Hold On Loosely

Be Not Dismayed

2010-10-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. -Isaish 41:10

Really love this verse. Life right now seems so uncertain, yet so full of possibility. I want God to direct my path, but letting go is a daunting task.

Sunrise

2010-02-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

I might see the sunrise tomorrow for the first time in I don't know how long. My gym has started opening at 6 instead of 8, so I've decided to try working out in the morning instead of after work when there are too many distractions. The night owl in me is miserable at having to go to bed before midnight, but maybe there's a morning person in here somewhere, just waiting to be discovered...ha! We'll see how this goes; hopefully I can resist hitting snooze at 5:45!

Back to Nature, Part 1

2010-02-15T09:01:00.000-08:00

So I wanted to post some things that I've been doing to try to adopt a more natural/healthy lifestyle. Splitting them up into several posts so it's not overkill :)

Probiotics daily. The bacteria in your gut are key to your immune function, so taking probiotics every day ensures you'll have enough good bacteria to balance out the bad. This is especially important if you're taking antibiotics, since they destroy all bacteria, including the good kind. Yogurt contains active cultures that can be beneficial, but the problem is that most yogurt has so much sugar that it counteracts any good effects of the live cultures. Fermented foods are also beneficial to your GI tract (things like sauerkraut (as long as it's natural), Korean kimchi, etc.)
I buy either raw milk (so delicious, but hard to find in a lot of states) or the organic milk that doesn't contain any growth hormones or antibiotics. If you think normal milk is fine, I'd recommend you do some research on Monsanto.
Avoid aspartame, splenda and all other artificial sweeteners besides stevia. Aspartame is now being marketed as a natural sweetener, because the FDA realized that more and more people have concerns about its safety, and for good reason. Don't be fooled though, there's nothing natural or healthy about it. It's pretty hard to avoid, since it's in gum, mints, and tons of sugar-free products, but it can be done if you pay attention to food labels.
Along the same lines, avoid soda if at all possible, since it's filled with empty calories and sugar, and oftentimes a lot of caffeine. It's also detrimental to your bone health, especially for women. Diet soda is the worst, and it makes me so sad to see people drinking it thinking it will actually help them keep their weight in check, when it actually has the opposite effect.
I use non-fluoride toothpaste (we get enough in our drinking water, and too much can be harmful to our bodies). The brand I use is Spry, and they market toothpaste, mints, gum, mouthwash, etc. Xylitol is a key ingredient that's a natural sweetener also proven to be good for your teeth.
Crystal deoderant. You can find this at most grocery stores and one stick can last up to 6 months. You apply it with water and it doesn't leave the awful white stains on your clothes that other deoderants do. More importantly, it doesn't have harmful aluminums in it. If you're going to use a normal deoderant, try to stay away from ones that are also anti-perspirants, as they tend to contain more harmful ingredients. Suppression of your body's sweat glands is not healthy.
Use filtered water, preferably a reverse osmosis filter. Brita filters are better than nothing, but they're not completely effective. Also, I try to drink a full glass of water before meals so that I won't overeat.
When shopping I try to stay on the outside of the store, since most processed foods are on the inside aisles. I want the majority of my diet to be things that will eventually rot. Foods with long lists of ingredients I don't recognize or that have an extremely long shelf life...well...they're probably not too healthy.
Especially in the winter months, I take Cod Liver Oil or Fish Oil daily, to make sure I'm getting enough Vitamin D (Carlson's is a good brand). Vitamin D levels are key to maintaining a healthy immune system, and since most people can't be out in the sun that much when it's cold, they have to get it from another source.

More to come later!

Fooooood

2010-02-11T11:15:00.001-08:00

Recently I was reading an article about how we need to focus on food as nourishment rather than entertainment. Wow, that's so me. I don't think it's wrong to savor food or look forward to meals, but I probably take it to extremes...I'm always thinking about what new restaurant I can try or some ethnic food I haven't had in a while. I'm so bad about eating out of boredom or habit, but rarely because I'm truly hungry. What do I know of hunger anyway, compared to those who go through each day wondering if they'll be able to eat anything, period.

