1 (pg 28), #4, #3 – using food for comfort, reward, joy, stress, sadness, happiness?
Pg 40, Let’s talk more about food plans.. what food plans have you adopted if any and done the research to make a decision?  Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, maker’s diet, hallelujah acres, the Daniel plan, Lys T’s plan on .. a combination?
Next Assignment – remember .. baby steps – at any point this becomes overwhelming and you find yourself failing more than succeeding go back to the week before and just stick with those steps and keep following through… 
Those who eat eggs – switch to free range eggs
Start eliminating all white flour products from your diet – white rice, breads, pasta – use multi grain, quinoa, rice… wheat isn’t so great
Has everyone done away with pop/ soda? If not.. it’s time…
Meat – eliminate processed meat such as – hot dogs, luncheon meats, spam, sausage.. meat that is not in it’s original form

Health and Wellness Classes 1 and 2

Class 1 - Intro

We will be getting educated about health - life style changes/ practical tips including exercise while also working through the book "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst

Notes will be posted on the blog - at times the class will be recorded 

Discussions regarding the need for a 'heart' change as we go through this course rather than just a 'behavior' change. Our approach will be body, soul (mind and emotions) and spirit.

Assignments - water: drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces daily, keep a food journal the next couple of weeks so you can identify trigger foods that will need to be part of your 90-day abstinence plan/ fast, your food journal also allows you to begin to monitor your eating or 'not eating' behaviors so you are able to become self-aware which is one of the key characteristics of someone healthy and while, increase prayer - pray about everything you are eating and doing, set aside one day a week as a treat day: you can eat whatever you want for that day, however, not 'how much' you want - practice moderation as you treat yourself - plan ahead for this, keeping in mind upcoming events, family get togethers, etc.,  Eliminate ALL fast food!

Attend the Health Expo this Sat if you can.

Class 2

Review  - assignments from last week, health expo, P Nielsen testimony/ dvd from tonight

Physical:

Calorie intake formula:    weight x 7 – to lose    weight x 10 – to maintain

Assignments for this week – Let’s Get Movin’!

No eating 3 hours before you go to bed

Those trying to lose – lunch has to be your biggest meal – go light in the evening or.. make an attempt to eating small meals all day every 3 hours

- 5 min stretch daily              

- workout/ get moving:  do something at least once this week if you are not working out at all… others: do at least 2-3

- try doing a few high intensity workouts…  5-10 minutes…  Mike demonstrate:  30 seconds of intensity, 10 sec break, repeat - running in place, jumping jacks, crunches, squats, plank, lunges, push ups, etc.

Made to Crave

Quotes to cling to (whiteboard):

  “He (God) made us to CRAVE HIM, not the things in life we have been craving”

  “Our bodies are not our own – we need to honor God with the way we choose to treat it.”

   “This journey is NOT about weight loss as much as it is about complete dependence on God”.

 “If I am eating compulsively, eating and purging, not eating at all, food is dominating my mind instead of deep communion with God. I commit to not allowing anything to take the place of God in my life.”

Volunteer – read dedication out of book…

Intro – Finding our ‘want to’

It’s not the ‘how to’ most of us are missing.. it’s the ‘want to’.  Are the changes we are making really worth the sacrifice?  We all have to answer this question..    The struggle is partially a lack of health self love – desire to do self care…  ever heard “you can’t help them unless they want it for themselves.. they have to want it for themselves.. love themselves enough to make the change – get sober – get into recovery – get help ? “    

 -- explanation about addiction ----   soooo we have to come up with something else for now…they do/ maybe we do

so.. what’s our motivation going to be?   Brainstorm ideas – pics, lists, reward system, etc..

We also have to fight against the rationalizations.

 -- what are some you have had in the past/ or even now?   There are some in the book on page 13

   ---- "the Bible doesn’t’ specifically say this is wrong".  – the Bible is not specific about many things  but the principle is there  (gluttony is there, the temple/ our bodies, story of the rich man in Matthew 19 – EVERYTHING – this story isn’t just about money.. is it?  Give it all… surrender.. sacrifice.. then.. come follow me.  Mark 8:34 Jesus said “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

In Christ – if we want to gain, we have to give up..  If we want to be filled, we have to stop filling ourselves – we have to deny ourselves. If we truly want to get close to God, we’ll have to distance ourselves from the things that pull us away from Him”.

It is always easier to make excuses then change. What is God calling you to do?

Spiritually – ask God to give you the desire to be healthy and the strength to follow through on what He asks you to do…  not willing?  God help me become willing…  Step 3 in the 12 steps.. 

Physically – turn your spiritual insights into practical choices as God leads and directs you ‘one day at a time’.  Admit your issues and do something about it – hypertension, low energy, over weight, achy, getting sick more often, have the onset of some disease?

Mentally – Delete ‘com’ from compromise and start with a promise. We were made for more than compromise. We were made for God’s promises.. in EVERY area of our lives!!!  Look for the promises in His word this week and cling to them with regard to your needs, etc… begin to change your thinking – ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind’

Emotionally – just like any area of recovery.. we have to ‘feel, deal & heal’. We can no longer eat or ‘not eat’ to suppress or control our emotions. We MUST learn healthy ways of expressing and releasing them. How can we do that?  Let’s share some ideas. – new coping mechanisms and ways to get emotional health.

For next week – read C1, 2 and 3 of MtoC

Who Am I? - Finding My Identity in Christ with Chuck Wonfor

Lessons 2 and 3 are now uploaded - audio as well as a pdf of the notes...  Enjoy!

Addiction and Grace - Part 1 and 2 with Gregg Natkowski, Jacque Martin-Downs

Audio Only...

Who Am I? - Part 1 - Laying the Foundation with Chuck Wonfor

Listen to audio....  check back for notes in the future....