Blog Posts

What have you done for you lately?

12/15/2014

Can you believe we are hitting the mid-way point of December? I remember as a child I thought it would never get to December 25th, Christmas day. Now as an adult it seems as if we are in December for 2 days, and then it's the holidays.

Well last week I reminded us about being intentional in our spending and eating over the holidays. Today, my blog is in line with that same thought process. Today I want to ask you a vital question, what have you done for yourself lately? When is the last time you pampered yourself? Had a spa day? Got your hair done, or your nails done? When is the last time you took some "me" time?

Now before you answer, I know the many excuses we give ourselves.We don't have time or the money, or even yet we tend to feel guilty if we do things for ourselves (especial mothers, because we begin to think if we do things for ourselves we are in some way short changing our children). The truth is if you don't take care of yourself, there won't be enough of you to go around for your family.

So maybe you don't have the money to go to a spa, who said you can't make it an at home spa. Light some candles in your bath room, soak your toes or yourself in a hot bath and allow yourself to relax. Or do something that you enjoy. Watch a movie you have been wanting to see. I know I love the old holiday movies. I curled into bed last night and watched "It's a Wonderful Life." Take a personal or vacation day and make it your "pajama day."

Or get out in the sunshine or to met friends, or even have a friend over for lunch. The whole point is, what do you need to help you stay encouraged on your journey? I was looking at another site that gave some tips on ways to de-stress your life. The article, 30 Days, 30 Ways to less Stress, suggest something as simple as taking time to have a cup of tea to having a movie night with yourself. The whole point is, make some time to take care of you. Healthy living is more than what foods you put in your mouth. It's about the entire you. Are you healthy physically, as well as emotionally and spiritually. Are you caring for the entire you. Have you stopped to make sure you are emotionally well and that you are honoring the growth going on in you?

Are you celebrating your steps and accomplishments? It is difficult for many to think of taking care of themselves or spending time for themselves as anything other than being selfish, but with a negative connotation. In order for us to get past this feeling of guilt we have to understand there is a difference between being selfish, not caring about anyone else and caring enough about others to first take care of yourself.

The truth is I realized sometime ago that I could not be the right kind of wife, mother, sister, friend, minister, mentor or neighbor even, if I didn't take care of myself, my entire self. I needed to take better care of my physically so that I could be a good example to my daughters about how important it is for them to take care of themselves. I couldn't be the right kind of wife if I was always sick, tired, frustrated and cranky because I wasn't feeling well do in part to my lack of self care. In turn, if I couldn't manage taking care of my own home, how would I be able to have enough energy or desire to help anyone else? Oh, I was trying the best I could to wear all these hats, but at times I would get frustrated and it would mess with my emotional state.

It wasn't until I realized I was not doing a good service to those that needed me, nor was I doing well for me. Since January of 2013, I have make taking care of me a priority.I make sure I take care of me by making the right food choices. I take care of me by making sure I get in my exercise. I no longer give any excuses for not getting my workout in. I make sure when I am feeling overwhelmed or tired that I stop and take some me time. I have a day set aside called "No Talk Thursday" where I don't take calls and I focus more on myself. I shut off the television and I use it as a day to clear my head. Sometimes I do different things. Sometimes I'll have lunch with a friend or I may even invite a friend to my house. If I have had a really busy week with with family and ministry, I may use it to get a little extra sleep. I'll do the things I have to do, but I'll go get under the covers, play some music and rest.

Since doing this, I find I don't have too many times (rarely any) where I'm cranky or mad, or frustrated. And if I do, I know what I need to do to calm myself and get rid of that stress. So today, I simply wanted to remind some and get others to thinking, what can you do to help your health journey? What things do you need to begin doing to help you be successful not only through the holidays but for your life journey to health? I suggest getting started right away, doing some nice things for yourself. Until next time, continue to W.I.N. in Health.

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Healthy Waist, Healthy Wallet

12/8/2014

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During the holiday season we have many things that can get us caught up or distracted from our health goals. One of those distractions is our ideas around creating the perfect holidays. I have watched people become obsessed about what things to do regarding holidays, gifts, dinners, and so much more.

It's no wonder we get to January and we find ourselves thicker around the waist and thinner in our wallets. Add to that, feelings of depression, guilt and exhaustion. The question is why do we stress ourselves out over the holidays? I think it really is a simply reason, we have these ideas around what makes the perfect holiday and we want to create those images. We want to show people we love them so we want to purchase the best gifts, create the most spectacular dinners and have our houses decorated in such a way that everyone would be in awe at our work.

Over the past few years I have learned that simple is better. Now, I do deck my house out, but it's a family affair. We put on music, laugh, have fun and the fact that we are doing it together adds to the reason why this season is special to us. We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner together, but again it was a family affair. Everyone created a dish so that I was not exhausted when it was all over.

So what does any of this have to do with weight loss, or healthy living you might ask? I would say a lot. I have realized that weight issues stem largely from behavioral and emotional issues. If we have accustomed ourselves to eating a lot during the holidays, we will do just that. If we are use to eating because we are stressed, we can find ourselves doing so as we rush around during this time of year with so many parties, gifts to get, events to attend, and so forth. The holidays while they should be about family has really turned into a time of where we are busy and stressed, two things that can really add to eating poorly and causing us to hold onto weight. So I want to suggest a few ideas for you to think about as you celebrate the holidays.

One of the first tips I would give any one is, if you haven't started making healthy changes, this really isn't the season to try, there will be too many temptations for you to try starting at this point. You can however be mindful of what you eat, how often and if possible try to limit your portions. But other than that, I would not try to start over the holidays. You would only be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Even though I suggest you don't start at this point, you can begin to set your mindset up for the new year and new changes you will be making. Don't use the fact that it is the holiday to splurge (over eat or over spend). Also my greatest suggestion is "STOP". Yes I said stop. Stop putting unrealistic expectations on yourself. You don't have to do everything by yourself. And if you are, maybe you need to re-evaluate the things you are doing. I understand some of you may not have family to help because of busy schedules or maybe your children are too young. However, I still think we need to evaluate what we are doing to make sure that while we are making the holidays special for others, we don't kill ourselves doing it! Look at creative ways to make family memories that are not always centered on eating or spending money. My suggestion is take in some of the free light events in your town, or go see the Christmas tree displays at some of the museums. Whatever you do, make this a time when you do slow down some, be intentional in what you do and how you do it. You want to get to the new year but with a more peaceful spirit.

