Santa Barbara

Archive for June, 2010

Psalm 22: 26 Those who seek Him will praise the Lord, Let your heart live forever.

Addiction comes in various forms. One addiction, which seems to slip under the rug without notice is performance addiction. Performance addiction says you must be competent, adequate and achieving in all areas of your life and if you are not you are worthless.

It would be nice to be perfect but you are not perfect. The only perfect person to walk the earth was Jesus and He was nailed to a tree.

Be kind to yourself and allow yourself to be less than perfect. Your worth is not based on what you do it is based on who you are inside. If you have come to Christ He will created a clean heart, a good heart inside of you. This good and perfect heart gives you permission to less than perfect.

Stand up and argue against the lies you are told about yourself. You can change how you feel by changing how you think. Think about all you have accomplished. Do not think about what you have not accomplished. If you were able to get up out of the bed, you have accomplished something great. You are not a worthless person. In fact, you are an awesome spirit being of great worth as a person. Believe this statement and repeat it every time you think about being worthless.

Let go of performance addiction and move into the realm of freedom in the truth. The truth is you do not have to have the love and approval of anyone to feel good about who you are. Give your inadequate feelings to God and move on with your life.

Prayer Focus: I rest in the truth of God. God tells me I am His child. I am a worthy person.

Children with cerebral palsy affects are considered “special needs,” meaning that they cannot care for themselves. The most common diagnosis is spastic cerebral palsy, which involves rigid muscles on one or both sides of the body, as well as difficulty walking and talking. The condition is a life-long disability that ranges from mild to severe, but almost always requires at least one of the parents to make sacrifices in order to stay home and care for the child.

Children with CP will need help eating, bathing, getting dressed and getting into their wheelchairs. They may need to meet with physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, dental hygienists, eye doctors, surgeons and medical doctors for cerebral palsy treatment. To help cover some of the financial demands of your child’s care, your family may be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI benefits).

Children with cerebral palsy require medical expenses and caregiver requirements that can be very demanding. To assist you with some of your needs, Social Security offers eligible families benefits for their child with CP.

Typically, to apply for Social Security you must be over 65, blind or disabled. Children under 18 can qualify if he or she meets Supplemental Security Income’s definition of “disability” and if your household income falls within the eligibility requirements. These numbers vary from state to state, so it’s best that you check with your state social security program.

If children cerebral palsy benefits are awarded, then the law mandates that the state agency review your child’s medical condition every three years or so. At these review periods, you must demonstrate records that your child is still receiving cerebral palsy treatment from a medical doctor. When a child with CP turns 18, he or she is considered an adult, so different medical rules apply to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.

For example, the household income is no longer a factor and only the 18-year-old’s income will determine eligibility. As of 2009, the child must not work a job earning over $980/month. To determine benefit eligibility, the application is sent to the disability determination services in your state. To apply, you can call 1-800-722-1213 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or visit Ssa.

Along with financial compensation, children cerebral palsy benefits also include health care service referrals. Many parents may be unsure where they can get the best and most affordable care for their cerebral palsy child. As part of the “Children with Special Health Care Needs” provision of the Social Security Act, you’ll be referred to state health agencies that provide specialized services at hospitals, clinics, private offices, in/outpatient centers or community organizations. Even children who do not qualify for SSI may be able to find special needs programs through their local social services office or hospital.

Eating breakfast helps you lose weight. But not just any breakfast. A healthy, high fiber breakfast with plenty of fruit and whole grains is best. Choosing the best breakfast cereal can jump start your weight loss and provide the whole grain component of your healthy breakfast.

One side note before we get to the list of best cereals. What you put on your cereal is crucial too. You will get the fastest weight loss and most profound health benefits by following a no meat, no dairy, no eggs diet. Plant foods only. I recommend pouring soy milk or rice milk on your cereal. Read labels and choose one with little or no sugar, and organic if possible.

