August 31

2 Thessalonians 3:16 - NLT
May the Lord of peace himself always give you his peace no matter what happens.  The Lord be with you all.

Ted felt the material rip the moment he bent over. Funny, that never happened a few years ago. Either his clothes were all shrinking or he was filling out a bit. There was just one thing to do about it: He was going to have to lose a few pounds. He'd done it before; he could do it again. A little willpower, a little patience, and a few prayers for strength. Ted was a man who knew his God and believed He would help out. He had never doubted Him, and God had never let him down. It was nice to feel so confident about some-thing. Dieting was easy when you were positive that God would help you work things out.

Today's Thought: I'm going to wear clothes I haven't fit into in years!

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Today's Tip:  Don't Skip Meals

Why not? Because you'll get hungry.
Result? Hunger will crush your willpower to lose weight.
And you'll binge on cookies!

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New-Fashioned Coleslaw

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 small head green cabbage ( 1-1/4 pounds), shredded
4 carrots, shredded
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick strips

1. Spoon the yogurt into a fine-mesh sieve or a coffee filter cone and drain off excess liquid.

2. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt and mayonnaise until smooth. Add lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine. Add cabbage, carrots, and bell pepper; toss to combine.

3. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

August 30

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 - NLT
May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father, who loved us and in his special favor gave us  everlasting comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and give you strength in every good thing you do and say.

Another diet. Carla had tried so many times, and she had never come close to succeeding. She wasn't even sure why she was trying again. She knew it would be good for her to lose weight, but she felt beaten before she even began. What would make this time any different from the rest? What makes one attempt different from others is this: confidence. We really have to believe that we can do it. It should help us immensely to know that God believes in us. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He has equipped us with everything we need to succeed. All we have to do is learn to believe.

Today's Thought: What I lack in confidence, I make up for with faith!

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Today's Tip:  A Healthier Pizza.
To mind your waist and enjoy the taste and texture of melted mozzarella, order a no-cheese slice topped with vegetables to go, then sprinkle a little cheese at home and reheat.

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Broccoli Mandarin Orange Salad

Colorful and full of crunch, this salad will please even the non-veggie people.

5 cups broccoli flowerets
2 tbsp. almonds
2 cans (11 oz. each) of mandarin orange sections, well drained
1 orange, grated peel and juice
5 green onions, chopped
3 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. olive oil

Steam broccoli in covered saucepan for 3 min. Remove and rinse with cold running water until broccoli is no longer warm. Do not cook further. Place in serving bowl and chill, covered.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine almonds, drained mandarin oranges, grated peel and juice from orange, green onions, and remaining ingredients.   Toss gently and allow to stand at room temperature for about 15 to 30 minutes.

Pour marinated orange mixture on chilled broccoli and toss.

August 29

Ephesians 3:16 - NLT
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.

Herm couldn't figure out why he wasn't losing weight. He knew he wasn't eating as much as he had before he retired. When he was on the road, he ate like a horse. Now that he was home around the house all the time, he ate a lot less. Something definitely wasn't right. Losing weight requires much more than just changing our eating habits. We need to change our whole outlook on things. Sometimes we need to cut back on food while increasing the amount of exercise we get. Other times we need to give up certain foods altogether. We need to evaluate deep inside how we live out our lives, and make adjustments necessary to succeed in losing weight.

Today's Thought: Dieting doesn't happen on its own. It takes a conscious effort!

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Today's Tip:  Be scrupulously honest with yourself!

You need to be honest about your willingness to change habits for life. You need to be honest about what you are actually eating. This is where a food diary comes in handy.

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Kashi Fudge Brownies with Heart

1 1/2 cups Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal, crushed*
1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces non-fat yogurt
1/2 cup pure honey
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a medium sized bowl, combine Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, cocoa powder, flour, walnuts, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Set Aside. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, honey, applesauce and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Using a spatula, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix until well blended. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Let cool and serve.

* Place Kashi Heart to Heart cereal in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin into coarse flour.

August 28

Jeremiah 30:22
So you will be my people,
    and I will be your God.

The covenant that God made was quite simple: He would be God to a group of people who would accept Him and honor Him. God's promises are always simple and straight-forward. There are never strings attached. God will do everything He can to help us deal with this life. He wants to see His children happy and fulfilled. That is why He will help us when we need His comforting strength. Alone, we just don't have what it takes to make it. With God, however, there is no force on Earth great enough to keep us from our goal. Remember God, and truly He will remember you in time of need.

Today's Thought:  My willpower comes from the strongest power source around!

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TODAY'S TIP:

Allergies And Asthma Affect Work

A recent survey of 300 adults with asthma and/or nasal allergies suggests that these conditions may cause people to take more sick days from work and have decreased work effectiveness. Results of the survey, which were published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, showed that those with asthma were more likely to take full days off from work while those with nasal allergies alone were more likely to take partial days off. If you suffer from either asthma or allergies, talk to your physician to discuss treatment options. With proper treatment, you'll be working at your best!

