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The Great Cupcake Stand-off: A Tale of Two Sisters
The last lonely cupcake stood solemnly in the middle of the table. My sister sat at one end of the table and I sat at the other. “Well, I don’t want it,” Missy said. Missy didn’t like cupcakes. Too many carbs, too many calories. All she ate were fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and the occasional whole grain—the diet of a typical woodland creature. Her hair was a mousy shade of brown. She sat across from me as poised and delicate as a butterfly resting on the edge of a flower petal. I felt like a great lumbering bear snuffling through the dirt looking for her next meal. I tried not…
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My Continuing Weight Loss Journey
Last summer, I posted this article about my eating habits. I’d like to give you all an update about how I’m faring with my new lifestyle, diet-related choices! I ended up not losing any weight following what I outlined last year. This was tough, and incredibly frustrating. When I started exercising on a regular basis, I started eating more to compensate for the extra calories I burned. I see a Family Medicine doctor at our local clinic, and at my last appointment she explained that this is a common experience. She encouraged me to reconsider what I eat (fewer carbs, more protein) instead of how much I exercise. She stressed…
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Keystone Habits and Being Watchful
First a note: I’m writing this article in mind that the Bible is the only source of true wisdom: holy, inerrant, and inspired by the Holy Spirit. I do, however, believe that some secular writers sometimes get things right. In the case of The Power of Habit, I think Charles Duhigg describes well how God created people with the ability to form habits. I also enjoyed his factual reporting on how different people and businesses use this idea to their advantage. The following quotes come from The Power of Habit. *** pg.111, “He [Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps’s coach] didn’t need to control every aspect of Phelps’s life. All he needed…
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How Does Sin Affect Your Health?
Introduction Health and wellness are both fascinating topics to me. My parents ate using the Sugar Busters diet for a number of years, and I eventually started eating the same way during college (with occasional occurrences of ice cream and frozen pizza). Well into their 60s, my parents still both lift weights a few times a week and walk on a regular basis. My sister eats more fruits and veggies than anymore I’ve ever met and stays fit by doing a lot of yoga and indoor climbing. And that’s just my family! Outside of my family, health and wellness are popular topics with books, websites, companies, and entire industries dedicated…
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Weight Loss Round Three
Introduction The word “gospel” means good news. As Christians, the good news we share with others is that Jesus came to redeem us from our sins. When we trust in him, we do our best to please him in every area of our lives for his glory and our good. As I matured as a Christian woman, I noticed areas of my life in which I didn’t apply the gospel, which included diet, exercise, and just generally how I took care of myself. Subconsciously, I think I labeled these as moral “gray areas” because the Bible doesn’t prescribe a particular diet, exercise, or health care regiment. While that may be…