Self Control --- Essential For Your Temple

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,

do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

That time of the year is upon us again. The time where over indulgence of a lot of things, especially food and dink, becomes the order of the day.

Many people indulge themselves during Christmas time, calling it 'a treat' , which is really an excuse to eat more food that is necessary, which in turn is not good for the temples.

The spirit man should always be given top priority to the physical man. Feed our spirits with God's word and it will help to direct our lives, including how to look after our temples, especially when it comes to eating and drinking.

During this season, the sin of gluttony is embraced much more severely; food and drink primary becomes the god of millions. The bible however has a lot to say about gluttony like in Proverbs 23:20-21, it tells us "Oh listen, dear child—become wise; point your life in the right direction. Don't drink too much wine and get drunk; don't eat too much food and get fat.Drunks and gluttons will end up on skid row, in a stupor and dressed in rags".

Also in Proverbs 25:16 we are taught "Do you like honey? Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick" Everything, including eating, should be done in moderation. We should strive to eat first, God's word and then our eating habits (in all seasons) will be directed by it.

I see foods that God created as 'natural living foods'. They are fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and grains. These are good foods. Foods that are highly refined (which is usually what is available at Christmas parties), I consider to be 'dead foods', because they are highly refined and when you look closely,they have no nutritional value. They also tend to be more expensive than fresh vegetables and fruits.

To help you battle over indulgence during this holiday season, here are some things that I do, and I hope that it will help you too:

• Eat a small snack before you go to a party. If you go hungry you are more likely to eat everything in sight. Refuse the attempt to be on a 'see food' diet (that is you see it, then you eat it).

• Drink some water before and with meals. Drinking water will slow down digestion because there is more volume to digest. Furthermore water is the only natural drink with zero calories so go for it!

• Salad, eat some of it as your starter, it will leave less room for fatty foods. You could also fill half your plate with salad and the other healthy food, such as turkey.

• At the party, engage in more walking and talking. You did not go to the party to glue yourself to the chair, in front of the buffet table. Fill your plate with healthy food and then walk the room. At the end of the event, you will be amazed how much less you would have eaten.

• Continue your exercise programme throughout the holiday season. Yes, the holiday seasons are here, school is out, but guess what? The gym is still open, and the pavement is still there for running. Remember the times you could not exercise frequently because you had to work long hours? Well now is your chance to catch up on some fitness and use the gym that you might have been paying for, but have never used. The change you see, will inspire and encourage you to continue, even in the new year.

• If you don't have an exercise programme, start one before Christmas, well before the new year. Don't make a desperate attempt on January 2 to try and loose the possible 10kg gained in one week! It sure is easy to eat and gain it, but it is not that easy to loose it.

• Yes, enjoy your Christmas dinner, but avoid excess of it, when you are full, walk away. You really don't have to clean your plate. You can always save it for later, when you are hungry. Do your best to avoid processed foods that are high in salt and sugar - again, this is usually the type of food offered at Christmas parties or events.

• Don't spread yourself too thin. That is accepting all party invitations and then ending up tired. Studies have shown that tiredness encourages over-eating, which will result in weight gain. Concentrate on having a rich holiday in terms of friendship, doing good work for others, showing and practising love and compassion and telling someone about Jesus Christ.

Our bodies are the temple of the living God - All the time. It does not stop being a temple during certain times of the year. We must continue to look after our bodies in all seasons.

God wants us to be in good health, however, we have a part to play in the promise of Good Health. We must educate ourselves and do what is right and fitting to help our bodies continue to His Fit Temple, always ready for service.

Have a fit, healthy holiday season, and let your eating and drinking glorify God, making Him famous along your way.

Much Love
Remi
***pictures by photobucket***

Keep It Moving...

I wrote that title and remembered an old dance song something like:

"I've got to move it, move it

I've got to Move it!"

Unfortunately, I can't remember the singer's name!

To loose any extra or excess weight and to continuously keep ourselves supple, fit and healthy, we have to keep moving.

To keep fit and healthy we must engage in some form or cardio activity or exercise, and one of the easiest form of exercise (to the able bodied), is walking; and it is free!

Cardio, which is the short term for Cardiovascular is exercise activity that raises the heart rate and keeps it elevated for a period of time.

Walking is the simplest form of cardio activity we (the able bodied) can engage in, and it is free. The beauty of this activity is that we can fit it around our busy schedules; we can engage in this activity on the way to work, at lunch breaks, and on after work, whilst making our way home. This puts a knock to the most famous excuse which goes something like "I just don't have the time to exercise".

Some studies have shown that the benefits of walking include:

• Reduction of the risk of heart disease and stroke
• Reduction of body fat
• Reduction of high cholesterol
• Improvement of mental well being - especially in the summer months, whilst walking outside
• Increase in bone density, therefore helping the prevention of osteoporosis
• Helping to control body weight
• Flexibility and overall co-ordination

To start a walking routine, you don't really need to join a gym or expensive fitness gear to get started. Comfortable loose clothing, shoes and music for motivation; you are good and ready to walk out the front door and start your very own first "walking routine".

