Should You Limit Carbs?

The Low Carb Craze
Trendy in the dieting world can mean low carbohydrate. You can't walk the aisles of a grocery store, turn on the television, or pick up a magazine without seeing something about carbs. The best-selling diets, some of which include the Atkins Diet, The South Beach Diet, and The Zone, exclude carbs almost entirely or limit certain types of carbs. And, more and more restaurants and fast food chains are now offering carb-conscious menus.


Atkins vs. The South Beach Diet vs. The Zone

Atkins Diet

• Almost no carbs allowed (including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains)
• No calorie or fat restrictions (diet contains almost three times the recommended saturated fat)
• Overall, the diet lacks many nutrients including vitamins C, D, and E; thiamin, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc
• Diet contains very little fiber

The South Beach Diet

• Some carbs that are high in fiber are allowed
• Restricts saturated fats: no butter, bacon or fried foods

The Zone

• Each meal or snack has to be split up as follows: 40% carb, 30% protein and 30% unsaturated fat
• Carbohydrates have to be combined with proteins in certain amounts in order to stabilize blood sugar

This holiday season, amidst all of your family's activities and plans, remember how important exercise is for your health and that of your family. Below is a list of activities and how many calories they burn per hour (based on a 150-pound person). Pick an activity and get moving! 

 

• Ballroom Dancing, 125-310 
• Canoeing (slowly), 180-200 
• Cooking, 185-200 
• Walking Slowly (2-1/2 mph), 210-230 
• Cleaning, 235-355 
• Brisk Walking (4 mph), 250-345 
• Golf, 300-350
• Jogging (6 mph), 315-480 
• Cycling (9 mph), 315-480 
• Tennis, 315-480 
• Skating, 320-400 
• Gardening (heavy), 450-525 
• Basketball, 480-625 
• Aerobic Dancing, 480-625 
• Swimming, 480-625 
• Cross Country Skiing, 480-625

Beef and Lentil Stew

 

Full of vegetables and lean meat, this stew makes a filling and nutritious meal for your family on a chilly winter evening.

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
  
• ½ C Onion, chopped
  
• 1 ea Clove Garlic, minced
  
• 4 oz Mushroom stems and pieces
  
• 16 oz Stewed Tomatoes
  
• 1  Celery Stalk, sliced
  
• 1 lg Carrot, Sliced
  
• 1 C  Lentils, uncooked
  
• 3 C  Water
  
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• 2 T Parsley, snipped
  
• 1 t Salt
  
• 1 t Beef Bouillon, instant
  
• ¼ t Pepper

The Holy Spirit Changes our Appearance

By Benny Hinn

Here's what I notice about people with a strong anointing of the Holy Spirit on their lives. They look young, regardless of their age. Their eyes sparkle, and they have physical strength. Years ago, I knew a minister whose countenance radiated with the presence of the Lord. I knew him for years and he had a great anointing of the Spirit upon his life and ministry. During his ministry, however, a major problem surfaced in his life. Instead of dealing with it, he chose to ignore it.  I saw him only a few months later and was shocked! He didn't even look like himself. He appeared to be a worn out old man. His zeal for life had vanished. He had aged years in just a few months. And even more tragic than the physical changes in his appearance, the anointing of the Holy Spirit no longer rested upon him as it once had. After Peter and John were filled with the Holy Spirit, they went to the temple gate and a beggar asked them for money. The first words they spoke to him were, "Look on us" (Acts 3:4). You see, they knew that a look of power and boldness had come upon them because of God's presence. They knew that the life of the Holy Spirit on the inside of them had changed the way they looked on the outside and their whole countenance reflected an inner work of God's presence.

Allergies and Hay Fever

If you suffer from sneezing, runny noses, or itchy eyes, you might think you have a cold. Instead, it could be an allergy. When you come across something that you are allergic to your body reacts by causing sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes. People can be allergic to many different things, such as:

• pollen
• animal dandruff (scales of dead skin)
• dust mites
• mold
• foods
• drugs

Hay Fever
Hay fever (pollen allergy) is one of the most common kinds of allergies. About 35 million Americans suffer from hay fever. Pollen is made by trees, flowers, grasses, and weeds. During the spring, summer, and fall some plants release pollen into the air you breathe. Your symptoms might change with the season. It all depends on the kinds of plants that grow where you live and what allergies you have.