Radiate Your Beauty
Radiate you beauty! You are a force to be reckoned with.
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Tag: life
Does Anything Taste As Good As Skinny Feels?
~Ditch The Diet~
In an interview with fashion magazine WWD in 2009, Kate Moss said her famous motto “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”
Both fans and critics have been quoting her ever since…
While, yes, as women, we love to feel “skinny”, and the culture around us puts so much importance on our outer appearance. It is very easy to get caught up in the “Thin Is In” mindset.
But at what cost?
Is it more important to be thin than to be healthy? Is being skinny more important than being able to enjoy your life? Is being skinny worth the price of your joints and kidneys? Is being skinny so important that it is worth starving for?
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20** That your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost and that we are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
God tells us that we need to take care of our bodies because not only do they belong to Him, but they are also the house that the Holy Spirit lives in.
Don’t buy into the lie that being thin at any cost is more important than taking care of the body that God gave you to live in.
So while Kate Moss may have her motto, here is my motto “Skinny Never Looks As Good As Healthy Feels!”
**1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Are you enjoying these Ditch the Diet posts? You can read more by clicking HERE.
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There is no community like a community of women.
If you know me well, you know that I love animal facts!
My favorite of all the animals (besides my precious BT Tessie) is elephants. I love how they have such big personalities and memories and stick together and even cry for each other.
Jen Hatmaker also has a big personality and is one of my favorites. Here is a post from her that I wanted to share with all of you.
#Repost @jenhatmaker
・・・
A few months ago, my girl @nicholenordeman sent me a picture and a story.
It’s about female elephants. See, in the wild, when a mama elephant is giving birth, all the other female elephants in the herd back around her in formation. They close ranks so that the delivering mama cannot even be seen in the middle. They stomp and kick up dirt and soil to throw attackers off the scent and basically act like a pack of badasses.
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They surround the mama and baby in protection, sending a clear signal to predators that if they want to attack their friend while she is vulnerable, they’ll have to get through 40 tons of female aggression first.
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When the baby is delivered, the sister elephants do two things: they kick sand or dirt over the newborn to protect its fragile skin from the sun, and then they all start trumpeting, a female celebration of new life, of sisterhood, of something beautiful being born in a harsh, wild world despite enemies and attackers and predators and odds.
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Scientists tell us this formation normally occurs in only two cases – under attack by predators like lions, or during the birth of a new elephant.
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This is what we do, girls. When our sisters are vulnerable, when they are giving birth to new life, new ideas, new ministries, new spaces, when they are under attack, when they need their people to surround them so they can create, deliver, heal, recover…we get in formation. We close ranks and literally have each others’ backs. You want to mess with our sis? Come through us first. Good luck.
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And when delivery comes, when new life makes its entrance, when healing finally begins, when the night has passed and our sister is ready to rise back up, we sound our trumpets because we saw it through together. We celebrate! We cheer! We raise our glasses and give thanks.
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I have this picture saved in 3 different places & in a frame. (I also have an elephant ring given to me and my girlfriends from @taralivesay – it tells me: never alone.) Maybe you need this too. If you are closing ranks around a vulnerable sister, or if your girls have you surrounded while you are tender, this is how we do it.
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There is no community like a community of women.
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The True Never Ending Story…
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You Don’t Have To Try So Hard
Every once in a while I stop and ask myself “Laura, why are you doing what you are doing?” I made a decision about 6 months ago to stop doing things for the wrong reasons. I decided that if something is not bringing joy in my life I need to stop doing it. I can’t say that in the last 6 months I have always followed that decision, but I have tried to keep a check on my motives.
Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives.
Psalm 139:1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
Jeremiah 12:3 But You know me, O LORD; You see me; And You examine my heart’s attitude toward You.
Jeremiah 17:10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.
“Why are you doing what you are doing?”
After making some changes, I have had more peace in the last few months than I have had in a long time. I will continue to ask myself “Why are you doing what you are doing?” and I will also continue to answer myself honestly. Sometimes being honest with ourselves about our motives is one of the hardest parts.
There have been times that social media has been more of a drain on me than an enjoyment, so I have chosen to distance myself from it. There have been people in my life that have been more of a drain on me emotionally than an enjoyment, so I distanced myself from them. The choice isn’t always permanent, but sometimes a bit of separation gives a chance to get things back into proper perspective.
Instead of letting others determine what we do, what we wear, how we decorate our houses, where we choose to go, we need to make choices for ourselves. We should only be trying to make right choices for ourselves and the people and things that are truly important to us.
Saying yes all the time won’t make me Wonder Woman. It will make me a worn-out woman.
I am not talking about becoming self-centered, I am talking about becoming secure in yourself and making choices for yourself, not because of what other people want or what “they” will think.**
I heard this song the other day and the message of it really made me think. It is so similar to what I have been pondering the last few months. What really matters is that when I am alone with myself, do I like the person that I am on the inside?!
Try by Colbie Caillat
Put your make-up on
Get your nails done
Curl your hair
Run the extra mile
Keep it slim so they like you, do they like you?
Get your sexy on
Don’t be shy, girl
Take it off
This is what you want, to belong, so they like you
Do you like you?
