The body is 1 unit, even though it is made up of many parts. Even though it has many parts, they all form 1 body. If the ear would say "since I am not the eye, I do not belong to the body," then the body would not function to the best of it's ability. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? How would the body get around? If the whole body were an ear, how would you know where you were going and how would you get there? The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" The feet cannot say to the head "I don't need you!"
God has arranged all the parts of the body exactly the way He wanted them to be and with their own purpose. Although, each body parts purpose is different, it is suppose to help the other body parts live out their purpose. Then the entire body can be SUCCESSFUL!!! There should be no division in the body and each body part should have EQUAL CONCERN for each other. If 1 part suffers, every part suffers with it. If 1 part is honored, then every part rejoices with it. (1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-26)
Have you been doing a good job of being concerned with the rest of your body parts?
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is another spice that has a variety of healing properties and can be used in a wide range of dishes during the holidays and all year long. It is useful for:
Insomnia (nutmeg can produce drowsiness so it should be taken when you have a chance to relax or sleep)
Anxiety
Calming muscle spasms
Nausea and vomiting
Indigestion
Diarrhea
Joint pain and gout
Lowering blood pressure
Male infertility and impotence
Improving concentration
Increasing circulation
Lowering cholesterol
Toothaches (nutmeg oil)
** Please note that taking too much nutmeg can cause side effects such as nausea, hallucinations, swelling and shock.
Insomnia (nutmeg can produce drowsiness so it should be taken when you have a chance to relax or sleep)
Anxiety
Calming muscle spasms
Nausea and vomiting
Indigestion
Diarrhea
Joint pain and gout
Lowering blood pressure
Male infertility and impotence
Improving concentration
Increasing circulation
Lowering cholesterol
Toothaches (nutmeg oil)
** Please note that taking too much nutmeg can cause side effects such as nausea, hallucinations, swelling and shock.
Our Friend Ginger
Ginger is another spice with a potent flavor that is great for warming your body and adding kick to foods. It’s medicinal properties include:
Soothes nausea and motion sickness
Relieves morning sickness
Anti-inflammatory properties
Eliminates intestinal gas
Relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract
Antioxidant properties
Relieves dizziness
Boosts the immune system
Protects against bacteria and fungi
Promotes cardiovascular health
Soothes nausea and motion sickness
Relieves morning sickness
Anti-inflammatory properties
Eliminates intestinal gas
Relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract
Antioxidant properties
Relieves dizziness
Boosts the immune system
Protects against bacteria and fungi
Promotes cardiovascular health
Friday, August 17, 2007
Guidance
Dancing With God
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes this, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G," I thought of God, followed by "u" and
"i." "God," "u," "i," and dance.
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and guide you through each season of your life.
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes this, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G," I thought of God, followed by "u" and
"i." "God," "u," "i," and dance.
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and guide you through each season of your life.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
What's in Your Water?
PepsiCo Inc. has agreed to add the words “public water source” to their Aquafina water labels.
Pepsi’s Aquafina, and Coca-Cola Co.’s Dasani bottled waters, are both made of purified water from public reservoirs. Coca-Cola will post online consumer information about the quality control testing that goes into their bottled water, sometime near the end of summer, or early fall 2007.
Drinking pure water is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Especially when you drink it instead of sugary drinks like soda or juice. However, relying on bottled water to keep you hydrated is not the best answer.
You may be paying premium prices for bottled water, thinking it’s more pure than your local water supply. But the toll this takes on the environment, not to mention your pocketbook, is enormous. The fact that water is bottled is NOT an assurance of purity. In fact, about 40 percent of bottled water is regular tap water, which may or may not have received any additional treatment.
The metal antimony (a silvery white metal of medium hardness) has been found in many commercially bottled water brands. The amount of antimony leeching into the water you're drinking depends on the manufacturer, and can vary greatly. One study that looked at 63 brands of bottled water produced in Europe and Canada, found concentrations of antimony that were more than 100 times the typical level found in clean groundwater (2 parts per trillion). It also found that the longer a bottle of water sits on a shelf -- in a grocery store or your refrigerator – the greater the dose of antimony present.
