IN A SMALL COMMUNITY NEAR BY, they have a TULIP FESTIVAL. Each year tulip bulbs are planted in their City Park and in their downtown sidewalk containers. Usually in the month of APRIL, the community celebrates by having venders in the park with other activities to usher in the SPRING. I'm looking forward to seeing the colorful tulips in bloom.
This image was found on the internet and isn't from a previous festival. Still the white, pink and purple blossoms are beautiful together. Nice selection of colors.
Spring, where are you? Just around the bend. I remember one year where it hit 100 degrees on April Fool's Day. Jump right into SUMMER for the day. I suppose it could happen once again. Today's forecast says it will hit 83 degrees. I'm saying whattttt? Scattered thunder storms and rain later today.
SPRING: Looking forward to Spring's milder weather. Warmer days and cool breezes. Time to be outside and see nature. Admiring Nature's flowers and plants in a world full of chaos is a blessing to my soul. Yard work continues.
HEALTH JOURNEY: I won't be having a personal garden this year, but I will strive to eat better by purchasing organic and non-GMO foods while deliberately eating more veggies and fruit. Five servings of vegetables a day and four fruit servings a day is protocol for nutrition. I have missed the mark when following this advice. When evaluating what I do eat, I overdo the protein, don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, have done well with lowering dairy intake and grains. Sugars have not been completely taken out of diet.
I am more cautious about what I do stuff in my mouth though. I pay more attention to the added chemicals in highly processed foods then do my best to avoid eating them. Smaller portion sizes and eating slower do not always take place though. I'm trying. Using extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil instead of crisco, sunflower oil, etc. Grain oils are a no-no.
Drinking spring water, eating soy-free eggs, grass-fed beef, variety of nuts. Need to add seeds. No coffee and no soda. Some green teas.
I will continue taking supplements for a healthier me. Working hard to lower blood pressure in a natural way. Same with lowering bad cholesterol and dealing with high blood glucose/diabetes. Lowering weight is a very slow process for me. Sigh. Knowing what I am eating will be a conscious decision from here until I eat no more. Old age should not be a time to downsize the nutrition. Eating nutritionally dense foods throughout life should be the norm, not the exception.
Life isn't all about food, but I don't see how I can ignore it when I know that eating poorly adds to health decline. Poor nutrition, poor choices, poor morals all add up to poor health, poverty, heartache and pain.
PLANS TODAY: After a good breakfast, I plan to take a short walk. Thinning out good 'ole paperwork. Hubby plans to switch out a switch in one of our cars so when driving the blinkers and brake lights work. Important to have.
This week, I will continue going through papers, tidy some on the Junk/TV room and gather items to purge from our home. Lord, HELP ME get this completed. No trip to Topeka today as I believe we will stay close to home.
MEALS ON THE PRAIRIE: I am so very blessed to have never starved. Yes, a blessing. To purchase healthier and better quality food is necessary. A different variety of foods is educational. There's an adjustment when switching the types of food I eat that has been ongoing. Retraining my habits is doable. It may not be a walk in the park, but doable.
When being informed about how to lose weight, I have been told to eat less and exercise more. Personally, I now know that one should eat MORE, not less of nutritionally dense foods AND stay in motion, rest well, stay well hydrated and stress less. Hormonal imbalances can be part of the reason weight gain happens. When one is malnourished, weight gain can happen. Eating too much protein CAN cause weight gain as the body cannot process it which causes the protein to turn to sugar which turns to fat going to be stored.
I can eat LESS of the wrong foods. Portion control. Eat slower. Savor the flavor. For a woman, it is recommended to eat 4 oz. of protein per meal. Men, 4 to 6 oz. 5 vegetable servings and 4 fruit servings per day. 8 to 10 cups of water a day. Little dairy. Little grain. The food pyramid has changed from what it was in the 1950s. The food pyramid was deliberately designed to put weight on people so we weren't so skinny. Things have changed and now peeps are to eat to slim down hopefully be healthier. Many people that are slim still have health issues. This isn't right and that isn't right. The truth of the matter is that in order to be a healthier person we must take action being a healthier person. Make sense?
Life isn't all about food. Healthy lifestyles are important and that involves healthy relationships and choices as well. Too much stress is never good. The Holy Spirit will help us in making healthier choices and being better informed. We must ask for help. God will see us through. Our earthly lives do eventually come to an end. The after life should not be ignored. There is LIFE in the Lord Jesus when HE is our savior. Amen.
MEALS ON THE PRAIRIE:
Meatloaf, Boiled Potatoes and Broccoli.
Pita Bread with Cheese, Red Peppers and Onions.
Popcorn with Seasoning for snacks.
Beef, Rainbow Carrots and Asparagus.
Baked Potato, Cottage Cheese and Side Salad.
Turkey Patties topped with Ketch-up, Boiled Potatoes,
and Green Beans.
3 Egg and Vegetable Omelette with Bacon.
~d
2 comments:
A tulip festival sounds so fun, I doubt we'll see our tulips around here until May this year. Pretty chandelier! Hope you have a great rest of your week.
enjoyed reading your post. Have a great week
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