Overload

I don't believe that there is one person alive who has never dealt with or felt the effects of stress in their life. For a teen it might be a project or homework assignment that feels like more than they can handle especially when a deadline is looming and perhaps they have put it off thinking they'd have more time. For adults, the list is ever longer from work related stress issues, financial, health, marriage, parenting, you name it and at times it can seem like we simply have too much on our plate. We know it is something we must deal with, but how? Why can't we simply pull the plug when our lives feel like we have hit the "overload" level?

Joyce Meyers brilliantly tackles this subject with humor, grace, some motherly advice and of course, tempered with biblical scripture to guide us on this journey in her book, Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress. Most of us understand how stress can manifest in physically harmful ways from putting added pressure on our body and its vital organs. She offers some great advice in each section from understanding what stress is, how it impacts us, what we can do, what does the Bible offer and so much more. Some great take away's I found in this book are the Things to Remember that sums up each chapter like, "one of the biggest cause of stress is focusing on the negative things that are happening around us. What you think about - what you focus on - is going to affect how you see life. When we look at the positive things that God has placed in our lives, it gives us a sense of perspective, stability, thankfulness and balance. Psalm 103 instructs us to "forget not" God's benefits and then gives us an entire list of benefits that are ours as children of God." (pg 87).

Joyce uses her own stories of how she dealt with stress along with some great examples you are not likely to forget to change how we view what we choose to "stress about." We all understand that stress like worry is like a rocking chair, it moves us but we go nowhere. We simply need to remember that God is not going to let you sink. He is in control and He is going to see you safely to the other side. I forget how much like the apostles we are, when things in our life seem to spin out of control, we think God has somehow forgotten about us, like when they found themselves adrift in the sea and a storm came up unexpectedly, they panicked even though they had Jesus aboard and who was simply sleeping through it all. Ever wonder how He could sleep through a storm? Because He trusted in God, the Father, who would see Him safely to the other side. We simply fail to place all our trust in God to get us to the other side and often give up before we are almost there.

I received Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress by Joyce Meyer compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a free copy of this book, in exchange for my personal and honest evaluation. This book arrived just when I was dealing with my own multi-level stresses of my own with my husband and I both enduring heart and health issues as well as trying to keep our family going and acting as a buffer through all of that. I only wish I picked it up and read through it before I had a complete meltdown because I would have realized how little we really do think we can control and the rest we simply have to trust God to get us the rest of the way through things. I believe my favorite quote from the entire book, and believe me, there are tons of them is, "If you'll do what you can do, God will do what you cannot." This one is truly a keeper for me and one I will be referring to quite a bit more but with more confidence in God when stress happens. I need to keep my eye off the storm and on God instead. Well worth all 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress, Joyce Meyer or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress by Joyce Meyer

You can find Joyce Meyer on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Overload, please visit Faith Word's website. 

10 Steps to Your F.I.T: Faith Inspired Transformation

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't - you're right. ~ Henry Ford

"You can't turn on the TV or open a magazine without seeing a dieting product. We are so inundated with infomercials and ads, but if these products work, where are the lasting results? If 20 billion dollars are being spent on diet aids, and 108 million of us use them, how is it that nearly 70 percent of adults are overweight or obese? The answer is that we're trained in quick fixes that don't last." (pg 4).

So how can we lose weight? How can we find balance in the food choices we have in front of us? Is there a way to change our focus on not losing weight but instead getting healthy? Kim Dolan Leto, who has graced the covers of magazines like Oxygen, Fitness and Fitness Life believes that it is a belief in Christ that has kept her motivated to reach her fitness goals in a balanced and healthy way. In her book 10 Steps to Your F.I.T: Faith Inspired Transformation, she explains why your typical diets don't last and why as women we have a tendency to give up before we see any real results. She also explains that not all calories are created equal thus the reason why so many people can't lose weight or even those that do, put it all back on again and more within 2 years.

What you won't find her are any quick fixes but a balance approach to seeking God's power instead of our own will power for getting healthy. Weight loss will just be an added benefit to doing just that. She explains how fad diets promise quick results, but they often leave out the education, exercise, and how-to's to maintaining those results once the program is over. What's worse is that they make you rely on their product and believe it or not, any effects aren't long lasting.

She instructs readers on changing their negative thoughts, realizing where our previous efforts have failed us, and incorporates what she calls F.I.T. practices, between spiritual, mental and physical fitness into a "power hour." You won't find a book laced with work out routines, meal plans or recipes but this is an insightful, scripture based book to enable you to begin your journey to a healthy you. I am super excited to give this one a go, since I too, have been a diet junky, looking for a better way to lose weight, keep it off and stay healthy despite all the busy pressures of being a mom and wife.