Weight Watchers article gives 16 tips on having a healthy holiday. One of the tips aligns itself to what I wrote above, don't try to start now getting in shape but don't use the holidays as a reason to splurge either!

Again, I recommend that you really try to come up with some healthy ways to celebrate the season. What I would like to do during the holidays is go with my kids to an indoor rock climbing, sky diving and zip line location. My eldest daughter found a place and that is one of our Christmas presents to our family. I am learning that Christmas doesn't have to be a lot of gifts under the tree that may go unused by January, but it is more about spending some time and sharing with each other, now that's priceless and my wallet thanks me in January when it comes time to pay for all the stuff under the tree. Does this mean I won't get my kids things for Christmas, no, but I am learning it is okay if I don't get them tons of things. And I teach them a valuable lesson as well, I am teaching them the importance of valuing our family, not the things we can give to each other material wise, but the love and support we have for each other.

Maybe if you can't buy gifts for everyone or afford to splurge to spend the money to make dinner for everyone, have a potluck Christmas Eve party, and save Christmas just for your immediate family. Or a dessert party. I did that one year. I invited friends over and offered cookies and fresh baked desserts and hot chocolate. It was just enough for us to have something sweet, but not feel guilty for over eating. In the Weight Watcher's article the suggest you challenge others to see if they can bring healthy desserts.

The key is, find creative ways to enjoy the holidays without creating a burden for your pocket or that will cause you to over eat. I know it's hard because we do spend so much time around food. But let's get creative and come up with other ideas that don't have food as the central theme, even though it might be a part, it isn't the main focus. Hot chocolate and game night. Family pick a movie night. Have someone pick a movie and everyone watches together. Girl friend pamper pajama party. Get your nails done, and just laugh and have fun. Let's make memories, not debt or a need for larger clothes. Until next time, W.I.N. in health!

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I can't believe I ate the whole thing!

12/1/2014

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So you had great intention to control your eating, but before you knew it, you had eaten so much more than you had planned. So what now!

Get up! One of the greatest things that causes us to feel defeated is when we mess up. We allow that be a constant reminder of how bad we are, or how horrible we are at keeping a promise. My suggestion to you is to forgive yourself when you mess up, then get up and start again. At some point in your journey you will begin to make better choices and you'll see less mess ups and more successes. The key is to keep going no matter what happens.

I suggest you look at what things were triggers for you. Was it pressure from others that made you go back for that second or third plate? Sometimes those we love are not always helpful when you are trying to change your eating habits. They may tell you, you don't need to lose weight, or make light of your choices. You will have to learn to shake those things off and keep on your plan. Sometimes the truth is, the food simply taste good! So what do you do then? Enjoy it is my suggestion, but do it with some reserve. Eat it slowly and enjoy it. Wait sometime before you go for more, and often if you do wait, you'll find you really are full and can't eat anymore.

I ate Thanksgiving dinner and enjoyed it with my family. I worked at that morning before I cooked. And I also worked out that Friday after Thanksgiving. I wasn't a fanatic about it, but I knew I was eating a little more than I normally do and I didn't want my body to feel stuffed. So what is my suggestion if you ate more than you planned? Get up and keep moving toward your goals. Remember this is not a diet so you don't have an unrealistic time when you expect things to change. This is a course you are on for a life long journey of health. I think that one of the problems we have is we expect to set a goal and then reach it quickly. That's what diets promise. They promise you'll lose 20, 30, 40 pounds in a matter of weeks and then you have arrived. As I said before, the problem with diets is they end. So when you stop dieting you tend to go back to the behavior of before and many tend to gain the weight they lost plus more. However when you start a life journey you are setting yourself up for a life time of better choices, good health and success. So when you have a slip here or there, you are better prepared mentally to get back up. So get up and keep going, your journey awaits you! Until next time, W.I.N. in Health.

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Healthy Holiday Tips

11/24/2014

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While some look forward to the holidays, it can also be the most stressful for many. Some are stressed during the holidays because it becomes a reminder of broken relationships, divorce, missing of deceased loved ones and a difficulty overcoming the feeling of loneliness and depression. For others, the holidays become a difficult time because of all the food and the fear is you'll gain back any weight you may have lost.

In fact I saw on Facebook a picture of a turkey standing on a scale with the caption reading, set your scales back 10 pounds. So how do we maneuver through this time of the year?

Healthy holiday tips
1. Share your feelings. For those that are dealing with broken relationships, depression, etc., find someone you trust and share your feelings. While this may not change your status, it helps to have support to at least eliminate the feeling of being all alone.

2. Reach out. If you don't have family reach out to friends and/or your church or close neighbors. I would also say for those that know you have people that are feeling alone or who don't have good relationships with their families, invite them to dinner. The Mayo Clinic gives others tips for dealing with depression during the holidays.

3. Look for the simple things. One reason people get depressed around the holidays is because of the lack of resources to accomplish their idea of the "perfect holiday." Some get depresses because they are not able to buy presents or present the expected holiday meals. One thing that I have started to do with my family is let each child/family member create the dish that want for the holidays. We don't have a turkey or ham, sometimes we just can't afford it. But the goal is to have a meal together as a family. We try to keep the focus on family, not the food. One way to make the meal feel special is to have your family set the table. If you don't have china, that's okay, just make it feel as special as you want. Let your family be involved in the process. Health online gives additional tips on having a healthy holiday.