You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to, give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try
You don’t have to try
Mm, mm
Get your shopping on, at the mall, max your credit cards
You don’t have to choose, buy it all, so they like you
Do they like you?
Wait a second,
Why, should you care, what they think of you
When you’re all alone, by yourself, do you like you?
Do you like you?
When you’re all alone, by yourself, do you like you?
You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to, give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing
You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to bend until you break
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try
You don’t have to try
Mm, mm
You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to, give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try
You don’t have to try
Take your make-up off
Let your hair down
Take a breath
Look into the mirror, at yourself
Don’t you like you?
‘Cause I like you
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
**A great book with a lot of great information about a similar topic is The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst. She is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the New York Times bestselling author of Uninvited. (Totally not sponsored at all, I just really enjoyed the information in this book.)
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“Ben’s Glasses”
I usually skip ads and commercials, but when I saw this little commercial for the first time I watched it all the way through. It gets you right in the heart and brought a tear to my eye.! This is so sweet that I just had to share it!
It isn’t about vision, it’s about care.
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
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Now Is The Time!
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
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Smooth Operator…
~Ditch The Diet~
You are trying to be a healthier version of yourself! Instead of eating donuts and bagels for breakfast you have been proudly making smoothies instead. Good job! I am proud of you for making a positive change!
You have really been enjoying your healthy morning smoothie, but you expected the weight to just drop off. Why haven’t you seen any changes on the scale? What is going on?!
Here are some reasons why that morning smoothie may not be doing you any favors….
Yes, having a smoothie made solely from a variety of fruits is much healthier than eating a bagel with cream cheese! Keep in mind that even though fruit smoothies do have fiber and nutrients, they still have calories. and are still full of natural sugars.
I cannot even tell you how many times I have filled my blender with all the healthy ingredients that I can think of. Before I knew it, that yummy healthy smoothie has turned into a 650+ calorie breakfast.
Unfortunately, just because a food is nutritious doesn’t mean it’s low in calories. Certain foods such as avocados, dates, nuts, nut butters, whole milk yogurt, and oats can tack on a hundred calories each!
Even fruits like apples, pears, mangoes, cherries, and bananas can quickly add in extra calories. Don’t shy away from these healthy nutrient-rich ingredients — just use a small amount of each.
Making your morning smoothie with all kinds of different fruits could quickly turn your healthy smoothie into a high-calorie meal! Instead pair your fruit with a protein source such as milk, yogurt, protein powder, soft tofu, beans, nuts, or nut butter.
I have learned the hard way that instead of eyeballing and adding all kinds of tasty ingredients, measuring out ingredients is essential!
You will really want to keep the calorie count down especially if you’re pairing your smoothie with something else like a slice of toast or muffin.
Your smoothie should aim to have:
Calories: 300 to 400
Fiber: 5 to 10 grams
Protein: 13 to 20 grams
Carbs: 40 to 55 grams
Healthy fats: 10 to 15 grams
Sugars: 36 grams or less
The protein will give you lasting energy, the carbs give you quick energy, the healthy fats and fiber will keep you full longer. Sticking to this “formula” will help you to make a smoothie that will not only be filling but also help to maintain your blood sugar.
Ok, so you’re thinking thanks for all the info, that doesn’t help me when I am making my morning smoothie…
Here is what you really want to know, how do I make a smoothie that meets all of these requirements?
Here is a recipe that I love…
Chocolate Strawberry Banana Smoothie (365 cal)
5 frozen strawberries (50 cal)
1 frozen banana (90 cal)
1 cup spinach (7 cal)
6 ounces plain Greek yogurt (100 cal)
1/2 cup chocolate unsweetened almond milk (25 cal)
1/2 tablespoon peanut butter (95 cal)
Total: 53g carbs, 32g sugar, 8g fiber 8g fat, 26g protein,
This is another combo that I make the most often:
2 cups of greens (25 cal),
1 banana (90 cal),
1/4 cup blueberries (20 cal),
1/4 cup mango (50 cal) ,
1/4 avocado (80 cal)
1/2 tablespoon chia seeds: 30 calories or 1 tablespoon flax meal: 40 calories
total 295-300 cal.
I will also add some sort of protein either greek yogurt 100 cal, 1tbs PB 95 cal, or protein powder 130 cal
Here’s the calorie breakdown of other healthy ingredients you might want to add to your smoothie:
1 cup unsweetened soy milk: 80 calories
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk: 40 calories
1 cup coconut water: 43 calories
1 serving (about 35 grams) vanilla protein powder: 110 calories
1/2 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt: 83 calories
1/2 cup vanilla soy yogurt: 105 calories
1/2 cup coconut milk yogurt: 90 calories
1/2 tablespoon chia seeds: 30 calories
1 tablespoon flax meal: 40 calories
1 serving soft tofu (1/5 package): 60 calories
1/4 cup cannellini beans: 50 calories
1 tablespoon almond butter: 95 calories
I hope this is helpful and that you continue to enjoy your morning smoothies!
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
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This Is How To Change The World
The world we live in is a scary and mean place. The best way to change it is to be the change in it. We can start one person at a time by teaching our children to be different than all the others.
This is how they’ll change the world, by us teaching them to be kind, offer help, be a friend, and look for the good!
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.
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Start To Be Great
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Looking Joli Good 