Chat with Val - Mom Favs for Body & Mind. Also, a Legacy Dream Come True! Episode 40
❓Do you ever get tired of telling kids "no" they can't watch that movie or show or listen to that music or play that game? ❗Help is here!!! This week on the podcast, I share with you a plan to reduce that stress, to help you say "no" less because your child is saying "no" for themselves - teaching them to be a gatekeeper to their heart. ❤It's an episode about Guarding Our Hearts - Body & Mind. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" Please take the time to learn how to do that with your kids in our culture today by listening to this week's podcast!
The episode wraps up as I share about a LEGACY DREAM COME TRUE for my husband and I! What legacy dreams do you have and are you praying for and working toward?
Be inspired by the Practically Speaking MOM Podcast, episode 40.
Grab your cup of coffee or tea and let's chat! While recording this episode I was having Bonita Peach Rooibos by the Spice and Tea Exchange that's located at the Branson Landing. We just returned from a trip to Branson, MO. If you are going there any time soon, be sure to visit The Landing at the top of an hour, down by the water. They do a short fire, water, light, music show and your whole family will enjoy it! Lake Taneycomo is such a pleasant backdrop for a memorable experience.
When you go, also stop in at Nika's Olive - my absolute FAVORITE cooking indulgence store. I explain why on this episode of the podcast.
A few of my favorite tips for healthy living begins our podcast this week, including the tip to add veggies into your diet three meals a day. I know that sounds crazy, but it's brought an important improvement to my health!
I'm on a journey back to health after neglecting ME way too long! The combination of ignoring my health needs plus stress and being hypothyroid, I had developed adrenal fatigue, very imbalanced hormones, and a lot of weight gain.
It's not been a quick journey back and I've got a long way still to go, but it's been steady improvement! I am almost 90% free from adrenal fatigue! (I'll do a podcast on that topic some time). Lately, most weeks on the podcast I'm sharing a few health hints.
Recently I began eating veggies three meals a day, increased my focus on getting healthy fats in every meal, and dropped a few categories of food (click here to listen to episode 35 to hear more about my road back to health). With these changes, I've lost 18 lbs in the last 5 weeks! I'm thankful for the progress!
Why Healthy Fats?
In today's podcast you'll hear some of my favorite healthy fats.
Healthy Fats
*helps our body to repair
*helps our brain function better
*gets our metabolism going.
My Favorite Veggies for Breakfast
Veggies at lunch and dinner doesn't sound unusual at all, but veggies for breakfast sounds really, odd, doesn't it?!
Here are a couple of my really quick breakfasts that includes veggies and healthy fats:
Val's Quick Veggie Breakfast #1
*Mixed Salad Greens, a big handful goes right on your plate (preferred organic)
*Drizzle Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil ( When you listen to the podcast, I mention a few of my favorite infused flavors from Nika's Olive)
*Sprinkle Seasoning lightly, such as Sesame Ginger from Epicure (Here's a link to my friend Jen's Epicure website. I prefer Epicure because they offer a lot of gluten free and dairy free options but I'd love to hear about where you get your gf, df seasonings also!) I also enjoy Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel seasoning. It doesn't say it is gf, but its ingredient list doesn't point to any gluten.
*Top with scrambled eggs. We scramble ours with ghee (another healthy fat option). Then, right before the eggs are finished, sprinkle in a generous portion of kefir (wonderful for healing your gut). I prefer goats milk kefir, which is easier for a body to digest than cows milk, but cows milk kefir is also a wonderful option).
*Top with Feta if you prefer (I'm avoiding dairy right now, so I'm skipping the Feta). Feta is one of the easiest cheeses for your body to digest and can easily be found in non-cow options, such as sheep milk Feta, the most traditional type.
Val's Quick Veggie Breakfast #2
Thoroughly blend the following in a blender (I like a Nutribullet because they're super easy to clean)
*Almond milk, about 8 oz
*Almond Flour or Peanut Flour, 1 Tbsp
*MCT Oil for good fat, start out with just 1 tsp and work your way up to 1 Tbsp
*Flaxseeds and Chia seeds (I keep a little jar of this mixture to add to meals throughout the day)
*Handful of Berries (berries are low glycemic which means they don't spike your blood sugar which continues the healing process for your body)
*Half a Banana
*Handful of Kale or Spinach or a Green Powder from my cousin Stephanie's Arbonne business
Val's Quick Veggie Breakfast #3
This one I'm not having right now because I'm in a detox cycle where I'm remaining dairy free, but this is a typical quick veggie breakfast I would have normally
*Greek Yogurt Plain, 1 cup
*Flaxseeds and Chia Seeds
*All-Fruit, 1-2 tsp or a small handful of Blueberries, stirred well
Then on the side I eat a handful of cucumbers, sugar snap peas, or green pepper slices.
My favorite FREE resource for helping your family in your Game Plan to be GateKeepers of your heart and mind: www.Pluggedin.com
Focus on the Family is the ministry that brings Pluggedin.com to families for free! I grew up listening to the radio program which was full of wise people telling stories of their lives. This shaped my worldview which shaped my thoughts and decisions.
Be intentional about the power of the words that are playing as the wallpaper in your home ... the words on the radio, or tv, or games, or in conversations that are being heard by these little ears that are forming their perceptions of the world. Your kids are learning from the words:
What is good? What is truth? What is appropriate behavior?
What are healthy thoughts and responses?
What are quality life decisions?
That background noise on the TV or radio isn't just filling the air. it's filling your child's heart, so choose wisely. Be a good steward of these precious hearts and minds that have been entrusted to you by their Creator.
Give your children a reprieve from our cultures messages. Be sure that the majority of the words in your home are words that reinforce truth that will build their life.
In this podcast episode, I go into great detail for how we utilize Pluggedin.com at each stage of childhood from the younger years, to the middle years, to the upper years. You need a a simple strategy for protecting their heart and mind - a strategy for teaching them to protect their own heart and mind.
I want my kids to be comfortable talking to me about hard topics.
I want to equip them to navigate the rocky waters of our culture well.
If you want to see your child to thrive, equip them for these life issues with a clear plan that teaches them along the way how to BECOME their own gatekeeper. This is one of the most important things we can do - protect their heart & mind, and gradually transfer that responsibility to them.
Transferring the culture gatekeeper monkey??? Huh? Learn about this, in episode 40!
Business teacher Michael Hyatt, in an article, "Your Most Important Leadership Tool - Three Reasons Why You Must Guard Your Heart," says, "If your heart is unhealthy, it threatens everything else
becasue your heart is extremely valuable
because your heart is the source of everything you do
because your heart is under constant attack
I want to guard my child's heart until they are capable and ready to guard it themselves and I want to give them habits that will help them be good gatekeepers of their hearts and minds.
I am seeking to raise leaders who don't:
cower to bullies
shrink back from obstacles
or linger in the cesspools in the depraved alleys of our world.
There's all kinds of poison lurking in the media options of our day. I want my kids to be on the alert and equipped to win in the battle over their minds.
I know you're an intentional parent. Now help them become intentional to establish good habits and be comfortable with tough conversations - learn how to do this with me on the podcast this week!
In the last bit of the podcast this week, I share a DREAM COME TRUE for our Legacy! Something we've been working on for two years has finally arrived!
Rich and I learned the hard way that you can't to take your marriage for grated. Either it grows or it becomes endangered. We wanted to promote healthy marriage to our married kids (three of the seven of our kids are married so far). This week on the podcast you hear what legacy dream come true happened for us this weekend! And I ask you to pray with us about the future of this new material.
