Often we feel tension when trying to make good decisions in the kitchen.  Organic food vs. budget, avoiding processed foods vs. time spent in the kitchen…That tension is the motivation for creating Kitchen Stewardship.  I hate that feeling, and I want to help you break free of the worries and do your personal best to give your family and God the best you can, one baby step at a time.

I offer you one tiny step in the process of releasing worry and integrating prayer into your kitchen.  Today’s tip is for everyone who feels crunched by their food budget but wishes they could spend more on “clean” food.

The Tug of the Budget

We are not all able to give our families the very best, perhaps, because of financial limitations.  Many single-income families struggle with food purchases, especially when trying to eat nutritious, safe food.  Organic food is expensive. Stainless steel water bottles cost a lot more than plastic.  Avoiding pesticides may mean you have to avoid eating out or taking a vacation.  Healthy fats cost waaaaaay more than shortening. Fruits and vegetables – even the standard ones – make a bigger dent in the food budget than potato chips and processed bread.  Organic food is expensive.  (Have I said that one already?)  Buying grass-fed meat and healthy eggs can make you feel like you ought to get insurance for your frozen food in case of power outage.  Natural supplements and dishwasher detergents get into double digits pretty quickly.  And have I mentioned organic (and well-raised) food is expensive?

I don’t want you to think “eating healthy” means “eating organic”.  It’s far from that.  But purchasing foods that have LESS added to them – fewer preservatives, fewer pesticides, fewer chemical fertilizers, less processing, less sugar, less high fructose corn syrup – always ends up costing you MORE in the end.  It’s an unfortunate irony.

There’s no way around balancing a budget and buying healthy food.  Either you find places to cut and buy the expensive stuff, or you do what you can and purchase less than your idea in many categories.  What are those of us to do who have already made budget cuts, who desire organic spinach but must grab the 10/$10 bag of pesticide-laden stuff anyway?

How to Make Up for Less than Perfect?

My friend has a way to compensate.  She knows she can’t afford organic, pastured chicken, for example.  When she serves run-of-the-mill storebought chicken that ate God-knows-what under miserable conditions, she begs our Lord to fill the gap. She prays the meal blessing with her family and adds a codicil in her head: “Lord, I know this isn’t the ideal meal.  Please bless this food.  I trust you to make up the difference in nutrition for my family.  Protect us from anything in this chicken that might harm us. May we be healthy anyway.” It’s about doing your best, and then trusting God to fill the space that lies between the resources you have and what you’d like to serve.  God saved Daniel from hungry lions, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from fire, and Peter from shackles in a prison.  Don’t you think He can protect your family from a few pesticides if only you ask?  “Bless US, O Lord…” Ask, seek, knock.  “And these Thy GIFTS…” God knows how to give His children good things!  “From Thy bounty…” All our food is from our God.  “Through Christ, Our Lord…” Jesus will provide.

Important to Remember…

One reminder:  please don’t look at this as an excuse to buy whatever you want and hope that God won’t allow the consequences of your choices to harm you. We are instructed not to tempt or Father.  We all know we shouldn’t go jump off a tall building and expect God to catch us so we aren’t at all injured.  We can’t be irresponsible with our choices.  Our purchases still affect the world at large.  We must be sure to do what we can to reduce our negative impact on the environment and give our families the best with the resources God has given us.  Someday we’ll be in Heaven, God willing, and we won’t have to think about what to buy, how to prepare it, and if it’s going to hurt us.

But in the meantime, since we live out of Eden, pray a meal blessing at every meal, and super-charge it with supplication for holy supplementation!



Copyright 2009 Katie Kimball

It’s time to face your excuses head-on so that you can overcome them and choose to live a healthier lifestyle. Here are some of the most common excuses for skipping exercise along with ways to combat them.

I Don’t Have Time: This if by far one of the most common excuses used. But, it still doesn’t hold water. People that use this excuse are actually saying that exercise is not enough of a priority to make it on their weekly to-do list. If you fall into this category, then it’s time to review your daily priority list. Certainly there is something less important that you are doing for 20 minutes every day that can be replaced with exercise. After all, exercise is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family to ensure that you live a long, full, disease-free life.

I’ve Tried And Failed In The Past: It’s true that it can be difficult to get motivated to try something after you’ve failed before, but isn’t your health worth another try? If you’ve been unsuccessful at exercising in the past, then re-evaluate what went wrong. Did you try to do too much, too quickly? It’s very common for new exercises to be overzealous when starting their workouts and end up either burning out or getting injured early on. Did you set unrealistic goals for yourself? Try to stick with small goals that are truly achievable. For example, that you will workout three times per week for the next month.

I Can’t Afford A Gym Membership: You don’t have to spend a single minute in a gym in order to lose weight or get fitter. Just walking outside is a great place to start. Also, home fitness equipment has become very affordable and accessible. For as little as $30 you can buy some great home equipment that will really challenge your body. A resistance band and an exercise ball allow you to work every muscle group and even get a cardiovascular workout.

I’m Too Fat (or out-of-shape): Unless your physician has forbidden exercise, then it’s very unlikely that this excuse has any validity. If you are extremely out-of-shape, then you simply need to start with baby steps. Walking is always a great place to start. You may have to start with just five minutes. That’s okay. You can gradually add more time each week. If walking is not an option, then you could try some pool exercises. At the very least, you can start by getting active while sitting. There are many beneficial strength training exercises you can do while sitting.

I Don’t Have Any Exercise Equipment: Nice try, but it doesn’t require special equipment to get your heart pumping. Don’t underestimate what you can do with things that are already in your house. For example, if you have a flight of stairs in your house then you’ve got an awesome way to get your heart rate up with through walking or running the stairs. Grab soup cans or milk jugs filled with sand to immolate dumbbells for strength training exercises. Try push-ups and tricep dips and you’ll quickly realize how hard your body has to work when just using it’s own weight.

I Don’t Know What Exercises To Do: There are literally dozens of ways to learn what exercises will help you. A great way to ensure your workouts are most effective is to hire a personal trainer or an online personal trainer. They can guide you every step of the way so that you don’t waste any time doing exercises the wrong way. Also, there are books, online websites, television shows and videos that offer loads of advice and tips.

