Here is a great, short post titled “Should You Drink Coffee?” that adds more helpful thoughts on the topic of coffee and caffeine. If you have time, read the comments after the post. Very interesting!
I love having Scripture on my walls. It’s been a habit since I became a believer in high school to decorate a room by writing out Scripture verses as decoration on pretty paper or in some decorative manner that I “designed.” Nothing fancy, but it was enough to help me keep Scripture on my mind and in my heart throughout my days and to add a personal touch to a room.
Having Blane home during the day for a little while has been so nice in many ways. We have had more opportunities to do things as a family, both fun and just for the sake of togetherness. To make our new place of residence “official,” we went to arguably the most beautiful place in East Tennessee yesterday. Can you guess what we did?
I read an excellent article yesterday entitled, “Joyful Parenting”. It was just what I needed.
You see, I struggle with joy in my parenting. Lately especially, I have been very aware of my lack of joy. I find myself easily irritated over two and a half year old ways. I see a strong temper coming from my near ten month old. I grow weary of the constant demands of my emotional and physical reserves. I wonder if any of my efforts are ever going to reap fruit. I’m not a yeller, but can certainly be unkind with my words and my tone of voice. I was convicted just a few days ago of being too harsh with my tone.
Parenting is hard!
Listen to how the author begins the article (emphasis mine): Continue reading
There is something both pleasing to the taste and comforting about sipping a hot cup of coffee in the morning for most people. I personally enjoy something warm to drink as I sit down to read my Bible in the early morning.
But did you know that the caffeine in regular coffee can be dangerous to your health? Sure, research has shown that caffeine can have positive health benefits, but be careful to weigh them against the negative. As believers, it is especially important to consider the effects of caffeine on our bodies. I’ll explain why as we learn about it.
Caffeine is a stimulant, elevating heart rate, increasing blood flow and raising body temperature. It works by sending messages to your brain to rapidly fire neurons. Your brain releases adrenalin, the hormone that initiates the “fight or flight” in response in us. You have an adrenalin “high,” often leading to the felt need to reach for more caffeine as it wears off. Or, you come down from the “high” and feel fatigued or irritable. Do you know the feeling I’m talking about? This exhausts your adrenals, which produce the hormones. Continue reading
Here’s a cute video dedicated to moms. They say we don’t get paid, but we do and will, right? Eternally certainly, and even now, the Lord blesses us with sweet rewards we experience in the joy of our children’s lives.
I hope you enjoy it and get a chuckle out of it like I did!
As if we needed anymore evidence that high fructose corn syrup is bad for our health, yet another study has been made public, this time with new information. Recent research has found that the product could contain mercury.
Environmental health researcher Renee Dufault has conducted numerous studies after accidentally coming across an EPA report regarding mercury emissions from chemical plants. What she has found and learned in the process has is scary:
One of my all-time favorite books is “Homemaking” by J.R. Miller. In it, he addresses each member of the family and their particular role. It is definitely a must-read! There are many quotes worth taking out and posting around my house, which I have done at different times. One in particular will probably always remain on some wall of my house in which I can regularly read it:
“Where selfishness prevails there can be no real happiness.
Indeed there is no deep, true and holy love where selfishness rules.
As love grows, selfishness dies out in the heart. Love is always ready to deny itself,
to give, to sacrifice, just in the measure of its sincerity and intensity.
Perfect love is perfect self-forgetfulness.
Hence, where there is love in a home, unselfishness is the law.
Each forgets self and lives for the others. But when there is selfishness it mars the joy.
One selfish soul will destroy the sweetness of life in any home.
It is like an ugly thornbush in the midst of a garden of flowers” p 98.
Did you know eggs are one of the most nutritious foods you can consume? My education about eggs began before I was pregnant with my oldest child, through the Bradley Method Pregnancy Diet. I was amazed at just how many nutritious qualities an egg has, particularly for a pregnant mama and growing baby! I strive toward getting two eggs into my diet daily and I am especially religious about it while I’m pregnant.
Unfortunately, over the years, eggs have gotten a bad rap due to the fact that they contain cholesterol. However, in my research about cholesterol (deserving of a blog post of its own!), my concern over cholesterol has just about diminished. Our bodies need cholesterol and it is not something to purposely avoid. Pregnant mamas especially should not fear this since they are eating in such a way so as to provide nutrients for another developing human being. A developing body needs a lot of nutrients! I digress.
Here is a profile of the “incredible, edible egg”:
Are all eggs the same? What type should I consume?
No! All eggs are not the same. I would recommend buying local, pastured chicken eggs if possible. Chickens that are allowed to graze and forage for themselves will eat a diet full of omega-3 fats primarily from bugs which you will consume when you eat the egg! Commercial eggs will lack the omega-3s because they are fed predominately grain. Chickens were created omnivores, not as vegetarians! Not only that, but when you consume eggs laid by grain-fed chickens, the risk of indirectly consuming GMOs is there due to the high possibility of GMO grain being fed to the chickens.
You can tell the difference between eggs from pastured chickens verses commercially raised chickens by the color of the yolks and the hardness of the shell. The yolk from a pastured chicken egg will look more orange while the commercial egg yolk will be yellow. The shell of a pastured egg will be much harder to crack. The egg has overall better structural integrity. The difference in the amount of nutrients between pastured eggs and commercial is vast. Pastured eggs, hands down, have far more nutrients than the commercial egg.
Egg yolks are also great to feed to your baby due to the cholesterol and choline content. Both are essential to proper, healthy brain development. According the the Weston A. Price Foundation, breast milk has six times the amount of cholesterol that adults consume in their food. This is a very indicative fact to how important these nutrients are to developing bodies! I began feeding my son egg yolks around 8 months of age. Stick to just the yolks as the whites are more difficult to digest, especially for a still developing digestive system! The white is also the part of the egg that most often causes allergic reactions, so best to wait until after the first year of life.
Don’t just take my word regarding the wonders of an egg. Check out these links for other helpful, beneficial information:
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2008/04/eat-more-eggs-rookie-tip-of-week.html
http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2007/10/08/wasting-good-egg-yolks/
http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/04/24/are-eggs-natures-statin/
http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/02/20/how-to-buy-organic-eggs-pastured-vs-free-range-eggs/
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-10-01/Tests-Reveal-Healthier-Eggs.aspx