3.Enjoy your meal, but don't lose your mind. It is so easy to look at all the food on the table and pile your plate full of these wonderful treats to only feel guilty after overeating. So what do you do? Huffpost gives some suggestions. One suggestion is to stay away from the high glycemic, likes breads and pasta. If that's possible do so. However, that's not always possible. So instead what I have done for my family is change our normal holiday recipes and made them as healthy as possible. For example the mac and cheese has been alter slightly by choosing healthier cheeses and cutting some of the fat. My breading has been alter in the same way. I start with a homemade bread we make and I add veggies to the mix. Since we are having dressing we won't have any additional bread. Instead of a turkey or ham, I will bake an organic chicken. Now my family wanted ribs, so I purchased some from Trader Joe for them. We will also make sure we have something raw, a salad to accompany the dinner. Instead of the abundance of desserts, we will have only one. The key is we will enjoy the meal, but we won't set ourselves up to over eat.

4. Get in a workout. One way to help keep your focus as well as to help you with the holiday stresses, is to get in a workout. Do something that gets your moving. Burn some extra calories. In fact, instead of making your time from Thanksgiving to Christmas one hectic run from store to store. Try setting up sometimes for your family and/or friends to do fun things together. In fact, I need to ask my daughter about the indoor rock climbing location she mentioned. That would be something great we can do as a family.

5. Take some rest. This really aligns itself with the last one. If your family is like mine, you can easily find yourself busy with non-stop activities. We go from school, to work, to ministry events. Our only day we don't run (as much) is Saturdays. And truthfully the last few Saturdays have found my husband driving from one event to another all day long. So we look forward to the holidays as a family. In fact, we started a few years ago making December our vacation time from outside events. We go to the ones we choose as a family, otherwise we don't take ministry or business assignments that require evening commitments. We simply try to slow down and get some rest.

6. Get back up if you mess up. While I am not saying get completely off your healthy eating plan, I am saying if you find yourself overeating during this time, don't waste time beating yourself up. Instead get up! Get back on track and keep moving forward.

7. Accountability. While you enjoy your holidays remember to hold yourself accountable for your actions. If you know you will have a difficulty being around a lot of sweets, then don't bring them in your house. Yes, if you want one treat, bring in the one treat. For example, I find that I really like red velvet cake. However I don't try to buy the entire cake. I will either purchase one slice or the mini cupcakes with four in them and share them with my family. In other words don't set yourself up for failure.

Whatever you do look for ways to enjoy the holiday. If it normally brings disappointment or loneliness, look for ways to have fun with friends, co-workers or those that have become family to you. Don't try to ignore your feelings, deal with them honestly. Rest, relax and make this time about those you love and less about the foods, gifts, and slew of activities. Until next time, have a great Thanksgiving and continue to W.I.N. in health.

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Are you getting enough sleep?

11/17/2014

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Does this picture look familiar to you? Do you wake up in the morning feeling tired, like you had just gone to bed only a few moments ago? While studies say there is not "magic" number regarding the amount of sleep each person needs (because other factors depend on how much sleep you need; such as medical condition, age, general overall health and well being), it is stated the 4 or 5 hours many people get is not enough. In an article on how much sleep do we really need, it shared some tips we can use to help us get enough sleep.

Honestly, these are all things we already know, but for some reasons we simply don't put them into practice. One suggestion was about exercising regularly to help with sleeping as well as not going to bed shortly after eating. So what does this have to do with us losing weight and getting in shape?

The truth is there are so many factors that we simply overlook that affect our weight. Many times we are looking for a "quick pill" some sure fire routine to lose the weight, but we don't realize there are many of our daily habits that need to be changed to make our health journey successful. One of the ways we sabotage ourselves is when we are tired we often go for the snack that will give us the quick pick me up (chips, or other sugary treats).

How many times a day do you find yourself at the vending machines or convenient places getting those empty calorie pick me ups to keep you going. We are often too tired when we get up, so we grab coffee as our breakfast of choice and we are on our way. Lunch, what's that? If it isn't a left over donut from an A.M. meeting, maybe its a sandwich or something from whatever is nearby. By the time we get home from work cooking dinner doesn't look like a great option (even though some fight through and get it done), so we either bring in something or order up a pizza. Finish up whatever home work, house work and family work needs to be done and off to bed we go, to only find ourselves now unable to go to sleep, because we pushed ourselves all day and now when we can get to sleep our eyes are shining like new money. Wake up in the morning and the cycle starts all over again, UGH!

Try adding an AM workout schedule to that! If you have, you probably remember how hard it was to get into a exercise routine. You were too tired to get up to workout, even though you knew once you did it would help you feel rested and to sleep better, but often times the tiredness won out. What's the outcome? Based on another article by Denise Mann she states, "The immediate result? You may be able to fight off sleepiness. The ultimate result? Unwanted pounds as poor food choices coupled with lack of exercise set the stage for obesity and further sleep loss."

Again, I am not telling you anything you are not already aware of, but the question is how do you make the changes? I must say it is hard! Of all the different things I have done, getting enough sleep is still the hardest thing for me to do. I have a slight advantage of some that work outside of their homes, I can start may day a little later if necessary, as I did today. Today I woke up and I was feeling horrible. I almost felt like I had a virus or was getting a cold. I would in the past simply have said that is what it was and pushed myself, until it eventually turned into that. What I have now learned about myself is if I don't get enough sleep, I sometimes feel as if I am getting a cold. However, if I climb back in bed for just a few hours and wake up when my body says it's rested, I feel like a million bucks. The temporary cold like symptoms are gone.

What's my point? The truth is we need to get enough sleep to make sure our healthy life change sticks. Often times when you stay up late, you'll find yourself eating more. When you are tired, you don't have the energy to put into making healthy food choices or exercising. The myth that you can make up for your sleep on the weekend isn't true, you can't make up for lost sleep. So the only answer I have is you will need to make the steps to get enough sleep while you are also getting yourself on a better eating/working out plan.

One benefit is as you make those healthy eating and working out choices, you'll find yourself feeling more rested and better able to go to sleep when you do go to bed. You'll begin to feel more rested and have more energy for your day. It helps with clarity of thinking and better moods (who doesn't want to be in a better mood). The tricking part is the getting started!

