Healthy Snacking!

{By Samantha Roose}

You wander around the kitchen wondering what you should eat...Your tummy’s rumbling.  And the next meal isn’t for another 2 hours!  What is healthy, enjoyable and will get me to the next meal?

Well, here’s a couple of recommendations and recipes…some not quite so healthy as others:

- 1 apple smeared with peanut butter or almond butter

- 1 banana smeared with peanut butter or almond butter

- Celery Sticks smeared with peanut butter or almond butter (can you tell I like nut butters???)

- A baby dill pickle rolled in a slice of ham lined with creamy cheese (this is one of my FAVORITES, but it’s not the healthiest option out there)

- A piece of lunch meat and a slice of cheese wrapped in lettuce (another of my favorites)

- Trail Mix

Trail Mix:

• ¼ C walnuts
• ¼ C peanuts
• ¼ C almonds
• ¼ C raisins
• ¼ C craisins (dried cranberries)
• ¼ C chocolate chips : D

Basically any combination of dried fruits and nuts in equal amounts.  Some other fun ideas: dried mango, dried papaya, dried pineapple!!!, sunflower seeds, cashews!!!...)  Have fun!  One caution though; get yourself a measuring cup (about ¼ C) and measure your portion or you might just eat the entire container!

- Veggies with Humus

Humus:

• 2 cans of chick peas/garbanzo beans (one drained, one slightly drained)
• 1/ C olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 T lemon juice
• 2/3 C sesame seeds

Everything in the blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until sesame seeds are pureed and the consistency is even throughout. Feel free to play around with more lemon juice, more garlic, and or more sesame seeds for an extra zing!

Hopefully you can survive till your next meal and maybe even enjoy healthy snacking!!! 

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How to Eat Through the Holidays... Healthfully!

{by Rebecca Florio}

It’s that most wonderful time of year! A time where everywhere you go, you are met with chocolate bon-bons, candy canes and tin upon tin of Christmas cookies. What’s a healthy girl to do?

Get ready, we’re about to make a game plan for staying healthy during the holidays --- without losing a jolly spirit!

1. Plan Your Indulgences. I love the smells filling the air -- gingerbread cookies, pumpkin pie, and peppermint mochas. By no means should you feel deprived of special treats that only come once a year! Just be sure to indulge thoughtfully. Save your sweet tooth for your Mom’s signature sugar cookie and leave behind the packaged “unspecial” Chips A’hoy. When at a holiday get-together, choose the one dessert that most appeals to you or take mini “sampling” portions and then fill the rest of your plate with veggies and fruit. Indulging thoughtfully makes the treats you make room for so much more enjoyable!

2. Plan Your Workouts. Exercise is so important to maintaining a healthy attitude and lifestyle! But I know how hard it is to wake up after a night of cookies and cocoa and pull yourself from under warm toasty covers so you can run in the frigid cold. This is why planning your workouts ahead of time is so important. I usually work out five days a week, alternating between running and strength training and always before I go to bed, I set my alarm, write out my exercise plan and lay out my work-out clothes. When I wake up with a workout all ready and waiting for me, it is much harder to say no! I also find that starting the day with exercise sets the pace for making healthier choices all day.  

3. Plan Your Meals. Along with workouts, give veggies some extra love this Christmas season. With cookie bakes and parties abounding, focus your meals at home on packing as much nutritious foods in as possible. Think big salads, roasted vegetables, green smoothies, and stir-frys. Fill your purse with healthy snacks like granola bars and carrot sticks for a long day of Christmas shopping.

4. Plan to Contribute. Whenever I go to a Christmas party or dinner, I always offer to bring a dish. This way, I know that there will be at least one healthy option! Some of my favorite contributions are raw veggies with dip, fruit salad, pita chips with pumpkin dip, a big healthy salad, or cookies with a healthy twist. The hostess will be grateful for your help and I find most people appreciate a nutritious dish in a table of decadent ones! 

5. Plan to Enjoy. If you make some unhealthy choices this season, don’t fret. There will time to get back on track. Most important is to truly celebrate Christmas. We all know that Christmas isn’t really about the candy-canes and hot chocolate, so lets focus on loving our family and friends, making memories, and most of all, worshipping the Christ Child. May our hearts be filled with Him and the wonder of His birth.

