This Christmas season my husband and I have been discussing various things to implement into our daily schedule that will produce a focused and healthy lifestyle for the months and years to come. We know that the gift of health is so important, and we want to steward that reality to each other!
We started using essential oils about a month ago (I looooooove them) as well as using our super awesome, easy peasy Nutribullet to be juicing 1-2 meals per day. If you have been following along (HERE & HERE), you know that I have seen significant breakthrough in my health (migraines nearly gone, no more Tylenol, sleeping better, increased energy, decreased joint pain, down a pants size, skin clearing up etc…) I am shocked!! Its been almost a year of constant, chronic fatigue and by ridding my body of toxins I am finally on the upswing!
So as we were talking about what to do for Christmas presents this year we brought up the idea of pooling our money together and getting Beach Body’s Focus T-25 program! It’s a high intensity, super crazy 25 minute non stop BLAST to your system and we have been wanting to purchase it for a few months now. (On Lord I might DIE I am so out of shape!)
I kept thinking to myself that there was nothing I needed for Christmas. I have a beautiful home, plenty of clothes and shoes, a room full of handmade jewelry and a puppy that is our constant entertainment. I didn’t know how to answer him as to what I wanted. I just wanted to keep on track to feeling better. He said to me one night “the greatest gift I could give to you is our health”. I was in agreement, and after discussing it for a while, we decided to combine our Christmas money together and “gift” each other with T-25!
I am SO excited (and to be honest NERVOUS) to start and to see us both walk in better health, increased energy and overall physical strength. I am excited to give the gift of health to myself and to my husband. We are looking forward to this program because ANYONE has 25 minutes 5x a week. (I am still worried I might DIE though… HA HA HA!)
My hearts desire is to really focus on having a schedule in 2014 and I know that by adding an exercise program, I will be more focused! No one LIKES beginning a workout program, but I know that we will be SO grateful that we did!
I can’t wait to share the blood, sweat and tears with you all over the next 10 weeks 🙂
I would love to hear from you about your goals and new areas of focus in 2014.
Here’s to 2014 as a STRONG, focused and healthy year!
Merry Christmas Day my wonderful friends and family! Today I will be continuing on with the Christmas Advent devotionals by John Piper over at desiringgod.com, I thought this post to be so uplifting & encouraging, causing our hearts to dive deeper in the love of Christ as we go throughout this day of remembrance and celebration. Christmas is such a wonderful time for the pondering & meditation of the reason WHY Jesus came to earth. The incarnation, Christ taking on the form of a tiny baby, is staggering to the human heart and I hope that you find this advent devotional as deeply moving as I did.
GOD BECAME A MAN!
Simply to be with you and me..
Remember Him today. Think upon what God did to bring peace on earth and goodwill towards men. God put on flesh so that you and I would forever be with Him.
He is love and love is your greatest portion. Let Him show you the majesty of Himself.
WHY JESUS CAME Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. —Hebrews 2:14–15
Hebrews 2:14–15 is worth more than two minutes in an Advent devotional. These verses connect the beginning and the end of Jesus’s earthly life. They make clear why he came. They would be great to use with an unbelieving friend or family member to take them step by step through your Christian view of Christmas. It might go something like this…
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood…”The term “children” is taken from the previous verse and refers to the spiritual offspring of Christ, the Messiah (see Isaiah 8:18; 53:10). These are also the “children of God.”
In other words, in sending Christ, God has the salvation of his “children” specially in view. It is true that “God so loved the world, that he sent [Jesus] (John 3:16).” But it is also true that God was especially “gathering the children of God who are scattered abroad” (John 11:52). God’s design was to offer Christ to the world, and to effect the salvation of his “children” (see 1 Timothy 4:10). You may experience adoption by receiving Christ (John 1:12).“…he himself likewise partook of the same things [flesh and blood]…”
Christ existed before the incarnation. He was spirit. He was the eternal Word. He was with God and was God (John 1:1; Colossians 2:9). But he took on flesh and blood and clothed his deity with humanity. He became fully man and remained fully God. It is a great mystery in many ways. But it is at the heart of our faith and is what the Bible teaches. “…that through death…”
The reason Jesus became man was to die. As God, he could not die for sinners. But as man he could. His aim was to die. Therefore he had to be born human. He was born to die. Good Friday is the reason for Christmas. This is what needs to be said today about the meaning of Christmas.
“…he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil…”
In dying, Christ de-fanged the devil. How? By covering all our sin. This means that Satan has no legitimate grounds to accuse us before God. “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33).
On what grounds does he justify? Through the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:9).
