Tag Archives: food

What is your definition of pleasure?

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I have heard multiple “holy,” “religious,” people talk about Jesus offering a life of abundance, yet they are same ones who talk about carrying the burden, suffering and sacrifice as the central message of salvation.   But it is built into our human nature to avoid pain and go toward pleasure.  I think it is important that we properly define pleasure.  One definition reads:  “a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment.”  Some people think things will bring us that happy satisfaction that will come from stuff.  Others try to gain pleasure from people.  I think pleasure comes from having our basic human needs met.  According to Tony Robbins, we have 4 basic needs that, when they are met, mean we survive and 2 more that when they are met help us thrive and feel fulfilled in our lives.  The 4 basic needs are:  our need for certainty, our need for variety, our need for significance and our need for love.  If any of those needs aren’t met, we are in pain, so, as we are hard-wired to avoid pain, we find something to escape that pain.

My something has been food. sugar candy

Food physically helps me stop thinking how we cannot pay another bill this month, how we bounced another check, how we cannot do that thing because we have no money, how I feel when I remember some the things that were done to me.  Food has been my escape.  Food helps me takes my mind off the pain for awhile and it brings me pleasure.  So in my healing, I need to repurpose the role food has in my life.  Food is nourishment.  So the question I am asking now is “How can I enjoy providing my body the nourishment it needs while trusting even more God and His plan of sheer goodness for me?” (why not kill 2 birds with one stone?)

I USED TO THINK:  Food was the easiest, best way to escape the pain I feel in my life.

I NOW UNDERSTAND:  Food is nourishment that my body needs.  If I am feeling so much pain that I need to escape, I need to stop the pattern and figure out what I am believing that I feel my needs are not being met.

What role has food played in your life?

Tug of War going on

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He’s been asking me to let go of the end of the rope. tug-of-war

I keep jerking it back, thinking there is some kind of battle going on. But I am the only one pulling. He is just holding on trying to take it away from me when I am ready to get rid of it. Because that is what has been tripping me up.

The rope was very strong and long and wound up all around me, sometimes making me trip and other times not even able to move. He would gently pull the rope to get me loose. But because of the way I was tangled up, sometimes it would cause me to spin around, get dizzy and even fall. The rope even would cause burns on my skin it was so tight.

But He has been gentle and faithful. He knew when I was strong enough to pull it away and when I needed to rest. Sometimes I was even able to help Him get me untangled. But now all that is left of the rope is what remains in my hands and I keep tightening the grip and sometimes jerk it back and even wind myself up in it. That gives Him rope burns. And I feel bad about that. I keep thinking that we are in a battle over this rope. But this rope has been keeping me in bondage. It has been preventing me from being free. And He has been trying to help rid me of this constriction.

But I am nervous and a little afraid. It sometimes feels good to have the rope tight against my skin and as weird as it sounds, the rope burns serve their purpose of self punishment. Gentleness and Love are somewhat different for me. As the rope has been unwrapped from my body, I am getting more and more used to the different feeling, but I am afraid to let go of the end of the rope. What will happen to me? The rope was my lifeline for a very, very long time. Not a healthy one I know, but something to hold on to none-the-less. His Truth tells me He is Faithful. His Truth tells me He wants what is best for me.

I am a little sad as I watch the rope fall to the ground and slide away. It’s just me now. Breathe, Just Breathe. But I am thinking I actually will have quite a bit of strength now as I don’t have to be using all my strength to grip the rope to keep it on my side. It’s not really a war if I am the only one fighting.

I surrender.

James, temptation, food

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We are studying the book of James and author Jeff Cavins had some interesting insights that I felt could relate to my struggle with food.  James tells us that temptation comes from within.  God doesn’t tempt us.  The source of our temptation comes from our own desires.  We need to interrupt temptation with wisdom.  We need to pursue Him when we are tempted and flee from the temptation.  The nature of sin is that it appears like something good.  And if we are not careful, we end up choosing the “natural” and forfeiting the supernatural.  For example, our desire may be to fit in, so we maybe we end up making fun of someone so we can belong to “the” group, instead of resisting the temptation to gossip and moving beyond that and growing closer to the One who can be with us that we never feel alone.    We chose things that lead to comfort but those things  may not be the best way to fulfill our desire.  St. Augustine wrote that we want something good but sometimes we go about it all wrong. If we don’t resist temptation, we can become addicted to the easy comfort, bad habits form, we start seeing evil as good, rationalize.

That’s where God and His mercy comes into play.  In the midst of our sin, or even addictions at times, He loves us so much that He won’t let us continue that way.  Things may happen that cause us to look at what we have created and change our focus to the Creator.

So the next time we struggle with temptation, ask:  “What is the natural good that I am looking for in these things?”

Sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice the natural for the supernatural. But be assured that Divine Power gushes forth in our weakness.