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Beauty From the Inside Out

{by Kelly Riddell}

Howdy and warm greetings to all of you from the wonderful state of Texas!  I am so grateful for this opportunity to write a guest post on this new encouraging blog.

A few years ago, I was able to travel to Virginia with my sisters Tara and Elizabeth and the Rebsch girls to join the Sadler girls in holding a conference for young ladies. What a joy it was to become acquainted with them. One of my great desires has been to encourage young ladies in the ways of our Savior and at this conference; I enjoyed teaching the girls natural beauty tips!

I would like to share with all of you some different ideas and thoughts on the subject of inward and outward beauty.  What does it mean to be truly beautiful?  How can I make myself attractive as a Christian young woman? How do I spend time in front of the mirror without obsessing and becoming too focused on myself and my outward appearance? These are all important questions, ones that girls ask and ones that need to be addressed.

First of all, true beauty could never start on the outside and work its way inward. The world would have us believe that if we will buy the newest and latest expensive beauty products, shop the latest fads and styles, and someday get enough facials and plastic surgeries; we will be well on our way to being perfectly gorgeous!!! Guess what? This is completely wrong! True beauty is not something that can be merely worn on the outside, without your inward condition spilling out from the inside.

A long time ago, there was an older young lady that I was acquainted with. I always looked up to her, admired her and used her as my beauty and fashion icon. I thought she was very attractive and I was always excited to observe what she wore, how she fixed her hair, makeup etc. I recently saw this woman again and wondered how I ever could have admired her and wanted to copy her.  All I saw was a woman hardened by life and used by the pull of the world’s pleasures and vanities.

You see girls, when we are focused on pleasing our heavenly Father instead of our peers with our outward appearance; our outward beauty only gets sweeter and sweeter with time. Girls, no matter how much we try and try, we all know our outward beauty just will not last forever.  True beauty will be with us always. So what is this beauty of the heart that seems to be so essential to true beauty? The answer is having a living relationship with our heavenly Father. It is the outward proof of Christ working within to conform us into the image of his Son.

After beginning by focusing on the heart, I am passionate in my belief that it is important to pay attention to our outward appearance. After all, God looks at the heart, but man looks on the outward appearance, right?  (1 Samuel 16:7)   Let’s be a good representative to the world of our Lord and Savior.

It is impossible to give you a list of rules of what makeup to wear, what hairstyle and so on because we are all so different. Let me just give you some general guidelines.

As far as hairstyles, I fought my curly hair for many years. We live in the hot humid south and it seemed impossible to control the tendency toward frizz. A few years ago, I decided to stop straightening and just learned to enjoy the curls God chose for me. Once I discovered mousse, I was able to keep it all under control!  I would encourage each of you to work with the hair the Lord has blessed you with. Recently, while shopping, I came across some tiny braids that you add into your hair as a hair band but I was disappointed that there were none that came close to the color of my hair. Suddenly, I realized that I had plenty of hair to create my own so I tried braiding two small pieces from behind my ears and crossing them over my head to create bands! I have received many compliments on them!

In the area where I live, women wear a lot of makeup. It is not considered gaudy or flirtatious; it seems it is just the way it is! In some of my travels to other areas, I have noticed that the women there wear very little makeup or none at all. Because there is such a variation in what is acceptable, I believe it would be wise to ask your father and mother what they feel is appropriate for you. My sisters and I went through a time when we thought more was better! We have since arrived at a point where we prefer to look more natural, just enhancing the features God has given us. After all, do you want people to look at you or your makeup?

One area I always covered in my sessions was not to over pluck those eyebrows! In general, your eyebrows should begin directly over the most inner part of your eyes. Too much plucking can create an odd look and sometimes those brows may not grow back! 

One of the greatest beauty tips I have is to exercise! It will help you to feel better and look better too!  Our library contains hundreds of exercise DVD’s and I love to rent them and try them out. I have found some favorites and try others for variety. Running or walking is a great activity when the weather allows.

