HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM! POPCORN & BREATH MINTS...

Popcorn is my most favorite "feel good" food of all time. I can have a wonderful dinner and come to the movie theater with a full tummy and I will still have to get a large tub of popcorn to watch the show ~ it's just too tempting for me to resist!

My love for popcorn started when I was growing up. Each year I would look forward to watching the Miss America pageant on television, and to start the yearly tradition off right, it was mandatory to have a big bowl of popcorn and a delicious Coca-Cola! Everything was right in the world with my little girl eyes glued to the television dreaming of the day that I would have a figure like Miss Texas, a smile that covered my face with the biggest pearly white teeth, my big Texas-size hair which adorned the coveted Miss America crown. Sweet dreams were guaranteed as I drifted off to sleep with the smell of roses in the air and a tummy full of my delicious popcorn!

My love for watching Miss America has faded (although not gone completely!) but I have slowly worked popcorn into my daily life! Dim the lights, load a good movie into the DVD player and let me slowly nibble on each delicious, hot and buttery morsel. Every trip to Oklahoma to visit my sister is made memorable by our traditional bowl of popcorn shared together each night!

I have surrendered my popcorn to my weight loss efforts... but, it was the last thing to go. I have tried all 100 calorie popcorn varieties, and have finally settled on an organic popcorn that is popped in an organic olive oil with a dash of sea salt. It's so delicious...

SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM??? I just read an article by Dr. Don Colbert and he was writing about high glycemic foods. I'm absorbing the information that he's sharing when I came to a heading that made my heart skip a beat: A POPCORN PROBLEM. Whaaaaaaat? I think, "Dr. Colbert, you have just gone from informing to meddling!"

Here's the story (taken from BIBLE CURE for Weight Loss & Muscle Gain by Don Colbert, MD)

A POPCORN PROBLEM

One patient arrive at my office weighing three hundred pounds. He claimed to have been on a low-fat diet for years, but continued to gain weight. When I questioned him about his dietary history, I learned that he ate a large bowl of popcorn each night before he went to bed. This man just loved popcorn. He once even joined "Popcorn Anonymous." Each evening he would sit in front of the TV happily munching on popcorn for hours, while his blood sugar level silently rose higher and higher.

The popcorn's high glycemic index caused surges of unsulin to be released in his body. And the insulin told his body to store fat and keep it stored. He felt that he just couldn't lose weight, and he was right. His sugar levels were causing his fat to be locked into his body like a steel vault. Without knowing it, this man was signaling his body to store fat for hours every night.

Read on...

Little Mints with a Large Effect

Another woman came to my office who weighed two hundred thirty pounds. When I questioned her regarding dietary history, her diet actually seemed very healthy. She was not eating a lot of fat, starches or sugars. She was not drinking soft drinks or any other sugary beverages. She was eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.

However, after questioning her further, I found out that she sucked on breath mints all day long. (I chew gum all day long... I would assume it's the same effect.) The sugary mints were enough to keep her blood sugar levels elevated and signal her body to store fat. Even though she was on a low-starch, low-fat diet that had plenty of fruits of vegetables, she continued to gain weight. When she eliminated her sugary breath mints and started on a walking program, she was able to lose eighty pounds in a little over a year with no other dietary changes!

Dr. Colbert then goes on to tell how detrimental it is to your body when you keep your glycemic levels high.

For me, this is an "Ah-Ha" moment. Who would have thought that what I considered to be two of my "innocent" daily behaviors could have such damaging effects on my body and health! To some, this may seem like an easy life-change; but, for me, it's going to take some work! I thank God that He continues to bring information into my life that will equip me to be successful in this area of weight loss. God has work for me to do... and He needs me healthy in order to do it!

"Lord, each day I'm learning anew what the word surrender means. As I pray for MORE OF YOU, I find that means LESS OF ME. You have become my life's quest, for without you, I would have no life! I pray Lord that you renew my mind and give me NEW TRADITIONS, NEW MEMORIES... all of which encompass YOU!! I have been a slave to food, but now I am a slave of Your righteousness. Romans 6:11 says, 'Even so, think of yourself dead to sin.' Lord, I want to die to the obsession that I have to food. Renew my mind... I surrender all."

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from Him. (Psalm 103:11-12)

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

EXERCISE OBSTACLES / CHALLENGES

As I near the end of my first cleanse day, I’ve been thinking about EXERCISE. You know, I really don’t like exercising. I don’t like getting sweaty, and I don’t like the time it takes to get a good workout ~ because that means that I’m giving up something else that I would enjoy doing much more!

“Lord, help me find an exercise I LOVE doing… or one that I would ENJOY doing… ok, one that I can TOLERATE!”

You’ve heard me say it before… but, I must say it again. God is so GOOD! He has the perfect way of bringing you the exact scripture from His Word… the inspiration… or maybe just a good ‘ol “kick in the behind” that you need at just the right time!

Tonight, I received an email from a friend and in it he included a link about a young man named Nick Vujicic. He is 25 years old and was born without arms or legs and given no medical reason for his condition. Faced with countless challenges and obstacles, God has given Nick the strength to surmount what others might call impossible. God has taken Nick’s life, one that others might disregard as having any significance and filled him with His purpose and plans to move hearts and lives toward Him ~ which Nick has been used to turn millions of hearts toward God all across the globe!

The YouTube movie shows how he gets through his day doing everyday tasks such as turning on the light to his room, brushing his hair, brushing his teeth, getting a drink of water… even fixing breakfast WITHOUT ARMS AND LEGS!!

It’s not that he has NEVER had a complaint or a tearful conversation with God… he has… but, through the PROCESS he has built an amazing character. You can see the love of God just oozing from his beautiful smile!

I sat watching the clip(s) – I watched everyone that I could find – completely mesmerized by his story.

“Lord, please forgive me for complaining!”

Here’s the link for you to watch one of the clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9jbkZufH9k&feature=related

Get your tissues ready. Ask God to speak to your heart about what you are about to watch. God has given you a dream… He has plans and a purpose for your life… what are the obstacles/challenges that you face that’s holding you back from moving forward? Watch the clip… you’ll be embarrassed that you ever called it an obstacle!

I know I did.

Moving forward… Sharon

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

WORD FOR THE DAY: WATER

Peter Greenlaw is a nationally recognized nutritional cleansing coach that speaks all over the United States, and he just spent an hour with me sharing some of the best secrets he's learned as he's helped hundreds of people reach their weight loss goals.

The first thing he wanted to share was that I must drink WATER!! He said that the root cause of EVERY disease is long-term unintentional dehydration! In addition, he said that most people who struggle with obesity are SEVERELY DEHYDRATED!

Peter went on to say that it is ESSENTIAL that I drink 1/2 of my body weight in ounces of water! Now, let me just say... that's a whole lot more than the typical 8 - 8 oz. glasses of water!! THAT'S ASSUMING THAT YOU DRINK NO OTHER LIQUID! If you drink ONE CUP of coffee, you must add an additional 64 ounces of water to your daily intake! (I'm saying goodbye to Starbucks!) ALSO, if you drink ONE CUP of tea, you must add an additional 32 ounces of water to your daily intake! I'm feeling water-logged just typing this! :)

For those of us who feel sluggish and wish you had extra PEP... Peter said that food is not what gives you energy - water gives us energy! If I continue to drink that much water, I will be ABOUNDING with energy... which is what I'll need for all the trips I'll be making to the Ladies Room!

So, my FIRST STEP towards my weight loss goals is to drink water... and more water... and more water! :)

"Lord God, You alone are my stength! I thank You that you are equipping me to stay committed to getting healthy. I thank you that You are bringing people and information to me to give me the knowledge I need to learn how to eat healthy. Lord, I thank you that you are making my body have a THIRST FOR WATER... and not sugary softdrinks with empty calories! Father, give me the FOCUS that I need to implement all that I am learning.

Most of all, precious Father, I DO BELIEVE IN YOU!! I am no longer looking at the mountain of obesity in my life as something to be feared! I say to that mountain, (finger pointed and shouting with passion!) MOVE OVER and let me tell you how BIG MY GOD IS!!"

I'm feeling like that Lioness today! :)