Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Hey, I'm back!

Yup, I am reviving this blog because it's there and it's free and I have all these thoughts to share. 😊

This year I became a golden girl, and got reminded via a blood test that I am not getting younger. Those fatty foods (daily silog meals, for instance) I've eaten through the years drove up my bad cholesterol count to an unhealthy number.

And so, I resolved mid-year to take care of myself more: Eat better, sleep better, exercise better, rest better so as to be a better steward of this body.

That meant:
1. Changing my usual breakfast of silog meals to healthier options -- a protein shake, yogurt with granola, oatmeal, fruits, or a sandwich using whole wheat bread.
2. Giving up coffee. I used to take 1-3 cups of coffee a day. Coffee doesn't drive up bad cholesterol but it does make the body acidic.
3. Eating more veggies and fruits. Surprise -- I can have just a salad for a meal and still feel full.
4. Giving up sugary drinks. Bye bye soda and iced tea!
5. Choosing brown rice over white rice, and just half a cup please.
6. Snacking on healthier stuff like yoghurt, trail mix, wheat crackers, fruits (I love nilagang saba), fruit shake, nuts.
7. Sleeping earlier or trying to have at least 7 hours of sleep.
8. Checking my calendar to make sure there's ample rest time. It's not good to have a crowded schedule.
9. Aiming for at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.
10. Drinking more water.

These are simple things I've done since May. I also went on the 28-day kit of the Yoli Better Body System where I followed a meal plan and took alkaline supplements and other healthy stuff. Results: 7.5 pounds off, cholesterol level now normal, and two inches off my waistline.

It's doable! Get on the road to health, friends!

BOOK OF THE WEEK: I'm reading "How To Lead and Still Have a Life" by H. Dale Burke. Are you in a leadership position and feeling tired or burned out or overwhelmed? The author gives practical tips to help leaders in any situation (at work, ministry, etc.) such as making sure there's time for the 4 R's in one's schedule -- Rest time, Results time, Response time, Refocus time. Burke also reminds readers to guard one's heart -- what's in it? One's convictions stabilize the leader, strengthen character, and provide moral guidance, said the author. I've had this book for years but reading it at this time in my life opened my eyes to new truths. It's published abroad by Harvest House Publishers in 2004 and locally by OMF Literature Inc. in 2009. Great book for leaders!

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. -- Proverbs 4:23

2 comments:

Vie Velasco said...

This is great! Keep blogging, Karen!

quietstream said...

Thanks for the encouragement, Vie! :)