Good nutrition is another backbone of beauty! I gave up sodas years ago.  If you would like to, just replace them with water with a squeeze of lemon and over time you’ll be glad you did. Enjoy looking around the web at all the great nutrition sites and start incorporating a few new ideas.

You are God’s creation so stand on truth and glorify God in your body! May the Lord bless each of you as you cultivate both inward and outward beauty.

Kelly Riddell is the third born daughter of four girls. Her goals in life are to honor God in all she does, be a shining light to a lost and dying world and live a life of service to her Creator. While living at home she enjoys serving her family as well as putting her energy into any ministry that God brings her way; whether it's discipling and encouraging younger girls in ways that honor God, ministering to families at her church, teaching music, or investing in her younger sister, nieces and nephews. She loves to spend time cultivating and enjoying her family relationships as well as singing, playing the piano and violin, drawing, exercising and enjoying God's magnificent creation. She thanks the Lord for giving her this life to have a personal relationship with One in particular...Jesus Christ. 

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Swap in Some Healthy

{by Rebecca Florio}

When I first became more health-conscious and making changes to my diet, I assumed that my dessert days were over. It is a common belief that eating healthy means, “dieting” and that means cutting out sweets.

How un-fun. I quickly discovered that restriction is unhealthy and wellness means giving what body not only what it needs but also what it wants. True healthy changes will only last if they are balanced and can be incorporated into a realistic lifestyle.

For me, that means I needed to find a way to incorporate treats and sweets back into my life. And what I learned was that there are infinite ways to give favorite desserts a healthy makeover -- making nutritious swaps without losing any of the deliciousness.

Baking is now one of my favorite things to do. If you happen to stop by on one of my (rare) free afternoons, you’ll most likely find me in the kitchen surrounded by pans and bowls. But instead of margarine and white flour streaked across my apron, you’ll most likely find these ingredients:

~ Instead of sugar...use agave nectar. Refined sugar provides empty calories, contributes to tooth decay and cavities, and spikes insulin levels in your blood. In other words, the only thing going for it is it’s sweet taste. But you can have your cake and feel good about eating it too if you swap out 1 cup of processed stuff for ⅔ c. agave nectar. Agave is very low on the glycemic index which means it will not spike your blood sugar which spikes your hunger.

•    Honey and Maple syrup are delicious plant-based sweeteners that add rich flavor to baked goods. Honey is full of vitamins, minerals, and beneficial enzymes and antioxidants that actually help combat harmful bacteria in your body! Replace 1 c. sugar with ⅔ c. liquid sweetener.

•    Stevia. When I first tried healthy baking, I used a lot of Splenda to sub out sugar’s calories. Then I learned that Splenda is hardly a real food -- in fact, it contains many “hidden” chemicals and artificial substances. If you are looking for a calorie-free sugar substitute, try the plant-based liquid or powdered stevia.

~ Instead of butter...use olive oil, rich in unsaturated fats which don’t  clog your arteries and do help fight bad cholesterol in your blood. For baking, choose a lighter olive oil or experiment with grapseed oil or coconut oil.

•    Applesauce, pumpkin and plain low-fat yogurt are excellent 1:1 ratio substitutes for butter or oil. I have used both in muffins, breads, cakes, and cookies and been very pleased with the rich and moist results. You won’t miss the fat!

•     Peanut butter is high in fat, but like olive oil, it’s got all the good kinds plus tons of healthy proteins! If you are looking to add some energizing nutrients to your diet, sneak some nut butter into your cookies.

~ Instead of egg...make a flax egg! Mix 1T. ground flax seed with 3T water, let the mixture thicken for a few minutes, and voila! You have a faux “egg” out of a nutritional powerhouse. Flaxseeds contain essential omega-3 fatty acids which strengthen bones and protect against heart disease and cancers.

•    Mashed Banana is a superfood that can replace sugar, oil, or egg in most baking recipes. I love sneaking a serving of fruit into my desserts!

 

Instead of white flour...use whole wheat pastry flour which still has all the nutrition of whole grains intact. Whole grains are excellent providers of fiber and as well as antioxidants which protect against the cellular damage that promotes heart disease. But all of these health benefits are stripped away in the refining process of making white flour. Some people shy away from whole wheat flour in baking because it tends to be heavy and dense, which is why I use whole wheat pastry flour.  

•    There are so many whole grain flours to experiment with: buckwheat, oat, rice, millet flour.  Look beyond your standard all-purpose and you will be surprised by the variety of flavors (and nutrition!) you will find!

 Looking for a place to start baking nutritiously? Try a few of my favorite yummy treats:

• Apple Banana Bread
• Healthified Baked Doughnuts 
• My Favorite Buckwheat Granola 

One of my favorite parts of healthy baking is sharing the results with others. Most of the time, people are shocked to learn that those chocolate chip cookies were made with flax, almond flour, and wheat germ -- that is, if I tell them. Sometimes, it’s fun to just watch them “mmm” and “aaah” and smile sneakily to myself.

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How You Break the Fast

{Samantha Roose}

I can’t stop thinking about how it will be.  In the morning when I get up and in the evening when I go to bed I imagine how I will feel.  With every sleeping breath I dream about it.  As the alarm clock blares jerking me from my glorious dreams and I pull back my covers my mind is already fantasizing.  I just can’t stop thinking about breakfast!

Obviously, I have a small obsession with breakfast …well maybe not exactly small.  Without a doubt, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day!  I LOVE breakfast food: pancakes, muffins, breakfast burritos, toast with cream cheese, scrambled eggs, cinnamon rolls, oatmeal, smoothies and fruit, fruit, fruit!!!  What could be better?! And besides, it’s in the morning so you have all day long for it to digest!

Not only is breakfast one of my favorite meals it is also, I have come to accept, one of the most important meals of the day.  I know, I know.  You’ve heard that a thousand times, but really it is!  Breakfast is like the starting block to your day.  You set your body up for the day with the food you eat for breakfast. The food you eat will impact your hormones, mental processes, physical performance and sometimes emotions. This meal also starts you metabolism for the day.

I try to start my day with a small portion of whole-wheat carbs, protein, and fresh fruit.  Carbs are a healthy and sustaining food that God designed for us to eat.  Protien helps your mental processes and jumpstarts your metabolism.  Fresh fruit gives you vitamins and healthy sugars.

Below are several of the healthy breakfasts that I have on a regular basis.  Normally I will have an apple with my breakfast because that’s what we have around the most.  However, berries are full of antioxidants, so I eat them whenever possible. And, because I’m often running or training for a triathlon, I often go for a banana, which is high in potassium.

• 2/3 C-1 C cooked Oatmeal with a small handful of walnuts
• Baked Oatmeal with a hardboiled egg
• Breakfast Burritos
• Toast or Bagel with cream
• A Muffin (or two) with a hardboiled egg 
• Yogurt with granola
• Quiche

I hope to share some of these recipes with you over the coming weeks! 

So, are you planning breakfast already?  I know I’m already planning mine!

What are some of your favorite healthy breakfast choices? 

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Food in Season: Five Ways with Butternut Squash

{by Rebecca Florio}


One of my favorite things about living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is the abundance of farm stands that dot the windy roads through miles of cornfields and silos. I look for the appearance of asparagus in early spring like some wait for the newest movie to come into the theater. I literally squeal with delight when the first watermelons fill roadside carts. I am seriously contemplating creating a bumper sticker that reads “I Brake for Produce.”

 Eating locally and in season is one of the best ways to support farms in your community in producing safe and healthy foods. Filling your fridge with produce straight from the farm rather than fruits and vegetables that have endured the long factory processes of packing, shipping and sitting on the shelf means you will enjoy the freshest and most nutritious tastes.

Here we are, entering October, and transitioning into my favorite season of all -- autumn. With the crisp air, woolly sweaters, and bonfires, also come the lima beans, the brussel sprouts, the winter squash, and the pumpkin (Aside: I LOVE PUMPKIN! Seriously, it’s my favorite flavor/smell/color ever. Just had to say that).

A few weeks ago, my mom came home with a beautiful butternut squash and we both gushed over the first find of the season. Two days later, she came home with three more. Now I know my mom and I know when she likes a thing, she really likes it and if she had an affinity for butternut squash, someone better start cooking with it.