I’m Too Old To Get Started: It may sound cliché, but you are never too old to get started. Everyone can benefit from exercising. Even if you are a senior citizen you can reap many rewards from starting an exercise program. Okay, so maybe you won’t be a marathon runner or a bodybuilder, but you’ll be able to walk the stairs easier, play with your grandchildren, improve your balance, improve your strength and more.

I Just Can’t Get Motivated: Don’t view exercise as a lifetime evil. Set small, short-term goals to help you get started. Start with a promise to just take the stairs instead of the elevator, for example. Then you might move onto scheduling 10 minutes of activity a couple of times per week. Also, make a list of all the positive benefits exercising has on your life. Your list might include giving you more energy, reducing your health ailments and more. The list should be pretty long. Post it somewhere that you will see it regularly and it can serve as a reminder to you as to why you need to workout.

I Hate Exercising: You probably think you hate it because you’ve been stuck doing activities that you don’t enjoy. Many people still have the old “no pain, no gain” mentality and think that in order for exercise to be worthwhile you have to be miserable doing it. This just isn’t true. Consider things that you really like to do. Do you prefer competitive situations? Then consider joining a recreational sports team. Do you enjoy spending time alone? Maybe Yoga or evening walks are for you?

I’m Too Tired: This excuse can create a vicious circle because the more sedentary you are then the more tired you become. Of course, the more tired you are then the less appealing exercise sounds. So, try to nip this in the bud quickly. Exercise can actually make you feel more revived then a nap. Regular physical activity increases your energy level. Plus, exercises tend to sleep fall asleep faster and sleep better, which allows you to truly feel rested every day.

When you find yourself making an excuse not to exercise, read through some of the above tips again. And, remind yourself of all the many benefits of working out: lower body fat, decreased risk of many diseases, reduced instances of depression, improved bone density, reduced risk of injuries and many more.

Copyright 2009 Lynn Bode

The Hero is Down

I loved detective and mystery books as a kid, and it seemed like the hero was constantly getting knocked on the head and lying unconscious on the floor. I want you to keep that image in mind – of a person lying on the floor, oblivious to the world around them – as you read this post. I feel it adequately describes the unfortunate state of too many people in our culture. How many in this country allow others – the media, the government, the grocery store ads, their own mothers – to make their decisions for them, either because they don’t care to be informed or because they opt out of their own lives? We cannot lie around with our brains turned off, unconsciously moving through our days.

Take Charge of Your Food

Think about it: We wouldn’t want to be unconscious to the taste of good food…we wouldn’t want to be unconscious on our wedding day or during a date with our significant other…we wouldn’t want to be unconscious at an important event in our child’s life. Why do we feel that it’s okay to be UNconscious as we prepare the food that will nourish all these precious people? It’s time to wake up. Get off the floor, good heroes and heroines of the kitchen! Be conscious. Be cognizant. Don’t allow the government or the popular culture to tell you what is healthy for your family without doing your own research. (Don’t worry – I can help!)

Women Have all the Dresser Drawers Open

My husband is sometimes in awe that my brain is always turned on, that I’m always thinking and so fully and completely invested in so many areas of life. It’s annoying sometimes, like when I’m trying to sleep, but I believe cognizance is one of my most important attributes. I am cognizant of what I buy, what I throw away, what I cook and how I cook it. There are, quite literally, a million different decisions that I make every day, and it is my fervent prayer that I am conscious for all of them, and that God is leading me to the right decision every time.

Action is Everything

For most people, there are many actions in life that are just that – an unthinking, habitual, action. Brains aren’t involved. For me, life is a little different. I don’t just flip a lightswitch. I don’t just turn on the water faucet. I don’t just grab a box of my husband’s favorite cereal at the store. Every action is a thought process, a conscious decision and movement that takes into account budget, environment, nutrition, and all the possible repercussions of my action.

In reality, no one JUST turns on a lightswitch. When you flip that switch, you add to your carbon footprint, you run up a certain amount on your electric bill, you use a certain amount of the lightbulb’s lifespan, and you cause electricity to be produced, consuming whatever sort of fossil fuel it takes your community to make power. Every action is part of a sequence of events affecting other people in this time and the future. Let us begin to treat life as such.

Conscious-Altering Life Changes

My consciousness changed a great deal when I became a parent. Those of you who are blessed with children can relate – suddenly every electrical outlet, every strange chemical smell, every dog running down the sidewalk gives you pause: could this harm my child? That precious, helpless life entrusted to you truly changes the way you see the world. You look at everything through the lens of a parent. The decisions you make suddenly, very clearly, affect someone other than yourself - someone you love with all your heart.

The Great Analogy

Let’s look at consciousness from the perspective of a peanut on the floor. No, I’m not going nuts myself – just bear with me and watch the progression:

A Peanut on the Floor

* I am a two-year-old boy. I see a peanut on the floor. I see a snack. I eat the peanut.
* I am an eight-year-old boy. I see a peanut on the floor. I see a reason I might get in trouble with Mom. I nudge the peanut under the couch.
* I am a teenage boy. I do not notice the peanut on the floor. What peanut? What floor?
* I am a newly married man. I see a peanut on the floor. I see a mess I ought to pick up and throw away the next time I walk that direction.
* I am a father of a new crawler. I see a peanut on the floor. I see a choking hazard. I rush over and throw the peanut away.
* I am the parent of a child with a peanut allergy. I see a peanut on the floor. I see potential death or hospitalization for my child. I rush to throw away the peanut, then conduct a thorough examination of the house for more peanut product and an inquiry of all those members of the household to determine WHO let the peanut get into the house. !!

Perspective changes consciousness. Our perspective must be that of Christian stewards, aware that every action we make has a reaction in the natural world, and every food we feed our family has a reaction in their bodies. As people who wish the best for our families and our communities, now and in the future, we must polish our lenses and begin to wake up to the reality of the peanut on the floor.

