Week 3 – Food & Fasting
The third Pillar of Catholic Fitness is Food and Fasting. Food is literally your life source. What you eat throughout the day may dictate your energy level, your mental focus, your emotional state, your physical performance and your healing potential. Think about these things as you decide what to fix your family before work and school. I mean Sweet Moses, food is crazy important. Fortunately for us, God has given us perfect food.Genesis 1:29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you.This is why we try to eat “God-made food” 80+% of the time, that is, minimally processed food with five ingredients or less (fruits, veggies, meat, real butter and oils and some starches and dairy if tolerated well.) Then of course, during that other 20% of the time … we can always make a little room for some pizza and ice cream! That is essentially the CatholicFIT Diet – lots of God-made food with some occasional pizza and ice cream (insert your own treat or dessert here.)Here is another thought … “you are what you eat”, if truly embraced, is arguably the best nutritional advice you will ever hear. Think about that – your choice for breakfast this morning is what you have chosen to serve as the building blocks for your and your children’s muscles, brain tissue, blood, bones and immune system, among many other things.

And check it out, the Church has a way of saying something very similar when it comes to the Eucharist:

Catholic Catechism #1324 The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” #1327 The Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: “Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking.”

Why do we attend church? Is it to be reminded of and receive the “source and summit” of our Christian life? Are we “confirming our way of thinking” as we attempt to align our thinking and behaviors with the example and values of Jesus Christ? As St. Ferdinand’s Father Jack Schuler said so simply yet perfectly last week in his homily – Sunday mass “recharges our battery.”

EAT WITH INTENTION

OK, {!firstname_fix} — so this quote to the left is a little harsh, but you get the idea –  God gave us perfect food, the more we humans mess with it, the more problems we usually have.This week, let’s focus only on breakfast. Your first meal sets the tone for the rest of your day. Your goal this week is to include more God-made, “real foods” in your breakfast meals. Consider these ideas:

  1. sprinkle bell peppers or spinach in a two egg omelet for a quick and balanced breakfast
  2. throw some crushed nuts into your oatmeal to help fill you up and sustain your energy
  3. many kids love “breakfast for dinner” – make homemade waffle or pancakes and save some leftovers for the next morning. Spread some peanut or almond butter on your pancakes for some good fat and protein

IMPORTANT TIP – if you read these ideas and immediately think, “I don’t have time in the morning to make omelets and pancakes,” the first goal to consider could be changing your morning schedule, your wake up time and/or preparing for breakfast the night before. In 15+ years of health coaching, I have rarely met people who rush around in the morning not making time for breakfast successfully  manage their weight for long term if not simply maintaining healthy eating habits throughout the day. Your breakfast sets you off on a certain tone for the rest of the day. And as with all things, if you are a parent, you are teaching your children the same lifestyle behaviors they will take with them for life. A possible goal then for your family may be to get up 15 minutes earlier to make breakfast. This change in your morning routine and culture can change your life, even if it is only a few days per week.

MOVE WITH INTENTION

  • Strength Move – Crawling (Infant, Animal, Spiderman)
  • At-Home Exercise Routine – Put the last few weeks together by combining the exercises we have covered so far – check out the link below for a review of all stretches and strength exercises for this week

Click below to review the exercises of the week.

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