Tip #77: Plant a Garden!

I spent most of my childhood living in apartments, so when my husband and I bought our first house, I was super excited to be able to plant a garden!  I by no means am a pro at gardening, but with my husband's help I'm learning, and I know the many advantages of having one.

Why should you plant a garden?
1.  You can eat fresh food with no harmful chemicals (without paying for organic at the store)
2.  Save $ on your grocery bill.
3.  Gardening is a great hobby that burns a lot of calories.
4.  Having a plethora of fresh vegetables, may encourage you to eat more of them.  No one wants to waste food!
5.  Great lesson and activity to do with children.

In our garden (above), we have grape tomatoes, better boy tomatoes, beef steak tomatoes (who knew there were so many types of tomatoes???), yellow squash, cucumbers, zucchini, green and red bell peppers, carrots, broccoli and jalapenos.  One of the best resources for learning how to garden is simply by asking others who garden!  From friends and neighbors, we have learned to make a garden bed, what kind of wood to use (non-treated), how much to water, and how to thin certain vegetables (like tomatoes and broccoli) to help them grow better.  Of course there is always the internet too.  Let me encourage you, because neither my husband and I have what you would call green thumbs, but we've managed to create a garden that is actually producing food!  If you don't have a yard, you can always plant things like tomatoes and herbs, etc. in a pot.  Go for it!  It can be quite fun, and rewarding.

Tip #76: Acquaint yourself with the lovely Bean!

As I write this post about beans, it makes me think of a silly souvenir that I had as a child...it was a personalized newspaper with the headlines reading, "Sassy Sara Lands in Jail, Eats Beans".  Wow, I can't believe I actually worked that into a blog post.  Anyhow, the point of all that is to say that often (at least by my children), beans are thought of as a punishment or a "poor man's food".  If this is your opinion, let me open your eyes to the wonderful world of beans.

Beans are a fabulous food that every person should include into their weekly menu.  Here are a few of the many reasons why:

BEANS:
1.  Contain a large amount of antioxidants.
2.  Are a great source of Fiber.
3.  Are a great source of Protein.
4.  Fill you up and keep you full; make it easier to lose weight and/or maintain a healthy weight.
5.  Are cheap!
6.  Provide multiple nutrients: Vitamin B, Calcium, Potassium, and Folate

There are numerous varieties of beans, and countless ways to prepare and eat them!  The internet is a great resource for you.  www.allrecipes.com, www.foodnetwork.com, www.cooks.com.  Just start looking around and experimenting.  Here's a recipe for Red Beans and Rice that I experimented with a couple of weeks ago, and it was great!  This recipe uses a crock pot, which I always appreciate.

http://www.food.com/recipe/crescent-city-red-beans-rice-crock-pot-373619

I tweaked it to make it my own, just as I do with most recipes I find.  I did not use a ham hock, and I chose to use Smoked Turkey Sausage.  Here's a picture of my dinner that night.  It was delicious and I had leftovers for days, which makes for great lunches.

*Oh, and that's some awesome homemade ranch dressing (much better for you and better tasting than store bought).  A little mayo, sour cream, vinegar, pepper, garlic powder, dill weed, chives, and parsley.  I always love when I can pronounce all of the ingredients in my food!

Tip #75: ACTIVate your Vacation

Rest and Relaxation.  That's usually the primary goal for a vacation, as it should be!  However, how often have you gone on vacation, only to come back with some extra weight?  A vacation is a positive thing; something to help revitalize you, motivate and energize you.  I don't know about you, but coming home sluggish and carrying extra weight, is not my idea of revitalization!

Along with your time of rest, reading, lounging, and soaking up some sun, why not throw in some active activities?  That may mean a hike, a run along a beach or in the beautiful mountains, a snorkeling tour, scuba diving, or even a nice long walk to take in your surroundings.  Whatever it may be, don't be afraid to pull yourself away and be a little adventurous.  It will make your rest time all that more enjoyable.  Not to mention, your return home!

Tip #74: Are You Really Hungry??

You're sitting in front of the T.V., and without hardly even realizing it, your hand continues to bring food to your mouth.  The question is, are you really hungry?  After all, isn't that primary purpose of eating?  I bring this up, because often times, eating is done with no real feelings of hunger.  This "habit" can lead to extra weight, obesity, feelings of sluggishness, and even food addiction.

Here are some reasons that people eat, other than hunger:

1.  Dehydration:  If you are not drinking enough water, you can mistake dehydration for hunger.  You may try to satisfy your need by eating, when really all your body needs is some water!
2.  Boredom:  Perhaps you need a new hobby.  If you find yourself needlessly eating, try taking up a new hobby to fill your time.  Hey, I hear running is fun!  ;)
3.  Stress/Depression:  Eating is also used as a coping device or comfort for some.  As you can imagine, this can become quite dangerous.  If this is you, try other methods of coping/stress relief...exercise, prayer, talking with a friend, etc.
4.  Socializing:  Socializing is a great thing, but be careful not to throw all of your common sense out the window just because you're at a party.
5.  Lifestyle/habit:  Were you one of those kids that had to "clean" their plate at every meal?  Overeating or eating when you're not hungry may be the way you grew up, and is what your body is used to.  Realize that it doesn't have to be that way.  Train yourself to eat when your hungry, but to not feel obligated to "clean" your plate.

If you find yourself wondering if you are really hungry, ask yourself this:  "Does a big bowl of grilled chicken and broccoli (or some other healthy food) sounds good to you?"  If it does, you're most likely genuinely hungry!  If not, you might want to take a good look at your motivations and habits in eating.  Is it wrong to ever eat when you're not super hungry?  Well no!  You need to keep in mind that eating is also to be enjoyed--that's why food tastes so good.  But, if overeating/eating when you're not hungry, is habitual in your life and tends to rule over you, then you may want to take an honest look at it.  After all, at that point, abusing food isn't the real problem, just a symptom of something else going on in your heart and life.  Even the best food in the world cannot satisfy a starving soul.  Jesus Christ offers "food" that truly satisfies.  Seek Him, and you'll see.