The Challenge

I would like to challenge you to begin tapping into your consciousness. Now don’t misinterpret me here – I’m not a New Age chickie telling you that I want you to listen to your inner such-and-such. I just want you to turn your brains on as you work in the kitchen.

I want you to practice the fine art of questioning, like, “How much energy did that use?” and “Why is X my habit?”

And I want you to refine your skills of observation: How many items do you use that are disposable, for example? Are you creating unnecessary waste by cooking your favorite meal?

I don’t even want you to challenge any habits (yet) or change your actions (yet). You don’t have to do research or learn about the issues (yet). If you’re interested in being thoughtful about your kitchen actions and trying to balance good nutrition, stewardship of the earth, your time and your budget, join me at Kitchen Stewardship and that will come. First we must practice being conscious, being aware of our decisions and their possible ramifications. We must begin to think of the world as a great spider web, where every move I make quivers the line and affects a multitude of other people and systems, more than I can see with my eight little spider eyes. Or maybe I’m the fly…we’ll decide that later!

Do it NOW!

Here’s what I do want you to try:

When you are in your kitchen this week or shopping for food, give your best attempt to dig deeply into each action and decision. When you find yourself doing something out of habit or losing your consciousness, picture yourself lying unconscious on the floor. Then bust out the smelling salts, take a sniff, and get up, dear hero! Increase your awareness of the peanut on the floor. Maintain consciousness in the kitchen.

Copyright 2009 Katie Kimball




Copyright 2009 Katie Kimball

Read the whole post:  The 6 Week Cure for the Middle-aged Middle.


Copyright 2009 Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Thanks again to Pat for having me on her show and for all of the terrific work she is doing Among Women!  Click here to listen to our conversation.

With Autumn often comes a lot of busy days. This is particularly true if you are returning to school or you have children that are. With the extra-curricular activities that come with school, you probably find it difficult to stick to your workout routine, at least until your new Fall schedule becomes commonplace for you.

So, while Fall is often a time when more people eventually head to the gyms, there is often a period of a few weeks where workout routines get completely abandoned. Rather than punish your body for your hectic schedule, find a way to sneak a little bit of physical activity in. Try some different, fun workouts rather than the standard treadmill and gym machines. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Check out a local bike path, walking/hiking trail or lake. Go once or twice a week for just an hour and burn some calories the fun way – by biking, walking, rollerblading, or even canoeing.

Play a sport. Maybe you enjoy the traditional games like volleyball, softball or soccer. Or, if you don’t feel you have the skills for those games try something different. How about a game of ultimate Frisbee with friends at the nearby park? When’s the last time you tried shuffleboard or bowling? Or, even try something in your back yard. Go to your local sports store and you’ll find loads of different backyard games that require little athletic skill yet keep you on your feet and provide a group of friends with an afternoon of laughs.

Do you or your spouse have a honey-do list that’s been collecting dust? Check it out and you’ll surely find some activities that will burn some muscle and increase your heart rate. Outdoor options that require pulling weeds or raking definitely fit the bill. Also, cleaning out a garage or painting a room can offer great benefits.

Organize a charity event. Helping others makes us feel mentally good. A great way to both help others and simultaneously yourself is to organize an exercise-related charity program. This doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. It can be as simple as getting a group of neighbors together and agreeing to walk X miles on a given day. Then ask other neighbors to donate a small amount to support your walk. All the money that you raise can be given to the favorite charity of your group.

Copyright 2009 Lynn Bode

Yes, it’s sad, but we’re down to the last week of summer.

I hope you’ve enjoyed your summer as much as we have – we took a few small family vacations and did some fun outings with friends here and there, and also had a lot of much-needed downtime, too.  (Did you read about our son’s dream birthday vacation?!)

But alas, it’s time to start thinking a bit about fall schedules and new routines. Maybe you’ll even want to implement some healthier habits with the start of this school year.

If so, here are some lists to help get your brain rolling…

Back to School Countdown

Copyright 2009 Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Most families would look back and recall kindergarten. We look back and remember “Katie’s tonsillectomy.”

That was 15 years ago. There have been countless episodes before then and since involving my four children that brought me into the health care system to varying degrees. As any parent will attest, most of us mark time with medical stories, as in, “That was the summer Jimmy had staples in his head” and “That was the year Betsy had a stress fracture and couldn’t run.”

There is perhaps no greater certainty as a parent than the sure knowledge that over the course of your children’s young lives, you will spend hours with them in the waiting room of the pediatrician’s office or an urgent care center or the hospital emergency room.

You’re likely to become “Dr. Mom” or “Dr. Dad” as you learn all you must know to make wise decisions about your child’s health. Ultimately, no parenting task is more important — or more serious — than to monitor and maintain the health of our children.

Protecting children’s health is one supposed selling point to reforming health care. On the face of it, with potentially up to 10 percent of America’s children uninsured, this is one of the best reasons to overhaul aspects of our medical delivery system.

But H.R. 3200, the bill under consideration in the House, doesn’t simply help parents find the resources to pay for their children’s health care. It includes intrusive mechanisms to decide what that care ought to be. And despite promises that those of us who are happy with our private insurance can keep it, the fine print in this bill forces even private insurers to alter the care we may choose for our children.

According to Devon Herrick, a health industry economist and fellow with the National Center for Policy Analysis, this health care overhaul will affect parents’ decision-making roles for their children.

“It isn’t meant to only reform our health care system,” he says. “It’s meant to remold it entirely. And in that way, you can imagine that the law of unintended consequences may take over. It will inject larger bureaucracies into all aspects of health care – ALL aspects – and in that regard this bill definitely does impact choice.”

Mr. Herrick warns of “mission creep” in the legislation, too. Ideas such as voluntary home visitor programs, meant to fund state-based parenting and child-development education for underserved populations, may ultimately promote state sponsored “best practices” in parenting our children.

Um … Welcome to Stepford, everyone, where all the children are healthy and happy because the government makes it so.

