The Body Issue March 2012

Christian Life 365

March 2012

March 2012 The Body Issue AprilandDecember.com 2

3 March 2012 The Body Issue AprilandDecember.com

Cover/Topic page Image: Vlado/freedigitalphotos.net Publishers page and Table of contents image: Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Recipes searched on Pintrest.com courtesy of: Weight Watchers; Skinny Taste and Better Homes and Gardens “Words” Background Image Blue Lips found on theluxeryspot.com “BeaUtiful” Image found on morethanluck.cpd.org.au Weight Watchers Ad found at visit4ads.com (Offer shown may not be valid) Table of Contents images from top to bottom: 123rf, clker.com and zazzle.com

April and December e-Zine

Christian Life 365

Publisher From the Desk © Publishing [email protected]

President

Rosanna Christopher [email protected]

Vice President

Mia James [email protected]

Editor

Rosanna Christopher

Contributing Writers Mia James Ann Christopher George Christopher

Images Freedigitalphotos.net Yahoo image search

Account Executives

Rosanna Christopher Mia James Aprilanddecember.com © e-Zine , March 2012. Published by From the Desk Publishing © Rossville Ga 30741. Direct all circulation and editorial inquiries to [email protected]. All information herein has been checked for accuracy to the best of the publisher’s ability. No responsibility accepted for deletions, omission, errors and/or inaccuracies. Unless special placement within the e-zine is specifically purchased, publisher reserves the right to place any ad on first come first serve basis.

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As we started putting this issue together I was at a loss for words. I didn’t

quite know how to introduce such a sensitive topic to our audience. I have

been in the fashion industry for almost fourteen years now and it never

ceases to amaze me how much women in particular struggle with body

image. It seems that as time rolls on, more and more men are becoming

just as body obsessed as their female counter parts.

We always want to know why and who is to blame. We bash social networking, slam

the media and point our shaking fingers at magazines and designers. But when you get

right down to it, the problem is not what we hear the world saying, it is what we aren’t

reading in the word! Our bodies are God’s temples. He designed every part to work

beautifully with each other. The inner workings of the human body have intrigued masses

and inspired even more.

We are made in the image of the Holy one. We were created by Him, for Him.

Shouldn’t we honor that? Shouldn’t we take care of ourselves so that we can be better prepared

to inspire the world and show them the glory of the Holy one? We owe it to God and to

ourselves to be the best we can be. One of my favorite songs is by a gospel artist named

Canton Jones. In his song “kingdom business” he exclaims that there is so much riding on

building the kingdom of God that we should keep ourselves in “tip top fitness”.

Everyone is not meant to be a size four and it is true that God has everyone’s number.

But when you dig deep you will find that God is concerned for us in our totality. He loves us

completely and abundantly. You are worth being around to see the miracles he has yet to

perform. So by all means, eat healthy and exercise, but don’t forget to love yourself. Love

you the way God loves you. Big or small, skinny or fluffy, God sees beauty when he looks

at us. We should strive to see it too.

-Rose


P. 11

Departments

In Every Issue

Focus on Living 7

Words 8

Tools for Living 10

Page of Power 15

Around the Web 16

In This Issue

Pain and Gain 11

Avoid the lunch sack

Panic attack 14

We try to give credit for all pictures, art work and material

that we gather across the internet. All credits for this

issue are listed to the best of our ability on the Topic

Introduction (page 2) next to publisher information. If we

have used material that belongs to you without properly

giving the credit, please contact the editor at

rose.studio6.yahoo.com. Thank you and God bless.


*Offer may not still be valid


I love how the plastic surgery industry likes to

maintain that “it’s your body, take control!” If

you have given yourself to God you need to

know it’s not your body it’s God’s. That being

said there is nothing wrong with nourishing and

cherishing the temple that God has given us.

And yes, that means shedding a few extra

pounds, staying away from sodium as much as

we can and watching our fat and sugar intake.

All these things in cooperation with a healthy

spiritual life make up for a feeling and acting

great! This is the kind of control that is

worth taking. But how often do we

try to do Gods job? Now I am not

bashing the plastic surgery

industry here. I am just saying

that no amount of surgery is

going to make up for an ugly spirit!

There is a big difference between

control and cheating. We as

people…especially Americans, cheat a

lot. How many of us underappreciated the gift

of life and living that God has given us. We

color our hair because we don’t want to look

old, we get botox at the age of 29 and as soon

as that number rounds up we go straight for the

face lifts (liquid or otherwise).

Many will argue that if it is a serious

defect that it should be taken care of. While I

understand that, I can’t understand why 15 year

old girls are starving themselves because

someone didn’t know how to raise a child

instead of a bully and Cosmo says she should be

100 pounds or a size 4 whichever comes first.

Then there is the ever resounding “But

it makes them feel good about themselves. “

Okay, as a plus size woman who is trying to get

fit and maintain it, I feel better about myself

knowing that God loves me just the way I am. I

feel better knowing that no matter how many

cupcakes I don’t eat and rice cakes I do eat, God

looks at me and He sees his beautiful

child.

