Polyphenols on a Budget? Absolutely!

Polyphenols on a budget. What in the world are polyphenols you might be asking? In the Made to Crave Action Plan we are learning how to maximize key nutrients.
"Polyphenols are compounds found primarily in plants, especially in naturally ripened, dark-skinned fruits and vegetables. Current research suggests they may play a significant role in promoting health and preventing disease." Quote from "Made to Crave Action Plan" by Lysa Terkeurst & Dr Ski Chilton.

The list is full of VERY yummy Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seed and additional sources. The downside is that for those of us in a single income home it can get expensive to fill up on the apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, and strawberries that are high in polyphenols. Especially when we live 2 hrs from the nearest Costco or Walmart to buy frozen varieties of them.
                                                                   

My personal challenge this week was to fit as many of these powerful foods as I could into my existing menu. I am using the Weight Watcher Simply Filling method for healthy eating and much to my delight the things that I am learning in MTC Action Plan are things that I have already incorporated into my life.
                                                 
                                                                 

Back to the food... One affordable fruit with high polyphenol levels is apples. We bought a 5 lb bag of apples for $4.99 this week. (A great deal for our area!) Walnuts are on the "seeds with polyphenols" list as are flax seeds. Cinnamon also made the list for additional sources of Polyphenols.
                                                                 
                                                                           

                                                             
Putting these into breakfast with my oatmeal was a perfect way to keep the budget intact and still fill up on some really great nutrients!

                                                           

 You are looking at a bowl of oatmeal with an apple, 1 Tablespoon walnuts, flax seed, cinnamon and nutmeg. I got my morning serving of dairy by adding Fat free milk with it. With the Simply Filling plan I only needed to count points for the tablespoon of walnuts 1 PP and the rest fit exactly into the power foods that I eat daily!

And for a snack later...

Dark Chocolate! Science has proven what we already knew... a little dark chocolate is good for you!
Yes, Dark chocolate is on the polyphenols list. Today's snack for me is a square of Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt.


“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat” Matthew 5:6, MSG

She likes to Move it!

This week's MTC Action Plan photo blog is "get moving" which is a subject near and dear to my heart. Although I exercised in my 20's once I had kids, worked full time and was a busy wife and mother I quit regularly exercising. When I started back to exercise in 2005 I thought that I "hated" it. I knew that I had to do something so I decided that although I wasn't changing what I ate I would walk.
 I would at least be "a fat woman with a healthier heart". So I dragged myself out the door. I was right. I hated it. After a few starts and stops eventually I began to walk a 500 step loop outside just 3 days a week. Over a period of months I learned that I actually enjoyed walking outside. We lived in a beautiful remote area. The day that my boys and I walked up a dirt two track road, over a hill and around to another road and home ranked high on my list of "best days of my life"!
                                                               
                                                

At that time I had lost 70 lbs which all started from that 500 steps... I had added in Leslie Sansone walking DVD's for indoor walking. With access to the BLM firefighter gym I was also using the elliptical and stationary bike. I no longer had to carefully tread over the cattle guards in the area but could literally hop over them!
                                                                          

Due to a combination of things I ended up damaging my knee and tearing my leg muscle. That took me on a spiral downward of hopelessness and "giving up". I could not longer walk. I couldn't even bear weight on my leg for a period of years! My recovery was slow, painful and filled with despair. My entire life I have fought weight and only maintained by exercise. At that time I wasn't truly willing to change what I was eating and without exercise I gained back 40 lbs of the lost weight.

Although I had given up on myself, God hadn't ever given up on me though! Through a series of things he kept gradually drawing me back to a desire to have a healthier body. After a move for my husband's job I was able to find help for my knee and 5 years later I am pain free most days! I can walk on it. I can bicycle on it. I can do yoga and stability ball and Leslie Sansone indoor walks and walk up and down stairs!