Given President Obama’s recent comment about doctors’ money motives behind tonsillectomies, perhaps he would have eliminated our option to have the surgery that caused us such worry all those years ago. But in reality, given the risks, no doctor does this surgery anymore unless it’s absolutely necessary – and no parent would allow it, either, if it weren’t needed.

Every mom or dad waiting outside a surgical suite or watching a hospital monitor measuring a child’s every labored breath will attest that our interest in the well-being of our children is God-given and supreme. As such, our roles in their care must be respected.

But you won’t find any language like that in the thousand-plus pages of H.R. 3200.

Copyright 2009 Marybeth Hicks

They in return end up “spinning their wheels”. They’re stuck at the same weight with little or no positive movement toward their weight loss and fitness goals. Yet, if just a couple of short strength training sessions were added to replace some of their cardio workout time, they could break-through plateaus and reap a wealth of health benefits.

There are many, many benefits to strength training. It has the potential to:

• Lower resting heart rate
• Reduce blood pressure
• Improve cholesterol profiles
• Reduce intra-abdominal fat, which in turn can help lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension
• Help preserve bone mass
• Increase calories burned which helps promote weight loss

Unfortunately, many women are still either uneducated about the amazing benefits of strength training and/or afraid that they will “bulk up” and therefore they avoid resistance exercises. According to a study published in 2006 by Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, only 17.5% of
adult women performed strength training.

As shown above, there are numerous reasons why women should begin incorporating strength training into their workout routines today! But as history has shown, benefits such as preventing diseases and improving overall health are not usually the driving force behind change. Visible and measurable physical improvements such as a decrease in the scale tend to be the most motivational. So, let’s take a closer look at how strength training helps promote weight loss.

Moderate aerobic exercise, such as walking, has a metabolic cost of 5-7 per minute on average (in other words, it burns 5-7 calories). Moderate to vigorous strength trainings has a nearly equal metabolic cost at 5-8 per minute. So both walking and strength training can promote an equal amount of calories burned during the actual activity. But, there’s an extra benefit to strength training: you burn calories after you’ve stopped working out! Resistance training recruits both slow and fast twitch muscle fibers so the metabolic rate stays elevated longer. This means that you are burning calories long after you’ve stopped working out. One study showed an increase in metabolic rate even the next day post exercise. The study also showed that 24-hour post-exercise fat oxidation after strength training increased by an amazing 93%.

The benefits are both proven and clear, but some women still fear that they will get big, bulky looking muscles and look more masculine then they prefer. This really is a myth. In reality women simply do not have the necessary quantities of testosterone to build muscles like a man. It is a rare case when a woman has the potential for above average hypertrophy (increase in muscle size).

Also, often times a woman adds strength training to her exercise regimen and begins to see the numbers on her scale go up instead of down. This is immediately seen as a failure to many and the abandonment of the program occurs. In this case, using the scale to determine progress can be very misleading. An increase does not necessarily indicate fat has been gained. The exact opposite is more likely the cause. Muscle tissue weighs more by volume than fat tissue. A pound of fat occupies 18% more space than a pound of muscle.

Since women tend to correlate success and the scale readings so closely, it is highly recommended that women simply not weigh themselves regularly, Instead they should use other measurements, such as body fat percentage to gage progression. It’s very common for women to actually “weigh” their self-esteem when stepping on the scale rather than tracking their true health improvements.

Now that you know how important strength training is to overall health, here are some tips for getting started:

• Don’t go overboard and abandon your cardio sessions. Aerobic exercise is equally important and should be done 3-5 times per week.
• Start by adding in two strength training sessions per week.
• Choose weight sizes that will fatigue your muscle after about 8 repetitions.
• Select exercises that will work all of your major muscles.
• Include a variety of different strength training equipment like dumbbells, machines, balls and bands.

Copyright 2009 Lynn Bode

For an effective home gym, all that is required is a little bit of planning. Don’t fall into the trap of purchasing random fitness equipment because of fancy advertising for the latest infomercial fad or the great “sale” at your local fitness store. That type of purchasing leads to a house littered with equipment that’s only use is as a clothes hanger or dust collector. This often happens because the equipment is either useless, poorly constructed or quickly loses its value because it doesn’t progress with your fitness level.

To avoid having a basement filled with expensive dust-collecting equipment, keep these points in mind when making a purchase:
1) What are your fitness goals?
2) How often do you realistically think you will use the equipment?
3) What fitness level do you expect to be at in 3, 6, 9 months?
4) Will the equipment meet your needs as you get more fit (at the 3, 6, and 9-month marks)?
5) Does the equipment offer enough variations in use that you can change your workouts frequently to prevent your body from hitting a plateau?
6) Will you enjoy the exercises or will you quickly grow bored of them?
7) And, of course how much can you afford?

Once you have answered all of the above questions then you are ready to make some purchasing decisions. Of course, how much you can afford to spend may dictate what you can actually purchase.  Don’t get discouraged. For as little as $100, you can have a very effective total strength training home gym. Even for as little as $35, you can create an effective workout that will tone your entire body.

Regardless of what your fitness goals are, there are a plethora of equipment options to consider. For building muscles and/or toning-up you can choose from free weights, selectorized machines, resistance bands, benches and even no-equipment. For cardiovascular improvements (e.g. running, walking, etc),  there are even more options. They range from treadmills, to elliptical trainers, to bikes and beyond. So, answering the previously mentioned questions is very important.

To help make your decision easier, below are several recommendations based on costs and needs, along with benefits of the exercise equipment.

If you want to create a gym that will provide you with a total body workout (cardio, strength and flexibility) and you have a budget of at least $1000, consider the following recommendations:

· Treadmill – The best option for cardiovascular equipment because it can be used for running, walking, and even some leg strength training. Plus, workouts can continually be varied based on speed, incline, even direction. And, it easily progresses as fitness levels improve.
· Full dumbbell set with weights ranging from 5 pounds to 50+ pounds. – Great for light toning, to intermediate strength training to building muscles. Less expensive than selectorized machines and usually provides more flexibility and variety in workouts.
· Fitness Ball – Provides exercise options for toning, strengthening and stretching.
· Resistance Band – Provides another option for strength training. Can alternate use with free weights for a great challenge that will help prevent plateaus.
· Step Bench – Can be used for both cardio workouts and strength training workouts.

