Craving – Part 2

What do you crave when you’re going through tough times?

Maybe you want time alone or maybe you want to be with others to comfort you.

Sadly, I turned to food.

I turned to food after two miscarriages and I thought I’d never be able to have a child of my own.

I turned to food when my son started having seizures.

I turned to food when I was stressed at work.

And I turned to food when I had things to celebrate.

I turned to food.

Not to God. Not to the Wonderful Counselor. Not to Jesus.

I turned to food.

Now I ask you, how smart is that?

 

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Made to Crave by Lisa Terkeurst

I’ve been in a get my life on track kick because I’ve got a book to write and I can’t seem to write it. So I’ve been reading books to get other aspects of my life in order.

I had heard about the book Made to Crave from the Proverbs 31 devotions I get every morning. But I resisted getting the book, because, well, I’ve tried diets before and they worked–for a while. And then, the pounds would return as if they had been on a short vacation and couldn’t wait to get back home.

But this book is different. There are no dietary guidelines. The author shares her heart and her pain and what she doesn’t eat–sugar and other carbs.

In another book I’ve read recently, Wheat Belly by  William Davis, MD,   I learned that “wheat raises blood sugar higher than nearly all other foods, including table sugar and many candy bars.”

I had already given up wheat, chicken and dairy and did see weight loss while eating just about everything else. And when I added those items back in, my weight ballooned almost instantly, and I experienced other digestive problems as well. So I’ve removed them from my diet again. And I don’t miss them really. I’m a satisfied eater when I removed these items. I eat steak every chance I get.

But back to the book, Made to Crave. This book is more about your spiritual health than physical. The author shares her heartbreak of being abandoned by her biological father, and how it has affected her physically, emotionally and spiritually and how she has used her faith in God to overcome the pain. The author says, “remember the ultimate goal of this journey isn’t about making me a smaller sized person but rather making me crave Jesus and His truths as the ultimate filler of my heart.”

I highly recommend this book, even if you don’t have an issue with weight. (Oh, and it practically has its own contemporary musical score–I had to share a passage with my husband and he smiled).

And my prayer for you is to:

Crave Jesus—and all these things will be added unto you. Allellu, Alleluia.

My New Diet

I’ve tried many diets.

Several years ago I completed a research study at Duke comparing the low fat diet to the Atkins diet. I was assigned to the Atkins diet. I lost weight. Not nearly enough enough for the 6 months I was on it. And I stuck to it religiously. As I neared the end of the diet, the researchers told me that if it weren’t so close to the end, they would recommend I not continue on the study. Why? Because instead of my cholesterol going down, mine went up. Unlike the other participants in the study.

Now, I’m certain I know why.

I had aches in my hands and arms during that Atkins diet. I blamed it on Diet Cheerwine. But I was wrong.

I was tested by Sage Medical Labs for food sensitivities and discovered some very interesting things about myself. I have a problem with milk(and cheeses)–which I didn’t eat a whole lot of on the Atkins diet but I did eat a little as allowed by the program. And I have a problem with Chicken, Eggs and Turkey. Which I did eat as part of my Akins diet. A whole bunch of eggs as a matter of fact.

Some surprising food sensitivities that I have are: Almonds, lima beans, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, and carrots. They all seem good for you. Go figure?

Anyway, I also I have a sensitivity to wheat and gluten (which during the Atkins diet I didn’t have anyway).

Some surprising things I’m not sensitive to: Cocoa, sugar, corn and colas. I was certain I would have to give up those things. But I don’t. Yippee!

Now, I understand that to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you eat. So watching calories is still a consideration.

The purpose of this post is to propose that before you begin any weight loss program, maybe you should be tested for food sensitivities. You see, I was eating turkey instead of pork because I thought it was the healthier choice.

One thing I’m going to absolutely hate giving up  is my mother-in-law’s fried chicken. She makes the best!  How will I ever resist? (But, hey, I can have steak!)

So, I start the diet tomorrow. The first big test will be eating at my parent’s house after church. They always have ice cream.

The One-Day Way

Ok, so I had problems loading the picture of the book. This is a great book to start the year if your resolution is to lose weight. So far this year, I’ve been exercising more regularly.

Here’s what the book is about:

The One-Day Way produces lasting results by taking you back to basics. No more complicated weight-loss strategies. No more expensive diet plans that achieve only temporary results. Instead, you will lose weight and get fit with Chantel Hobbs’s simple, high-energy meal plans and her at-home program for cardio exercise and strength training. She will teach you how to change the way you think, which leads to new actions. Before you know it you will be strong, fit, and healthy. All it takes is doing things differently for twenty-four hours—and then repeating it.

The One-Day Way gives you everything you need to lose weight and get fit in body, mind, and spirit:

• Break free from past dieting defeats
• Learn a realistic, life-changing way to measure success
• Change the way you think so you can change your life
• Translate your dreams into goals, and your goals into lasting achievements
• Get strong with thirty-one simple exercises, no fancy equipment required
• Take advantage of ten ways to eat better while you lose weight

By focusing on food, faith, and fitness, Chantel shows you not only how to lose weight, but how to build the new life you were designed to live. You don’t have to wait any longer. The One-Day Way gives you all the tools for success, starting right now.

Author Bio:

The author of Never Say Diet and The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer, Chantel Hobbs is a motivational speaker, life coach, personal trainer, marathon runner, wife, and mother of four whose story has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, the 700 Club, and the covers of People and First magazines. She appears weekly on two fitness-themed radio programs and promotes her One-Day Way Learning System on television. Visit Chantel at ChantelHobbs.com for fitness updates and coaching tips.

You can buy the book by clicking on the following link:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307458780

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

My Theory on the Ketogenic Diet

My son has a weird seizure disorder so I’ve  done quite a bit of research on epilepsy. In my research, I came across the Ketogenic Diet.

Some people experience seizure control using the diet–high fat/protein and low carb. And my theory is that  it works on some people  because a food sensitivity was removed from the diet.

Mystery Diagnosis aired a show about a boy who had strange “seizures”, it was finally diagnosed as celiac’s disease. His body could not tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat. The ketogenic diet would have worked in this case.

I wonder sometimes why Doctors don’t suggest food allergy/sensitivity tests more often.