The world would be a much better

place if we would stop feeding the

world fear and bullying and start

allowing them to feast on

positive change and the grace

of God. Caring about

someone should override

ridiculing them. Talking to our kids about

healthier choices and making sure they have

them available should override belittling them.

Looking in the mirror and seeing ourselves as

God sees us (free and worthy) should override

self hate.

If we gave our soul salvation as much

time and effort as we put into our bodies we

would have much prettier insides and

outsides…but then again, maybe that is the

problem with some people. Equal time doesn’t

always mean equal mind. Think about that for a

while. Oh and by the way…YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL.

Bea’U’tiful

-R. Christopher


Anonymous

Unknown

Phyllis Diller

Marsha Doble

The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side stepping responsibility and pushing their luck!

My Idea of exercise is a good brisk sit!

Exercise is a dirty word.

Every time I say it, I wash

my mouth out with

chocolate.

I have to exercise in

the morning before my

brain figures out what

I’m doing.



If any plan to live a healthy life is going

to be successful, you will need to manage three

things: The foods you eat, how much exercise

you get and how your stress level. Here are a

few of our favorite sites that give you the tools

you need to make a success out of healthier

living.

-Ann Christopher

The Lose Weight Diet

20 Minute Workout

A Low Stress Lifestyle

You don’t have to be on a ‘diet’ to eat healthy.

But where do you find foods that would benefit

a healthy diet for the purpose of eating well or a

healthy diet for the purpose of…well…dieting?

The Lose Weight Diet healthy foods list can be

used in conjunction with the Lose Weight diet

or by itself to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

We know we have to stay active, but walking

down the hall at work to go to the bathroom is

not considered exercise. A proper workout

includes cardio, toning, strengthening and

shaping. Motley Health provides several

different routines including this 20 minute home

workout.

Maintaining a low stress lifestyle is key to any

healthy living practice. About.com actually has

some pretty good tips on how to keep your

stress levels at a manageable level.

http://www.theloseweightdiet.com/diet-foods.html

http://www.theloseweightdiet.com/diet-foods.html

http://www.motleyhealth.com/fitness/20-minute-home-workout

http://stress.about.com/od/lowstresslifestyle/a/low_life_stress.htm


Nothing can send us in to health kick

frenzy like the diagnosis of a disease or disorder.

But what do you do when you are diagnosed with

something chronic which has symptoms that

seem to change more than the direction of the

wind? For those suffering from chronic pain

staying healthy is a must but it’s hard to do

because the symptoms change so often. Here is

a list of frequently asked questions that will help

you get started on your road to coping and living

a healthy life with CPD.

What do I need to do first? First I would talk to my doctor. If you have not gotten a firm diagnosis, ask your doctor to send you to a rheumatologist. They will be able to properly diagnose the Fibromyalgia or Chronic Pain Disorder. You many need to keep your mind open to change doctors. Not all family doctors can properly diagnose CPD.

Once you have a proper diagnosis, talk with your physician about managing the pain. You want to make sure that you can handle any medications or treatments that are given to you before you go changing your diet as medications may increase or decrease appetite. I would do an online search of medications that treat pain and look at the side effects. Try to steer your doctor away from giving you something that may increase your level of weight gain or appetite.

When it comes to monitoring you CPD,

you have to go to the doctor’s office prepared. Once you find a medication that works well for you, then it is time to talk to your doctor about diet options specific to other health concerns you may have. . How do I know if changes in how I feel are a result of my CPD (Chronic Pain Disorder)? Don't take for granted that you have access to just as much vital information as your doctor does. The web is your best weapon. Be sure that you are gathering your symptom information from a trusted site. When you do web searches, try not to gather symptoms, diagnosis and prognosis information from blog sites, but rather from medical organizations, CPD organizations and health professionals. Check their list of symptoms and compare them to yours. Make sure you check multiple sites for consistency.

When something changes, stops or starts, write it down. Again, I can’t stress this enough. You have to go to your physician prepared. It’s not that they don’t know what they are doing. CPD’s have ever changing symptoms that depend on a number of variables…weather, season change, stress levels, environmental stimuli… a number of things affect how we feel. If you and your doctor can see what is affecting what, you can track your symptoms to find a pattern.

Pain and Gain Living Healthy with Chronic Pain Disorders

-R. Christopher


Do I need to talk to my doctor before beginning a workout program?

YES! You need to at least fill your doctor

in on what you are thinking off. Sometimes the

pain can be so sever that we think we can’t do

certain things for fear of making them worse.

That may not always be the case.

When I first started Pilates, I thought it

was gonna hurt forever. The reaching and

stretching and that band made me want to curse!

But after the first few routines, they got easier

and I felt a lot less pain on a daily basis. But

yoga, stretches my limits too far. I thought they

were the same, they aren’t.