If you want a home gym specifically for building muscles (or just can’t afford cardio equipment), and can afford at least $100, consider the following recommendations:

· Dumbbell set.
· Fitness Ball
· Resistance Band
· Jump Rope – Offers very challenging cardiovascular fitness workouts at a very low price.

If you want a total body home gym but can only afford less than $100, consider the following recommendations:

· Three dumbbells sizes (e.g. 5, 10 and 15 pounds)
· Resistance Band
· Jump Rope

If you are limited to purchasing just one very affordable piece of equipment, consider buying a Fitness Ball. As mentioned above, it provides many different exercise options. With the ball you can get an upper body workout, a lower body workout, very challenging abdominal workout and a stretching/flexibility workout. And, you can get all of this for around $35.

Also, don’t underestimate what you can do with things that are already in your house, like stairs, a chair, milk jugs and others. There are a lot of exercises that require no equipment at all. For example, push-ups, tricep dips, squats, calf raises, etc. You can even create your own “weights” through milk jugs filled with water or sand.

As you can see, there are a lot of options available for creating a home gym that will meet your individual needs and will provide a lot of workout variety. Even on a shoestring budget, you can still make a wise purchase that will be invaluable in helping you get more fit and healthy. And, you’ll enjoy all the benefits of working out at home.

What are the benefits of working out at home? Well, here are some highlights:

· No wasted time driving to and from a fitness club
· No waiting in line to use the equipment
· Workout on your schedule, rather than just when the health club is open
· No expensive monthly membership fees or long-term contracts
· Motivation to workout as you pass by the equipment every day

Of course, you will need previous knowledge of how to use your home equipment or you will have to be willing to learn. But, it’s not difficult. Most equipment will come with basic instructions and a few sample exercises. You may want to enlist the help of a professional to provide additional exercise options and guidance that will ensure that you get the most out of your fitness equipment through every fitness level stage.

For an affordable workout plan personalized to your individual needs and available equipment, enroll in a WorkoutsForYou.com online fitness program.

Copyright 2009 Lynn Bode

http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/03/home-remedies-for-a-cold-ear-ache-how-to-avoid-colds-flu-ear-infections-antibiotics.html

Copyright 2009 Kelly the Kitchen Kop

I’m pleased to share the following interview with Thomas R. Collingwood, Ph.D., author of Spirit, Mind and Body: A Christian Foundation for Fitness

.  Tom’s book is a wonderful look at blending physical fitness and spirituality with profound results.  I hope you enjoy his insights and that you will check out Spirit, Mind and Body: A Christian Foundation for Fitness – I greatly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in making the mind, body, faith connection!

Please introduce yourself and your family to our readers.

My wife Gretchen and I live about half the year (mostly in the winter) in Richardson Texas, a suburb of Dallas, and the summers in Estes Park, Colorado, where I volunteer as a Ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park and as a Hikemaster for the YMCA of the Rockies. Gretchen and I grew up in rural Indiana across the highway from each other and have been married for 43 years. She is a registered nurse and has been involved with telephone crisis counseling for many years. Both she and I serve as a Eucharistic Ministers and assist in providing lectures for RCIA.

We have two children. Our daughter Jennie lives in Paonia, Colorado where she is the high school Spanish teacher and volleyball coach. She has a boy and a girl. My son Andy lives in Estes Park where he manages a physical fitness and physical therapy center, He to, has a boy and a girl. Needless to say, when we all get together with 6 adults and four grandkids under the age of 4 it gets pretty wild.

With advanced degrees in both exercise science and psychology my physical fitness career started with the YMCA as a Physical Director and camp Unit Director where I developed a wilderness survival camp for at risk youth.  For over 15 years I served as the Director of Continuing Education for the world renowned Kenneth Cooper Aerobics Research Center where I instituted hundreds of physical fitness programs for employee groups and youths worldwide. In that capacity I trained over 10,000 fitness leaders and created the FitForce national law enforcement physical fitness program and the First Choice youth fitness project that was cited as one of the 20 exemplary youth fitness programs in the country.

For the last several years I have been involved in implementing faith based physical fitness programs by conducting seminars and retreats for diocesan priests, seminarians and Parish Family Ministries on the value of exercise for practicing ones faith. In addition, a new initiative titled “Eco-Fit” has been instituted through numerous environmental education and service projects that integrates environmental stewardship habits and physical activity. Working with Creatio, a Catholic based environmental education program I am now providing Stewardship of the Body and Environment retreats at the St. Malo Retreat Center in Estes Park, Colorado.

Over the years I have served in many leadership capacities for the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and the American College of Sports Medicine and have authored eight books and over 100 articles in the field.

Please give an overview summary of Spirit, Mind and Body: A Christian Foundation for Fitness.

There is a rich Christian heritage in Scripture, the role models of Jesus and the Apostles, the thoughts and sayings of early Church fathers and modern Church leaders regarding our body and its relationship to spiritual and mental well-being. However, that tradition is little known.

The book consists of two major sections. The first four chapters provide a rationale for why we, as Christians, should be concerned about physical fitness and physical activity. A spiritual rationale with quotations from Scripture, early Church fathers and recent Popes is provided to define a faith based ethic for fitness and physical activity. Secondly a mental rationale is defined with conclusions provided from research on the effects of exercise and physical activity on emotional well being and cognitive functioning. The physical rationale summarizes the known effects of exercise on physical health dimensions and how physical activity can lower many health risks such as heart disease.

The last four chapters of the book provide a simple “how to” plan to get more physically active in a safe manner. A “getting started” section explores why the reader wants to get active and how to neutralize barriers. A general process is provided that enables the reader to assess their own activity and fitness level, set goals and design activity and exercise plans. A final section gives motivational guidelines for sticking with a program.

What prompted you to write Spirit, Mind and Body?

