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March
21, 2004
"Cast your cares on
the Lord and he will sustain you." Psalms 55:22 NIV
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Angel Co-Op Newsletter
Dear
Sisters in Christ,
Well, after a couple of
false starts, it is still winter here in Saskatoon.
Praise God! No war, no
famine, no major calamities.... weather is pretty petty stuff up against
the other challenges of our lives. Tomorrow night the elders from our
Church are going to anoint two men (Phil and Olman) with
cancer and pray for their healing. Both are husbands, both are fathers,
both are elders (but not old). Please join these families in praying
the promise from Jeremiah 30:17 for them: ".'..I will restore you to
health and heal your wounds,' declares the Lord."
Pastor Jimmy's
Joy You may recall from previous newsletters that I
mentioned Thinh Thihn returning from her Thailand mission trip with a
ministry to her people, the displaced Karen. Well, the great news this
week is that the Global Mission folks are willing and
able to support this ministry, gathering in and dispersing donations to
Pastor Jimmy's latest project: a school, teachers, a feeding program,
medicine and bamboo shelters for displaced peoples along the Thai-Burma
border. This is answer to prayer. We will give you more information
about how you can be part of this ministry in future newsletters!
Ministries to
Bring in the Lost Sheep: Have you ever wondered how you
could go about successfully bringing your old Academy buddy, your adult
son, your teen granddaughter, or your fallen-away spouse back to Church
fellowship? Reconnection, an arm of Creative Ministries
creativeministry.org has just
such a focus. You will want to check out this site (click above) and
look at the free training workshops they offer. They also offer a
quarterly snail.mail newsletter (Together Again) that you could
request by emailing them at
reconnect@creativeministry.org
Weigh To Go!
Because I know that many of
us are still working to take off the pounds and inches, (Click on JUST
JOELLE to see how she is doing it) I thought I would reproduce something
from the web that seems handy-dandy-- a nice cross-section of weight
management tips.
Eating Tips
- Good things
come in small packages. Here's a trick for staying satisfied without
consuming large portions: Chop high-calorie foods like cheese and
chocolate into smaller pieces. It will seem like you're getting more
than you actually are.
- Don't give up
dips. If you love creamy dips and sauces, don't cut them out of your
diet completely. Just use low-fat sour cream and mayo instead of the
full-fat stuff.
- Get water-wise.
Make a habit of reaching for a glass of water instead of a high-calorie
snack. It will help your overall health as well as your waistline. Add
some zest with a twist of lemon or lime.
- Herb it up.
Stock up your spice rack, and start growing a small herb garden in your
kitchen window. Spices and herbs add fantastic flavor to foods without
adding fat or calories.
- Slim down your
soup. Make a big batch of soup and refrigerate it before you eat it.
As it cools, the fat will rise to the top. Skim it off the surface for
reduced fat content.
- Doggie-bag that
dinner. At restaurants, ask the server to put half your entrée in a
doggie bag before bringing it to your table. Putting the food away
before you start your meal will help you practice portion control.
- Listen to your
cravings. If you're craving something sweet, eat something sweet -
just opt for a healthier nosh, like fruit, instead of a high-calorie
one. The same goes for crunchy cravings - for example, try air-popped
popcorn with soy sauce instead of high-fat tortilla chips. It's just
smart substitution!
- Ease your way
into produce. If you're new to eating lots of fruits and veggies,
start slowly. Just add them to the foods you already enjoy. Pile veggies
on top of your sandwiches, or add fruit to your cereal.
- Look for
high-fat hints. Want an easy way to identify high-calorie entrees?
Keep an eye out for these words: au gratin, parmigiana, tempura,
alfredo, creamy and carbonara, and enjoy them in moderation.
- Don't multitask
while you eat. If you're working, reading or watching TV while you
eat, you won't be paying attention to what's going into your mouth - and
you won't be enjoying every bite. Every time you sit down for a meal,
sit down. Chew slowly and pay attention to flavors and textures.
You'll enjoy your food more and eat less.
- Taste something
new. Broaden your food repertoire - you may find you like more
healthy foods than you knew. Try a new fruit or vegetable (ever had
jicama, plantain, bok choy, starfruit or papaya?).
- Leave something
on your plate at every meal. One bite of bagel, half your sandwich,
the bun from your burger. See if you feel satisfied eating just a bit
less.
- Get to know
your portion sizes. It's easy to underestimate how much you're
eating. Don't just estimate things - make sure. Ask how much is in a
serving, read the fine print on labels, measure your food. And learn
portion equivalents: One serving of pasta, for instance, should be
around the size of a tennis ball.
- Make a healthy
substitution. Learn to swap healthier foods for their less-healthful
counterparts. Find a substitution that works for you: Use skim milk
instead of whole milk; make up a batch of brownie mix with applesauce
instead of oil; try a whole-grain bread instead of white.
- Bring lunch to
work. Packing lunch will help you control your portion sizes. It
also provides a good alternative to restaurants and fast-food joints,
where making healthy choices every day can be challenging (not to
mention expensive).
- Have some
dessert. You don't have to deny yourself all the time. Have a treat
that brings you pleasure, but this time enjoy it guilt-free - be sure
you're practicing portion control, and compensate for your indulgence by
exercising a little more or by skipping your afternoon snack.
- Ask for what
you need. Tell your mother-in-law you don't want seconds. Ask your
sweetie to stop bringing you chocolates. Speak up for the salad bar when
your coworkers are picking a restaurant for lunch. Whatever you need to
do to succeed at weight loss, ask for it. Make yourself a priority and
assert yourself.
Fitness Tips
- Improve your
treadmill technique. When walking on a treadmill, don't grip the
rails. It's fine to touch them for balance, but you shouldn't have to
hold on. If you do, that might be a signal you should lower the
intensity level.
- Simon says ...
get fit. Here's an easy way to fit in exercise with your kids: Buy a
set of one-pound weights and play a round of Simon Says — you do it with
the weights, they do it without. They'll love it!
- Make the most
of your walks. If your walking routine has become too easy, increase
your effort by finding hills. Just be sure to tackle them at the
beginning of your walk, when you have energy to spare.
- Shop 'til you
drop ... pounds. Add a workout to your shopping sessions by parking
your car as far from the store as possible, to get more walking in. And
try walking up the escalator - getting to your destination faster will
be an added bonus.
- Walk an extra
100 steps at work. Adding even a little extra exercise to your daily
routine can boost your weight loss. Today, take the stairs instead of
the elevator, or stroll down the hall to talk to a co-worker instead of
sending an e-mail or calling.
Have a great
week everyone!
In Christ,
Cynthia.
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