The best way to start so that you don't get discouraged is to take it one step at a time. I often tell people give yourself 21 days to make the change. It is stated it takes at least 21 days to 30 days to make something a habit. So maybe you can start by trying to plan out your week. I know there are so many unexpected things that come up, but as best you can, try to map out a basic plan. In that plan make sure you account for what you will eat. So plan for your breakfast and a time when you need to get it in. If you need to prep some things the night before. The first week, simply try to complete your schedule of getting up on time to eat a good breakfast and preparing your lunch. Also during that first week, plan out your lunches and dinners so you can have those ready and or prepared when needed. I suggest if you have older kids or others that can help, take turns preparing the lunches and/or dinners or work together to get them done. Part of this plan is to also have a "lights out" time. Don't try to read, or watch television in bed, turn off the lights and go to sleep. For some this isn't so easy, so find ways that help. Maybe taking a hot bath to relax might help.

After you have successfully completed the first week, try adjusting your morning time to allow you to get in a 30 minutes workout. If that doesn't work for you, try including it some where in your schedule. For some people they just don't want to work out in the morning and for others evening workouts don't work. So which ever works best for you, make sure this week you include at least 3 days of working out in your schedule. During the last week, take a look at your results and make adjustments as needed. And finally, you don't have to be a "super hero" all the time. Allow yourself a time of rest. This is one of our biggest problems, especially moms. We are constantly doing for everyone and we forget to do for ourselves.

My day now starts at 4:30 a.m. I get up, work out and then I get my family up for school. We have breakfast together while I make their lunches. I plan at that time what I'm making for dinner so that it's ready for me to prepare in the evening. After everyone is out, I do my house work. I start my work day around 8:30 a.m. I end my work day around 5 or 6. I get my kids from school and get dinner on the table. I am not trying to make sure I am in bed no later than 8, 9 at the latest. Sometimes I make it, sometimes based on ministry duties I don't. The difference for me is that because I am in generally good health I don't have the same negative outcomes. However, I can't stay up late for too many days because I will feel it. So I hope you think about what we shared here today to help you on your quest to W.I.N. in health.

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Do I really need to weight myself?

11/10/2014

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I saw this picture and it made me laugh. If weighing ourselves were only this pleasant! The truth is many of us dread the scale. I saw another picture on FB. The caption read weight loss center and it had two snowmen, one with a blow dryer melting away the backside of the other snowman. The person that posted the picture wrote, "if it were only that easy."

We laugh at the many weight cartoons and jokes but for some this isn't really a laughing matter because they are struggling to get the weight off. So instead many ignore the scale. I know I did it. I know in fact when I weighed myself, I said the scale was broke, I refused to believe it. How can be we so fearful of such a small piece of equipment? The truth is we ignore it, because we don't want it to tell us the truth, what we really weight. I did it, and I know others that do it as well.

So is it important to weigh myself when all it's going to do is discourage me? There are different camps on whether you need to weigh yourself or not. I read an article from U.S. Health the shares some of the reasons why we should stay away from the scale. In essence, the thought is too many women become obsessed with what they weigh and it can add to negative body image and depression.

Another online article talks about how often you should weigh yourself. MedicineNet.com, stated, "But a group of doctors who studied obese and overweight adults who were trying to lose weight as well as overweight adults who were trying to prevent weight gain found that those who weighed themselves more often lost more weight and prevented more weight gain over two years than those who weighed themselves less frequently." (p. 1).

So what's right? This again goes to what works best for each person. I don't believe there is a one size fits all approach. We have to determine what works best for our personality and where we are in the journey. For me, I needed to weigh myself so that I could assess if I was moving in the right direction. I weighed myself once a week at the same time, first thing in the morning before I ate or drank. I tried to make the conditions as closely aligned as I could to have as accurate data as I could, that's why I did it at the same time each week, some conditions. Once I reach the goal weight I was going for, I weighed myself once a month. The reason for that is to make sure I am maintaining. After being at my goal for so long I can tell before I weigh myself if I am up in weight because my clothes will feel tighter. And I generally know why, I have gotten off track, eating too much or not doing my regular workout.

Another thing I did was get rid of all my clothes there were too big. The reason for doing that is to hold yourself accountable at the current weight you are. It is so easy if you have a day where your weight is up to go back in the closet and get your "bigger clothes." The only problem with that is before you now it, you will only be able to wear your "big clothes" because you stopped holding yourself accountable to your current size. I will admit that is scary and often quite hard to do, getting rid of all your larger clothes. But doing so makes your current sized clothes your accountability partner in a sense, they will tell you just like your scale did, if you are off.

I do agree with the first article that you don't let weighing yourself be something that defeats you or causes you to feel depressed. If it does then maybe weighing yourself once a month if you are actively trying to lose weight might be better. I would also add take your measurements. Sometimes you will see inches lost quicker than you will see the number change on the scale. Use both numbers to help you see if you are moving toward your goal.

So how do you answer the question do you weight yourself or not? If you do, use the numbers to simply tell you where you are in your journey. The number does not determine if you are a good person or not. They don't say you are a failure if they don't change. They are simply giving you detail. The facts maybe that you are still eating too many calories or either you aren't getting enough exercise. Or there may be some medical issues you need to address that are keeping your from losing weight. Use them to simply help you make corrections in what you are doing, but don't see the scale as a sign that something is wrong with you. And I say celebrate every victory. Even if the scale doesn't move, did you get in a straight number of days working out? Eating better? Then that's worth celebrating. Pamper yourself (not with food). Do something to celebrate you NOW, not when you get to a desired weight or size.

That's a valuable lesson I learned in my journey. I wasn't celebrating me and that's partly why I got in the shape I was in. When I began to value me, I began to see my eating, exercising, sleeping, mental and emotional health as something I owed myself. I was worth the time it took to make sure I kept my body healthy. I was worth the time and effort to rest properly and get enough sleep, I didn't have to save the world by myself. So weight yourself to give you the data you need, but enjoy and love yourself right now, don't wait until you reach a size, you're worth the effort for the entire journey. Until next time, you can W.I.N. in health.