I received 10 Steps to Your F.I.T: Faith Inspired Transformation by Kim Dolan Leto compliments of Fedd Books and Shelton Interactive for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own unless otherwise notated. There are some great tools to help inspire and keep you on the right path in each section, including Get F.I.T. at the conclusion of each chapter which include reflection questions and strategies that can help you incorporate that aspect into your own getting healthy plan. There are also some great online resources that are available to help you on your journey to health and fitness success that are included in this book. I can't wait to incorporate these tips in my own healthy lifestyle change and feels this one deserves a full 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about 10 Steps to Your F.I.T: Faith Inspired Transformation, Kim Dolan Leto or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

10 Steps to Your F.I.T: Faith Inspired Transformation by Kim Dolan Leto

You can find Kim Dolan Leto on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest health and fitness tips.

To read more reviews on 10 Steps to Your F.I.T: Faith Inspired Transformation, please visit Shelton Interactive's website.

Good Health, Good Life

2015 always earmarks those who are hoping this will be the year that they can lose weight, get healthy and make better choices in their life when it comes to their physical and spiritual well being. I am one of those people this year. Best selling author Joyce Meyers makes it simple to manage in her latest book, Good Health, Good Life: 12 Keys to Enjoying Physical and Spiritual Wellness. It is exactly what you would want in a book, concise suggestions you can make in your life now that will have long term benefits.

Each of these 12 Keys she explained can be used in any order depending on what you are hoping to work on in your own life. She incorporates the use of prayer in helping to stay on the healthy path, because if your anything like me, you have made far too make excuses and reasoned away everything but sitting down and making a serious commitment not to fail. In order to make sure you're starting on the right path with God in your corner, you need to make sure you're grounded in your church and find a support group who can help you achieve your goals. Better yet, they can keep you accountable should you fall.

My best piece of advice in all of this is if you fall, and more than likely you will, don't stay there, simply jump back up and begin again where you left off. Joyce uses her own examples of all kinds of dieting fads and why some work initially but don't stay that way. The only smart way is to do the things you know are healthy. Eating right, laying off the processed and fast food choices, drinking at least half your weight in ounces of water, exercising at least 30 minutes a day, getting a great night's sleep and keeping your stress manageable.

What makes this short, but simple book work is that not everyone is starting off in the same place. Some exercise but don't necessarily eat great, some manage stress well, but have a difficult time with managing their personal life, and each of these are addressed in just the right dose, to the core of what it means to be serious about getting that temple of God's He gave you in order. Imagine if God entrusted you to the care of His church and you simply let it go! Well that is what we are doing to our bodies. Is it any wonder we are unhealthy, prone to more health concerns than ever before and grab whatever food is available because we are short on time?  This is just the resource to make you stop finding excuses and start getting healthy again.

I received Good Health, Good Life by Joyce Meyer compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. I love getting this to review just as I have started my own journey back to health and spiritual wellness and love the straight-forward, no nonsense approach one can expect in this easy to understand and use resource. For me, this one is a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars. 

For more information about Good Health, Good Life, Joyce Meyer or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Good Health, Good Life by Joyce Meyer

You can find Joyce Meyer on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Good Health, Good Life, please visit Faith Word's website. 

Treasures of Healthy Living

If you were to experience the following symptoms, what would you do?

Blood Pressure Changes
Fatigue
Flushed Skin
Headache
Infrequent Urination or Dark Yellow Urine
Light-Headedness, dizziness, and decreased coordination
Loss of appetite
Muscle Cramping

Was your first thought to reach for a glass of water or an aspirin? Have you ever had symptoms like these? Stress, headache, back pain, allergies, asthma, high blood pressure, and many serious degenerative health problems are the result of chronic dehydration. According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, all of these ailments can be easily corrected with water.

Is it really that simple and we, in our current lifestyles have complicated our lives and are literally making us sick? The answer is simply yes! This is NOT the way God intended us to live our lives and yet we find ourselves seeking medical care, more pills and still we are no healthier than when we started. The answers can be found in this wonderful Bible Study called, Treasures of Healthy Living by Annette Reeder and Dr. Richard Couey.

This is a week by week plan walking through both the Bible and our kitchens to put us back on a healthier way of life and give us back what we all want in our lives. If we feel healthy, then it affects the remainder of the relationships in our lives, or working relationships, personal relationships with family and friends and so much more.



I was so excited when I was offered the opportunity to review this wonderful new book, based on what God has in store for us through His word and how we are literally killing ourselves through what we are doing to our food, what we drink, how we live, what we store our food in and how we prepare our meals.

Here are some things to consider and are answered in the book:

1. What kind of cookware do you use to prepare your meals? You might just be killing yourself and making yourself ill with the utensils or cookware your using.

2. What is the best beverage to drink for healthy living? Sure we all know water is the best, but water are you drinking yours from?

3. What is the best balance of foods to eat to maintain energy, health and weight? You'd be surprised at this food pyramid and one I am changing immediately!

