October 25

Matthew 11:29-30 - NLT
"Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."

The most impressive thing about Laura was that no one realized she was on her diet. She never complained. She never made a big deal about what she could and couldn't eat. She never whined around or moped, hoping someone would ask her what was the matter. She just quietly, patiently lost weight. The rest of the women in the office were astonished. Laura made it seem so easy. Laura just smiled at all their comments, content to know that God had rallied her spirits and helped her get by.

Today's Thought: During my diet, I'll smile even when I feel like crying!

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Today's Tip:

*These condiments are ok:

Salsa
Cocktail sauce (high sodium)
Soy Sauce (high sodium)
Mustard
Lemon
Herbs and Spices
Vinegar
Ketchup
Grated Parmesan Cheese (use sparingly)
Horseradish

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Lemon and Potato Soup

8  potatoes, cubed
4 cloves garlic - peeled and sliced
6 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
0.5 teaspoon ground turmeric
2  lemons, juiced
1 cube chicken bouillon
salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes, garlic and celery into a large stockpot with water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.  Season with turmeric, lemon juice, chicken bouillon cube and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Mash some of the potato chunks for a thicker consistency.

October 17

Ephesians 4:15-16 - NLT
Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Peak efficiency: That is what God intended for the human body. The human body is an intricate, delicate, but powerful machine; finely crafted, and capable of amazing feats. The only way the body can work properly, the way God intended, is when we take good care of it. It should not be burdened with excessive weight, nor should it be abused by improper diet. If we will endeavor to take good care of our bodies, we will experience the joy of living the way God intended for us all.

Today's Thought: I am a marvelous creation of God, worth taking care of!

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Today's Tip:  Soup's On!
Broth-based soups are a great way to fill up with few calories. Research shows that when you start a meal with a broth-based soup, especially one swimming with vegetables, you'll likely consume about 100 fewer calories at that meal.

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Black Bean Soup - 2 WW Points

1 medium onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 slice bacon, chopped
3 c chicken broth
1 c water
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 medium celery stalk, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup dried black beans (4 ounces)
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
4 lemon wedges

Cook onion, garlic and bacon over medium heat about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except lemon wedges. Boil 2 minutes. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 2 hours or until beans are tender. Place 1 cup of the soup in blender container. Cover and blend on high speed about 30 seconds; stir into soup. Serve with lemon wedges

August 7

Proverbs 3:26 - NLT
for the LORD is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.

Norm felt drowsy, but he didn't want to stop. He only had a few miles to go, to get home. Home. He began thinking about how nice it would be to get there and fall into a comfortable bed. Be-fore he knew it, he was dropping off to sleep. He came to with a jolt as his fender scraped along the guardrail at the side of the road. Thank God for the guard-rail. Without it, Norm didn't know where he'd be. We need guardrails. They keep us from pitching off into nothingness; past the point of no return. God can be our guardrail, keeping us from indulging our appetites past reasonable limitations. Truly, He keeps us from falling.

Today's Thought: Food is a trap I'd rather not fall into!

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Today's Tip:  Picking the Best Canned Soup.

Keep your eye on the total fat -- it should be no more than 3 grams. Some canned cream soups pack a whopping 25 grams. Others pour almost an entire day's worth of sodium in one can; if a can has more than 500mg of sodium, put it back.

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Minute Tomato Soup with Tortellini

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
0.75 teaspoon ground black pepper
4.5 ounces cheese tortellini

Prepare soup in a medium saucepan according to package directions. Add the oregano, basil, parsley and ground black pepper, stirring well, over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, reduce heat to low and add the tortellini. Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes, or until tortellini is cooked.