Satan’s ultimate weapon against us is our own sin. If the death of Jesus takes it away, the chief weapon of the devil is taken out of his hand. He cannot make a case for our death penalty, because the Judge has acquitted us by the death of his Son!
“…and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
So we are free from the fear of death. God has justified us. Satan cannot overturn that decree. And God means for our ultimate safety to have an immediate effect on our lives. He means for the happy ending to take away the slavery and fear of the now. If we do not need to fear our last and greatest enemy, death, then we do not need to fear anything. We can be free: free for joy, free for others.
What a great Christmas present from God to us! And from us to the world! I pray that the LOVE of God would reign in your hearts today. I would be so grateful if you would share this post on your social media sites so that someone who may not know the reason God sent His one and only Son could be encouraged today. Let the love of Christ dwell richly in your hearts and may you have an amazing time celebrating with your dearly loved ones!
As you go about the busyness of your day today, I want to encourage you with this beautiful Advent devotional from John Piper on the gift and importance of remembering Jesus this Christmas Eve. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of making dinner, wrapping presents and welcoming in loved ones, but we must see the worth of Christ and treasure Him in our hearts this Eve.
I pray that this devotional encourages you as much as it did me.
May your days truly be merry and bright!!!
Xox, Rachael Dee
GOD’S INDESCRIBABLE GIFT If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. —Romans 5:10–11
How do we practically receive reconciliation and exult in God? One answer is: do it through Jesus Christ. Which means, at least in part, make the portrait of Jesus in the Bible—the work and the words of Jesus portrayed in the New Testament—the essential content of your exultation over God. Exultation without the content of Christ does not honor Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 4:4–6, Paul describes conversion two ways. In verse 4, he says it is seeing “the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” And in verse 6, he says it is seeing “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” In either case you see the point. We have Christ, the image of God, and we have God in the face of Christ.
Practically, to exult in God, you exult in what you see and know of God in the portrait of Jesus Christ. And this comes to its fullest experience when the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, as Romans 5:5 says.
So here’s the Christmas point. Not only did God purchase our reconciliation through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ (verse 10), and not only did God enable us to receive that reconciliation through the Lord Jesus Christ (verse 11), but even now, verse 11 says, we exult in God himself through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus purchased our reconciliation. Jesus enabled us to receive the reconciliation and open the gift. And Jesus himself shines forth from the wrapping—the indescribable gift—as God in the flesh, and stirs up all our exultation in God.
Look to Jesus this Christmas. Receive the reconciliation that he bought. Don’t put it on the shelf unopened. And don’t open it and then make it a means to all your other pleasures. Open it and enjoy the gift. Exult in him. Make him your pleasure. Make him your treasure.
(excerpt taken from “Good news of Great Joy” by John Piper)
*Please take a moment to share this post on your Social Media networks. There are share buttons blow. Holidays can be such a sad and difficult time for many that we might know, and this devotional could be that spark of hope that they might need!
Have an amazing day and love those around you with your whole heart. I am grateful for YOU this Christmas Eve and thank God for your life!
Its true.
I’ve become “that girl”…
You know, the “holistic, all natural, eat as organic and gluten free as you possibly can and tell the whole wide world WHY” kind of girl. That is a HUGE difference from my diet soda addiction, sugar obsession, calorie glutton, processed snack way of life
Yup. That’s me.
Reaching for a NEW kind of normal. In my defense, I have been SICK for over a year now and fed up. Fed up with doctors not knowing how to diagnose me. Tired of the fatigue, mental brain fog, upset stomach and overall malaise. Tired of using pain pills or OTC drugs to numb the ache but never solve the problem. Tired of cancelling plans, calling in sick, and unable to function normally day to day. So I am getting back to basics. Down to the root of health…
I AM SO HAPPY I DID.
I have become ADDICTED to the way juicing has impacted my energy levels, headaches and overall strength and many of YOUasked me what I am doing.
How did I go down an entire dress size, sleep better and lessen my headaches in a matter of just a week?
Well the answer lies in living what God intended for us, naturally. Its about eating what our bodies were created to consume, work on our food addictions and emotional triggers, and ask God daily for strength and help to change for the better. The power of testimony is real, and I am so excited to share with you my top 5 energy boosting, detoxifying juices that have changed my day to day living. Health is about making small changes over time and I want to help and inspire you in any way that I can.
I AM HOOKED!
I got so sick and tired of feeling SO sick and tired, I decided to do what I could on my own to better my overall health. I am only a few weeks in, but have seen such great results I cant go back. When I am passionate about something, I tend to share about it with ENERGY, so I hope my excitement spreads to YOU!
This is my new best friend… The NutriBullet.
