Weight Management

Ideas for meals
 

Breakfast
Eggs
Smoothie: almond milk or flax milk, banana, almond butter, whole wheat oats, small amount of kale
Ezekiel cereal with blueberries (mix with multigrain cheerios if you have to - its an acquired taste)
throw one banana and 2 eggs in a blender and pour onto a skillet to make super healthy pancakes ( you can throw in almond butter, blueberries, cinnamon, etc)
eggs can be put in a coffee cup and microwaved ( if running short on time) for 30 seconds, stir heat for 20 more secs

Lunch
Ezekiel bread is the healthiest but I am on a Rudis brand kick I get from ingles
Just use one slice.
Use mustard or nothing (mayo is ok every once in awhile.)
Find a good turkey (no antibodies, hormones, preservatives) it will say
If you are going to eat cheese, eat Swiss cheese ( its the healthiest)
Pickles/lettuce/tomatoes on sandwich if you like
Everyday I eat my favorite chips with lunch. 2 handfuls and be done :) ( I would be lying if I told you I stopped every time after 2) French fries and baked lays cheddar and sour cream chips are my thing
Apple
(I have probably eaten this exact meal for 5 years, 4 days a week.  Not because Im that strict but because I like it, and I crave it)
 

Snacks
Almonds/walnuts/pecans (don't eat peanuts. Our bodies are actually allergic to them)
Spoonful of almond butter
Kashi makes the one and only semi healthy bar "chewy peanut butter almond" I can only find it at kroger
Cottage cheese with cucumbers and tomato chopped up with salt and pepper. ( I have read countless articles that this is a great midnight snack) DO you not let fat grams scare you. YOU NEED FAT!!!!
Cucumber with minimal salt
Watermelon with minimal salt
Popcorn (buy the kernels and make it, not bags)
Sliced avacado
I love organic soups
Sliced RAW zucchini and squash with hummus
edemame with minimal salt
greek yogurt
 

Dinner
(If fresh vegetables arent anoption, your next healthiest option is frozen vegetables and most only take 3 minutes in boiling water)
Green beans/broccili/sweet potatos (I get the microwaveable ones if Im short on time, although anything in a microwavable bag has carcinogens, again if Im short on time)
baked,grilled or steamed zucchini and squash
turkey burgers
yams/purple hull peas(these take 45 minutes covered on simmer.) and I throw in chopped up turkey sausage
turkey meat stuffed in red peppers. add salsa and taco seasoning.  Look online on how to make your own taco seasoning. 
Chicken, fish, steak, tofu, tempra ( tempra is delicious and full of protein. I get it at earthfare and I cook it exactly how the instructions say but with low sodium so sauce)
Black rice
Cous cous

Misc
If you make a salad Go for spinach and romaine lettuce (not iceburg).
On the salad- broccoli peas peppers mushrooms cucumbers  (no cheese bacon bits or fatty dressing) either use oil and vinegar or "garlic expressions"(also at kroger in the produce section)

If you go out to dinner ask your waiter if they have "light/clean options" for example: if you order grilled chicken it won't be cooked in heavy oil and butter. If you order a seasoned meat ask for the sauce on the side and dip (bbq)
Always get steamed rice if you go japanese. The soy from your vegetables and meat will soak into the rice and I try to fill up on the veggies and the meat with minimal rice.

Dunkin donuts has an egg white veggie flatbread that is delicious and great for on the run. It's prob not organic but great for in a hurry.
.Drink Unsweet tea/water/almond milk/coffee

OJ really isnt good for you. Way too much sugar.
I crave sweet tea. I will fill my glass 3/4 water 1/4 sweet tea if I get a strong craving. Now 100% sweet tea is too sweet for me. 
I there is an option for2 slices of bread I Always throw one away (even on the flatbread at DD)
Sauces are sneaky with sugar too. Ketchup, Polynesian sauce, etc. try to learn to love mustard.
Stay away from salt if you have high cholesterol. 

There's always a healthy options at a restaurant! Almost always

Eat all day, everyday. The goal is to keep your blood sugar level all day...never up or down. Steady. Never feel stuffed or feel hungry. Feel satisfied. Stay away from high fructose corn syrup, MSG and ANYTHING artificial.

Remember! Always more fiber than sugar on your labels. In fact, sugar is poison to your body. You don't need it, you just think you want it! It does absolutely nothing good for you. Sugar is satan. And cancer loves sugar. Take probiotics everyday

You want high fiber/high protein.

Treat yourself every once in awhile. If you have a vice, Take a few bites of your vice everyday. If its chocolate, get chocolate covered acai berries and eat 2 after lunch and dinner or buy dark chocolate morsels. If its chips...eat a handful everyday. The key is stopping!