So cook I did. And still am. The season is just beginning and the squashes keep on coming. If you are wise, you’ll take advantage of it, brake for the nearest produce stands and try one of these five delicious healthy ways with butternut squash.

1. Roasted with apples and candied walnuts. Butternut squash has a natural sweetness and rich taste that is wonderfully enhanced by baking it with fruit. Cube the squash and apples, coat with a maple syrup-balsamic vinegar mixture, sprinkle with some cinnamon and bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until tender. Toss in walnuts pre-toasted in cinnamon sugar and serve warm. (Look for full recipe on my blog later this week)

2. Home Fry Style. This dish was one of those clean-out-the-veggie-drawer kind of lunches. I sauteed onions and peppers in a little bit of Earth Balance (or butter) and then threw in chopped butternut squash (think home-fry size) asparagus, garlic, and oregano. Delicious! 

3. Stuffed. If you cut butternut squash lengthwise (use a sharp knife!) and scoop out the seeds, you have a lovely hole to be filled with whatever stuffing you like. Try this one: Soften bread crumbs in vegetable broth, and mix with chopped nuts, raisins, onion, and rosemary. Pack into the hole and bake away in a 375 oven until the squash is soft.

4. Smoothie. Yes, that’s right, butternut squash makes an excellent smoothie ingredient. This is a great way to use up extra cooked squash. (and a great way to use up extra cooked squash!) Puree some squash in a blender and to 1 c. puree add ¾ c. milk, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla extract, spoonful of honey, and a handful of ice. Instant yum.

5. Soup. I’ll give you the full recipe for this one. It’s incredible -- autumn in a bowl. You must make it immediately!

Butternut, Carrot, and Nut Butter Soup

- 1 large butternut squash

- 4 large carrots, chopped

- 1 packet vegetable buillon

- 2 T. butter or Earth Balance

- ¼ c. unsweetened nut butter (I used sunflower seed butter which was amazing, but almond butter or peanut butter would work just as well).

- 3 c. vegetable broth

- 1 t. nutmeg

- 1 T. honey

- 1 t. salt

- ½ t. pepper

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Cut squash in quarters, scoop out and discard seeds. Place squash pieces flesh-side down on baking pans and roast for 1 hour or until soft. Remove and let cool.

2) Meanwhile, cover carrots and vegetable buillon with cold water  and boil until carrots are tender. Drain, but do not discard cooking water! Let carrots cool slightly and then puree in a food processor or blender.

3) When squash has cooled, scoop out flesh from skins and puree with ½ c. vegetable broth.

4) Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add pureed squash, carrots, and nut butter and stir to combine. Add vegetable broth, leftover carrot water, nutmeg, honey, salt and pepper. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes. If soup is too thick, thin with more broth.

photography credit: Rebecca Florio 

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Healthy Living… Journey of Grace

{by Rebecca Florio}

Hello, InsideOut readers! I am so excited to be a part of this new community of Christian girls and get to know you all. I am also absolutely thrilled to be sharing with you about healthy living since that is a passion of mine!  You can learn more about me at my blog, Pressing On.

I am just beginning my second year as a Dietetics major, because I love to study nutrition. My family can tell you that every spare moment I have is spent in the kitchen whipping up healthy goodies. Exercise is also important to me. Over the past few years I've developed a love for running, beginning with just a short winded loop around our block and growing until my first half-marathon this fall! Strengthening and fueling my body teaches me endurance, perseverance, and self-control -- all qualities that I want to develop to be fit for God's kingdom! On this Vibrance page I hope to encourage you toward that aim -- with recipes, workout ideas, and nutrition tips. Our health can have a God-glorifying purpose!

By no means am I an expert. Part of the reason I am so dedicated to healthy living is because I have struggled so much with reaching a place of balance and peace. I have been told by doctors to lose weight and to gain it. I’ve loved eating and I’ve hated the thought of food, fighting with both overindulgence and restriction.

But through it all God has been faithful. I look back at what was one time so painful and confusing and I can say, “It is good for me that I was afflicted” because God is good and is shaping the course of my life in ways I could never plan but are always best [Psalm 119:71].

Growing up, I was the "chubby child", the pudgiest baby of three girl babies, the one with the largest appetite who would much rather be curled up reading a book than running around outside. For a pre-teen girl wanting so much to “fit in” and be liked, it was painful to think that my size distinguished me from other kids my age. I felt it uncomfortable in my own body, lethargic, and unmotivated.

When I was sixteen, I decided to make some changes. I went to the library and checked out as many nutrition books as I could carry. I started reducing my portions, limiting snacks, and eating more veggies. I even started exercising — beginning with a jump rope in the basement where no one could see. And the weight began to come off. Healthy decisions became healthy habits. It was a natural transition that the more interested and involved I got into healthy eating, the more time I spent in the kitchen. A love grew for cooking and baking — it became an exciting challenge to find alternatives to oil, butter, and sugar.

Unfortunately, my  weight loss became a self-centered pursuit. After losing 45 pounds in about six months, controlling what I ate and how much I exercised became an all-consuming concern. My goal shifted from being healthy to being skinny, from bringing glory to God to making the mirror my idol. This was not a happy time. I wasn't able to focus on my relationship with Christ because calories, pounds, and clothing sizes haunted me.

Around this time, I prepared a lesson on Beauty for our girls Bible study group. I think it was the way of my hungry soul reaching out to God. I immersed myself in what God said about me — I am in God’s image, created with purpose, My body is important, testifying of God’s love for His creation, but it is not all there is. What I look like does not define me. As a child of God, but true reflection is seen when I look into the mirror of God’s Word and hear what my Heavenly Father says about me.

By God's grace, He led me to a place of surrender -- of my soul, mind, and body, ideals, hopes, disappointments, frustrations. When all of me is committed wholly to God, He works His restoration of beauty within me.

So where am I now? Still “pressing on,” but so grateful for the journey.  I love eating and cooking healthy foods because of the way it nourishes and fuels my body to run races, carry babies, hike mountains, canoe rivers, and be a strong laborer in God’s kingdom. I am studying toward a Dietetics major with the goal of becoming a Registered Dietitian that will help people like me come to peace with food. My dream is to work with eating disorders, helping girls see that they are so much more than a number on a scale and food can be enjoyed and not feared.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." [Psalm 73].

~ You can read more of my healthy living story and thoughts at Nourishing Bites.

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"Cooking with a Grain of Quinoa"

{by Ellery Sadler}

Cooking is one of my favorite things to do (particularly after watching Julie and Julia). As my sisters will testify, I love sweets, talking in a Julie Child voice, pouring over cookbooks, and am a diehard Food Network fan! :) Yes, anything sweet makes me smile ...but I have made a few healthy meals as well and this quinoa salad (pronounced ‘KEY-nwa’)  is one of my favorites. I created this particular recipe this summer, mixing together some of my favorite ingredients into a refreshing chilled salad. It looks great, tastes amazing, and is healthy too!

Here’s why it's good for you: carbohydrates are one of the best sources of energy. Quinoa, native to Peru, is a great deliverer of complex carbs, amino acid, and the best source of complete protein from any whole grain. It has very little sugar and no gluten. Nutty in flavor, fluffy in texture, and very versatile, quinoa is a great grain to use in lots of different dishes.

So I hope you enjoy one of my more savory, healthy creations!

Chilled Quinoa Salad

Serves 6-8 as a side dish 4-6 as a meal  

1 ½ cups of quinoa

3 cups water

1 tsp. chicken stock

½ cup onion

3/4 cup of cucumber

½ cup of cherry tomatoes

½ -3/4 cup of crumbled goat cheese (substitute with feta or mozzarella if desired)

7-8  tablespoons balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté quinoa in 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet for about 3 minutes. Add three cups of water and 1 tsp. of chicken stock. Cover, turn onto medium heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes. The quinoa should be fluffy by the end of 15 minutes. There should not be any water left in pan. Take off the heat and let cool while you chop the veggies.  

Thinly slice onion and sauté for about 10 minutes in 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, until onions are caramelized and brown.  

Thinly slice cucumber into circles and then cut in half (it should look like a half moon shape) place in a medium size bowl with the rest of the balsamic vinegar and tomatoes. Toss gently. Stir in quinoa and crumbled goat cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh basil or chives. Eat right away, or chill until ready to serve. (This is a great dish for lunch the next day too.)

As Julia would say, Bon appetit!  

Ellery Sadler is sixteen-years-old, loves to laugh, write (she recently completed her second novel), cook, and hang out with her friends and wonderful sisters. She strives to be an 'inside-out girl' and live life to the fullest for the glory of God.

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Unbeing Dead Isnt Being Alive: InsideOut Health & Sports

{by Hailey Sadler & InsideOut Team}

Something inspiring would be a very nice way to start this blog. Something to convince you that healthy living is a vital commitment, which you ought to make in your life. But then, I realized, you probably already know this. I mean, I know it, and a Chick-Fil-A sandwich with two packages of sauce oozing down the sides still gets my mouth watering faster than a spinach smoothie [although Rebecca Florio, our Health & Sports writer will probably be able to convince us otherwise!]. The problem isn’t knowing. It’s doing. So I’m not going to try to persuade you of something you already know about, and know you should do. Instead, this blog’s purpose is to offer encouragement and insight into actually doing it. Actually living healthily. Living vibrantly alive.

Accordingly, to jump right in… what are 7 things you can do this fall to jumpstart a healthier lifestyle? As school and schedules pick up and life gets a little bit crazy, it can be more difficult to make good choices but here are some ideas to get us started…

1. Challenge yourself to make a healthy dessert. With so many bakers in our house, it’s pretty much sweet tooth central around here. It can be challenging to find healthy substitutes that don't trigger the “what did you put in here?!” response, but try digging around in cook books or browsing for recipes online and see what you find. Or tinker with a favorite and experiment with how you can make it a little bit better for you. Of course, if you find something fabulous, be sure to share it with all of us here!
2. Try a new sport. See what’s available around you and sign up for something you’ve never done before. Running, basketball, soccer, tennis, golf…. stretch yourself.
3. Sign up for a race. Nothing motivates you to lace up your shoes and hit the pavement like the knowledge that in a month or two you will be doing this amidst a host of other athletes in front of crowds other people. Even if you’ve never run before, pick a distance, grab some shoes and go for it. I promise you running is one of the most rewarding things you will ever try.
4.  Get creative with salad making: think of those lettuce leaves as a blank green slate. Skip the ranch and try a fall themed salad with craisins and walnuts, topped with roasted butternut squash. And don’t forget the warm vinaigrette.
5. Set aside time to do something active. Purposefully schedule a time  in the afternoon to close your computer, take a break from schoolwork or whatever it is that consumes you, and enjoy an activity. Ride your bike, go for a walk, play a sport, do push ups [if you can… don't ask me about that.] Or maybe run around with your siblings instead of just playing referee. For you study-aholics [not me of course] a break for physical exertion of some sort will actually increase your productivity!
6.  Get new music. If you're cross training, strength training, running, walking, or working out in some other fashion, a new playlist can sometimes be the best thing to get you going. Pick somebody or some band that gets you're blood pumping, spend the money, then plug in and turn up the tunes.
7. Take the focus off you. This is not about us, or our image... because God has called us to seek after something different – His image. That turns our whole view of health, fitness, and outward appearance upside down and inside out. These things are not an end in themselves; they are a launching pad for the greater things He will do through you and in your life. 

So let’s enjoy this amazing gift of life that He has given each of us; let’s take advantage of every adventure that comes our way. Let’s eat healthy [and still make time for ice cream.] Let’s run and not care how fast we are. Let’s play hard and not worry if we don’t win. [Hmm… scratch that. Let’s do our best to win, but still try to smile when we don't! Ok, so I might be a little bit competitive…] Let’s cook creatively and not be afraid to throw away those whole grain and spelt muffin failures. Let’s go outside and spin around until we fall down for no reason except that we feel like it.

He came that we may have life, and have it abundantly [John 10:10]. Let’s live like we believe that. Let’s live life with vibrance.

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