Not a traditional juicer and ABSOLUTELY NOT a blender.
This handy dandy little machine is what’s called a JUICE EXTRACTOR.
But Rachael, what the heck is a juice extractor? Looks like a blender to me… I thought the same thing friends, but here is the difference. Unlike your common juicers (which remove the nutrient rich pulp) and basic blenders (which just mush ingredients around) a juice EXTRACTOR actually breaks down your ingredients at their cellular level, creating a juice that is not only nutritious, but it is easily absorbed into your body.
OMG and did I mention its EASY!!?
You just fill the cup with half fresh, raw greens (arugula, Swiss chard, kale, spinach etc) add some nutrient dense berries (or other fruits) toss in some organic, raw almonds, walnuts or pecans, add a couple super-food elements like chia seeds, flax or maca powder, finish it off with a cup or so of filtered spring water, twist on the extractor blade, and BAM, that’s it!. You’ve got yourself a pulverized and incredibly delicious juice (they call it a “nutriblast“… so cute!)
The special blade actually breaks down the tough items, like nuts, root veggies and leaves, and makes it easy to digest for your body.
So easy. So yum!
The reason I started juicing 2x a day was because I consistently felt like garbage. By day 2 and 3 I was feeling better from my body detoxing and by the end of the 1st week I felt better than I had in years! I would eat a light meal in the evenings of fresh veggies and 4-6oz of a clean protein, and it helped SO much!
So where do YOU start!? Here are my BEST energy boosting juices! (Recipes taken from the Nutribullet Natural Healing Foods Book, nutribullet.com)
Toxin Cleansing Blast Flush toxins from your body with this delicious,fruity concoction.
• 1-2 handfuls of rinsed spinach
• 1 cored pear
• 1 banana
• 1 cored apple
• 1 cup of pineapple
• filtered spring water
The Immune Booster:
Keep healthy even during flu season with this delicious elixir packed with antioxidant goodness.
• 1-2 handfuls of rinsed spring greens
• 1 banana
• 1 peeled orange
• 1 cup of pineapple
• 1 handful of blueberries
• filtered spring water
Protein Powerhouse
Packed full of protein, this super satisfying blend keeps you energized for hours.
• 2 handfuls spring greens
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 orange
• 1 cup mango
• 1/8 cup cashews
• filtered spring water
Tropical Tonic
Boost your immune system with this vitamin C rich drink.
• 2 handfuls spring greens
• 1 avocado
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 cup mango
• 1 cup papaya
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• filtered spring water
Vita-Berry Blast
Ward off cancer, heart disease, and viruses with this sweet and tasty blast of flavonoids!
• 1-2 handfuls of rinsed spinach
• 1 cup of blueberries
• 1 banana
• 1 handful strawberries
• filtered spring water
Hope you try some of these out and start feeling better! I would LOVE to hear what you think! Please comment below any questions you might have, and let me know what is your favorite blast! Remember, you are NOT alone in the journey to healthy living!
I will be praying that you have a happy & healthy holiday season.
My journey to healthy living has been long and often lonely, but yesterday I posted that I started juicing a week ago and got a HUGE response from so many friends! My in laws gave us a Nutribullet for an early Christmas gift, and I began using it for 2 meals a day. Crazy thing is I am down a dress size, no longer bloated, my headaches have decreased, I am almost completely off Tylenol and caffeine, I’m sleeping better and my blood sugars are AMAZING! I am a happy girl indeed!
I decided to put some of the details that were asked in the post, yet as I started, I think this will become a mini series on gluten free living, detoxing, juicing and how to naturally shift to a healthy lifestyle.
If you haven’t read my journey as to why I live gluten, grain and sugar free, make sure to pop over HERE. In a nutshell, I have a severe gluten intolerance and I am in the process of shifting my ENTIRE life around to try and get my health back into a better balance. (Easier said then done my friends) I want to make sure that everyone understands that what I explain here on this blog is from my own personal research, my own personal testimony and shared experience. If you are like me and have a medical condition, please consult your doctor!
With that said, I want to share a bit of my childhood, so that you understand the reasond I am so personal and passionate with my health and choice of eating. I tend to be wholehearted and extreme in anything I do, so I hope you find my zeal hope-filled and inspiring!
To understand me a bit, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the young age of 3. I’ve been in and out of the hospitals growing up, with a number of life threatening comas which should have taken my life. The Lords hand was on me, and I see that He saved my life to touch and impact others with His life. I’d like to share vulnerably a bit our my own journey and hope that it meets you wherever you are today.