After letting bottled water samples sit for six months on a shelf at normal room temperatures, the concentration of antimony exploded by 90 percent among European brands, and 19 percent in Canadian brands. The biggest offenders were packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers. It is believed that the amount of antimony leeching from these PET bottles differs based on exposure to sunlight, higher temperatures, and varying pH levels.
Most municipal tap water, though generally far from pure, must also adhere to stricter purity standards than the bottled water industry. In one study, a third of more than 100 bottled water brands tested for contaminants were found to contain chemicals like arsenic and carcinogenic compounds, at levels exceeding state or industry standards. Additionally, fluoride (a highly toxic bone poison that should be avoided at all costs) is usually present in both tap water and filtered bottled water.
Do not make the mistake of thinking you can tell if your water is safe or not by the way it looks, tastes, or smells. Some contaminants in water are so harmful they’re measured in “parts per million.” This means that just a drop of these poisons added to several gallons of water can be harmful to your health.
Keep in mind also that installing a filter to purify your drinking water alone may not be enough. Since your skin absorbs both water and chemicals, you could still be exposing yourself to contaminations when you:
Shower or bathe
Wash your hands
Wash laundry
Rinse fruits and vegetables
Wash dishes, glasses, and other utensils
You can further limit your exposure to these dangerous plastic (and other) chemicals by filtering all of the water you and your family use on a daily basis.
Your Healthiest Options
Your best bet for ensuring good health, and protecting the environment, is to filter your own water at home using a reverse osmosis filter. Avoid drinking unfiltered tap water, as chlorine and fluoride (which are added to most municipal water supplies) are toxic chemicals that should not be consumed in large quantities.
In the meantime, PLEASE avoid bottled water for all the reasons described above. Clearly the best long term option for you and the planet is to effectively filter your water.
Pepsi’s Aquafina, and Coca-Cola Co.’s Dasani bottled waters, are both made of purified water from public reservoirs. Coca-Cola will post online consumer information about the quality control testing that goes into their bottled water, sometime near the end of summer, or early fall 2007.
Drinking pure water is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Especially when you drink it instead of sugary drinks like soda or juice. However, relying on bottled water to keep you hydrated is not the best answer.
You may be paying premium prices for bottled water, thinking it’s more pure than your local water supply. But the toll this takes on the environment, not to mention your pocketbook, is enormous. The fact that water is bottled is NOT an assurance of purity. In fact, about 40 percent of bottled water is regular tap water, which may or may not have received any additional treatment.
The metal antimony (a silvery white metal of medium hardness) has been found in many commercially bottled water brands. The amount of antimony leeching into the water you're drinking depends on the manufacturer, and can vary greatly. One study that looked at 63 brands of bottled water produced in Europe and Canada, found concentrations of antimony that were more than 100 times the typical level found in clean groundwater (2 parts per trillion). It also found that the longer a bottle of water sits on a shelf -- in a grocery store or your refrigerator – the greater the dose of antimony present.
After letting bottled water samples sit for six months on a shelf at normal room temperatures, the concentration of antimony exploded by 90 percent among European brands, and 19 percent in Canadian brands. The biggest offenders were packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers. It is believed that the amount of antimony leeching from these PET bottles differs based on exposure to sunlight, higher temperatures, and varying pH levels.
Most municipal tap water, though generally far from pure, must also adhere to stricter purity standards than the bottled water industry. In one study, a third of more than 100 bottled water brands tested for contaminants were found to contain chemicals like arsenic and carcinogenic compounds, at levels exceeding state or industry standards. Additionally, fluoride (a highly toxic bone poison that should be avoided at all costs) is usually present in both tap water and filtered bottled water.