4. Do you really understand what is in the food you are eating, even though it says healthy? You might be surprised at what lines the cans of the foods you are buying and how they can be making you sick.

There is so much wisdom in the Bible so it only seems fair that in order to maintain the bodies God gave us, we should seek His answers to what we should be doing. I think this is a MUST read for all churches, Bible Study Groups, and those seriously looking to get back their health in the right way. We must stop letting society dictate how we eat because we are so much busier today than we were tomorrow. This book can put you on the right path today!

I received this book, Treasures to Healthy Living by Annette Reeder and Dr. Richard Couey compliments of Glass Roads Public Relations and Pleasant Word Publishers for my honest review and I can't wait to get started on this journey. I would easily rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars! It's never to late to start and I would love to start a Book Club/Bible Study Group using this book for those that want to join me. Simply send me an email and then pick up a copy of this book today! Let's take back our bodies and get healthy once again!

For more information on this book, the authors and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Treasures of Healthy Living by Annette Reeder and Dr. Richard Couey

There are even more great tips on Facebook so stay up to date by clicking here.

Health Care You Can Live With

Lately the topic of health care reform has been on everyone's mind. For those of us with insurance, to those of us who can't afford it, to those of us that are illegal but need it. So when the legislators got together and decided just how to reform it, do we, as the American people, who will receive it, really know just what it is that needs to change in the first place. In that case do any of the legislators that created the reform?

In the latest book, Health Care, You Can Live With, by Dr. Scott Morris, he takes us all in depth to look at the crisis our health care system is in, what the reform changes will mean, and what really needs to be done to fix what is broken.

Even though this new "Health Care Reform" that is suppose to go into affect in 2019, will not fix the problems we have. It will only provide some form of insurance to 30 million without, but not those who can't afford or for illegal citizens for that matter, those individuals will still be without.

Why is it, that even now when we go to seek medical care, doctors avoid asking us the real questions to get to the heart of our issues, instead of just our physical symptoms? How many times have you visited a doctor before, only to have them tell you that they can't find anything wrong but you know that there is?

In this book, Dr. Scott Morris, takes a long, hard, look at our medical care system and provides an in depth look at just what really needs to be addressed merely than providing a card access in the form of an insurance card so that you can get in the door of a health care center. What happens when your insurance won't cover the costs of what you need to help get you back on your feet again, or what happens if you lose your job and can no longer afford any health care coverage?

This is a great resource book for anyone who longs to understand the real problem behind why our current health care isn't working and what we can do, to make progress towards making it not only affordable but better for all involved.

I recieved this book compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review and truly this was eye opening to me. Being a recent product of this disaster in health care in our own country, this provided me with some things I can do to ensure I am getting the best for the money I do spend. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars!!

For more information on this amazing book, author and where to pick up a copy of this book for yourself, click on the link below:

Health Care You Can Live With - Discover Wholeness in Body and Spirit by Dr. Scott Morris

Love Food & Live Well

Just in time to help with all those weight loss goals so many of us begin right as the new year begins. Chantel Hobbs knows a thing or two about what struggles we all have in dealing with weight loss. She herself, has lost 200 pounds and now maintains not only a health weight but a life style as well.

In her latest book, Love Food & Live Well, she conquers our thought process on just why it's so hard to say no to the foods that lead us to over eating and over indulging. The one "Ah Ha!" moment for me is that in our minds, we feel like we owe it to ourself and there may not be another opportunity to enjoy that candy bar or that extra serving of freshly baked bread, hot out of the oven.

She found when interviewing people that didn't have weight issues, they don't over-indulge, but then again they don't think about it. Even though we begin our diet and eating plans with the best of intentions, we automatically tell ourselves that means giving up all our favorite foods, so when we blow it, we tell ourselves well if I ate one cookie, it doesn't matter that I eat another.

Chantel teaches you throughout the book about "clean eating" and adding our favorite foods back in, what we truly enjoy eating, not just inhaling. For example, I love chocolate, yet I don't need to eat the entire bag of chocolate, mindlessly while watching TV, I don't have to succumb to the desires in my head that if one is good, two is better. I can stop at one. It's changing our thinking that will lead our bodies to follow suit.

If you face those very same challenges and wonder how you can put it all behind you, check out the book, Love Food & Live Well. Just the stories that Chantel shares shows she truly knows what we feel like and what we are thinking. That makes it all the more believable for me. What have you got to lose, besides the excuses we've been making our whole life and start things off on a positive note and get back to enjoying food once again, the way God planned for it.

This book contains using personal inventories, original recipes, simple eating plans as well as new exercises for strength training and aerobic fitness. Instead of offering another set of world advice that we are not good enough or pretty enough, she offers hope.

I received this book, compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review. Loving her second book The One Day Way, I was super excited to read this one. It didn't disappoint and rates a 5 out of 5 stars for trying a diet with God in mind. For more information on this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this book and get started today, click on the link below:

Love Food & Live Well