Tear Down the Strongholds

Well its time for week two of our 21 week weight
management and wellness . Week two: Tearing down
the strongholds for weight loss and wellness. Strongholds
are fortified places, dominated by particular things or
people. In order for anyone to gain freedom from the
weight management issues that are holding them captive,
they must first be willing to tear down the mental
strongholds that hold them captive. The truth is weight
management is a choice, if you want to lose weight you
must choose to eat the right foods, and stop allowing
yourself to make excuses as to why you choose foods that
sabotage your weight loss and wellness plans. When we
understand that the battle starts in our mind, we can begin
the task of casting down thoughts that do not line up with our
goals and wellness plan. Think of every thought contrary
to what you truly want to be a brick in that wall that is
holding you captive and it must come down. Shame, pull it
down, past mistakes, pull it down, fear, pull it down,
loneliness, pull it down, greed, pull it down. 

 



As you break  free from the weight in your mind, the weight on your body
will become easier to come off. The mind body connection
is powerful and once you began to process your thoughts
properly you will become unstuck, and thus free to explore
the options that were always there before you when you
were stuck in your self limiting belief system constructed
and controlled by your own mind. The power is in now!
Today, pull down the strongholds, cast down the
imagination and be the best you God has created you to created you to be. Next week stay tuned for lesson three maintaining your temple for weight loss and wellness.

Healing With Whole Food

As I was doing some research this week about healing foods and I came across fiber, and the importance of fiber in our diet.  Many people today are suffering from ailments that can truly be corrected with the proper nutritional balancing.  The term fiber refers to carbohydrates that can not be digested and fiber acts as an intestinal broom in your system. There are two types of fiber, insoluble and soluble. Our body requires 35 grams or more of fiber a day in order to function properly. 

According to the Linus Pauling Institute,  viscous fiber such as those found in oat products and legumes can lower serum LDL levels and and normalize blood glucose and insulin response. The same study reports that numerous people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes that increased their fiber intake improved blood serum lipid profiles.  As we can see, fiber is a very important element that should be included in our diet on a daily basis.  There are numerous studies that show a link between high fiber intake and the reduction of disease.  When we eat high fiber food, the fiber absorbs the toxins in our body and drives them out with it as it is eliminated.  Since fiber is not digested or absorbed it very beneficial for this purpose.  Cancer, diabetes, diverticulitis, breast cancer, IBS, colon cancer, all of these diseases are positively affected by a high intake of fiber.
Food Serving Fiber.  Studies report that African American Women are likely to die from breast cancer and this same study believes that diet and exercise (or lack thereof) is a contributing factor. Read more about the study on the following link.
http://main.uab.edu/Sites/reporter/articles/81083/

It is truly time to heal our self with whole food.  Processed food is destroying our communities at an alarming rate.  We are truly paying the price for it in the form of these lifestyle diseases that even the experts are realizing the truth about what the underlying causes are.  Disease does not just happen by chance, it is a process that happens as we provide the conditions in our body that welcome these offenders.  Healing will begin with going back to the basics of a whole food diet.  That will provide us with the dietary fiber we need for maximum wellness.



Legumes
                                                        Serving  and amount of dietary fiber in grams(g)
Navy beans, cooked from dried      1 cup            19.1

Split peas, cooked from dried          1 cup           16.3

Lentils, cooked from dried               1 cup           15.6



Kidney beans, canned                    1 cup 13.6

Refried beans, canned                    1 cup 12.1

Cereals and grains

100% (wheat) Bran Cereal             1/2 cup 12.5

Bulgur, cooked                              1 cup 8.2

Pearled barley, cooked                 1 cup 6.0

Oat bran, cooked                         1 cup 5.7

Quinoa, cooked                           1 cup 5.2

Instant oatmeal, cooked                1 cup 4.0

Rice, long-grained brown, cooked 1 cup 3.5

Vegetables

Artichoke hearts, cooked          1 cup 14.4

Spinach, frozen, cooked              1 cup 7.0

Brussel sprouts, frozen, cooked    1 cup 6.4

Winter squash, cooked              1 cup 5.7

Mushrooms, cooked from fresh   1 cup 3.4

Fruits

Prunes, uncooked                   1 cup, pitted 12.4

Asian pear                              1 pear 9.9

Guava, fresh                           1 cup 8.9

Raspberries, fresh                  1 cup 8.0

Blackberries, fresh                 1 cup 7.6

Nuts and Seeds

Almonds                             1 ounce (23 kernels) 3.5

Pistachio nuts                     1 ounce (49 kernels) 2.9

Pecans                                1 ounce (19 halves) 2.7

Peanuts                               1 ounce (33 kernels)


Fateria Johnson M.A. Holistic Wellness Educator

http://www.its4yourwellness.com/

The Power Of Relaxation and Leisure

Well everyone, the weather is getting warmer and it is time to really think about taking some leisure time. According to recent studies, despite the many benefits of leisure activities, African Americans do not take advantage of this past time as much as their White counterparts. I remember as a child when my grandfather would load us up in his Bonneville for the Sunday drive. I looked forward to those drives on the open highways and then the anticipation of stopping for a nice cold treat. I also can remember my mother loading us in her car, as we drove from Philadelphia to Virginia, my mom never took the main highway she always traveled the scenic route, oh how I enjoyed looking out my window, enjoying the wonderful view. I still remember those moments and how it would assuage my anxieties

These images are forever etched in my mind, and whenever I want to think of simple times past, I recall those times when we hit the open road, I still love to travel by car to this very day. Taking the time for relaxation and leisure has some very powerful effects on us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It allows us to connect and to recharge, to gain perspective of our life, to introspect and to regain focus on what is truly important. According to an article written in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, leisure time physical activity has a direct impact on our overall health. In information I extracted from a report by the Diabetes Prevention Program, leisure activity, or lack thereof, does have a direct impact on our health.

During physical activity, whole body oxygen consumption may increase by as much as 20 fold, and even greater increase may occur in the working muscles. This is from the American Diabetes Association, they also stated that the possible benefits of physical activity for a person with type 2 diabetes was substantial, and that recent studies strengthen the importance of long term physical activity programs. According to the American Institute Of Stress, contemporary stress tends to be more pervasive,persistent and insidious because it stems primarily from psychological than physical threats. Understanding the importance of relaxation and leisure is crucial, we all need time to unwind, take a load off and just loosen up. That stroll on the beach gives us time to let our creative juices flow and to just be, and it also allows for a time of effective, meaningful communication; and in our very digital society this is very welcoming to me.

The Sunday drive, gives you time to reconnect with nature as you roll down the windows and let the fresh air blow, being free, unencumbered with the cares of life. This reduces stress, because you are more relaxed and it creates a relaxing, calming effect. There will always be things to do, there will always be demands on our time, but there may not always be good health, especially if we do not take the time to give our whole self a chance to regroup and come back to the center of life. By learning to center our self we assist our body in creating homeostasis within itself and this creates an environment for good health to thrive. So, the next time you think about putting off that daycation or vacation think again, your very health could depend on it!

Fateria Johnson M.A. CSMC, CMBFC