3 KEYS!
1) steady blood sugar
2)more fiber than sugar. Sugar is satan.
3)STOP

Face to Face

One year ago my son was born. One year ago my brother almost died. My family experienced life and death in less than 24 hours and these pictures wrap my heart up in that moment. Face to face, bond to bond. I called one Buddy. I called one Baby. God you give and God you take. Either way, you are my God.

I labored all night. We arrived at the hospital around 1:30am anticipating the joy of holding our sweet baby boy. His name would be Andrew Camp and on September 19th he came at 12:45pm. What joy! We held him, we kissed him, our daughter met him and visitors came to celebrate.

One particular visitor was my brother, Lance. I remember his light blue collared shirt and navy pants. I remember him sitting on the couch by my bed. I remember him saying he had to leave and get back to work.

Through the night I bonded with our little boy and touched his little hands. "I can't wait to get to know you."

The next morning I got a call from my sister, "Has mom gotten ahold of you? Lance has been in a wreck." In all honesty, what went through my mind was "no big deal, fenderbender". My sister went on to tell me she didn't really know the details but she did know that my brothers wife, Christy, was unable to locate him.   She said that while driving that morning, Lance had called Christy complaining of cold sweats, nausea, and a rapid heart beat so she advised him to pull over right then and wait for her to come get him.

Hi Camp, my sweet boy

Welcome to the world sweet boy

I love you sweet boy

When Christy went to get Lance, he wasn't where he said he would be. Christy knew this wasn't like him. She was calm. Her legs go numb and a peace ran through her heart. She knew whatever was about to happen meant God's will.

He looks like his momma.

No, he looks like his daddy.

Five more miles and Christy saw lights. Five more miles and Lance's car was in a ditch but Lance wasn't there.

"Come in, meet our son! Our little bundle of joy. Please, come celebrate with us!"

After a long 30 minutes Christy located Lance at Holsten Valley Medical Center. He'd been put through X-ray, CT, MRI, you name it. His blood sugar dropped to near death numbers and his body blacked out. At 75 miles per hour a tree was the only thing that stopped him.

What we learned was Lance's whole body had been crushed from head to toe. Broken ribs, spine, and hand, concussion, severe trauma to the intestines and hips, punctured lungs, and a shattered ankle. Lance's whole body was one large bruise and parts of his flesh looked as if it had been put through a meat grinder. There's no other way to make you understand.

I get a call, "Its not looking good. He hit hard. His seatbelt broke him but it saved him... "

Lance is dying.

Camp, Sweet baby let me hold you closer.

Lord, don't take Lance now. This can't be his time.

Camp, Little boy, let me protect you.

Neither one is mine, Lord. They are yours. 

 

 Two days went by and Lance was getting worse. Nothing stopped the hiccups and the Doctors felt it was time to "go in". What he found was nothing short of a miracle. The force of impact caused the seatbelt to sever the main artery in his large intestine which should have caused him to bleed to death. Death was knocking at his door but God had other plans. Lance's circumstances should have killed him within minutes but his artery created a fold keeping him from bleeding on the inside.

Camp, don't cry, momma will feed you

Lance be strong

Camp, momma and daddy love you

Lance, don't be afraid

Lance seemed to get worse before he got better. The doctors told us he would probably heal with a different personality then before and we prepared our hearts for that. His custom made back brace and broken body left little room for hope. Long nights of endless tears; long days with heavy hearts.

One particular night my family received a mass text from Christy that things back at the hospital weren't looking good.  After responding to Christy that we were all praying I rolled over feeling completely hopeless. 

Pray.
Pray hard .
Father, heal him.  Only you can heal him. 

Tears rolled down my face and I fell asleep.  

What Lord?
"Child, trust me, rest."
I have a dream.

As I stood at the end of a dark hallway I watched Lance step out of a hospital room.  He is walking!

LORD, HE WILL LIVE! Lord, I will see my brother walk again.

Several weeks went by and Lance started to wake up. He started to walk. He started to talk. He started to heal. He was the same Lance as before - only many more scars.
Camp started to wake up. He started to walk. He started to talk. He started to learn. Flawless skin and a child-like heart. Room for scars on each part.

Do you understand when I say, "Face to face, bond to bond"?

Lance Torbett, God has a mighty mighty plan for you
Note: The stranger who saw Lance disappear off the Interstate called 911 and waited for cops to arrive. Later when Lance went to the police to get the man's contact information there was no record of anyone calling in or speaking to the police. No name. No face.

Isaiah 43:1-3

"The Lord says, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you a blaze.  For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.