Healthy Living - Tasty Treats

Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup wheat flour
2 sticks butter (1 cup softened)
1 1/4 cup of white flour
1/2 tsp salt (sea salt)
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup raw sugar
3/4 cups of brown sugar (organic)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
nutmeg & cinnamon (dash)
2 cups chocolate chips (I use the 11.5 oz bag of Ghiradelli milk chocolate)

Preparation: Pre-heat over to 375 degrees and cover cookie sheets with parchment paper. Mix together flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg & cinnamon. Set it to the side. In your mixer place your butter and sugars. Mix until blended. Add one egg, one tsp of vanilla and blend. Add the next egg and vanilla and blend until smooth. Add the flour into the butter mixture. I add 1/2 the flour and mix until blended, then I add the final part and blend. Once blended, add your chips and you are ready to back. Cook until brown, about 9 to 11 minutes. (sorry one of the pictures in the cookie mix, the last one is the meat mix for my meatballs, not sure how that got in there).

Banana Ice Cream
This recipe I got from doing a 21 day Detox, it was simply two frozen banana's blended. I created the chocolate sauce with cocao powder and agave nectar and added nuts.

Yogurt Delight
Trader Joe brand coconut yogurt or any coconut yogurt
3 strawberries diced
walnuts (small handful)
agave nectar

This is a quick treat, take your yogurt, add the diced strawberries and nuts and sprinkle with a little nectar, delish! I you don't like your yogurt really sweet, taste before you add the nectar.

Chocolate covered nuts or raisins
My kids like these. I have two methods. I either melt some chocolate and cover pour over the nuts and/or raisins. Put in the freeze until chilled and serve. Great homemade candy. Or I either make my own chocolate sauce. You can use two tablespoons coconut oil, two tablespoons of cocao powder. I add a pinch of salt, and agave nectar to taste. When it is the sweetness I like it is ready to pour over my candy. If I want a peanut butter treat, I add sunflower seed butter or you could add almond butter as well (I adapted this from the 21 day detox recipes I did. If you want more great recipes to use while you detox go to the link under the 21 Day detox in the banana ice cream recipe).

Zucchini Brownies ~ I shared this recipe before (in a previous post), however take your favorite recipe and simply add a diced zucchini. It adds to the moisture of the brownie and no one is the wiser that it's in there.

Guacamole & homemade pulp chips
If you have dehydrator this might work better, but I used my oven. I saved veggie pulp from my juicing machine. Here is a recipe for it from Built Lean. I served mine with some homemade guacamole we made, great savory treat.

Frozen strawberry w/berries
Take some frozen strawberries, add a frozen lime, or orange. Add water and blend. Add agave nectar until sweet, serve. Each quick treat. Top with fresh berries.

Strawberry ice cream
Frozen strawberries, coconut milk (I used rice milk because my kids can't drink the coconut milk). Add teaspoon of vanilla. Add agave to sweeten. Blend in your blender until you reach the creaminess you want. You may have to add more sweetener depending on how sweet your frozen strawberries where.

Sorry I don't have detailed portions for each recipe, I am a let me try it kind of person. So many of my recipes simply came about because I wanted something and I said let me see if I can make it. With most of them I jump on line find something close to what I want and make the adjustments as needed. I give these simply as idea starters for you. You might not like the strawberry ice cream for example, but you might prefer it with frozen mango or pineapples. Just try having fun with your healthy eating.

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Supplements and Your Health

11/3/2014

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You are working out and you want to get the best benefit from your workout, and your healthy eating, so what else do you need to do? One of the things we often miss is adding vitamin supplements to our lives. There are different beliefs on vitamins. Some think they are a waste of times and others believe they are useful. I can only add my personal observation to this discussion on vitamins and weight supplements.

During my time of seeking better health, I learned somethings along the way. I realized this is a 3 part plan, nutrition & vitamin supplement, exercise and for some supplement and
accelerators. I started my journey with this saying, "insanity is doing the same thing, yet expecting different results." (unknown) If I wanted to get some different results I had to be willing to do things differently. I knew I needed to change my eating. I needed to shift to foods that were richer in vital nutrients, more fiber, less sugar and useless calories. I learned that foods that are considered low-glycemic are foods that don't cause my blood sugar levels to spike. When you eat low-glycemic foods your body is able to stay in the zone that burns these calories better. Foods like hot dogs, and other junk foods cause your blood sugar level to spike. If you eat fresh fruits and vegetables, brown rices and wheat pasta your blood sugar levels stay in the normal range and helps your body to burn calories better.

Nutrition: As I mentioned in an earlier post detoxing is important. I now live what I call a detox lifestyle, which means I make sure I am eating more raw fruits and vegetables with each meal. I also make sure I eat foods that are full of colors. For example, white foods strengthen the immune systems (like garlic). Green foods help to purify (broccoli and grapes). Red foods improve heath and blood health (tomatoes and pomegranates). Yellow foods help to fortify skin elasticity (lemons and yellow peppers). Purple foods help increase longevity (blue berries and egg plants).

Along with eating better, adding vitamin supplements can result in additional benefits to your pursuit of a healthy life. I have tried many vitamin supplements and some I have found better than others. Some of the store brand ones have caused me upset stomach so I couldn't use them for very long. I like the Market America brand Isotonix because they are powder form and they dissolve quickly in water. Vitamins that are administered in powder form get into your system faster and you receive more of the vitamin, less is lost in the digestive process. I purchased the vitamins separately, however it is much more economical and convenient to purchase them in the packet (pictured above).

I also utilize Omega III for these benefits:

Helps maintain normal cholesterol levels
Helps maintain healthy blood pressure levels
Helps maintain normal blood flow
Helps maintain normal triglyceride levels in the blood
Promotes overall cardiovascular health
Helps maintain healthy levels of C-reactive protein
Promotes a healthy complexion
Helps enhance mood
Promotes healthy lubrication of the eye
Promotes normal tear production and volume
Helps promote healthy blood flow to the eye
May help to retain low-light visual acuity
Supports joint health
Supports relief from temporary inflammation associated with the normal aging process and daily activity.

The other thing I utilized for a period of time was TLS accelerators. I used them for a few months, CORE and CLA to help me as I made adjustment to fit into my current healthy lifestyle. (click on the TLS accelerator link above to see detailed information about the product). As a person on high blood pressure medicines I didn't want to take anything that would have any adverse outcome. I was able to use the CORE and the CLA without any problems. Again, they can help but you still have to do the work. Maybe you don't want to take any supplements, but feel more comfortable joining Jenny Craig or some other system. Then do it if it will help you reach your goal. The goal is to get healthy.

