PRAY IT OFF: 2015

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Many thanks to MVP Community Health Educator Chris Britton, our guest speaker, on December 3rd. His topic was "Ten Quick Tips to a Healthier You." Great information!

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Pray it Off 11/19/15 - Diabetes Discussion - Carbohydrate Management

One of the things discussed on 11/19/15 was Carbs. EYE-OPENING. Carbohydrate Counting Carbohydrate counting, or "carb counting," is a meal planning technique for managing your blood glucose levels. Carbohydrate counting helps you to keep track of how much carbohydrate you are eating. You set a limit for your maximum amount of carbohydrate to eat for a meal, and with the right balance of physical activity and medicine, if you need it, can help to keep your blood glucose levels in your target range. How Much Carbohydrate? How much carbohydrate you eat is very individual. Finding the right amount of carbohydrate depends on many things including how active you are and what, if any, medicines you take. Some people are active and can eat more carbohydrate. Others may need to have less carbohydrate to keep their blood glucose in control. Finding the balance for yourself is important so you can feel your best, do the things you enjoy, and lower your risk of diabetes complications. A place to start is at about 45-60 grams of carbohydrate at a meal. You may need more or less carbohydrate at meals depending on how you manage your diabetes. You and your health care team can figure out the right amount for you. Once you know how much carb to eat at a meal, choose your food and the portion size to match. What Foods Have Carbohydrate? Foods that contain carbohydrate or “carbs” are: grains like rice, oatmeal, and barley grain-based foods like bread, cereal, pasta, and crackers starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas and corn fruit and juice milk and yogurt dried beans like pinto beans and soy products like veggie burgers sweets and snack foods like sodas, juice drinks, cake, cookies, candy, and chips Non-starchy vegetables like lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli, and cauliflower have a little bit of carbohydrate but in general are very low. How Much Carbohydrate is in These Foods? Reading food labels is a great way to know how much carbohydrate is in a food. For foods that do not have a label, you have to estimate how much carbohydrate is in it. Keeping general serving sizes in mind will help you estimate how much carbohydrate you are eating. For example there is about 15 grams of carbohydrate in: 1 small piece of fresh fruit (4 oz) 1/2 cup of canned or frozen fruit 1 slice of bread (1 oz) or 1 (6 inch) tortilla 1/2 cup of oatmeal 1/3 cup of pasta or rice 4-6 crackers 1/2 English muffin or hamburger bun 1/2 cup of black beans or starchy vegetable 1/4 of a large baked potato (3 oz) 2/3 cup of plain fat-free yogurt or sweetened with sugar substitutes 2 small cookies 2 inch square brownie or cake without frosting 1/2 cup ice cream or sherbet 1 Tbsp syrup, jam, jelly, sugar or honey 2 Tbsp light syrup 6 chicken nuggets 1/2 cup of casserole 1 cup of soup 1/4 serving of a medium french fry Protein and Fat With carbohydrate counting, it is easy to forget about the protein and fat in meals. Always include a source of protein and healthy fat to balance out your meal. Using Food Labels Carbohydrate counting is easier when food labels are available. You can look at how much carbohydrate is in the foods you want to eat and decide how much of the food you can eat. The two most important lines with carbohydrate counting are the serving size and the total carbohydrate amount. Look at the serving size. All the information on the label is about this serving of food. If you will be eating a larger serving, then you will need to double or triple the information on the label. Look at the grams of total carbohydrate. Total carbohydrate on the label includes sugar, starch, and fiber. Know the amount of carb you can eat, figure out the portion size to match. If you are trying to lose weight, look at the calories. Comparing products can be helpful to find those lower in calories per serving. To cut risk of heart disease and stroke, look at saturated and trans fats. Look for products with the lowest amount of saturated and trans fats per serving. For people with high blood pressure, look at the sodium. Look for foods with less sodium. - See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/understanding-carbohydrates/carbohydrate-counting.html#sthash.WMhGfie9.dpuf

