Health. Image. Weight. Appearance. + A Rebbl Reishi Mushroom Creation

This day in California was one of my favorites. I was with some of
amazing people experiencing the beauty of creation.

Did You Know?

“The scale doesn’t tell you how much fat you’ve lost nor how much muscle you’ve gained- both of which are vital to your health.” –Paul Chek

Health. Image. Weight. Appearance.

All of these are connected to how the majority of the population views themselves. We are so accustomed to throwing health, image, weight, and appearance all together. Because of this, many of us have a skewed perception of how our bodies really work and what being healthy really means. I want to start off by sharing my journey with getting to a place of genuine health.

At a very young age, I cultivated an awareness that I was a little bigger and wore a larger size than most of the girls in my grade. At the age of 8, I vividly remember being in my two-piece bathing suit and noticing that my body looked a little different than all the other girls. My stomach bulged and my legs touched when I was standing. The other girls did not have either of those things.  I will never forget the moment of being in second grade and experiencing the feeling of embarrassment for my size and appearance. It was then that I discovered the feeling of comparison. I felt shame for looking the way I did. Little did I know this was only the beginning of satan weaving his devious schemes into my young heart and mind.

I grew up comparing my body and looks to everyone else around me. I didn’t understand why I weighed the number that I did. I didn’t know what it meant to be healthy. I was utterly and completely trapped by this “perfect image” that the TV, magazines, and popular school girls were consciously and subconsciously projecting onto me. I struggled and wrestled with these heavy thoughts for way too long. I soon became overly aware about the amounts of food I would eat. I subconsciously became obsessive about how much I was putting in my body. Although I was never officially diagnosed with an eating disorder, looking back I can see that I definitely struggled with one. I was completely and utterly crippled by appearance and the number on the scale. I had so many days where I would weigh myself in the morning and was 5oz heavier than I was the day before so I knew I had to go run first thing before letting myself eat.

After going through many struggles with my family and learning that I had an unhealthy relationship with food, I decided that I wanted to change. Looking back, it was the Holy Spirit convicting me and prompting me towards change. I desperately wanted to feel free. I wanted to be an example to my sisters and friends who were struggling with the same crippling thoughts about body image that I was. I wanted to be an advocate for vulnerability and asking myself and others the hard questions. Through the grace of Jesus, this happened.

I share all of this for those of you that struggle with the same thing. I want you to know you aren’t alone. I want to be a voice and a support for encouraging you to break free from some number on the scale or some expectation that you bind yourself to. I want to partner with you about diving into what it really means to be healthy and how to be confident by the way you feel. I want you to know and behold the reality that you are a child of the King rather than being confident merely in what the world deems as an “attractive appearance.”

Therefore, if you wake up each day and weigh yourself, count calories, use food as a limitation and a punishment for the way that you look, or feel at all enslaved to body-image, then I just want to say… you are free. Jesus does not bind you by any of those things. He has come to proclaim and freely give His unconditional love and freedom. Neither your size, weight, nor image matters in eternity.

As a follower of Jesus, I believe in being a good steward of this body that I’ve been given. I believe in taking each meal as an opportunity to take care of myself through making healthy and wise choices. This doesn’t mean I don’t consume things like sugar, chocolate, or tortilla chips. I actually enjoy all three but I actively choose to eat them in moderation because I know in the grand scheme of things, I am going to genuinely feel better if I choose a salad or a piece of fruit instead.

No matter where you are at in your journey towards health, it is never too late to start over and create change in your life. You are already giving the Holy Spirit power to intercede for you in this area through making the active choice to change. Partner with me in being a voice against the enslaving vices of comparing appearances, shame for a number on a scale, and bondage towards food.

REBBL MACA MOCHA & REISHI CHOCOLATE

These two coconut herbal infusion drinks are most definitely some of my favorite things to treat myself to at The Fresh Market or Whole Foods. However, if you have purchased one of these drinks before you know that they are about $3.99 each which adds up over time. After buying a dozen or two of these specialty drinks over time I decided to try and make my own and I love them even more homemade.

Ingredients:

Makes 4 “Ben Size” Servings

-3 1/4 Cups Coconut Milk

-1 Tbsp. Om Reishi Mushroom powder

-1 Scoop Collagen Peptides

-1 Tsp. Pink Sea Salt

-2 Tbsp. Cacao

-1 Tbsp. Maca

-1 Tsp. Lucuma

-1 Tbsp. Maple

-2 Tbsp. Coconut Sugar

-1/4 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

-1 Tbsp. Vanilla

-10 Drops of Stevia (Optional)

Directions:

-Place the coconut milk in a saucepan and turn the stove on simmer

-Add each ingredient one by one whisking each in the order listed above

-Pour mixture into blender and blend for 30 seconds

-Pour your Reishi drink into container or bottle of choice and enjoy!