Health Tip from Dr. Bob

When it comes to healthy living, I face two great struggles: good nutrition and managing stress.

Growing up, I was always smaller than the average girl. In HS, I longed to gain weight. I often visited Burger King twice a day for my double cheeseburger combos. Still...no weight gain. It wasn't until college that I started to gain some weight. Then after I had Tristan (and especially after Asher), I had to start working a little harder to maintain my clothing size (did you catch that..."to maintain my clothing size").

That last phrase sums up what so many Americans, especially women, judge their health by...their clothing size. If you're doing this, you need to WAKE UP! There are TONS of skinny people who are completely unhealthy. Likewise, there are many curvy people who are SUPER healthy. Health is not merely a weight issue.

Next week, Asher will turn 1 year old. In the year since I've had him, I have lost all of the weight I gained during my pregnancy and then some. However, I am still not healthy. I exercised a lot during the first few months post delivery. Then I stopped. Sure, I still get exercise going up and down the stairs of my home, but I'm not doing regular aerobic exercise, and I'm doing no weight training. And when it comes to nutrition...I STINK! I eat what I want when I want it. I love to eat fried chicken fingers, ice cream, and candy...all the time. Who out there knows that that is NOT HEALTHY.

Don't get me started on stress. This is something I have always struggled with as well. A little stress can do a lot to my body. There have been more times than I would like to admit that I have flown of the handle when a stressful situation hits.

To help my two great areas of struggle, I am reading four fabulous books: The Bible (the GREATEST book of advice EVER), Breaking Intimidation, Dr. Bob's Guide to Optimal Health, and From Belly Fat to Belly Flat (I have TONS of great stuff to say about this book. Don't let the title fool you. There is a lot more to it than weight. I am working on a post to share the awesome stuff I'm learning from this SUPER INFORMATIVE book. Thanks, Hill, for sharing it with me!!!). I am learning so much, and the more I learn, the healthier I get.

Channing has been training under Dr. Bob for the past several months and has learned so much valuable information that he has been able to use to mold our family's health. We have several of his books, but what I love about "Dr. Bob's Guide to Optimal Health" is that it is "a God-inspired, Biblically-based 12 month devotional to natural health and restoration", and I love that it takes things one day at a time. He doesn't try to overload you with ideas that seem impossible. He shares health information daily, little by little. Each day begins with a Bible verse and then an important health tip.

In this post, I'm going to focus on something I learned from Dr. Bob's book (and then I had it repeated in "From Belly Fat to Belly Flat"). Here is Day 1 of Dr. Bob's Health Devotional:

Water Refreshes the Body

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters
(Genesis 1:2)

Water is essential for life. God refers to water in one of the very first Bible verses. The human body requires water to function at the cellular level. Water is necessary for proper digestion and elimination. Hunger pains may be a cry for water instead of food. Water is also found in fruits and vegetables.

Consuming soda, tea, and coffee actually creates a toxic fluid state in the body. Water is nature's way of cleaning this system. Water from a pure source (preferably reverse osmosis) is the best-daily drinking a minimum of one quart of water per 150 pounds of body weight.

Natural Prescription for Health: Start your day with a cup of hot water and lemon. This is an excellent liver cleansing stimulant. (I read this specifically in "From Belly Fat to Belly Flat")

You can visit Dr. Bob's website at www.DruglessCare.com. He has a wealth of health information to share.

So I want to hear that you at home are starting your mornings with hot water and lemon. Let's all commit to do this together. "Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor; for if they fall, one will lift up his companion. but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him, and a threefold cord is not easily broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Don't forget to check back to hear all about my new favorite book, "From Belly Fat to Belly Flat". It is SO SO GREAT!