Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
Happy Birthday, PrayFit.com
"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." --Philippians 1:6
Read: Philippians 1
For those who may not know the story, after graduate school I held some wonderful positions of leadership as well as some remarkable writing roles. Those opportunities eventually landed me down the hall from Joe Weider of Muscle & Fitness magazine -- pretty neat privilege. Over the course of those years I was honored to contribute to some well-known celebrity books, with one of my co-author titles earning me a New York Times Bestseller credit. But as a Christian in the fitness industry, I knew then what I know now -- that life was not about the body.
And I knew that no matter how smart or how polished a fitness expert I was becoming, God was calling me to teach health as a means of praise; to help people seek fitness with modesty and obedience. And so naturally I felt a strange hollowness and emptiness about my career. I think it was likely an appropriate response for someone doing one thing when he was clearly meant to be doing something else. Over the years, I'd pray for the Lord to show me the right doors, and well, He answered my prayer when He included me in a massive layoff at the magazines. He closed that door five years ago yesterday.
Five years ago today, we started PrayFit.com and we have never looked back. I say "we" because the best thing about all those years -- the magazines, the celebrity books, the awards -- the best part of all that was meeting a guy by the name of Eric Velazquez, hands down the best writer in the business, co-founder of PrayFit and one of the closest friends I've ever had. The first day Eric heard my idea of PrayFit.com - and years before God showed us the door - Eric was all-in. And as you can see, I held him to it. (Eric, can you believe it's been five years?)
But to you, the faithful reader, this one's for you. You're the reason we're here. It's your health and love for the Lord that drives us each and every day. It's our genuine hope that you're drawn closer to God and to better health by the devotions you read. All we ask is that you keep praying for us.
So with that...Happy Birthday, PrayFit. Thank you for the meaning that you have brought to my life and for becoming my life's work.
--Jimmy Peña
P.S. Eric and I and our spouses --Loretta and Wendy, the real brains of this operation -- would also love to thank our extended PrayFit family; amazing friends and contributing writers, specialists and nutritionists whose expertise has filled our pages and helped us deliver our message to you. Dana Angelo White, Allison Earnst, Catrina Vargas, Karla Dial, Christie Menna, Emily Ann Miller...thank you for helping us deliver this important message to the masses. We are blessed by you!
THE NEXT FIVE YEARS The groundswell of support we've received from churches and communities has been the backbone of our success. Still, we know that we can do more. We know that we can deliver more Sunday messages, develop more small groups and change more lives through our unfailing belief in taking care of the bodies that the Lord has given us. Talk to your church leaders and pastors and arrange for PrayFit to visit your congregation in 2013. Check out the video below and write us here for more info! Here's to five more years of fortifying faith and improving health, in Jesus' name.
>> SOCIAL NETWORKS: Now you can "like," "join," "tweet" and "watch" PrayFit. Click the links below to get plugged in with the rest of the PrayFit community. Facebook HeavenUp Twitter YouTube
SALVATION CARPENTRY
November 8, 2011 Read: Galatians 6
"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." --Galatians 6:14
Wendy, you complete me. Sorry to start with such a tired, borrowed phrase but it's true. She does. My weaknesses in this marriage are balanced out by perfectly by her strengths. She speaks Spanish pretty well, which has helped on our travels and with living in Southern California. She's tall, so that means I have someone to reach my supplements on the top shelf. But she's also a do-it-yourself maniac which is great since I am challenged by even the most remedial of home improvement projects.
I don't think I've ever put something together without having an inordinate amount of parts leftover. While she savors opportunities to tool, tinker and fiddle -- or as she says, "to do it right" -- I prefer to just duct tape it and be done with it. Of course, the tape may hold -- for a time -- but eventually, it fails. Crafting things to last should be my goal, as it is hers, which reminds me of a great sign I saw once:
"People use duct tape to fix everything. God used nails."
God knew that our eternity was too fine a construct to employ inadequate materials. The cross -- which stands as the definitive, finishing touch on our salvation -- was built to last. It was built as a sign that heaven wasn't a "do-it-yourself" project. And the hands and feet of the Great Carpenter held the nails to prove it.
--Eric Velazquez
TOP DIETS RATED U.S. News evaluates several of the top nutrition plans. Here are the top three
1. Dash Diet This diet plan is heavy on produce and light on saturated fats and salt.
2. TLC Diet Fiber and calcium, two very important parts of any diet, are stressed here.
3. Mediterranean Diet Wine, fish, salads, olive oil. This trendy diet is touted for its balance.
For the full story, click here.
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But which one is really best? When selecting a nutritional plan, stories like this can make things even more difficult. Though the U.S. News story rates 20 different diets, each has benefits and drawbacks -- no single plan is the universal choice for body composition or healthful living. And when you consider that each has complicated formulas, painful exclusions and/or odd requirements, their sustainability becomes problematic. For many, simplicity is key to long-term progress which is why PrayFit recommends a diet that lends equal weight to protein, carbs and fat.
Scientists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that the body responded best to a diet that was split equally among the three macronutrients — carbs, protein and fat. Their research pointed out that this type of diet limited inflammation as well as certain type of cancers by acting favorably on key genes.
Ironically, this is the dietary approach advocated by Jim Stoppani, PhD, co-author of “PrayFit: Your Guide to a Healthy Body and a Stronger Faith in 28 Days.” Says Stoppani: “This not only makes the diet easy to remember, but it ensures that you are taking in a well-balanced diet that provides adequate amounts of quality protein for repair and regeneration of tissues, healthy sources of carbohydrates for energy, and healthy fats for proper brain function, cardiovascular health and joint function. When these three macronutrients are eaten in equal quantities (and in proper amounts), fat loss is optimized, while important muscle tissue is spared. In addition, research shows that when protein and carbs are eaten in equal amounts, brain function is optimized, allowing you to be more efficient at work and on all cognitive tasks – such as your daily devotionals!”
It is worth noting that those with other considerations such as intense training or preexisting health conditions will likely need to alter their macronutrient intake accordingly but as the research shows, this type of dietary balance has plenty to offer for the general population.