However, if you start to get more into walking as a chosen form of cardio exercise (most likely from seeing and experiencing the benefits), you might want to consider (not compulsory) investing in some of the items below:

• Shoes: it is important for walking shoes to be comfortable. They should have enough cushion support, and room enough to wiggle your toes in. It is advised to wear at least half a size bigger than your normal shoes, as walking cause a slight swell of the fit during activity. Also this is to prevent blisters.


• Socks: it is important that you wear the right type of socks with your walking shoes. Some socks are known to cause blisters and 'burning' of feet. It should fit comfortably, not be tight. There should be enough room to wiggle your toes. It is advisable to wear socks made from cool max, as opposed to cotton socks. Cool max will give your feet room to breath, eliminating dampness.


• Clothing: Comfortable clothing is required, but it is more important to dress for the weather in which you are walking. If you are walking on a hot summer's day, don't forget to apply some sun cream, put on a face cap to cover the face and sunglasses to boot- make a fashion statement whilst you are at it! Also if it is on a cold day, make sure you wear enough layers as you start out; you might have to take one off as you get into your walk and work up a sweat.


• Water bottle: It is advisable to invest in a portable and easy carrying water bottle, as it is important to keep hydrated, especially in hot weather. You can either get a watter bottle that fits firmly within the grip of your hands or one that you wear as a belt.


• Pedometer: This device counts your steps and / or mileage. Some can be programmed to calculate your calories and your heart rate.


• MP3 player: Personally, I never exercise without one, more so on days when I don't feel like getting out of bed. Download your favourite music and let it motivate and energise you whilst you work out. It will make your workouts feel like a breeze through the park!

So if you are looking for a cost effective, and cheap way to improve your health, loose or control your weight or elevate stress, then why not take up walking.

It's simple and it's free. And if you still think you can't muster that... then think of this lady. She is 100 years old and starts every day (including her 100Th birthday) in the gym! She works out 2 hours a day, and 7 days a week. 100yr old woman exercises 2 hours a day .

Now THAT is what I am talking about. Do you still have those excuses?

Keep the heart, body, mind and soul alive and healthy by walking the walk, one step a time.

Happy Walking

Remi

***Pictures from photobucket & google***

Fit For God's Work in 2009

To be available for God to use us for service we must be fit in our physically bodies and within our spirits. As we look after our spirit man, so we must look after our physical bodies.

Whatever we do with our physical bodies must be done for God's glory, as were are directed in 1 Corinthians 10:31, which reads " So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God".

Everyone with good and perfect health will agree that to be healthy is a wonderful and immeasurable gift from God. Our bodies are temples (a dwelling place) for God, and we are stewards of this body, and so, we must do our best to look after it with much care.

As we have started into a new year, as you we renew our minds, I would like to encourage us to also renew our attitude to the way we look after the temple of God, our bodies.

As we exercise our faith through our spirit man, we must also exercise our body to be fit and healthy, so that we are a FIT TEMPLE, for God to use for his glory.

We can become a fit temple by paying attention to what we consume on a daily basis and making sure our physical bodies gets enough exercise.

You might be thinking or saying, "I am too old, too overweight, or don't have time to exercise or eat right".

That might true, but there are ways we can make a healthy and fit lifestyle our daily reality by taking steps to clear out our bodes of old eating habits, excess weight and toxins. We could walk that extra mile to and from work, take a healthy packed lunch to work or eat less refined foods.

The first step is to know and understand that we are the custodians of God's temple our body. Thus, we must make a decision to treat it with LOVE, RESPECT AND CARE - on the inside and outside.

We must also realise that its never too late to develop a fit and healthy life style; to create a fit temple for God's service.

I found that whilst looking after this temple through exercise, I am also able to feed it spiritually by listening to messages, or the talking bible, or even a book on my mp3 player - 2 benefits for the price of one action!

So, to help you along your way to developing a fit temple for service this year, here are a few things you can do:

• Join a Gym - If you are able to and there is one local to you, join an affordable gym. It is best to find a location that is in between your going and coming back from work; it increases the chances of you actually going there.


• Take a friend with you - if you don't like working out alone, speak to a close friend, talk them into coming along with you, even if it's only one day to start with. I'm sure you would have fun and the bi-product might be a better and stronger relationship with your friend.


• Work out at home: if due to time or financial constraints you are not able to register in a gym, then try working out at home. The basic equipments you need are: A skipping rope, a gym ball and a floor mat. There are lot of crazy sales out there and you can buy them for less than half the price. Find a time of the day that is good for you, when the kids are asleep or in school and try and fit in at least an hour workout every other day - take it one step, one day a time.


• Discover the outdoors - Running: well if all of the above is still difficult to do, more so because of financial constraints, then simply go out doors and run. Its free! If you can take someone with you, if you can't take your mp3 player or Ipod with you. Run whilst listening to uplifting music or the bible or a message! Be safe whilst running.

Start where ever you are, taking little steps, one at a time, and with God's wisdom and grace, you would soon have a fit temple (physically and spiritually) for his dwelling.

A healthy body is a beautiful home for a healthy mind!

Much Love
Remi Banjo