Fasting

Water, fasting, self-control, and discipline

Fasting History of Lent Do you celebrate Lent? The first record of early Christians started observing Lent probably in about 325AD following the Council of Nicea. (The Council of Nicea also developed the Nicean creed. This creed has become foundational in many reformed theology churches even today. Search for it yourself to read it.) However, Christians were likely practicing lent as early as the second century. The genesis of lent comes from the desire to engage in some type of fasting in an effort to honor and remember Jesus’ 40…

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Managing Blood Sugars 101

Intuitive Eating Class

Managing Blood Sugars: Diabetes Receiving a diagnosis of pre-diabetes or diabetes is not what we want to hear, but there is good news. I hope by the end of reading this you will feel empowered to make some healthy changes in your life. There are so many wonderful tools available to help you manage your blood sugars and stay healthy even with this diagnosis! I hope this article will help you get started in sorting through all of the nutrition “noise”. Myths about Diabetes First, let’s dispel some myths about…

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Healthy At Every Size: Is it Biblical?

Health at Every Size®: Is it Biblical? Let me preface this article by saying that I only wish to comment on the principles of this movement. Below you will find an outline of the 5 main principles, a description of common misconceptions, and finally, an evaluation of the principles as they relate to the bible. I hope you find it helpful to establish your thinking to be pleasing to the Lord in all things including taking care of your body. Blessings! Jenn Principles of Health at Every Size® (HAES) Weight…

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Why Ditch the Diet?

Intentional Eating

Have you been on a diet before? Almost all of us have at some point in our lives. Many times people will tell me they are a “professional dieter” or they have been on so many diets they can’t even count them. Or even that they have lost over 1,000 pounds! If this is you, please keep reading! Even if you have only been on 1 diet, or if you are considering starting one sometime soon, you should also keep reading! I realize I am going counter-cultural here as I…

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How to Challenge the Food Police

Food Police

How to Challenge the Food Police You’re done with dieting! You want to be an Intuitive Eater! Except there is this voice in your head that tells you not to let go of diets just yet…Because there is one out there that has got to be “the ONE” that will work – right? It can be nearly impossible to improve your relationship with food and body if the diet culture voice is still being obnoxiously loud. The authors of the Intuitive Eating framework call this voice “the food police” because…

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Can Science and Faith Come Together in the Nutrition World?

Heart healthy

Can Science and Faith Come Together in the Nutrition World? Science and Faith I have been thinking about this question a lot lately. Confusion abounds when we consider how to believe science and still continue in our faith. Let me first just say they are absolutely not mutually exclusive. I firmly believe that God gave us science to help us understand His creation! We also must remember that His creation is so beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) that it is certain, we will never know everything. It helps us…

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Intentional Eating: Using the Hunger Scale

Intentional Eating: What is it? Intentional eating is not a new concept, but we seem to have forgotten the benefits of being intentional about life in general and also about our food and nutrition. I have used the phrase Intentional Eating to describe a combination of Intuitive Eating concepts and Biblical Concepts and how they can come together. Intuitive eating consists of 10 principles. Each of these principles focus on getting rid of dieting! In fact, three of the principles involve getting back to feeling and understanding your hunger. Principle…

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Genetic Testing for Nutrition

Healthy Balance Salad

Genetic Testing for Nutrition Genetic Testing for Nutrition made its debut in the early 2000’s with the promise of helping people refine their health habits with more personalized nutrition and exercise recommendations. These tests search for SNP’s (single nucleotide polymorphisms) within your genetic code. We have millions of SNP’s in our code and most of them don’t actually make an impact on how our body works, but some do. These tests look at the SNP’s that are associated with variations nutrient metabolism, health, weight management, physical activity, and much more!…

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Meal Planning 101

Meal plan

Meal Planning 101 Have you wished someone would just create a meal plan for you, shop for you and cook for you? I have! I have had so many people ask me lately, “Do you have a “meal plan” I can follow? The answer to this question is, “yes, I do have meal plans available through Living Plate.” There are many options including a 5 day Anti-inflammatory Meal Plan, a Diabetes Meal Plan, a 28 Day Refresh Plan, and a Plant Based Meal Plan and More! Don’t get me wrong,…

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Freedom from Shame and Guilt

Freedom from Shame and Guilt Do you ever get that feeling of guilt after eating a little too much dessert? How about a piece of pizza? Do you find yourself often feeling guilty about something you ate or because you didn’t do something (like exercise)? Hmmm. I wonder though, should you feel guilty? Guilt and shame happen frequently for many of us when we “break the rules”. These feelings come up more and more often as we continually add food and exercise rules to our list of “shoulds”. These feelings…

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