The Three Rs

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord." --Colossians 3:23-24

Read: Colossians 3

A few years back, I read a great story from Max Lucado about 'giving God our boat'. He talked about how Peter and the others caught nothing until they surrendered the boat to Jesus. They turned over their jobs to the Lord and great things happened.

But we need to see all aspects of life as a boat to surrender, our health being one of them. For that to happen, we need to agree that being  healthy is a matter of obedience and an opportunity to praise God. To accomplish this, we need to renew, recalibrate, respond.

Renew: See health and fitness differently each day. See it as a way to show thankfulness and praise. Recalibrate: Measure the day's events, working to make room for your responsibility of greater fitness. Respond: Commit. Get up and move, utilizing your God-given abilities and gifts to better serve him.

Do you see your health as merely a state of being? Or is your view out of balance -- more self-centered than God-centered? Maybe you're not training right now at all, and you easily excuse lack of activity against your busy schedule and responsibilities. And finally, perhaps you're simply ready to say, "Jesus, takeover my health. Renew my mind and help me respond each day with a commitment worthy of the gift of life you've given me."

Wherever you are in your health walk, remember, God formed us, gave us our bodies--how we take of them is our response.

--Jimmy Peña

FOOD TIP: Great Starts

People always talk about how breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It puts a halt to muscle-wasting, sets your blood sugar right, crushes food cravings and provides you energy for whatever the day holds in store for you. But what does a perfect breakfast look like?

>> Click here to find out!

TIRED OF RUNNING

November 17, 2011Read: Psalm 103

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." --Psalm 103:12

As I began my day yesterday, getting organized for another entry of Marathon Week, I decided to work on the admin side of PrayFit. I won't bore you with the details (because I really don't understand them) but let's just say I pressed the wrong button...or two. What I thought would deactivate an old e-mail account, actually deactivated PrayFit.com. Despite being asked a few times, "Are you sure?", I pressed 'enter.' What took years to build was wiped away with a few wrong choices (now there's an entry). So, in that moment, I did what any saint would do...I flipped out. You'd be more likely to find the holy grail in my dishwasher than to see me exercising self-control. But fortunately, in a little less than two hours, my wife and our web expert reestablished three years of content and our connection. We were told that we were one mistake away from losing everything, for good.

If you're like me, despite your best intentions each day, you sometimes feel like you're one mistake away from losing your connection with God. Not sure what you do, but me, I high-tail it. I run to others for reassurance. I run to the gym to sweat it out. But my favorite place to run is into the same old wall of worry. My sin is just too much for God to take. A show of hands for anyone who can relate? Shamefully, it's only when I run out of options that I find myself right back where I started.

Truth is, though at times we may feel disconnected, we can never lose our relationship, and His favorite place to run is to our rescue. So, here I am again Lord, out of breath. I'm tired of running. Aren't you?

--Jimmy Peña

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Spicy Pulled Pork

Serves: 6

This pork is wonderful served with rice and beans, on grilled flatbread with cheese or in warm corn tortillas topped with shredded cabbage and diced avocado.

Ingredients: 2 pork tenderloin, trimmed (about 3 pounds) 6 fl oz dark beer ¼ cup apple cider or 2 tablespoons maple syrup Juice of ½ a lemon ¼ cup ketchup ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce 1 cup barbecue sauce 2 teaspoons adobo seasoning* 2 teaspoons chipotle pepper puree (recipe below) ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced ½ bulb fennel, thinly sliced

Directions: Cut each tenderloin into 3 large pieces – set aside. In a large soup pot, combine beer, cider, lemon juice, ketchup, Worcestershire, barbecue sauce, adobo, chipotle, onion and fennel.

Bring mixture to a simmer over medium high heat – add pork, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer pork to a clean cutting board and shred using 2 forks. Place shredded pork back into pot and continue to cook on medium-low heat, uncovered for an additional 20 minutes.

Bonus: Chipotle Pepper Puree 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo

Place peppers into a blender or mini food processor and puree. Store in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to 4 months. Add small amounts to sauces, dips and marinades for a smoky and spicy flavor.

*1 tsp of garlic powder can be used in place of adobo, but adobo seasoning can be found in the international foods section of most grocery stores

Nutrition Info Per Serving: Calories: 305 Total Fat: 5 Saturated Fat: 1.5 Carbohydrate: 14 Protein: 48 Cholesterol: 147 Sodium: 510 Fiber: 1

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC is a registered dietitian and is currently a nutrition expert for the Food Network, and has worked as a media spokesperson for Cooking Light Magazine. She has appeared on Good Day Street Talk, Food Network.com, Access Hollywood and GMA Health. Visit her at Dana White Nutrition. You can also visit her blog for more recipes at http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/.

