God’s design has always been going against the grain, against the majority, the road less taken.
The Bible tells us in Matthew 7:13-14:
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
What’s so interesting to me is that we can apply the exact same truth to our health and modern society. I don’t think the world Jesus lived in had the same health troubles and concerns we face today–many of which are our own doing.
We’ve created our own downward spiral as a society because of the culture and habits we’ve cultivated around fast food, candy, soft drinks and convenience.
So it takes a wise person, someone astute, who chooses to see past the everyday ploys of marketing, advertising and gimmicks, and who intentionally decides to take the road less traveled–that ultimately leads to better health.
Going against the grain (both literally and figuratively) is the only way we will begin to reclaim our health, our vitality, our energy and our waistlines! But man it’s not easy!
Without going into an extensive nutritional lesson on how grain, wheat and gluten negatively affect our bodies, I encourage you to begin reclaiming your life and the health God created your body to have–one bite at a time.
>> Final thought: This week I encourage you to go against what is so easily available to us via soda machines, candy aisles, drive through lanes and take a stand to take the road less traveled by the majority around us. Just as the Bible encourages us to “take the narrow gate” that leads to eternal life, we need to take the narrow way that leads to our bodies best health.
Your sister in Christ,
~Dr. Melody
P.S. Have you thought about “taking the road less traveled” in your health or for weight loss, but find it’s almost too difficult to maintain?? I’m launching a brand new online community specifically to help you along that journey and the doors are NOW OPEN! I’ve got some awesome “grand opening” specials to commemorate and really think you should take a look. I think you’ll like what you see. 😉
I have a live training called “Reclaiming Your Health” ready to go for next Monday, June 27th @ 4pm PST, but it’s only for those who jump on board during the grand opening celebration and who are ready to take back their health–and their waistlines!
Click here to learn more about our brand new online VIP community.
We’ve all head of self-talk, but how hard are you trying to put yours in check?
And how are we REALLY supposed to change years of thoughts, input, ingrained sayings, family patterns, habits and messages from the world around us…how much can we really control and regulate that?
I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and we were talking about the challenges of weight loss, juggling motherhood, work, life in general and how and when are you supposed to eat right, prepare ahead and exercise, for heaven’s sake!
Some things I started to notice were the nonchalant phrases of “it’s going to take me forever” or “life is so busy I just can’t do it all” or “it’s impossible to….” and it really began to become apparent to me that the problem was not as much overwhelm, excuses or lack of motivation–the was simpler than that.
It started with a thought.
And that thought gets repeated enough that the brain literally begins to believe it--starts to act on it–starts to see “evidence” of it’s validity everywhere we go. Therefore it reiterates to us that it MUST be true.
Not so. Have you heard Henry Ford’s classic quote:
“If you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.”
Our thoughts are things.
Let me say that again: Our Thoughts are Things.
So yes, if you tell yourself you’re never going to be good enough, it’s never going to happen, it’s going to take too long, there’s too few hours in a day, life is too busy to make your health a priority and on and on and ON….then YES. You’re correct. If you don’t like that reality, then it’s also in your power TO CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS. To put a new spin on it. To begin to see life in a new, more positive, supporting and opportunistic way, and when you do….guess what?You’ll begin to see it materialize at first in little ways, then in bigger ways, then eventually everywhere you turn and everywhere you look, and every thought you think will be supporting and spurring you on toward your goals and toward the reality of your new thoughts.
But it STARTS with the thoughts in your mind first.
So being aware of them, learning to censor and weed out the negative ones, transforming them consciously into positive ones…over and over and over until it finally sinks in….will begin to transform your life, your outlook and your goal achievement–but it all starts with that little sneaky voice inside your head…
>> Final thought: If thoughts are things, how well are yours serving you today? If you’re not happy with your outcomes and your current reality, start by regulating your thoughts and watch the world around you begin to change…
Your sister in Christ,
~Dr. Melody
I lead a free private FB group specifically with that purpose called Worthy To Be Me.
Even though we’re not in person, we are still a hub and community focused of friendship, faith and uplifting each other through life’s ups and downs–and of course with a positive health focus as well. If you need to up level your surroundings, start by joining my free group online. We’re happy to have you and be an additional source of God’s light, love and positivity in the digital age. 😉
In this recipe, I combined four things I love: coconut, chia, cinnamon and almond milk.I’m crazy about cinnamon—the more the better in my book. 🙂
So this satisfied my love cinnamon, plus the shredded coconut for a textural contrast to the tapioca-like chia. Plus I’ve completely swapped over from dairy milk to almond milk–for many reasons–but it makes this yummy breakfast pudding completely dairy free. No tummy aches or digestion issues, plus all the health benefits of almonds–vitamins, protein and unsaturated fat.
Ingredients & Recipe (Single serving)
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened coconut shreds
Dry ingredients - 1 tsp cinnamon (or if you LOVE cinnamon like I do, add an extra 1/2 tsp.)
- 1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
- Fresh or dried fruit, optional
Chia Breakfast Pudding with dried cranberries
- Combine all ingredients, mix or whisk thoroughly until cinnamon no longer floats on top.
- Refrigerate overnight in covered bowl. This is when the chia-magic happens! Single serving ready to go for the next morning.
- Just before serving, add fresh or dried fruit (I used dried cranberries) to add natural sweetness (optional).
Just so you know, don’t expect this to be very sweet–that’s where the fruit comes in. If you’re used to sugar-loaded pop tarts or breakfast cereal, this will be a drastic change for your taste buds. BUT, as you begin to desensitize your taste buds and your body to overdoses of added sugar, the beautiful NATURAL sweetness of the fruit, almond milk, coconut and cinnamon will shine through. Breaking the chain of sugar-overload can seem daunting, or even bland at first. But we don’t realize how our taste buds have been masked by high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or skyrocketing levels of sugar in our daily processed food and drinks.
I encourage you to start taking steps to take the self-induced glucose burden off of your body, allowing your insulin levels to stabilize causing food and sugar cravings to dissipate.This great new breakfast pudding, along with other small changes in your daily routine and diet, can be just the thing to greater vitality, more energy and rediscovering the beauty provided to us in natural, whole foods. 🙂 Take a look at my other great recipes featuring whole, satisfying foods under the “I Love Food!” category. Cheers! ~Dr. Melody