There are thousands of breakfast cereals. All the featured cereals below are high in fiber, have no hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup, and are low in fat. Here are the best choices for healthy weight loss:

Oatmeal – Choose plain oatmeal and add your own toppings. For the best of the best, opt for organic oatmeal. Supercharge your oatmeal with sliced bananas, blueberries, cinnamon, strawberries, nuts, and a little stevia for sweetness. Kashi Nuggets – A blend of seven whole grains, malted barley, and sesame. This cereal is really crunchy and satisfying. It’s also very low in sugar with only 3 grams per serving. Jazz it up with your favorite berries. It can even be heated in the microwave on cold mornings. Barbara’s Shredded Oats – Main ingredients are whole grain oats and whole wheat. A little high in sugar at 12 grams per serving, but a nice treat once in a while. Cascadian Farm Multi-grain Squares – Like Wheat Chex, only better because they’re organic and contain no preservatives or other chemicals. Low in sugar at 4 grams per serving and they taste great. Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Granola – Flaxseed is the only plant source of Omega-3′s, clinically proven to help prevent heart disease. This granola’s main ingredients are a mixture of organic whole grains including oats, wheat, and brown rice. Unlike most granolas, it’s not high in fat. Nature’s Path Organic Multigrain Flakes – Very low fat and low sugar. Crunchy and satisfying, holds up well with the soy or rice milk.

What about more commonly available cereals from the big names like Kellogg, Quaker, and Post? Some of them are tolerable, but all have something to avoid like trans-fats, too much sugar, chemical preservatives, or not enough whole grains. If you can’t find the brands featured above, at least read labels carefully and choose the highest amounts of fiber, lowest fat, and lowest sugar varieties. You can always order on-line if necessary.

What about added vitamins? A total gimmick! Adding poor quality vitamins to breakfast cereal has no nutritional value. You body only absorbs vitamins and minerals in their naturally occurring states from pure food sources like vegetables and fruit. Don’t fall for this advertising baloney. Follow a whole foods, plant-based diet including a variety of fruits and vegetables each day and you will get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

The holidays are a difficult time to actually lose weight. We have to go and be with family and there are always the high fat foods and desserts. It is also a time of office Christmas parties and church functions all with lots of high calories desserts. During the holidays, most people gain between 10 to 15 pounds. Here are some weight loss tips to help you get through the holidays without gaining weight.

Holiday weight loss tip #1: Plan ahead. You know ahead of time when you will be going to a party or some else’s house. Call ahead and find out what will be on the menu. Once you know this then sit down and figure out what you can have. Don’t concentrate on what you are unable to eat. Try to eat the lean portions of meat and eat the vegetables. Watch how much bread you are eating. Just make sure you plan. You can also eat smaller lower calories meals leading up to the holiday gathering, in order to save your calories.

Holiday weight loss tip #2: Desserts. You know that you will want to eat something sweet to eat during the holidays. You can take a low-calorie dessert with you or you can eat a smaller portion of one dessert. Don’t think that you can have a small piece of every dessert. You must choose just one and eat a smaller portion of that one. Limit your sweets. Just remember that you need to eat in moderation.

Holiday weight loss tip #3: Journal. You need to write down all that you are eating at this time. You will be surprised at how calories can sneak up on you. You don’t want to get caught off guard by not keeping up with how many calories you are eating during this time or you may find yourself gaining those 10-15 pounds of weight.

Holiday weight loss tip #4: Exercise. After the big turkey dinner, get up and go for a brisk walk. This will help you feel better and keep the calories down. This does not mean that you can go back and eat a second dessert or eat more at the dinner table. Just remember that a lot of heart attacks happen this time of year because right after dinner, we get up and go take a nap instead of taking a walk. Exercise is important to keeping the calories down.

Holiday weight loss tip #5: Drink water. I know you have been good and drinking water while you are dieting and you want to have that coke to go with your meal instead, but water has no calories and it does not contain artificial ingredients that may trigger you to eat more. Besides drinking a large glass of water before sitting down to a meal will keep you from eating too much at the meal.

The holidays are a difficult time to lose weight, but it can be done if you follow the above tips. Enjoy this time with your friends and family, but don’t overdo it. You have been working hard to lose the weight. Let’s prove it to our loved ones and ourselves. We are serious about losing the weight and keeping it off even during this time of the year.