Deep Roots

I thought I would have those plants moved by now. Nope! Those desert plants have very deep roots. I'm still watering and digging.

All this work to move the plants serves to remind me of the deep roots I need to have in my faith. And how it takes a lot of work to put down those roots. I want to be strong and sturdy, upright and sure. The way to do that is to read, pray and put the Lord first in my life.

My friend is keeping me company on this journey, as she had decided to do the same. It is wonderful to be praying each morning at 7:00 am, knowing that at the same time, she is praying with me. Today we check in by phone with each other on our progress. We have also made a committment to exercise and eat right so that we are caring for our earthly bodies as good servants should.

It's funny, too how things fall into place. I rarely watch the Oprah show, but yesterday, it was so hot, that I sat down, turned on t.v. and watched it. Dr. Mehmet Oz (renowned heart surgeon) was on talking about food and exercise. The show gave me some new insights about processed food and renewed my resolve in healthy cooking. It also gave me a boost that my mere 30 minutes 5 days a week on the treadmill was doing me good. And all that digging--that's my strength training! Processed foods are literally killing us. High fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and sodium are in practically every processed food and fast food that we consume. Saturated fats--fat from all 4-legged animals clog our arteries, but those hydrogenated oils are the worst. They turn to stone (plaque) in our veins. And they are in everything from crackers and popcorn to Lean Cuisines and ice cream. What can we eat?? Anything that comes the way God made it. That means we have to plan meals and cook. Get some food discipline.

I saw a lady on the show whose only complaint was that she was tired all the time, in spite of drinking 3 6-packs of diet cola a day. She was 35 pounds overweight(she said) but was really concerned that she was sleeping 12 hours a day and still tired. They looked through her kitchen and found that she was eating 95% processed foods. She didn't go on a diet(food depravation) but rather ate as much as she wanted of the healthy foods. She walked on the treadmill 30 minutes a day and did yoga for 30 minutes too. She lost 43 pounds in 90 days! And she looked fabulous and felt like a new person. Look on the Oprah website at Monday, May 1 for details.

That was inspiring to me. Some processed foods have snuck back into our food. I have sugar-free cookies and sugar-free ice cream. I have whole grain crackers, but usually the CheezIts win out over them. I have protien bars that are sugar-free, but guess what? They have hydrognated oils in them. I am going to talk to Phil today about clearing out the fridge and cupboards and trying this new food plan for the sake of not just our health, but our energy level.

Well, on that note, I'm going to hop in the treadmill!