pt 2: natural, feminine beauty...

[unknown credit. all i know is that it's taylor swift. :D]

      Health is important for us women. We bear children, cook, clean, shop for groceries, and are a helpmeet to our husbands (or fathers). I believe that God has given us everything that we need to feel our best so we can do our best at these things, and be able to put our best effort into it. When I eat a bunch of white flour pancakes with Jif peanut butter and some sugary maple syrup in the morning, I feel sluggish for the rest of the day. I can't do anything I need to do. But if I start my morning with a green smoothie and homemade yogurt with fresh strawberries, I feel ready to take on the rest of the day. Not that there's anything wrong with pancakes and syrup, but those things should be eaten at a minimum. (Especially for me, because I have hypoglycemia, which is a disease causing low blood sugar resulting (in my case) from poor diet.) I don't know about you, but I like to feel fresh and energetic in the morning--as well as the rest of the day.

       Currently, my eating habits go back and forth. Some days I do really well and some days I don't do so well. But when I eat pretty well, I usually have a lot of fruit and vegetables, whether in the form of smoothies or salads. I'll have homemade yogurt, lots of water (maybe sassy water (more on that later!)), herbal tea, and some 75% or up uber dark chocolate, nuts, lotsa' raw milk, etc. And, *chuckles*, no, I do not count calories. I just don't. When I go to a restaurant, I usually eat what I want and I enjoy it, without wondering worrying about it making me fat. Because it won't. As long as I eat well on a day to day basis.

       Now, you're probably wondering why on earth I called this (very long) post "natural, feminine beauty" when I'm talking about eating healthy. Actually, I think they're connected. Proverbs 31 says, "She girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms..." I don't think that what we look like on the outside is more important than who we are on the inside, but I don't think that's an excuse to not try to take care of ourselves. I think it's beautiful when a girl neither becomes obsessive about her health nor neglectful of her health, but rather when she's in the middle: balanced. When she's happy with who God made her and how God made her (whether she has bigger thighs than most girls or is shorter than most girls), but takes care of herself by eating healthy and exercising when she can, and doesn't talk negatively about how she looks to others or to herself. Ever.

        Yeah, I know: It's not easy. It's just not, unless you grew up eating well and exercising. One of my favorite quotes when it comes to healthy living (and which I try to apply to every aspect of my life) :

        "I don't need easy. I just need possible." ~ Soul Surfer
   
       Hey, I'm not perfect at this either. I still something I strive for. But of course with God all things are possible. We just need to pray for Him to give us discipline, endurance, and a faith that can move mountains. :D