If you are interested in ordering any of the vitamins, accelerators or learning how the TLS slim system works, you can go to my Shop.com page. Earn money while shopping for your regular things you purchase online and also learn more about the products. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me there as well. I also found an article about the vitamins you need to body build, it might be interesting to you. Until next time, WIN with Health.

Healthy Eating

Healthy Lasagna
Sauce:
Fresh tomatoes
Spinach
celery
mushrooms
butternut squash
peppers
garlic cloves
olive oil
seasoning
organic ketchup and/or barbecue sauce

cheese (assorted based on your choice)
Lasagna noodles

Preparation: To create my sauce I used fresh tomatoes (depending on the amount of sauce you want will determine how many tomatoes you use. You can also add tomato sauce, puree or paste to supplement, or you can purchase jar sauces. I can't use them because they have dehydrated onions and I am allergic to onions). Cut your tomatoes into quarters. Add fresh garlic, salt & pepper and coat with olive oil. Put the tomatoes under the broiler and cook until slightly blackened. While your tomatoes are under the broiler, puree your butternut squash and set aside. Once your tomatoes are finished add your tomatoes along with the roasted garlic cloves and the oil from the tomatoes to your blender to puree. Add seasons, ketchup and/or barbecue sauce and blend until you have reached the taste you want. I would add small amounts of ketchup, barbecue sauce or tomato paste/sauce at at time. You can always add more as you need it.

Once your sauce is complete put it to the side. Take your vegetables, mushrooms, spinach, shredded carrots, peppers and celery and prepare them to be sauteed. Saute them slightly with some olive oil and season with vegetable seasoning or salt and pepper. Once they are complete, place them in a bowl and add the pureed butternut squash. Then add your pasta sauce to the vegetable mix. Taste and make sure it is the flavor you want. Begin preparing your lasagna. I use the no boil pasta to save time. If you use the noodles that need boiling, boil your pasta while your tomatoes are under the broiler. I begin by placing a small layer of sauce, then adding some cheese, on top of that a layer of noodles. Repeat these steps until you have completed the process. I like to use different types of cheeses because it gives your lasagna a richer taste. If you are using the no boil lasagna follow the direction on the pasta box. If so, you will need to make the sauce the last layer before you bake because the dish will need to back for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Once it is finished add a final layer of cheese and back into the oven until the cheese is completely melted. Once completed, serve with a salad. Enjoy! (view the video to see the pictures of the process).

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Life Lessons from my Health Journey

10/27/2014

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I look at everything in my life and ask the questions, "what does this tell me about myself?", and "what does it tell me about God?" My journey to health was no different. I wanted to learn about my strengths and what things I needed to work on. I started this journey dealing with being overweight, some healthy issues and simply feeling frustrated because I was not getting any better.

In the first picture above, I had just started this journey. My daughter and my husband were working out with me. I began doing things I had never heard of before, such as a burpee. It was really difficult. I wanted to give up each day, even before I started. What helped me keep going was the accountability I had through my daughter and my husband.

One of the first things we need to incorporate into our life change is accountability. Do you have a friend or some one you can partner with to help you stay the course? It's easy to quit when no one is watching or holding you accountable. Having a workout partner is helpful because some times we get discouraged. Having someone walking with you helps you be encouraged to keep going. It is helpful having someone to hold you accountable because you sometimes want to quit when you don't see quick results. However having an accountability partner can help you keep the goal in mind. I held on and finished the 30 day workout routine we were doing as a team. I did see some results, but I was mainly excited to know I was able to complete something.

The lesson I learned about myself is if I set my mind to something, I can accomplish it even if it is difficult. What I learned about God is, He does help me when I find myself facing some difficult life changes/choices. Jeremiah 32:27
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? When I felt I couldn't make it, I would remind myself that God would help me to accomplish my goal.

In the second picture above, I purchased Shaun T's, "T25" workout. I began doing that with the goal in mind that I wanted to win the T-shirt when I completed it. This workout was even more difficult than the first one I attempted. The workout required me to work out for 25 minutes for 6 days and stretching on the seventh. Once I was able to accomplish the first four weeks then I had to step it up and do the next set of workouts for the following four weeks. I began to get stronger and I could see more muscle development in my body. When I got my shirt I took some pictures to share with my FB family. The lesson I learned from the T-Shirt was this, the T-25 on the front reminded me that sometimes we go through some "test" that want to discourage us. Whether they are 25 minutes, 25 hours or 25 years, however we can keep attacking and know that in the end we will win. The back of the t-shirt said "Nailed it" I took that to mean two things, I could "Nail" whatever stands in my way if I continue to keep moving towards my goal. I also took it to mean every difficulty that stands in my way, Christ "Nailed it" to the cross so that I could W.I.N. with Christ.

The last picture above, was me completing a challenge to do Insanity. Let me just say, insanity is insane! That one, I really wanted to quit. The warm up was an entire workout in itself. Yet, I was able to call on the strength within myself to help me continue to do the workouts. The lesson I continue to tell myself through the journey was we all come across some "insanity" in this life. We face these difficulties and they can make us want to give up. However if we keep moving forward we grow and are better able to obtain to goal we set out to reach. Now, as you begin to become better, the workout shifts, just as it did with the T25 workout. I had to then challenge myself to be able to accomplish the next level of the workout. I was able to overcome the "insanity" and accomplish the goal. What I realized is I became stronger. I am now able to run when before I would get tired after only a few moments. Now I can run/walk for long periods of time.

So what's the overarching lesson I want to share with you? You can reach your goal. As a Christian, I rely on my faith to help me reach my goals, so prayer and reading God's Word has been my main source of help to remind we I can accomplish all things through Christ that strengthens me (Philippians 4:13) When I got discouraged, I made sure I had a support team to encourage me, challenge me and to hold me accountable. In fact, for some you can use these relationships to do weight in's with each other to help you keep up with your lost and to talk with someone if you need to make adjustments in your process.