Do not make the mistake of thinking you can tell if your water is safe or not by the way it looks, tastes, or smells. Some contaminants in water are so harmful they’re measured in “parts per million.” This means that just a drop of these poisons added to several gallons of water can be harmful to your health.
Keep in mind also that installing a filter to purify your drinking water alone may not be enough. Since your skin absorbs both water and chemicals, you could still be exposing yourself to contaminations when you:
Shower or bathe
Wash your hands
Wash laundry
Rinse fruits and vegetables
Wash dishes, glasses, and other utensils
You can further limit your exposure to these dangerous plastic (and other) chemicals by filtering all of the water you and your family use on a daily basis.
Your Healthiest Options
Your best bet for ensuring good health, and protecting the environment, is to filter your own water at home using a reverse osmosis filter. Avoid drinking unfiltered tap water, as chlorine and fluoride (which are added to most municipal water supplies) are toxic chemicals that should not be consumed in large quantities.
In the meantime, PLEASE avoid bottled water for all the reasons described above. Clearly the best long term option for you and the planet is to effectively filter your water.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
How Do I Avoid Overeating?
With Thanksgiving just around the corner and the Christmas and Hanukkah season soon after, this is the time of year when sticking to a healthy diet can be very challenging. These tips will help you to avoid overdoing it, even in the midst of Thanksgiving leftovers, Christmas cookies and sugarcoated candies, and make sure that you enjoy all that the holiday season has to offer without your waistline having to suffer.
DON'T STARVE YOURSELF
The number-one rule to avoid holiday overeating is to make sure you eat enough. This is not the time to start restricting your calories to the point where you’re so hungry that even your great aunt’s fruitcake starts to look good.
The trick is to eat small meals or snacks frequently throughout the day. This way, you won’t ever really feel hungry, and you’ll be able to resist all those grains and high-sugar foods that will sabotage your healthy diet.
Fill up on all the nutritious foods, like healthy meat, milk, cheese, vegetables, coconut or some berries, so that you won’t feel that you’re missing out.
BUY A SPECIAL HOLIDAY OUTFIT
This tip can work for both men and women. Whether you decide to indulge in a new blouse, dress or a special shirt and tie, purchase something that you are really looking forward to wearing and that you feel good about.
When you feel good about yourself on the outside, it will help you to respect yourself from the inside and you’ll be less inclined to reach for the pumpkin pie.
GET SOME FRESH AIR
Taking a quick walk outside will not only give you a quick burst of energy, it will also take your mind off of food. By the time you come back inside, you’ll feel invigorated and your food cravings will likely be diminished.
Taking a walk after dinner is also a great idea. Moving around will help your meal to digest and reduce your chance of becoming sluggish or tired.
MAKE SOME NUTRITIOUS DISHES
With a little creativity you can create healthy holiday foods that taste great and will fit right in with the traditional fare. Some basic changes can make your holiday meals much more nutritious. Instead of potatoes and bread, have a variety of healthy vegetable side dishes. If you must have potatoes, use sweet potatoes or even mashed cauliflower. And, make sure that you choose healthy meat that is not filled with antibiotics and hormones.
DEAL WITH YOUR EMOTIONS
Many of your food cravings have nothing to do with physical cravings and are actually emotionally based. You may associate certain holiday foods with the comfort of your childhood and be tempted to overeat them to try and regain that sense of comfort. Also, the stress of the holidays may be behind your overeating.
REALIZE IT'S JUST ANOTHER MEAL
Focus on the real meaning of the holidays and you’ll quickly see that family and friends are at the center. Take advantage of this time with your loved ones, and look forward to talking and being with those who you care about, rather than focusing on food.
Your perceptions will have a great impact. If you think that you should eat a lot just because it is Thanksgiving or Christmas, then you probably will. However, if you look at it as though it is just another meal, then it will be easier to keep your eating habits under control.
DON'T STARVE YOURSELF
The number-one rule to avoid holiday overeating is to make sure you eat enough. This is not the time to start restricting your calories to the point where you’re so hungry that even your great aunt’s fruitcake starts to look good.