And another cool things is that in the suffering of the sacrifice, God can redeem it, as we can assign the sufferings of the sacrifice to a cause.

So that brings me to my temptation with food.  My addiction to food?

What is the natural good that I am looking for in food?  The answers vary.  Sometimes I want to just relax- sit down and EAT.   Sometimes I want to escape, numb the pain of the my heart.  EAT and not think.  Food is my easy, natural answer.  What is my supernatural answer?  If I want to relax, I could sit without music, TV, both feet on the floor, meditate, pray, journal, take a cat nap.  Supernatural choices.  If I want to numb the pain in my heart, I could use my YL oils, I could read the bible, pray, journal, cry, actually cry.  Hmmm.  Lots of choices.  And each time His mercy is ready and waiting.  Wow.  Now that’s Supernatural for you.  Worth the sacrifice.

Vicki Dau and her husband Tom are the founders of TeamDau Wellness, partners on your journey to optimal health.

How is stress manifesting in your life? Weigh gain, lack of quality sleep, low energy or pain?  Visit our Website or Contact us for more information.  630-745-1120

Weight loss Prayer

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Lord, I pray for the strength and courage to live out these difficult circumstances that we face now. I pray for hope and healing.  Please help me to use food as nourishment, not as comfort and help me to see myself as you see me.

In your Son, Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen

 

Can Stress make you FAT?

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You bet!  There are tons of the medically technical terms to explain why stress is a contributing factor in weight gain.  We have found that to be the case time after time with the members of our TeamDau Wellness Weight Release Program as well.  When we are under stress, especially day after day, our body produces cortisol which tends to deposit fat around the midsection.  But also under that stress the hypothalamus, diencephalon, or “fat regulator” seems to go out of whack.  You see, the hypothalamus is also in charge of the autonomic functions of the body like blood pressure and breathing.  Well, if our blood pressure is constantly elevated and breathing rapid, it seems to put excess stress on the gland and the first function that seems to go is the fat regulation.  It will take fat in, but not let it go. Hence, the locked away, stored fat. Most weight loss programs have you regulating food intake and exercising, which is great in theory, but they don’t address the defunked fat regulator, not fixing the root of the fat storage issue.  Dr. Simeon’s found the answer back in the 20’s and we are blessed to be experiencing the benefits of his work today in our Weight Release Program.   Our members release 1/2 lb. to 1 lb. of fat per day PLUS, because we are using the drops, gain the benefit of  reprogramming the hypothalamus to properly regulate the fat.  Energy in, energy out.  The way it was supposed to be, before all that darned stress. More on how to de-stress….next time.

 

Vicki Dau and her husband Tom started their TeamDau Wellness Weight Release Program in July of 2010.  With their Weight Release Program based on the HCG Protocol of Dr. ATW Simeons, they have added tracking materials, a cookbook and support to help their members reach their ideal created weight and stay there.  Their mission is to bring Hope and Truth to the frustrated and discouraged.  More information can be found on their comprehensive website  

Do you love Me more than food?

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That is what the Lord asked me Sunday night. I had eaten a late lunch and had a bun-less cheese burger on my plate for dinner. I wanted to have some of those large dipping corn chips to have with it. I took the bag out of the pantry and I heard in my head, “This is what you need to stop.” It was the voice of the Lord. I have heard it many times before. I dumped the crumbs onto my plate and He asked me, “Do you love Me more than food?” “You’ve got to be kidding me…I can’t give up the food.” And I ate a chip. He asked me again, “Do you love Me more than food?” I felt like Peter as I took another chip. “Vicki, Do you love Me more than food?” I threw the rest of the chips in the trash. It wasn’t many chips, but it was a huge things for me to do. I got up the next morning and lost 1.4 pounds. Wow. After talking with my husband and spiritual director, it finally occurred to me that just as I consult him for everything else I do in my life, why shouldn’t I ask him what to eat each time I am hungry? He is familiar with the food pyramid and proper nutrition. I am thinking he would guide me just as awesomely as he guides me in everything else. Yes, Lord, I love you more than food. Now I just have to be consistent in proving it. Please be patient with me.

Pendulum Swing

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I discovered a correlation of my finances and food. I’ve been doing a bit of a pendulum swing where I am ultra-disciplined in Phase 1 and if I cheat, like on Superbowl Sunday- I treat it like a load day! So I have been either incredibly rigid or splurging. And I thought about our financial situation. We hold our breathes and stretch every dime to its limits, then get a gift or extra income, take a deep breathe and treat ourselves to something for a break. It is exhausting. We are so praying for the blessing of TeamDau Wellness to finally be the opportunity to get us on steady ground- I can’t handle the Summerfest 1001 Nachts ride back and forth and back and forth. I guess I have to trust that the Lord sees the whole picture and is orchestrating the best plan. If I just “be” and not try to pump the swing, the pendulum can rest, and so can I.