Dear Christ Walk III challengers!

Prayer for the Week:

O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength; By the might of they Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to they presence, where we may be still and know that though art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Taken from BCP

It is the start of week 5. There are common themes for many participants when it comes to not exercising....loss of motivation, loss of desire/interest, and life distractions from the Christ Walk program. If you are experiencing any one of those, you are only human and definitely not the only one. I would love to give you some great advice on how to overcome these things but ultimately it is up to you.

Ask yourself some questions... What is keeping me from the gym/track/walk? Time of day scheduled, hate to workout, my boss, too much work.... What can you do to change the constant challenges you experience? Try a walking group vs. using the machines/treadmill. Find someone to encourage you. Readjust your workout times with your life.

This week's quote:

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." Beverly Sills

NUTRITION TIP: HOW TO READ FOOD LABELS?

In every fitness message there is information about nutrition. One of the biggest questions I get is "How do I know how many calories I am eating?", "How much fat is in this product", "How much fiber am I getting", and so on. These are great questions! On every object we buy there is a Food Label, which answers these questions, and more. It can seem scary to pick up a can of spaghetti sauce and read the label, but there is a lot of good information out there to help! I am attaching the below website which has great information on what is on a food label, and how to read it.

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html

FITNESS TIP: What does intensity mean?

How hard should you be working out? It all depends! Physical Activity promotes health through everyday activities like gardening, walking, etc.; Physical Fitness is the ability to perform physical activities that require aerobic fitness, endurance, strength, or flexibility and is determined by a combination of regular activity and genetically inherited ability. In this more modest form, aerobic training involves an endurance activity, such as cycling, running or rowing, performed continuously for a certain amount of time, usually 20-30 minutes. It is also advisable that with this kind of aerobic training the exercise intensity should be moderately hard.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ASCM) officially recommends that the optimal intensity is between 60% and 80% of VO2 max. VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen, in milliliters, one can use in one minute per kilogram of bodyweight. It is the standard measure of aerobic fitness. However, it is impossible to maintain maximal oxygen use for longer than about 8-10 minutes. Thus, for general fitness training, one should aim to be at 60-80% of maximum capacity and maintain this level for 20-60 minutes. This intensity is comparable to the training levels elite athletes would use on their 'steady state' sessions.

Click on the below link to determine your Target Heart Rate!

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/TargetHeartRate.html

STRESS TIP: Reduce Your Stress and Improve Your Memory Did you know that stress not only can affect your health but also your memory? Tension and stress are associated with lapses in memory. Whether it's meditating, cooking, listening to relaxing music, reading or walking, finding something that you enjoy and that fits your lifestyle is a practical way to reduce your stress and help improve your memory.

Source: ÒStaying Sharp: Memory Loss and Aging,Ó The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, www.dana.org <http://www.dana.org/> .

Recipe of the Week:

Garlic and Soy Sauce Pork Chops
 
Serves 2

Ingredients
Grill up chunks of fresh vegetables alongside these lip-smacking pork chops for an irresistible outdoor feast. Bell pepper, sweet onion, and zucchini would work quite nicely.

2 boneless center-cut pork loin chops, trimmed of all visible fat
1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Fresh herbs, for garnish

Instructions
Sprinkle the pork chops all over with soy sauce, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Coat a grill rack or broiler-pan rack with cooking spray. Preheat the grill or broiler.

Cook the pork chops 4" from the heat, turning once halfway through cooking time, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center of a chop registers 155¡F and the juices run clear. Garnish with the herbs.

Love this recipe? Send your family and friends a Recipe E-Card!

Recipe from The South Beach Diet Cookbook. For information on the book, click here.

Nutritional Information:
105.71 calories
2.91 total fat (0 g sat)
55.28 mg cholesterol
0.54 g carbohydrate
18.22 g protein
0 g fiber
168.88 mg sodium

Closing Prayer:

God, help us to remember that when our hearts and feet are too weary to carry ourselves, that YOU are always there to pick us up and carry us on our way. Guide our feet and hearts on the path you have set before us. In Your Name we Pray. Amen