Furthermore, I had to be willing to keep stretching myself, hence the workout challenges I did. I am currently doing a challenge with my husband for his job. The Walk challenge. It makes me count my steps to make sure I am getting at least 8,000 steps daily (I have averaged 10,000). Our goal is to take 448,000 steps by November 16th. I have already surpassed that goal. Now I am getting ready to re-do the T-25 challenge.

Finally, the more you stretch yourself, the stronger you will get. My youngest daughter still says she can't believe I am the same person when she looks at older pictures of me. She tells me mommy, you were pretty, but you just don't look the same now. You look younger and now people think you are my older sister (I love that). The truth is, I am not the same person. I care more about myself. I realized I am worth all the effort I have taken to get in shape. In fact, I realized staying unhealthy was actually unfair to my family and selfish on my part. Why is this unfair to my family, because if something happens to me, who would have to take care of me? My family would! So getting healthy wasn't only for me, it was to make sure I give my family a better me.

I end this week's post simply to encourage you to keep investing in yourself. Even if you don't see the results yet, in time you will. Sometimes you'll have to make some adjustments because some things won't work for you, but that's okay, keep going, simply don't give up. Until next week, I pray for your success as you continue to W.I.N. in health.

I asked you to share last week how you track your food or workout. This is what one reader shared:

I have been using myfitnesspal to track my food. water and exercise. Thank you for all you do to help encourage others!!! (Cora Ruppe)

Healthy Eating

Avocado Grilled cheese Sandwich
1/2 Avacado
1 tablespoon of pesto sauce
1 slice of cheese (I used provolone)
2 sliced of wheat bread
lettuce leaf
Olive oil & butter

Preparation: spread the pesto sauce on your bread (I used a tomato based one because my daughter can't eat nuts). Add the cheese and the avocado slices. I sliced the cheese and put the avocado between the cheese slices. In a pan put a little olive oil and a small pat of butter. Put the sandwich in the pan and cooked/brown on both sides until finished. I opened the sandwiches and added some lettuce. You can change this sandwich and add meat or tomatoes if you prefer.

Vegetable broth
I believe it is important not to waste your food. I juice several times a week and that produces a lot of food pulp. I began saving that pulp to make my own vegetable broth. After I juice I pull out any seeds or large pieces and then I freeze it until I am ready to use it. When I am ready to make the broth, I take the pulp and add it into a pot with water. I add seasons, salt, pepper, vegetable seasoning and garlic. I boil the pulp for about 20 minutes until the vegetable pulp infuses the water. I will taste to make sure it is the flavor I want, if not I add season. When it is finished I remove the pulp. If you have a cheese cloth that is the easiest way to get rid of the pulp. I simply poured it off (it took some time but I got it all out, see picture above). I use this broth to make rice, or soups. The one above had beets so it was red. If you use the beets it will make the broth change the color of some of your soups, but the taste is great.

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Journey to Health

10/20/2014

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We have discussed this health journey now for a few weeks. I want to take today's blog time to recap some important points we have already mentioned.

One of the most important steps any of us can take to getting on track with our health is to take a look at ourselves and really begin the inward journey to understand why we have allowed ourselves to become unhealthy in our life choices. I know it is easy to believe it just happened, but it didn't. I'll be transparent and admit I too tried to say my unhealthy habits just happened. The truth is my eyes were opened to what I had been doing to myself, what I had been ignoring. My weight gain and unhealthy habits where there all the time, I was simply trying to ignore them. It was not until I acknowledged where I was, that I was truly ready to start on a new track towards health.

In a previous blog we talked about how important it is to journal to learn more about your habits and the things you do. One thing I learned is if you have Windows 8, you actually have access to a health magazine, exercises and other health tips. If you don't have this, I suggest you look around to find the free tools that will help you. There are apps for your phones that will help you keep track of your calories and or workouts. If you know of some apps, share them in the comment section to help others. I know a few people have been telling me lately about some tracking apps they have located, so please share!

So let's say you are doing the things we talked about these past weeks. You are journalling, you are changing your eating, working out, yet you haven't seen any weight lost, so you are getting discouraged. Sometimes you may find yourself losing weight faster than other times. If you see no inches lost or weight lost within three weeks, then you need to re-evaluate what you are doing. Your body may have gotten adjusted to what you are doing, so you will need to ramp up your work out. Or maybe you are eating too many or not enough calories, so you need to evaluate that because the body will also slow down if you are not getting enough intake.

I also want to add something here. Sometimes you can be doing all the right things but your weight isn't coming off, so what do you do? I would suggest you look at getting a physical to make sure there isn't something medical going on that needs to be attended to. I also want to give you the freedom to seek help. I've read many blogs or post of individuals that speak harshly to people that use Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig or other weight lost programs. The key to using any of these programs is you still have to do the work. You can't go on any of these programs and not do the work.

If you need these programs for a season, then use them. I know sometimes people are not sure what will work for them. I suggest you ask someone you trust. That's what I did. I sought a friend that was a trainer to ask what things I could use to help me on my journey. She suggested some supplements. I wanted to make sure they would not harm me since I was on medicines. I found no adverse results because of that. In fact, someone I know took the supplements to their doctor and he said he was in agreement with her usage of them. I uses the supplements for a few months to help me as I made the adjustment in my eating and living habits. I was not depending on the supplements to do the work, I had to do it. I used CLA and CORE from Market America. These two products helped me to get rid of that weight from around my middle that I was struggling with. Once I came off the product I had to do the work to continue to maintain that lost. So I hope you are encouraged to keep reaching toward your goals, you can do what needs to be done, so that you can W.I.N. in Health.

The first picture shows me down 20 pounds from 195, but as you can see, my middle was still not as slim as I would like. The second picture I was down another 10 pounds to 165. I went from a size 10 in the white, to a size 8 in the black. Also, I was larger up top so my tops were xlarge. I was able to come down to a med in my sweaters.