Over the years I have been involved in educating and training thousands of individuals and organizations to be more physically active. A major focus of this effort has been on designing programs that will motivate others to exercise. That experience has taught me that an individual will not change behavior unless it fits with a personal worldview. For most Christians our faith is that world view. A recent Gallup poll of practicing Christians found that our faith was considered a major influence on our behavior, yet many Christians and the majority of Americans (as in much of the western world) are still sedentary. So why, as Christians, are we not more active and fit? The Christian faith as expressed by the life of Jesus Christ, the Bible and the tradition of the Catholic Church is our worldview, yet we are not always educated on Jesus’ and our faiths’ teaching about our body. This book attempts to challenge Christians with that understanding.

This book grew out of my experiences in conducting physical fitness retreats and seminars for diocesan priests, seminarians and parishioners where I discovered that for an individual to take the steps to become more physical fitness required having an understanding of a faith based rationale. I believe we have a Christian obligation to care for our body and to maximize our energy so that we can fully serve the Lord. In turn, I believe God wants us to be as physically and mentally healthy as we can be. Once we become more aware of this and learn the skills to design and follow a safe and effective fitness program, then we will increase the chances of having and sustaining a healthier lifestyle. In short, we are better prepared for our faith journey by embarking on a fitness journey.

This book is my attempt to help meet the need for that faith based lifestyle change and lifestyle change that, in turn, reciprocates by supporting our faith. While most of my career has involved assisting others to be more fit for physical or mental reasons I am realizing that I am now being called to put that experience to work for spiritual reasons – to put my talents to work for the faith and the Church.

What value can physical fitness have on the spiritual life?

I have found that spirituality can mean many different things for different people. For me, spirituality is having a sense of experiencing and being close to God and all his creation. With that I think fitness can be of value in two ways. First, is the effect fitness has on increasing our energy level. It could be having the energy to act on our faith by volunteering at a soup kitchen, or having the energy to spend a contemplative hour at a Holy Hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, or having the energy to be more attentive during Mass, or having the energy to fully read and comprehend Sacred Scripture. That energy is an enabling force to experience God.

The second effect is what I call the “process” effect. The act of exercising, of sweating, of experiencing the heart rate increase provides us with an experience of the wonderment of God’s creation. Our bodies are a well designed machine. Physical activity instructs and reinforces that for us. In addition, physical movement can keep us humble. Exercise provides an introspection into ourselves. It is a very honest process in which we can not falsify or hide from what we really are able to do. That introspective relationship with ourselves can open the door for an introspection of our relationship to God. An example is what I call “prayer walking”. My daily morning “wake up” walk after breakfast is when I can talk to God as he walks with me.

In the book, you give some early Christian examples of the mind/body/faith correlation.  Could you briefly speak about a few of these?

“Sound body, sound mind” is a saying that goes back to the ancient Greeks. Likewise, the modern day YMCA motto of Spirit, Mind and Body conveys the same message. We are not one-dimensional beings. From a Christian perspective we see this mind/body/spirit connection first in the role model of Jesus.  We can infer much from the Gospels about him as a physical role model. First, Jesus was a long distance hiker.  The Gospels tell us that Jesus traveled great distances on foot. In Matthew 15:21 it is written that Jesus and His disciples walked from Jerusalem to Tyre and Sidon – a distance of 50 miles. Secondly, the Gospels tell us that his earthly father Joseph was a carpenter and implies that Jesus practiced the same trade. Thus, Jesus would have worked as strenuously as a lumberjack because carpenters in His day felled and trimmed trees. As such, He would have had to have high levels of muscular strength and endurance as well as flexibility.
The notion of the unity of sprit, mind and body was a belief of the earliest Christians. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is thought, by most biblical scholars, to be the first written Christian manuscript. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Paul directly refers to the perfection of an integrated spirit, soul and body through the coming of Jesus Christ. This was an important theme in many of Paul’s writings, especially in his first letter to the Corinthians. In it he makes many assertions to the linkage between sprit/mind and body. He alludes to the body being the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 6:19). In 1 Corinthians 12:12, and 24-26 he expands on how we can not divide up ourselves but we are one integrated being.

The concept of spirit, mind and body unity was also expressed by the early Church Fathers and later Church theologians. St. Irenaeus, in the 2nd century, spoke of the body and soul together in what constitutes the “perfect man”. Another early Church father, Justin Martyr, noted that God has called all of us “our body and our soul” to happiness and resurrection through Christ. Perhaps the most famous early Christian theologian, St. Augustine, notes that it is our Christian responsibility to care for both the body and the spirit. Finally, the great theologian of the Middle Ages, St. Thomas Aquinas, noted how activity can aid in contemplation both as relaxation and as a means for learning and that “the body can help in the operations of the soul”.

If someone is currently leading a sedentary lifestyle, what are some easy ways to get started with living a more fit life?

I have found that in many respects the old saying “just do it” can work for some people. But it has to be in very easy and simple ways to “just do it”. This involves nothing more than looking for opportunities to expend energy in physical activity.  Examples are taking the stairs instead of an elevator. Move around the house or office whenever possible and instead of calling to people in other rooms, get up to see them. Throw away the TV remote. Rather than employing someone to always do the yard work occasionally do it yourself. Some people will deliberately park their car several blocks from work so that they have to walk further to the office. If one seriously thinks through a typical day, there will be ample opportunities to expend more energy.

Another approach to being more active is to try to decrease sedentary activities. A simple guideline is to stand instead of sitting and walk instead of standing. While there is nothing wrong in sedentary activities such as reading and watching TV, there are substitute activities. For example, you could get books on tape and listen to a book while walking. Instead of sitting around and talking when visiting friends try doing a “walk and talk” together. Even one’s prayer life can be made more physically active by doing prayer walking. The bottom line is that by seeking opportunities to be more active and expend energy, a movement habit will develop which helps to set the stage for more formal and structured activity.

A more structured approach could involve three basic steps. A first step could be to clarify and define the benefits of being active and develop a personal reason to become more physically active. It may be for a spiritual reason to develop a sense of connection with your body, an emotional reason to combat depression, or a mental reason to be more alert, or a physical reason to lose weight and prevent heart disease. The important issue is having a sense for why it is important to commit yourself to change your activity habits. This helps to keep you motivated.