Your doctor can help you see from a

different perspective when it comes to the limits

you think your body can handle. You also want

to consult with your physician before you start or

end a diet.

What Exercises are the best for people with chronic pain?

According to many medical websites,

even those who suffer from chronic pain will

benefit from heart healthy aerobics. But many of

us who suffer from consistent pain (yes I am one

of them) will surely say that working up a sweat is

a very painful task…and not in a no pain no gain

type of way. I have found that toning and core

strengthening is the easiest way for me to start

aside from walking.

A mile or two of walking or on a treadmill

and some Pilates or yoga are great ways to start.

This is probably so because anyone who suffers

from chronic pain knows that the mental

complications are almost as debilitating as the

pain itself. Soothing techniques learned in Thai

Chi, Pilates or Yoga calm the mind and soothe

the spirit as well as give you a good stretch out.

The exercises are simple, have a great flow and

when done with walking or simple aerobics can

actually tone and strengthen the body.

Is there a diet specifically for those who suffer from chronic pain?

There are numerous lists on the web that

say if you suffer from a CPD don’t eat this, put

more of that in your diet and eat such and such in

moderation. I have found that caffeine is a

temporary pain reliever, but always, remember to

have caffeine in moderation. Also stay away

from artificial sweeteners. Sucralose or Splenda

is a fine substitute if you don’t have intolerance to

it. But Aspartame (Equal and Sweet and Low)

are bad. They cause more inflammation and

increase pain.

Aside from the afore mentioned

sweeteners, I find that the diabetic diet actually

helps aide in proper weight loss. It encompasses

all the necessary diets in one diet. You get low

carb, low sugar, low sodium and low fat all at

once. You can go to the website for the Diabetic

Association and get a food list. If you want

something specifically for chronic pain, you can

try this website.

http://www.fibromyalgiadiet.net/fibromyalgia-

diet.html To learn more about the link between

artificial sweeteners and fibromyalgia, go here:

http://www.drpodell.org/fibromyalgia_treatments.

shtml#Fibromyalgia-Diet-Treatments

http://www.fibromyalgiadiet.net/fibromyalgia-diet.html

http://www.fibromyalgiadiet.net/fibromyalgia-diet.html

http://www.drpodell.org/fibromyalgia_treatments.shtml#Fibromyalgia-Diet-Treatments

http://www.drpodell.org/fibromyalgia_treatments.shtml#Fibromyalgia-Diet-Treatments


Light and bright

recipes with

scriptures that warm

the soul

-A. Christopher


So you have decided that you are going to

eat healthier. You have been doing well so

far. You have thrown out the junk food and

stocked your fridge with fresh fruits and

vegetables. You have even bought some

organic and sugar free goodies to munch

on.

All is well until you go to work and notice

its lunch time. Oh no, you didn’t pack a

lunch. You run down to the cafeteria and

you can’t seem to locate anything that looks

edible let alone healthy. Or you run to…no

where because where you work doesn’t

have a cafeteria!!! So now you have to hit

the drive thru. Now What?

Even with fast food chains trying to add

healthy choices to menus; it is still a

struggle to find something good for you.

All you really get at the drive thru is a “non

fried” choice of sides…which we all know

that even some non fried foods are still not

good for you. Most of the choices are filled

with Tran’s fats and salt. Not to mention

they are loaded with calories.

Many people who are becoming health

conscious find it easier to cook at home and

take food to work when time allows. Well,

that’s where we come in! Here are some

quick recipes found on a couple of various

sites we love here at A&D. So please pull

up a chair and take out your fork and knife,

it’s time to eat!

-Mia James

Weight Watchers Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

Skinny Taste Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast

Better Homes and Gardens Tortellini and Vegetable Bake

http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeId=110271

http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeId=110271

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/03/spinach-and-feta-stuffed-chicken.html

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/03/spinach-and-feta-stuffed-chicken.html

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/poultry/tortellini-and-garden-vegetable-bake/

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/poultry/tortellini-and-garden-vegetable-bake/


Page of Power -George Christopher

I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

-Psalms 139:14

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

-Isaiah 53:5

“Those who think they don’t have time for bodily exercise will later have to find time for illness.

-Edward Stanley

Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking nor outright purchase.

-Joseph Pilates

Dear God, thank you for your powerful gift of life and the beautiful creation known as our bodies. How it works and what it does has intrigued many and is still a mystery expect but to you. Help us to love ourselves the way you love us and take care of what you have given us to house your spirit. Amen


Share your weight loss

and dieting success as

well as get support and

encouragement at:

[3Fatchicks.com]

Relieve some stress with

helpful hints from:

[FamilyDoctor.org]

Get tips on living healthy

whether you are dieting or

not at:

[Everydayhealth.com]

Keep track of your diet

progress at:

[Dietdiaries.com]

http://www.3fatchicks.com/

http://www.familydoctor.org/

http://www.everdayhealth.com/

http://www.dietdiaries.com/

Documents

The Body Issue March 2012