Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
Self-Made
"Do you not know I have the power to have you crucified?" --John 19:10
Read: John 19
You can't pick up a newspaper, click on a website, or in many cases, look in the mirror without seeing someone claiming to be "self-made." Look to any industry, and there's someone who claims that they got to the top on their own; the Captain of a solo flight from rags to riches. Truth is, thinking we've made it to the top of anything alone is not only tough to swallow, it's dangerous to digest. Like someone once said, "A self-made man runs the risk of worshiping their creator."
Pilate took that risk. He raised his resume in the face of Jesus and beat his own chest. "Do you not know I have the power to have you crucified?"
Folks, of all weeks, this is one that should remind us that we are nothing without Him. Alone, you and I are self-made messes. And when it comes to our health, if we're blessed to have it, it's a gift. Even the motivation to maintain it is a gift. We can't boast. You and I can't generate any of it alone. So as we recalibrate our souls this holy week, be sure to embrace the real meaning of fitness; service. Let's not get so caught up in the process of health that we forget about the purpose of it. As fitness-minded believers, we'll make the greatest impact when we look in the mirror and see only God's hands and feet.
--Jimmy Peña
RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Arugula Pesto
Enliven your pasta repertoire with this healthier summer sauce from PrayFit and Food Network contributor Dana Angelo White. For the recipe, click here.
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Breathless
"Weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head..." -Luke 7:38
Read: Luke 7
Back in graduate school, we had our share of underwater weighing assignments. Underwater weighing is regarded as the most valuable tool at determining body composition. However, in order for the subject to be seen accurately, it takes an extreme amount of effort and courage on the part of the person being tested. See, as you're lowered into the water, you have to empty your lungs, breathing out every drop of air possible.
The woman in Luke 7 defied ridicule and disregarded the rules to do one thing: to pour everything she had at His feet. Broken, she just had to break free and nothing was going to stop her from seeing her Lord. After her tears cleaned His feet and her hair dried them, she courageously emptied her alabaster bottle of valuable perfume for Jesus to breathe in.
Friends, don't miss it today. When we're empty, we allow Him to see us. When we breathe it all out, He breathes it all in. If only for today, let's pour our health at His feet like perfume and tears. Lord, here is all our praise, expressed from the top of our lungs.
--Jimmy Peña
EXERCISE IN DEPTH: The Plank
Appropriate for today is our exercise of choice: the plank. This exercise has no movement whatsoever but has plenty going on. The plank primarily works the muscle called the transverse abdominis -- the muscle most responsible when we breathe out air. Try it, as you read this sentence, take a deep breath and then blow out as much as possible. Keep going....keep breathing out....feel that? Well, that muscle ache deep in your gut is exactly that, deep in your gut. In fact, the transverse abdominis is highly responsible for the strength of your spine and helps prevent low back pain. The stronger the transverse abdominis, the better your posture and the more likely you are to enjoy abundant low back health. Try it. Each day, shoot for a longer plank time. Here's how to get it right:
PLANK | Focus: Core, abs, lower back
Lie facedown on the floor with your body straight and forearms resting on the floor. Slowly press your body up off the floor onto your forearms and toes. Keep your abs pulled in tight and your back flat while holding this position.
>> Does God call us to be fit? Let us know what you think by offering your comments on this discussion, either below in the comments section, or by clicking here to leave your thoughts at our forum.
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.