A second step would be to review potential barriers to being physically active. It is not always easy to change or start a new behavior of any kind. Barriers are those obstacles that can keep us from starting and following a physical activity program. Yet, most barriers can be overcome if being active is a personal priority. There are physical, social and psychological barriers to exercising. Having a sense of what those barriers are and how to minimize them before starting a program greatly enhances the probability of success. Some of the more common barriers to address are inconvenience, lack of time, preexisting injury, lack of skill, and social/cultural barriers. Sometimes our circle of family, friends and co-workers are not active and may not be very supportive of our efforts to change our behavior. It may require doing it alone, which, for many, can be a barrier. An option is to join a physical activity group, health club or class. Another way to overcome this barrier is to find a “partner” who is also willing to exercise.

A third step is to set physical activity goals such as walking for 30 minutes day and incorporating those goals into an activity plan. Select an activity or activities based upon what you like to do, what is convenient, and what can be readily substituted for sedentary behaviors at home, work or school. The plan would include 1) listing the days of the week that you will do the activity or activities, 2) listing the duration and times that you will do the activity and 3) listing where you will do the activity.

Finally you want to keep a log of your activity and how well you follow the plan. Give yourself a reward each week you follow the plan for the first month to get you started. Hopefully, after that the activity will be its own reward.

Are there any additional thoughts you would like to share with our readers?

As I mentioned previously, changing any behavior is not easy but looking at habit change as part of our on going faith journey can aid in altering that behavior. I had a recent example that illustrates this. I am active in many Pro Life events. Prior to a march we had in Dallas a year ago a friend of mine who has been very active in Pro Life over the years said he felt bad for not being able attend because walking and standing for several hours was just too much effort for him. He had become fairly obese and he thought walking and standing was just too much effort. After a year of dieting and gradually increasing his level of physical activity and exercise he made this years’ march. He thanked me for helping him get back to what he considered his faith mission.     Independent of personal considerations for health and well being this , to me, is what this all about – Being active to have the energy to continue our faith journey and our faith based actions to build the Kingdom.

Purchase Spirit, Mind and Body: A Christian Foundation for Fitness

Second, thanks to each and every one of you who have prayed for me, written to me, dm’d me, tweeted at me, or sent me Facebook flowers and well wishes – your words of support and encouragement should make this a very smooth and easy process.  While you’re praying for me, I would ask you to pray for those far more seriously ill than I am who face much more grave prognoses.

So today, I took advantage of the thirty minutes between dropping Adam at school and my 8:45 appointment to go to Mass – that seems like the perfect way to spend the time whenever I can do so!  I arrived promptly and changed into the hospital gown they give you and stashing my stuff in my “cubby”, complete with a personalized label just like preschool.  A note on those gowns – what exactly is the correct way to wear them?  They tie in the front, but not in a way that keeps you from completely exposing yourself so I spend the whole time I am waiting clutching the front of the gown in terror that I will flash someone.  If anyone knows the magical formula for tying them appropriately, please leave a comment below!

I was gowned and ready, convinced that I would be off the table and in my car driving home promptly by 9:00 am.  WRONG!  My very nice technician came in to tell me that the machine I was waiting for was broken and that I would be sorted into the line for the other machine and subject to an approximate 20 minute wait.

No problem, I just retrieved my iPhone from my cubby and was in the process of checking email when a very nice woman named “Joan” entered the room.  Joan had just come from meeting with the doctor and had tears streaming down her face.  But in this case, they turned out to be very happy tears.  “Good doctors here!  No more cancer!”  Joan shared with me in her very broken English as she rubbed her stocking cap head in excitement.  My Spanish is horrible, so all I could do was have a good little empathy happy-cry with Joan and try to let her know how thrilled I was for her.

There’s something I’m learning as I spend time in the Cancer Center.  I have expressed here before that I feel like a bit of an impostor – that I shouldn’t be there taking up space or staff time because I don’t really feel sick.  Meeting people like Joan is going to be a big part of this journey for me.  On Friday, when I was waiting for my xrays, I saw a very young mom and her adorable daughter.  The daughter, who looked to be about five, sported her Mommy’s blue eyes and a full head of shocking blond hair that I guessed her Mommy probably had too when she wasn’t bald from chemo.  I don’t know that mom’s name, but the site of the two of them sitting and playing game boy in that waiting room stuck with me all weekend.  When I was on the table Friday for xrays, I spent the whole time praying for “Blondie and her daughter” – I don’t know them, and will likely never meet them, but I felt compelled to beg God to please heal Blondie immediately and to keep her cute daughter worry free in the process.  It’s funny that I’m also equating having a full head of hair to feeling guilty in the Cancer Center waiting room – the ladies in those knit caps are the ones who really need our prayers!

During my wait today, my sister Erin called and chatted me through about fifteen minutes of the 45 I eventually spent waiting.  That was a treat and made the wait time pass much more quickly.  Once I was actually on the table, the radiation was so quick and easy I was amazed!  You lay on your back, hands gripping a bar above your head, and hold very still.  I have a tendency to hold my breath when I’m trying to be still, so I need to relax a bit.  There is no pain, no sensation at all aside from the machine whirring around you.  The machine, by the way, turned out not to be broken after all – which left me with that same sensation I always have when I’m traveling on an airplane and the captain takes you off the plane for a mechanical problem and then reboards you an hour later – was there truly a problem, is the problem truly fixed, and would you ever know the difference anyway?

In these early days of radiation, I’m told I will feel no effects.  As early as next week, I could begin to develop skin issues, but that will be a very small price to pay.  After my treatment, I bid goodbye to the two techs who will likely become my girlfriends by the end of this process and waited to see my doctor.  It turns out that every Monday, regardless of how I’m feeling, I will meet with him for a check up. That check up includes a blood pressure check and weigh in, which is a cruel thing to do right after Christmas!  But I’ve decided that since I am going to have to weigh in every Monday, I might as well treat it like Weight Watchers – so now my goal is to lose one pound by next Monday, or to pull the old WW trick of wearing lighter clothing!