The trick is to eat small meals or snacks frequently throughout the day. This way, you won’t ever really feel hungry, and you’ll be able to resist all those grains and high-sugar foods that will sabotage your healthy diet.
Fill up on all the nutritious foods, like healthy meat, milk, cheese, vegetables, coconut or some berries, so that you won’t feel that you’re missing out.
BUY A SPECIAL HOLIDAY OUTFIT
This tip can work for both men and women. Whether you decide to indulge in a new blouse, dress or a special shirt and tie, purchase something that you are really looking forward to wearing and that you feel good about.
When you feel good about yourself on the outside, it will help you to respect yourself from the inside and you’ll be less inclined to reach for the pumpkin pie.
GET SOME FRESH AIR
Taking a quick walk outside will not only give you a quick burst of energy, it will also take your mind off of food. By the time you come back inside, you’ll feel invigorated and your food cravings will likely be diminished.
Taking a walk after dinner is also a great idea. Moving around will help your meal to digest and reduce your chance of becoming sluggish or tired.
MAKE SOME NUTRITIOUS DISHES
With a little creativity you can create healthy holiday foods that taste great and will fit right in with the traditional fare. Some basic changes can make your holiday meals much more nutritious. Instead of potatoes and bread, have a variety of healthy vegetable side dishes. If you must have potatoes, use sweet potatoes or even mashed cauliflower. And, make sure that you choose healthy meat that is not filled with antibiotics and hormones.
DEAL WITH YOUR EMOTIONS
Many of your food cravings have nothing to do with physical cravings and are actually emotionally based. You may associate certain holiday foods with the comfort of your childhood and be tempted to overeat them to try and regain that sense of comfort. Also, the stress of the holidays may be behind your overeating.
REALIZE IT'S JUST ANOTHER MEAL
Focus on the real meaning of the holidays and you’ll quickly see that family and friends are at the center. Take advantage of this time with your loved ones, and look forward to talking and being with those who you care about, rather than focusing on food.
Your perceptions will have a great impact. If you think that you should eat a lot just because it is Thanksgiving or Christmas, then you probably will. However, if you look at it as though it is just another meal, then it will be easier to keep your eating habits under control.
Benefits of Cinnamon
The sweet and spicy flavor of cinnamon has been used by many different cultures for its medicinal properties for thousands of years.
One of the most talked about benefits of cinnamon relates to type 2 diabetes. A study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It also reduces triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels among this group.
Cinnamon’s other benefits include:
Supports digestive function
Constricts and tones tissues
Relieves congestion
Relieves pain and stiffness of muscles and joints
Relieves menstrual discomfort
Blood-thinning compounds that stimulate circulation
Anti-inflammatory compounds that may relieve arthritis
Helps prevent urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease
It’s a powerful anti-microbial agent that can kill E. coli and other bacteria.
While there are many benefits to be had by adding spices to your diet, don't forget that these foods should not be taken every day or you run the risk of developing an allergy to them. Spices should not be looked at as a "cure" for your health problems, only by addressing the underlying causes of illness with a healthy diet and lifestyle will you be able to achieve optimum health.
One of the most talked about benefits of cinnamon relates to type 2 diabetes. A study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It also reduces triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels among this group.
Cinnamon’s other benefits include:
Supports digestive function
Constricts and tones tissues
Relieves congestion
Relieves pain and stiffness of muscles and joints
Relieves menstrual discomfort
Blood-thinning compounds that stimulate circulation
Anti-inflammatory compounds that may relieve arthritis
Helps prevent urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease
It’s a powerful anti-microbial agent that can kill E. coli and other bacteria.
While there are many benefits to be had by adding spices to your diet, don't forget that these foods should not be taken every day or you run the risk of developing an allergy to them. Spices should not be looked at as a "cure" for your health problems, only by addressing the underlying causes of illness with a healthy diet and lifestyle will you be able to achieve optimum health.
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