Beauty. {sigh} Why did I start this topic @ 22 weeks pregnant? I’m feeling anything but beautiful these days. I’m actually feeling more like this:
– round
– puffy
– my thighs rub together
– nothing I put on looks right
– I feel un-proportioned and awkward
Yet everyone keeps telling me I’m glowing, that pregnancy is beautiful, ya de da de da!
{everything I tell other pregnant women and they give me the paleeeeeeze eye roll}
Yup, you guessed it… I’m now giving it back to them!
Yes, pregnancy is beautiful, because God created it. Whether you are pregnant or not, you may be feeling a lot like me! There are things that contribute to our puffy days!
AVOID THESE: 10 Things That Make You Look Puffy & Bloated!
1. Salt: Don’t add salt to anything; instead add pepper and spices.2. Sugar: Don’t add sugar to your coffee or food. Avoid sugary foods. 3. Refined carbs: Focus on eating whole foods: like fruits, veggies, and lean protein. Refined carbs are stripped of all fiber and nutritional value. They are also loaded with preservatives, sugar, and additives! 4. Empty calories: Avoid foods and beverages with empty calories. These foods/drinks are high in energy but low in nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber, and essential fatty acids). Soda, candy, and junk foods are good examples of empty calories. 5. Caffeine: (Coffee, chocolate, tea, cocoa, cola and sodas). Although moderate caffeine intake isn’t likely to cause harm, too much can lead to some unpleasant effects. Heavy daily caffeine use — more than 500 to 600 mg a day — may cause: insomnia, restlessness, nervousness, irritability, upset stomach, rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, and more. Too much can also dehydrate you. 6. Soda: No good! Read about 8 ways soda fizzles your health here. 7. Artificial sweeteners: You may think that you are helping your body by drinking diet sodas and substituting sugar with those artificial sweeteners, but research has shown that it actually can make you gain weight! 8. White flour, Wheat, and Gluten: Some people believe that they feel better and less puffy when they eat less wheat. Wheat is one of the seven top allergens and intolerance to it can be difficult to diagnose. Excluding wheat or gluten from your diet is the most effective way to diagnose intolerance. It contains more gluten than other grains and is difficult for your digestive system to digest, leaving you feel bloated. Foods to avoid – wheat, rye, oats, barley, white flour, bread, pasta, pizza, biscuits, muffins, cakes, crumpets, sausages, barley, corn, millet, oat bran, oat flour, rice bran, rye, sorghum, grain, wheat bran, whole wheat flour, nuts and seeds, cottonseed flour, pistachios, sesame flour, sunflower flour. 9. Lactose Intolerance: Lactose is commonly found in dairy products (especially cow’s milk) and protein powder supplements (milk protein and egg source). 10. Lack of sleep: If you are not getting a good night’s sleep, this affects your cortisol levels. Lack of sleep can cause weight gain. A good night’s sleep is vital to your beauty!
How’s your inner beauty? Have you been in God’s Word? Have you been asking Him to refine your character? So many fruits that God made have an abundance of health benefits (antioxidants, cleansing power, they clear our skin, etc).
Let’s focus on a different kind of fruit… The Fruit Of The Spirit!
Galatians 5:22: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
How can you be filled (controlled) by the Holy Spirit today?
1. Confess you sin (1 John 1:9)
2. Tell Jesus He is in control of your life; relinquish your control.
3. Ask Him to fill you and control you with His Spirit.
4. Maintain: Continually do 1-3 throughout the day and meditate on scripture. Place 3×5 cards in your kitchen, bathroom, and purse!
Have you grabbed this beauty button yet? The code is to the right in my sidebar!
