Now that the holidays are over, many of you have probably stepped on the scales and are now wondering how you are going to shed those unwanted pounds.  I want to encourage you to "forget those things which are behind (well, not literally - ha!), and reach forth unto those things which are before" - Phil.3:13  Make a commitment today to guard your mouth as to not only what comes out of it ("Let your speech be always with grace. . . Col. 4:6 KJV), but what you put into it as well.  Remember, as a follower of Jesus Christ, your body is His temple.  What an awesome thought!  So be very careful what you bring in to your body/temple.

If you are not on the Hallelujah Diet, I highly recommend it to you.  It's not as hard as you may think. 

Here's my suggestions for ridding your body of those unnecessary pounds:  If you are an overweight woman, strive to keep your calorie intake under 1200 calories per day (1,000 is even better if you can do it).  Men would keep theirs under 2,000 calories daily (depending on their activity level of course).  Even vegans (those who don't consume anything that comes from something with a Mother!) can easily become overweight primarily by not being conscientious of their portions.  I am trying to keep my portions under 100 calories per serving.  In the next section I will give you some of my favorite foods listing 100 calorie portions.

Exercise is an important part of my daily regimen.  I incorporate walking, stair climbing, weights, crunches, and squats into my routine.  If you want to lose it, you've got to move it!  Rebounding is one of my favorite pastimes when I'm watching television; I also like to rebound on very cold or rainy days.  See our rebounders at www.reboundersus.com .  I also spend at least 5 minutes daily doing deep breathing exercises. 

I drink 6-8 cups (depending on how much carrot juice I consume) of purified water daily.  I consider organic BarleyMax to be the food that gets my day off to a healthy start.  It is one of the most alkaline and nutrient-dense foods I consume daily.  A large jar for $37.95 lasts one person two months - quite a bargain! I keep a small notebook handy on my kitchen counter to record my daily regimen so I will stay on track. 

Is this lifestyle simple and easy?  Simple - yes; easy - NO!  But in my 54 years, I have found that the things in life that are really worthwhile are never easy.   But by the grace of God you "can do all things through Christ who strengthens (you)". - Phil. 4:13

Ok, so you're on the Hallelujah Diet, but you're still overweight.  What's wrong?  Well part of the problem could be that your portions are just too large or maybe you are consuming too many high-fat plant foods, such as nuts, seeds, coconut, avocados, and oils.  Even too much of a good thing can result in unwanted pounds.  If you are overweight, I would encourage you to literally measure your vegan foods until you are accustomed to proper portions for safe weight loss. 

January is a good month to do a cleanse, too; FiberCleanse from Hallelujah Acres (also at our website) is a wonderful product which comes in powder or capsule form.  It will help to speed up the detoxification process.   A word of warning: You may have periods when you don't feel good as your body is cleansing itself of impurities. Think of this as a "healing crisis".  If the detox process is too difficult, just incorporate a little more cooked food into your plan. 

If you get hungry between meals, eat 1/3 of a Survival Bar (100 calories), a piece of fruit, or a small handful of homemade trail mix (organic raisins or other dried fruit without sulfur dioxide, soaked walnuts, and/or soaked sunflower seeds)  Fresh vegetable juice and water keeps me satisfied.  Many times when we think we're hungry, our body is actually "crying" for water.  If you think you are hungry between meals, drink 2 cups of distilled (or purified) water, wait 5 minutes - most of the time that satisfies your hunger pangs.

 

Try not to eat anything after your evening meal.  I turn off the lights in the kitchen and only go back to fix myself a cup of hot green tea or maybe a juicy fruit like an orange.

Here are some of my favorite 100 calorie foods:

1 apple                         1/2 cup organic applesauce

1 medium banana          1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cantaloupe               1 cup fresh cherries

1 cup fruit salad             1/2 grapefruit

1 large orange               about 40 organic grapes

1 large pear                   2 slices fresh pineapple

1 medium baked potato  3/4 cup basmati rice

2 c. org. strawberries      1 small sweet potato

3/4 c. wh. wh. spaghetti   1 medium fresh peach

Now when it comes to RAW vegetables, you can eat a lot more.  For instance, it would take almost 2 large bunches of red or green leaf lettuce to equal 100 calories!  1 cup of fresh broccoli is just 44 calories.  1 cup of shredded cabbage is a measly 24 calories.  And a cup of diced carrots is just 42 calories.  It would take 3 large cucumbers and 3 medium tomatoes to equal 100 calories!  So make a HUGE salad for lunch and dinner with a variety of raw vegetables including shredded summer squash, shredded zucchini, raw corn, diced celery, cauliflower, and fresh sprouts.  Many times I make a big bowl of slaw - I just take out a variety of raw vegetables from my refrigerator and shred them in my food processor.  Then I add a little Vegenaise (1 T. - 100 calories), garlic powder, sea salt, and raw honey.  Be sure to read labels on your salad dressings and avoid those with MSG.  I like the Seeds of Change Organic Italian Herb or French Tomato.  Of course, fresh dressings are best.  I avoid homemade recipes containing more than 1/4 cup of oil since 1 tablespoon of oil is generally 100 calories. 

Record your present weight and your desired goal.  Weigh each morning and record your progress.  Never, never, never give up - you can do it!!  "...When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him." - Isaiah 59:19 KJV 

 

I have written a sequel to Hallelujah! Simple Weekly Meal Plans, with another month's worth of menus and recipes on the Hallelujah Diet.  Please help us pray that it will be published in 2009.  I have some wonderful recipes in this new book that you are going to love!

I have used a lot of facial cleansers and creams through the years.  Of course I want to only put safe products on my face.  For cleansing, I use Desert Essence Facial Scrub.  It contains jojoba oil & almond meal.  This cleanser has a nice pleasant scent and gently removes dead cells.  My face feels so clean and fresh after using this scrub.  I follow it with the Desert Essence Facial Moisturizer, which contains jojoba oil & aloe vera.  I use this as a night cream and an application underneath my make-up.  Both of these products can be purchased from Hallelujah Acres by calling 1-800-915-9355 or can be ordered at their web site at www.hacres.com Please use our PIN (ACO) when ordering.

 

 

5 cups purified water                2 c. chopped tomatoes

1 bell pepper, chopped             8-oz can tomato sauce*

1 onion, chopped                     2 T. Earth Balance

1 bay leaf                                1 T. raw honey

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

 

Soak peas for 8 hours. Drain, then add 5 cups of purified water. Saute' onions and peppers in Earth Balance. (I skip this step; I just chunk all of the ingredients in a pot and cook on low heat for about 2 hours.) Bring peas to a boil, adding sauteed vegetables and bay leaf.  Reduce heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.  Add remaining ingredients. Simmer 30 additional minutes.  Serve with my wonderful wholegrain cornbread.  See "Newsletter Archive" above for this recipe.

*Always use organic canned products.

 

For more great Halleluljah Diet recipes that are great tasting, yet simply prepared, get Marilyn's book, "Hallelujah! Simple Weekly Meal Plans".  You can find it and order it HERE.

Newsletter Archive

The Hallelujah Diet