- M. Ellman

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Honey Mustard Pasta Salad

1/2 lb. macaroni, or other shell pasta
3/4 cup honey mustard dressing
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 lb. smoked ham, diced
1 cup canned peas, drained
1-1/2 tsp. dill weed

Cook pasta in boiling salted water 8-10 minutes or until al-dente. Drain and cool. Combine with remaining ingredients. Toss. Chill before serving.

August 27

Ephesians 2:14-15
For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.

As wrong as it was, Rachel had to admit that being thin helped her fit in. She really wasn't a different person now that she was thin, but people sure treated her that way. It was unbelievable that people were so biased against those who were fat. Rachel sighed a prayer of thankfulness to God that He had helped her lose weight. It was hard, being on the outside. Nobody likes being ostracized. She also prayed that God might make people see how unfair it was to judge others based on their appearance. If God could help Rachel lose weight, perhaps He could change the bigotry of some concerning obesity.

Today's Thought:  Fat or skinny, I'm the same person inside!

<>< J <>< E <>< S <>< U <>< S <><

Today's Tip:
Pack low fat yogurts in your kids’ lunch boxes, and small boxes of low fat milk, or bottles of water, instead of sugary drinks. Always pack at least one fruit offering in your kids' lunches—dried or fresh, and preferably not immersed in syrup.

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Banana-Peach Smoothie Pie

1 2/3 packages vanilla pudding mix, 3.12 oz each or one 5.1 oz box
2 c fat-free milk
2 med peaches, chop one and set the other aside
1 large banana, sliced
6 oz reduced-fat graham cracker pie-crust
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Prepare pudding according to package directions, using fat-free milk. Set aside to cool. Purée chopped peach in a food processor and stir into cooled pudding.

Lay banana slices in bottom of pie-crust and cover with pudding. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Just before serving, thinly slice remaining peach and decorate top of pie with peach slices. Sprinkle with nutmeg, slice into 10 pieces and serve.

August 26

2 Timothy 4:18
Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

Wes looked at the sign on the refrigerator door: God is watching! What a thought! Everything he did was under God's watchful eye. A slight groan escaped his lips as he thought of the times he'd cheated through the week. He hoped it was worth it. Actually, Wes kind of liked the sign. It made him think, and once he got to thinking, his diet wasn't so bad. God had helped him avoid a lot of unnecessary snacks. There were worse things to have happen to you than to have God watching every move you made. Wes felt pretty confident. With God's help, he was really going to make it through this thing!

Today's Thought:  God's steering me clear of the fat traps!

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Today's Tip:

Exercising just 30 min. each day may help lower your cholesterol, according to a study published in the May 15, 2002 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.

Researchers examined 21 men and 6 women with heart disease who were already on a cholesterol-lowering diet. Over half of the participants were taking prescription cholesterol-lowering medications, but kept their dose constant during the study period. The participants then started a daily exercise regimen of moderate exercise such as brisk walking or using an exercise bike for an average of 30 minutes each day three to six times per week. Six months later, 89% of the participants had lowered their LDL, or "bad," cholesterol to "acceptable" levels. Most participants also had a reduction in triglycerides, another "bad" compound found in the blood. This research provides yet another reason why a nutritious diet and regular exercise can keep you healthy.

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BAKED POTATO & COTTAGE CHEESE  

1 baked potato
cottage cheese
Salsa

Warm potato in the microwave.  Top with cottage cheese & salsa.  Add salt and pepper.

August 25

Luke 6:37 - NLT
Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

Kelly was unbearable. She had lost thirty pounds with relative ease, so she ridiculed anyone who couldn't do it as easily as she had. Kelly wasn't being fair. Every person is different. It didn't mean that others weren't as committed or as  dedicated as Kelly had been. It was frustrating to try so hard and then have Kelly make fun of you for it. Why couldn't she have a little compassion? After all, she had been obese once! After losing weight, we should be more compassionate than anyone else. It is important to remember how hard losing weight really is. We have a wonderful opportunity to help others when we keep in mind what we've come through.

Today's Thought:  I hope I can lose my weight without losing my sensitivity toward others!

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Tip for Today:

Want to make some weatherproof plant labels for your garden? Try using plastic knives. With a permanent marker, write the name of the plant on the blade of the knife and poke the handle into the soil. The job is done.

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Really Fast Meatless Taco Salad

2      cups          chili, vegetarian
1      can           tomatoes with green chilis
1      cup           corn, frozen
1      teaspoon      chili powder
1      teaspoon      cumin powder
8      cups          lettuce
20      pieces        tortilla, low fat
1      cup           healthy choice fat free cheese -- cheddar

In a skillet or saucepan, combine chili, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  Spread a layer of lettuce on each of 4 dinner plates.  Top each with 5 tortilla chips, broken into medium pieces.  Spoon bean mixture on top; sprinkle each with 1/4 cup cheese.  Serve.