Healthy Cooking

Healthy Egg rolls
Egg roll one
cabbage
carrots
broccoli
(or a shredded cabbage mix)
flax seed
low-sodium soy sauce

Egg roll two
Kale
shredded Parmesan cheese
egg roll wraps
olive oil

preparation: If you have cabbage, carrots, broccoli then shred it and stir fry in pan (shown in the picture). To save time, you can pick the pre-shredded packets of cabbage slaw and lightly saute those. I add some flax, about 1 or 2 table spoons along with 1 table spoon of soy sauce to the cabbage mix. If you do the kale ones, I saute the kale until soft. I add after it is cooked a table spoon of shredded Parmesan cheese. Once your mixture is finished, wrap them in the egg roll wrappers. I spray a pan with cooking spray. Once I have wrapped all my egg rolls I lightly spray them and bake them at 350 until golden brown. this eliminates any extra oil. I created my own sweet and sour sauce. (crushed pineapples, soy sauce, organic sugar, two table spoons of flour or cornstarch, I was out, white vinegar). I cooked it until it thickened. Served 2 per person along with a fresh salad/ with assorted lettuce, diced strawberries and broccoli. A way to please that meat need.

Dessert

Chocolate covered raisins
Organic raisins
chocolate chips (organic or you can make your own chocolate sauce using coconut oil, cocao, agave nectar)

Preparation: If you make your own chocolate sauce you can use that. My oldest daughter can't eat coconut so I only make the sauce for myself. I use 2 table spoons of coconut oil, 2 tablespoons cocao powder, and raw agave nectar to taste. I put in raisins to coat, then let chill until ready to eat. If you use chocolate chips, I melt them with a tablespoon of organic butter. Once it is melted add raisins, coat then chill until ready. You can make these as nuts, or any assorted of nuts and fruits.

Yogurt medley
Coconut yogurt
2 strawberries
raw agave nectar
pecans, almonds or crushed unsalted cashews

preparation: I prefer the Trader Joe coconut yogurt. I place it in a bowl, add 2 diced strawberries or blue berries, a squirt of agave nectar and add nuts. Eat, a great treat that takes no time to prepare. If you want it as a frozen dessert, add the yogurt to your mixer along with the frozen fruit and your nectar. Once it is blended, add your nuts and it makes a great frozen dessert as well.

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Help me, I'm Stuck!

10/13/2014

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This week let's talk about something that has happened to most people when they are on their weight loss journey," weight loss plateau". For some hitting this wall can be discouraging and for some even adds to them quitting the quest for good health. So what do we do when we hit that wall?

While I would love to give you a warm and fuzzy talk and tell you it's easy, I can't. The truth is we are not only a quest just to lose a few pounds, but on a life journey to continued health. That means different things to different people. So let's address first what happens when you hit that wall and you can't seem to lose weight. The first thing is to understand if you are really plateauing or not. If you are trying to lose weight and you have not lose weight or inches in over 3 weeks, then you may be in a plateau. In order to break that plateau you will have to look at what you are eating and how you are working out.

One thing I realized when I was working out is my body had adjusted to the weights I was using in some of my exercise routines. Also, the workouts I was doing that were originally difficult for me were now quite easy. In order to get the same results I had to adjust the intensity of the workouts. I purchased heavier weights and I shifted from the beginner workouts to more advanced workouts. When I did this I was able to see the weight loss increase. Sometimes it requires you to make some adjustments in what you are eating. Based on the amount of weight you need to lose will depend on the caloric intake you should be eating daily. Most plans average around 1,500 calories.

As you can see from the chart above, to lose about 1 pound a week, you need to decrease your caloric intake by 500 calories. There are many aps for your phone and even your computer to track your caloric intake. Once you make these adjustments you should begin to see your weight lose begin again. I would also suggest if you are still having problems to see your doctor to make sure there isn't any medical condition keeping you from reaching your weight goal.

Finally, let me remind you this is a life journey. Don't think I'll change my eating "until" I get to my goal with the expectation of picking up bad eating habits when you are done. If you do, expect to pick up all the weight you loss and sometimes more. So don't set yourself up to fail. If you like pasta, don't think set yourself up by saying you will never eat it. Just make sure when you do, it is done in a way that helps you continue on your life journey of good health (this is not to say pasta is bad, however some people find that they have problems with diets heavy in carbs effects them in different ways). So this week, examine your journey. Are you working out consistently? Are you journaling and really taking the information you have gained to help you deal with what's eating you? Are you making those healthy changes in your diet? Are you moving yourself away foods high in fat and sugars? Are you eating more vegetable, fruits and raw foods instead of fried, greasy foods? All these adjustments overtime will help you reach your goal and maintain it. So until next week, I pray you continue to W.I.N. in health!

Back to School Healthy Living (part 6)

This week I tried a new service, Door to Door Organic. This company will deliver organic produce directly to your door at a reasonable price. I picked the package for a family of four that was about $33 (I used a $10 off coupon) I also purchased other items. My total was only about $50. I would suggest you visiting them to see if they deliver in your location. If you would like a $15 off friend coupon send me your e-mail address via williamsinnovativenetwork@gmail.com and I'll send you the link. I used my potatoes from my box to make baked potato wedges. I washed them and diced them up. I poured some olive oil over them and seasoned them with garlic and vegetable seasoning. I put them on a pan and baked them at 350 until they were fork tender. I also make turkey meat balls to go with the meal. I took a pound of ground turkey and seasoned it with garlic, cheese, and seasoning of choice (what I used is pictured above). I also blended bread crumb and cheese and rolled the meatballs in it and put it in the pan to bake.

Cooking dinner is always a battle for many, but one way to take out the fuss is to plan your dinner before time so you don't have the scene of you standing in the kitchen with your fridge thrown open looking for something to cook.

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I am a wife, mother, Pastor and the owner of Tri-Production Publishing, Inc., just to name a few of my many hats I wear. But like many of you, I was so busy doing all these different roles that I forgot to take care of myself. I had to learn how to WIN with my healthy so that I could help others WIN their battles.

What have you done for you lately?

Healthy Waist, Healthy Wallet

I can't believe I ate the whole thing!

Healthy Holiday Tips

Are you getting enough sleep?

Do I really need to weight myself?

Healthy Living - Tasty Treats

Supplements and Your Health

Healthy Eating

Life Lessons from my Health Journey

Healthy Eating

Journey to Health

Healthy Cooking

Help me, I'm Stuck!

Back to School Healthy Living (part 6)

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