Dr. K. is very nice and our meeting was quick and to the point, so I was able to hit my car by 10:15 – only 75 minutes after my original estimation.  The fact that this delay happened on the very first day was a good reminder to me that I am not the person who is in charge of this process, and that I need to just relax and go with the flow.  That may mean less podcasts, fewer blog posts, and a skipped work out or two.  But right now, giving myself over to this part of my healing will take priority.

OK, that’s enough for one day of these random musings – I’ve completed the first of my thirty three scheduled treatments.  But don’t worry, I won’t subject you to blog posts every day for the next seven weeks.  If you could please remember Blondie, Joan and all of the other ladies sporting knit caps in the waiting room I’d appreciate it so much!

Yesterday’s appointment with the oncologist was very informative.  The doctor spent so much time discussing with us my diagnosis and the treatment route he is recommending.  I always wonder if I’m getting preferential treatment for being a “doctor’s wife” – I hope every patient who walks into an appointment with my oncologist receives the same compassionate, detail filled orientation to life as a cancer patient.  In reality, my prognosis is so wonderfully optimistic that I was likely a happy reprieve in the day of a very caring physician who has to deliver a lot of bad news every day to most of the people he treats.

It seems that the next step in the path to crossing this little episode off my list is to visit a Radiation Oncologist – different from the Oncologist we saw yesterday, who will oversee the medication treatment phase that begins after 7 weeks of radiation.

So there will be yet another doctor’s appointment prior to treatment beginning, and that process will likely begin in early January.  Right now, I’m waiting to find out which Radiation Oncologist is covered by the HMO insurance we switched to this year.

Honestly, dealing with the insurance aspects of this have been the most confusing and frustrating part of the process.  Every time I feel myself getting anxious or upset about all of the hoops we jump through, I remember and say a prayer for those who are really sick and have no coverage at all.

When we were at the Cancer Center yesterday, I had such a surreal sensation of “I shouldn’t be here, taking up space for those who are so sick!”  All around us were patients who looked pretty bad – ill, uncomfortable, and in varying stages of treatment.  We were greated by “Bob”, a volunteer ombudsman and 8 year cancer survivor who oriented us to the center.  When he refused to let me walk up the stairs to the second floor and insisted on the elevator, I wanted to shake him and tell him, “I’m not really sick, Bob!”  I felt like an imposter – taking up services (inlcuding elevator time!) for people who are far worse off.  Bob, in a jaunty Santa hat and sporting a big cane, wouldn’t take no for an answer, so I obliged him.

My oncologist, Dr. H., is such a nice man.  I tried to convince him that we could skip seeing the next specialist, but sadly that’s not the way things are done.  So there will be another appointment in a different Cancer Center likely within the next week or two.  The list maker in me wants to be able to put a date on my calendar that says “Radiation treatment complete” but, alas, that won’t be happening just yet.

The good news is that, as we’ve read, DCIS is a very treatable form of breast cancer and the future is incredibly bright.  I’m learning a lot as we go through this, mostly about myself spiritually and emotionally.  I’m also finding this to be a great way to focus on true prayers for those who face tremendous health, emotional and well-being challenges these days.  I hope you will join me in those prayers!

Image note – I found this image of an old radiation therapy treatment online.  It’s amazing how far technology has come and how wonderful it is that I can feel so confident about my treatment.  The precious baby in this photo reminds me to pray for all of the children who face difficult diagnoses and for their parents who suffer along with them.

During last week’s surgery, additional tissue was excised and sent to pathology for analysis.  After several long days of waiting, we learned yesterday that I have been diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS), the most common form of non-invasive breast cancer.

I remember hearing about DCIS last year for the first time when the amazing Cheryl Crow received her diagnosis with this type of cancer.  The good news is that DCIS is highly treatable and has a nearly 100% survival rate.  Mine was caught very early, so that is indeed a blessing.

I will be going next week to meet with an oncologist and will likely be going through radiation, which is the most common form of treatment for this type of non-invasive breast cancer.  That will likely mean six weeks of five day per week radiation treatments, which shouldn’t leave me feeling sick in any way.   Adam was happy that my hair won’t be impacted – he doesn’t want Mom stealing his hats!

I’ll know more after my oncology appointment on Wednesday, but wanted to share this with you now since so many of you have been praying for me.  I want you to know that I’m confident that this will be fully treatable and am not feeling any pain (other than the normal post-surgical kind) or, more importantly, anxiety.  I’m surrounded by people who love and care for me so much and who’ve offered to help in every way imaginable.  I’m hoping that I’ll feel so great during the treatment phase that I won’t have to take anyone up on those offers, but it’s good to know I have so much support and love!

I would ask you for two favors today:

1. Please keep all of our friends facing health and well-being difficulties during these unsettling times in your prayers.  Please especially pray for the families of our church friends Russell and Craig, who both died this past week.
2. Regardless of if you’re a man or a woman, please take time today to schedule your annual (or for most of us “once per decade”) physical.  Having lost our friend Craig to a sudden heart attack this week is a good reminder that we Catholic moms need our husbands to be taking care of themselves too.

I’m sharing all of this (and will likely continue to write about this phase of my journey) in the hopes that it will inspire all of us that we are temples of God’s creation – as such precious treasures we need to do all we can to care for ourselves as much as we care for those around us.

I love taking walks with my boys – it seems to be the perfect venue for getting caught up on all that’s happening in their lives.  Outside and away from the distractions of home, they seem to open up and share so much more.  Adam is such the teenager – it continually shocks me how very grown up my “baby” is getting.  He was sharing with me yesterday about some social situations at school and his mature reaction made me feel very proud of him.  He’s very tuned into people’s feelings and emotions – a wonderful attribute for a young man!

Even though it’s still 60 degrees in Fresno, our front yard is littered with gorgeous leaves of many sizes and colors.  I may never make it to New England for the colors, but yesterday Fresno felt like a little patch of heaven!