I started “sneak eating” as early as I can remember. As a diabetic, you are told what you can eat and how much you are allowed to consume at certain times of the day. Yet my sweet little sister was allowed to have all sorts of yummy and decedent food that I “wasn’t allowed” to have, and to my adolescent brain, that wasn’t fair.
I became obsessed with food. Addicted. Consumed. It was often times all I could think of. I would strategically sneak into the kitchen when my mom was out of the room and consume as much as I could in a short amount of time. That lead to constant upset stomach aches, high blood sugars and a mental battle that would follow me into adulthood.
Fast forward 25 years or so and you find me at the ripe age of 28. Migraines were weekly battles and my sugar addiction was out of control. You see, the pesky thing with sugar is that once the cycle starts, it is vicious, aggressive, and near impossible to control. I was about to move to Atlanta Georgia for a semester of school, and before I left, my chiropractor suggested getting off all sugar, grains and gluten. (Gluten, what the heck is that? And how will i survive without SUGAR!)
I decided to try it, seeing as no amount of Tylenol could even remotely touch the headaches. Within the first few weeks I experienced so much energy I was floored to keep going. Just 3 months into living gluten, grain and sugar free, I was 22 lbs lighter, walking with nearly NO headaches and sleeping better than I had in years. I ate a diet of clean & lean animal protein (organic when I could afford), nutrient rich organic vegetables and limited amounts of low glycemic index fruits and berries. It was INCREDIBLE!
I moved back home to finish my last semester of school and life happened FAST when I quickly became engaged to my love & best friend Justin. Throughout that season of graduating college with my him living and serving an orphanage in Brazil, planning a wedding and cross country move, I slipped from eating as clean as I once did and fell back into old habit patterns. We arrived in Atlanta in the Fall of 2012 and a few short months later I was nearly bed ridden with sickness while doctors couldn’t figure our what was going on. I was fighting migraines again, chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, malaise, brain fog and social anxiety and felt just downright MISERABLE. Weeks turned into months and months turned into almost a year until we figured out the greatest attack against my system was a teensy little thing called: GLUTEN.
Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture. (Wikipedia)
At this point we were living almost 80-85% “gluten free”. You know, making sure we “sort of” watched out for it. It made sense to eat ALMOST completely off gluten, but I had never actually researched the affects and symptoms that can come alongside of someone struggling with a gluten intolerance.
The intolerance can be linked with a myriad of symptoms such as:
Autoimmune conditions
Chronic diseases
Skin eruptions, eczema, cold sores, acne
Fatigue
Joint pain
Indigestion
Bloating Gas
Heartburn
Constipation
Diarrhea
Congestion
Anxiety
Moodiness or irritability
Headaches or migraines
When NOTHING else seemed to be working, I had been in and out of meeting with dozens of specialists here in Atlanta and tons of blood work drawn, my husband had the most simple of suggestions one night. He said “well babe, since nothing else seems to be working, what if we just cut out the gluten for a few weeks and see how you feel?”
Made sense to me…
So we did it. But not the 85%. Not even the 96%… NO. We went 100% gluten free. We purged the house. We read EVERY label. We stopped eating out in restaurants (I almost died). And you know what? Within 2 weeks my symptoms had decreased and I was able to function for the first time in MONTHS!!! That’s all it took! No doctor could tell me anything otherwise and as we have now been gluten free for 3+ months, we are never going back.
SO… Why did I share all that??
I want to take the next few posts to develop the understanding and issues that gluten, (sugar, grains, processed foods…) bring. Know that since eliminating it from my diet, so many other symptoms have dissolved, and my body is on its way to healing. Did you know that it takes 7-14 days for gluten to exit your body once introduced, and symptoms of bloating, weight gain, severe stomach discomfort and fatigue can be onset within the hour of ingestion.
Gluten is NO JOKE and not just a “fad diet” gimmick. Even if you don’t suffer from an intolerance like I do, the way gluten is processed in wheat etc these days, most bodies do best in eliminating it from their diet altogether.
SO, that’s a teensy introduction to my journey. It has been long, and I am only in the beginning stages of my healing, but I am on a mission to LIVE as full as I can TODAY. I have struggled with food for my whole life if I am honest, but I know that I am meant to LIVE and LIVE abundantly. At this point I will do whatever it takes to LIVE each day to its fullest. My hope for these posts is where other men and women who are on the same quest for health can come together, share stories, encourage and inspire one another.
I hope you stay tuned these next few weeks as I share a few tips and tricks that I have learned along the way and share your own successes and struggles. We are ALL in this together and none of us are alone. Make sure to comment below any questions or testimonies of your own victory!
Follow up post to come in a few days!
Until next time,