Pray it Off 11/19/15 Diabetes

On 11/19/15 we were honored to have a RN/Diabetes Educator speak to the group. The meeting was interactive and not filmed. The information was extremely beneficial. One of the topics was Type 2 Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes WHAT IS DIABETES? Diabetes is a problem with your body that causes blood glucose (sugar) levels to rise higher than normal. This is also called hyperglycemia. When you eat your body breaks food down into glucose and sends it into the blood. Insulin then helps move the glucose from the blood into your cells. When glucose enters your cells, it is either used as fuel for energy right away or stored for later use. In a person with diabetes, there is a problem with insulin. But, not all people with diabetes have the same problem. The types of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and a condition called gestational diabetes, which happens when pregnant. If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin, it can’t use the insulin it does make very well, or both. WHAT IS TYPE 2 DIABETES? In type 2 diabetes, your body does not use insulin properly. This is called insulin resistance. At first, the pancreas makes extra insulin to make up for it. Over time your pancreas isn’t able to keep up and can’t make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose levels normal. Type 2 is treated it with lifestyle changes, oral medications (pills), and insulin. Some people with type 2 can control their blood glucose with healthy eating and being active. But, your doctor may need to also prescribe oral medications or insulin to help you meet your target blood glucose levels. Type 2 usually gets worse over time – even if you don’t need medications at first, you may need to later on. HOW IS TYPE 2 DIFFERENT FROM TYPE 1? In type 1, your body treats the cells that make insulin as invaders and destroys them. This can happen over a few weeks, months, or years. When enough of the cells are gone, your pancreas stops making insulin, or makes too little insulin. Without insulin, your blood glucose rises higher than normal, so the insulin needs to be replaced. WHAT CAUSES TYPE 2 DIABETES? Scientists do not know the exact cause of type 2 diabetes. However, development of type 2 diabetes has been associated with several risk factors. These risk factors include: • history of hyperglycemia, prediabetes, and/or gestational diabetes (GDM) • overweight and obesity • physical inactivity • genetics • family history • race and ethnicity • age • high blood pressure • abnormal cholesterol WHAT TREATMENTS ARE USED FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES? The two goals of diabetes treatment are to make sure you feel well day-to-day and to prevent or delay long-term health problems. The best way to reach those goals is by: • taking medications, if your doctor prescribes them • planning your meals—choosing what, how much, and when to eat • being physically active HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY DIABETES TREATMENT IS WORKING? Getting an A1C test at least twice a year helps you and your health care team keep track of how well you are controlling your blood glucose levels. A1C is part of your diabetes ABCs, which will tell you if your overall diabetes treatment is working. The ABCs of diabetes are: A: A1C or estimated average glucose (eAG) Your A1C check tells you your average blood glucose for the past 2 to 3 months. It’s the blood check “with a memory.” Your health care provider may call this your estimated average glucose or eAG. The eAG gives your A1C in the same units (mg/dl) as the glucose meter you use at home. B: blood pressure Your blood pressure numbers tell you the force of blood inside your blood vessels. When your blood pressure is high, your heart has to work harder. C: cholesterol levels Your cholesterol numbers tell you about the amount of fat in your blood. One type, LDL cholesterol, can clog your blood vessels and lead to heart disease.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Pray it Off - 99 Days to Health Week 10 and 8 Ways to See God in the Ordinary

Pray it Off 11/12/15 - Less Turkey and More Thanksgiving

Pray it Off 11/12/15 - Losing Weight With Gratitude

Pray it Off Song 11/12/15 - Grateful - A Love Song to the World

“Grateful: A Love Song to the World” Nimo Patel and Daniel Nahmod You’re my life, You’re my breath, You’re a smile You’re my guest You’re the earth You’re the sun You’re the grass You are love You’re my hands You’re a bug You’re my eyes You’re a hug You’re the light In the dark You’re the spark You are fun You’re my mom You are water You’re the stars You’re my daughter You’re my friend Till the end You’re my dreams You’re my father You’re the ants on the ground The miracles that surround I’m feelin’ it all around The hemisphere and the clouds You’re my pain you’re my sorrow You’re my hope for tomorrow You’re the strength when I’m hollow You’re the path that I follow You’re the blessings that exist The small things that are bliss The gift to realize that Everything is a gift Chorus: All that I am All that I see All that I’ve been and all that I’ll ever be Is a blessing It’s so amazing And I’m grateful for it all, for it all You’re the blessings Every time I try to count, You’re the lessons That l learn Every time I turn around, You’re the water when I’m burned Every time I think I’ve found Everything I’m looking for, You’re the sign sayin’ Stop to take a bow And keep moving forward And start looking towards your heart, it’ll open all the doors And only then you’ll start To hear the world sing in chorus With your mind and heart Aligned in purpose Everything will feel gorgeous Chorus Everyday I sit and pray Cuz what I have is More than I deserve Or could ever imagine How do I give back To all of this magic And spread the love So everybody can have it Doesn’t matter if I’m rich or poor If I gotta family or if I’m all alone Bad things happen I can just complain and moan But there’s a million things that I can be grateful for So I lift up my hands now And I open my heart And my gratitude goes out To everything near and far Final Chorus: Everything I am And everything I see Everything I hope And everything I dream Everything I feel And everything I be I Look deep down And feel all the blessings I’m grateful for it all It’s amazing Chorus You’re the blessings that exist The small things that are bliss The gift to realize that Everything is a gift.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Pray it Off 10/29/15 - 99 Days to Health Week 8 & Are We Souls or Bodies?