So, here we are, back to MTC Action Plan and "Get Moving!". I have to admit that my friends that don't want to exercise will sort of avoid me because I can be a bit of a nag in my enthusiasm for them to "Get Moving"! I thought that I would post what has worked for me. I recently hit my 50 lbs loss from my highest weight ever. I'm definitely NOT a small size and I still have weight to lose but God has changed my heart so that I no longer lust after food. Living within His will tastes sweeter than anything else. What I know is that although there are still days that I don't "feel" like exercising I don't ever get done with a workout and say "boy, do I regret working out".

How I motivate myself
I write a plan for the week, looking at my "busy" days and my "free" days and schedule accordingly.
I record my exercise after I've done it so I can look back at where I've come from. I love to write it on the calendar and I also use an app called "Walk Journal"
                                                                         

I know that I do better with variety, AND it's better for me so I schedule in a variety of things such as yoga, walking in varying distances and intensities, weight training and biking when the weather permits.

What I love to do
Use my feet.. I still have to be careful outside, especially on pavement and elevation changes.
                                                             
                                                             

        

Use my feet with Leslie Sansone Walk at Home exercise DVD's....

                                                             

Ride my very sweet Cruiser Bike! (which I won't take down our lane until the mud dries)
                                                                 
                                                                     

Stretchy band and hand weights (used with Leslie DVD's)

                                                                       

...........................................You Can Do Yoga ... yes, It's Leslie Sansone again!

"You Can Do Abs with the stability ball"... you guessed it, Leslie Sansone!
... and "You Can Do Piilates"...

Garden!!

Exercise isn't just going to a gym. An active life can take you far!

My mind will still lie to me and say "You can't possible walk a 5K" but I have!
My mind will lie to me and say "that's too far" or "You're too tired"  but it's not true!
My mind will especially lie to me and say "you don't have time to exercise. You are too big to exercise. This is too hard!" but then the voice of God's truth speaks louder and I am reminded that I am beautiful to Him. My body is His temple. God is with me.

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Isaish 43:18-19

... now.. quit reading blogs and GET MOVING! Just start. You can do it my friend!
God is with you on this journey of seeking His best for your life and health.

                                                                 

God's Greater love & My changing Heart

Wow! What a fabulous weekend I had. I can see God changing my heart. I am truly satisfied with healthier foods. I never dreamed that would happen! We went to Spokane for Hubby's birthday which is a scary situation for me. When I've been in healthy eating mode in the past I just tried to avoid any situations that were out of my control. I'm successful when I plan but feel overwhelmed when I'm facing with many decisions that don't "fit" my plan. Oftentimes I've given in to the lie that it's "just on this trip" "This is a special occasion". This time Made to Crave words played in my head. "compromise builds on compromise".
                       
                                                                        

I was blown away seeing God provide so many "healthy outs" for my eating options. For so many years I just haven't felt "worthy". I know God is super busy, right? He's dealing with wars and famines and truly BIG issues why would my food issues be of major importance? I felt guilty and unworthy to have to admit "God, I can't possibly do this on my own". Since yielding my food to Him I have seen his tender loving care in ways I never dreamed of!  I guess I'm just a slow learner because my whole life I've been reading how much God cares for me but I couldn't translate that from words to truly understanding it. God loves me so much that Hubby's first choice to eat at the buffet was discarded when we were in line with at least 25 people ahead of us waiting to pay. God loves me so much that I was able to enjoy some popcorn at the hockey game but then was prompted to hand it over to my husband to keep away from me. God loves me so much that I was able to eat Mongolian Grill and totally stay on my plan. God loves me so much that when I was tempted to eat a fried donut the steamer tray was empty. I can't even begin to imagine how many situations God has provided an escape route for me. Sometimes I took it, others I ignored him.
                                                                        
                                                                      

I am now defining my success not by dropping numbers on the scale, or shrinking inches but by my obedience to God. I am happily content. I'm not ecstatic about losing weight but feel contentment, peace and joy being obedient to God. It's a great place to be.