Regrets

2010-02-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight as I was driving home from volleyball I was thinking about my life thus far, and although I've done many things I wish I could take back, the majority of my regrets are things I haven't done. Haven't kept in touch with certain friends very well, haven't spent as much time with my family, haven't spent time in prayer, haven't gone out of my way to help other people, haven't taken trips I've dreamed of taking, etc etc. I want to change that. Nothing is guaranteed, but I've been living like I have all the time in the world. I know that's not honoring God. I need to get out of my comfort zone more, take more risks, explore more things, seize opportunities, and stop being lazy!

Octagon of Doom

2010-01-30T21:56:00.001-08:00

What a game! Refs that whistled at every move the players made, rude outbursts by KSU fans, an Amish bearded Jacob Pullen, an injured Sherron Collins, foul trouble on our big men, Dick Vitale's annoying commentary, and missing easy free throws, layups and rebounds. Throw all those things into the mix and you get an intense nail-biting OT victory for KU. I like excitement, but that game was too close for comfort! So proud of Collins for playing even after he got hurt and saving the game for us.

The Road to Minimalism

2010-01-25T20:42:00.000-08:00

Jessa and I are planning a yard sale (if it would ever get warm, we could do it) to de-clutter our lives. Our pile of stuff to sell is growing daily, and I love seeing that. Why do I keep things around that I haven't used in over a year and probably will never use? I really long for more simplicity in life, so I want to get rid of useless things and organize the things I do plan to use. Yesterday I got a new desk to help in this endeavor. Now I have a place to file all my paperwork, which makes me very happy!

Holes

2010-01-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

I liked the movie, but in relation to my house, I'm not as much of a fan. A few weeks ago my roommate told me she let the cat out and a few hours later it was back inside without there being any doors open. I was skeptical until today, when it happened to me too. Cat was out when I went to sleep for a nap, and I woke up shocked to see it outside my bedroom door. Now I'm starting to think of all the other critters that could be getting into my house from whatever secret hole the cat's using...mice, snakes, etc. Either we're both going crazy, or I have some serious issues with my house...I'm kind of hoping for the former.

What Can Brown Do For You?

2010-01-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

Hopefully, be the needed vote to help block Obama's unconstitutional agenda. I'm thrilled with tonight's result. I think there is a rough road ahead for the GOP, but this at least gives us all hope!

In other news, the TCG fitness challenge is rumoured to finally be starting tomorrow (and will last until March!) That means tonight's my last binge. Goodbye Ben and Jerry's...you haven't been good to me.

Unfinished

2010-01-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

I have a bad habit of starting books and never finishing them (I always fall asleep!) so my goal is to read one book per week, which shouldn't be too hard since most of the ones I have are half-way finished anyway. This week: the last part of The Last Juror. I love Grisham! After I finish the ones I have, I want to start reading some of the classics that I never had a chance to read while in school.

If you cling too tightly, you're gonna lose control

2010-01-17T08:15:00.000-08:00

So, I don't think 38 special was intending any kind of spiritual message with their song, but I thought it would be a fitting title for my blog, because it's a lesson I've been slowly learning the past few years. The first year or so after graduating college, it was incredibly hard for me to accept that the "fun" part of life was gone. A lot of friends couldn't wait to graduate and get out of school, but I didn't feel that way. Life hadn't turned out the way I had planned, I wasn't married or set on a profession, and it felt like I was standing still in life while everyone around me knew what they wanted and were moving on.

Now that I've been working for a few years, those feelings are thankfully fading somewhat, even though I'm still nowhere close to figuring out what I should be doing with my life :) I've been trying to keep more of an open outlook on life, relationships, possessions, etc, and not get my heart set on any one thing. People enter our lives for only a short season sometimes, so making the most of the time we have with them is key, rather than looking back and wishing things were how they used to be. That's something I struggle to remember every day. Why do people have to change? Why do I have to change? Why have I wasted so much time on petty differences rather than trying to find common ground? Why do I walk away from opportunities to bless other people or share Christ with them?

I'm often so consumed with myself and my own insecurities, that I'm blind to others that are hurting. My goal this week is to listen and obey when God prompts me to help someone, rather than taking the easy way out and saying that someone else will do it.