THE ONE WHO CALLS

October 25, 2011Read: Romans 12

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship." -- Romans 12:1 I'm probably dating myself with this statement, but the classic Christian group 4HIM sang a song called "A Man You Would Write About." I was reminded of that song on a run this weekend when a buddy of mine and I talked about the sacrifices and tests God allowed people in biblical times to endure. People like Daniel, Noah, Mary and specifically, Abraham. When asked what I would do if I were in Abraham's shoes, I simply said, "There are plenty of reasons why I'm not in Abraham's shoes."

But during the quiet miles, I reflected on his question. Truth is, while you and I haven't been called to sleep with lions, build an ark, or sacrifice flesh and blood, we have been called. Perhaps you're called to be a better mom, son or husband. Maybe you've been called to the medical field, football field or mission field.

In any case, it's not the calling that matters, it's the One who calls. And friends, God has as much confidence in you and me as He did a shepherd boy headhunting giants, a stutterer convincing a Pharaoh, and a few fisherman who altered the course of history. Remember that truth as you pursue your goals, physically and spiritually. The very same one who believed in them, believes in you.

--J.P.

TEST THE MACHINE

In whatever activity you enjoy the most or in whichever workout you have in store, take it to the max today and see where you are. Perhaps you have a familiar trail that you run after work or maybe you're hitting chest in the gym. Whatever your day's agenda, push yourself to a personal best. Write down the time, the weight, the reps or the distance and post it somewhere in your home or office. Every time you see it, let it remind you of your effort. When you read it, thank God as you think to yourself, "That was me, at my very best." Then, next time, you'll beat it.

>> SHARE: Please remember to share us on Facebook as we try to reach our goal of 10,000 likes by January 1st! And remember, you can help support our ministry by going to Amazon and pre-ordering our new DVD, PrayFit:33-Day Total Body Challenge, (Lionsgate Entertainment) which hits stores December 6th!

DAD HANDS

August 13, 2010Read: John 20

"So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.'" --John 20:25

The older I get, the more my hands are looking like my dad's. I'll be typing or writing something, and I'll pause to look at my hands and immediately think of his. But unlike my clumsy paws, Dad can actually put his to work. He can fix everything or put anything together. Weld it, untie it, prime it, paint it, dig it...you name it, if we put it in his hands, he's able.

It's funny...despite that knowledge, I've often handed something to Dad for help, and immediately began to tell him how do it or what I think should be done next. To which Dad simply says, "James, am I doing this, or are you?" Gulp!

I think we have the tendency to do the same with the Lord. We pray for His guidance, ask for His help, and we "give it to Him," yet we never really let go of worry, doubt or control. (A show of hands of those who can relate...)

But we need to remember that the very same hands that reached for a sinking Peter on the water, assured a doubting Thomas in the upper room and rubbed mud into the eyes of the blind, are the very same hands that still reach for us today. They assure us in hospital rooms and lead us through the dark times. He can hold us like a newborn baby in one hand, while holding off Satan's army with the other. He wants us to bring Him our knots each day. It's what He does. After all, He's got Dad hands, and He is able.

--J.P.

PRAYFIT NUTRITION: PROTEIN RECOMMENDATIONS Make sure you're getting enough each day to reach your goals

So how did everyone do yesterday with their goal of having protein at every meal, even snacks? Easy? Not so much? Well, that was sort of a can't-miss, broad strokes recommendation. Today, we'll discuss exactly how much you should be getting on a daily basis.

Although the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is less than half a gram per pound of bodyweight per day, research shows that athletes need roughly double that amount, or about 1 gram per pound of bodyweight per day. Put another way, a 150-pound athlete should get roughly 150 grams of protein in a day. If you were getting about 20 grams of protein six times per day, that puts you at 140 grams -- pretty close. This amount may seem high, but if you're a hard-training individual, flooding your muscles with this much protein is critical for rebuilding muscle and recovering for your next session.

Beginners can benefit from a slightly higher uptake -- about 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day.

Protein choices should come mainly from animal sources such as chicken, turkey, lean beef, fish, eggs and dairy. These are the most complete sources, meaning they provide your body with every essential amino acid -- those your body cannot manufacture on its own.

Complete protein: A complete protein is composed of 20 different amino acids. Some are more critical than others. At the top of the list are the BCAAs (branched chain amino acids), that include leucine, isoleucine and valine. Arginine is crucial for helping production of nitric oxide (NO),which dilates blood vessels, taking more nutrients to muscles during workouts. Glutamine is also high on the list because it keeps muscle protein synthesis high and breakdown low and helps to boost your immune system.

>> WAIT...WHAT? Got another question about protein or nutrition in general? Head to the fitness forum and ask the trainer!