Pray it Off 10/29/15 - Caring for the Soul & Music & Portion Size

Pray it Off 10/29/15 - Ways to Cut Sugar Cravings

Pray it Off 10/29/15 - God's Greatest Gift Prayer

Pray it Off 10/29/15 - Song - That Was Then, This Is Now - Sung by Josh Wilson

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Pray it Off 10/15/15 99 Days to Health Week 6 - Learning to Let GO and Let GOD!

Pray it Off 10/15/15 - Letting Go for the Life You Want

Pray it Off 10/15/15 Letting Go of Clutter - Losing Weight

Pray it Off 10/15/15 - Impromptu Sing A Long - Cristy Lane - One Day At A Time Sweet Jesus

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Pray it Off 10/8/15 - Healthy Living in Just 99 Days Week 5

Pray it Off 10/8/15 - Waiting Upon God - Patience!

Pray it Off 10/8/15 - 5 Ways to Increase Patience

Pray it Off 10/8/15 - Think Yourself Thin with Patience

Pray it Off 10/8/15 Song - While I'm Waiting Sung by John Waller

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Pray it Off 10/1/15 99 Days to Wellness Week 4

Pray it Off 10/1/15 Humility and Weight Loss Part 1

Pray it Off 10/1/15 - Humility and Weight Loss Part 2

Pray it Off 10/1/15 Song - Turn, Turn, Turn - Sung by The Byrds

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Pray it Off 9/17/15 - Plan Your Day to Lose Weight

Pray it Off 9/17/15 - Give Your Pantry a Healthy Makeover

Pray it Off 9/17/15 - The Struggle to Trust

Pray it Off 9/17/15 Song - Trust in Jesus by Third Day

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Pray it Off 9/10/15 - Session 16 Kick-Off - Hearing AND Doing

Pray it Off 9/10/15 - Changing & Healing

Pray it Off 9/10/15 - 99 Days to Wellness

Pray it Off Song - 9/10/15 - Wake Me Up - Sung by Josh Wilson

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Pray it Off 6/11/15 I Will Pray For You by Katherine Jenkins

I Will Pray For You – Sung by Katherine Jenkins

As you find your way through this life you make

I hope you live each day for all it's worth

Go where your heart leads and dream your biggest dreams

All of these things I will pray for you

Chorus: I will pray for you, I will pray for you

Through every darkness, through every light

This road ahead of you, I cannot carry you

But I can promise I will pray for you

If a love so true breaks your heart in two

And it hurts so much that you can't forgive

And even the smallest step feels like miles away

But you'll get there one day, I will pray for you

Chorus

So if you ever start to wonder

If you're in this world alone

I'll be there to help you over

If you lose your way, if you lose your faith

When your time is through my final wish for you

Is to count your blessings not your regrets

With peace inside your soul and all that heaven holds

I hope you always know I will pray for you

I will pray for you, I will pray for you

Through every darkness, through every light

This road ahead of you, I cannot carry you

But I can promise I will pray for you

Words and music: John Laws Sung by Keith Lancaster

Please find me Lord
Worthy to praise
Could this weary heart
Or this troubled soul
Could these simple thoughts
Or such feeble deeds
Could these human words
Ever please you?

My Lord
My life
Be my only reason now and ever
My Savior
My God