Day 8: Peace On Earth- Health

It's not surprising to me to see the sweets & salties sneaking up in the holiday season. I almost started making cookies tonight just because that feels like that's what I should be doing on a December evening, but I stopped myself. I KNOW how I'll feel after I eat way too many of those cookies.

Time to do a little planning. Today, think about how you can plan for good eating habits. Of course a lot of us worry of our weight, but I want to be thinking too about how I will feel and how my kids act when we get too much junk, sweet and salt.

• Take some time today to search for healthy twists on the recipe's you love, or good alternatives.
  
• Plan good snacks to have in your purse/diaper bag or car so that your kids don't get hungry when you're scrambling around running errands, to prevent you from having to buy the "easy" snacks that aren't so good.
  
• Make a plan for yourself so you can feel good about yourself when you hit those Christmas Parties and places with favorite meals or goodies. Do you need to eat just 1 or 2 cookies? Do you need to eat before you go so you don't eat any?
  
• Don't buy into the Christmas commercialism with food. Avoid those display racks with all the traditional Christmas Candy Clutter. Instead, hit the produce and go for natural sweets. Need a treat? Make yummy trail mix and throw in a few m&m's if you must. Splurge for dried fruit. (As I'm writing this, my husband just said, "Who needs candy? We've got grapes. He has NO idea what I'm writing at this moment) A favorite snack of mine is nuts, they travel well...they are little protien packs. Mmm!
  

I'm always amazed at how the workout machines and club memberships get so popular in January, waiting for all of us to hit January, our resolutions and "Yikes! I ate too much and forgot to excersize! I feel terrible! How can I buy my way out of this?" Let's be proactive--let's prevent mommy meltdowns...take care of us and eat good foods, excersize. Our families will thank us (and yes, our waistlines too.)

Galations 5: 3-15 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom.