It's Strawberry Season!

It's strawberry season on the Tennessee Kentucky stateline! This weekend I helped pick strawberries on the family farm. These photos are from one days pickin'. Needless to say mama and daddy have been busy in the garden harvesting these little berries and preparing them for the freezer...that is if they were not consumed first! Strawberries are full of vitamin C and they also contain vitamin A, folic acid, fiber, and iron. They are low in calories and loaded with nutrition so that makes them great to eat! Strawberries are best eaten almost immediately after they are harvested within the 2 to 3 days. After they are picked you remove their "cap" and then enjoy them!    

Mama's Berry Patch...the strawberries are on the right (5 rows of them) and they are my favorite, but I cannot wait till the blackberries (on the left) come in sometime in July because they are also delicious!

I could not resist trying to consume several strawberry dishes yesterday since I had farm fresh strawberries! This is not a normal occurrence in the Savage household. I did not want those little yummy berries to go to waste especially since I helped pick them.

Breakfast (Bran Cereal & Strawberries with Milk)

Lunch (Fresh garden chicken salad with strawberries, apples, almonds, blue cheese crumbles, craisins & honey mustard dressing)

Afternoon Refresher (Strawberry Tea)

Dessert (Strawberry Shortcake) 

I haven't turned into a strawberry yet, but I'm ready to go back to the berry patch to pick some more because after reviewing these pictures I'm hungry again for some more berries. Can you tell that strawberries are one of the Savage Girl's favorite fruits? What is your favorite? 

Overweight VS. Skinny

Is being healthy and overweight better than being skinny and unhealthy? This question was recently posed to me. I am no health expert by any means, but I do have a degree in Human Ecology with an emphasis in Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics. I have a good general knowledge of the human body and what has worked for me personally during my lifestyle changing journey this past year. So here is an attempt to answer the question about being overweight versus skinny and who is healthier...if an individual is making healthy choices with the foods they eat, they exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and have a healthy blood pressure, blood glucose & cholesterol reading from their doctor then I believe they are being as healthy as they can be. These are some of the essential things that help create healthy bodies. An individuals weight might not be ideal, but an overweight person who is trying to be healthy are at a "healthy state" for their individual body. Doing something and being proactive to better than doing nothing at all!  God made us all different and unique in all shapes and sizes. If you are concerned about being healthy then as individuals all that we can do is try to be the healthiest that we possibly can be at whatever size we currently are at. The skinny person who is not trying at all to be healthy by the choices they make might actually be worse off than the overweight healthy person, because they do not care and are not concerned about their health. So yes, I believe you can be skinny and unhealthy!

Over the course of the last eighteen months I have learned that your weight is not everything. The media world has helped to give us a false view of body image and what is overweight & skinny and healthy & unhealthy. Love your body at whatever weight you currently are at. You are beautiful/or handsome and made in the image of God! If you love your body then the eating healthy, exercise, sleep, and blood pressure, blood glucose, & cholesterol readings will somehow find a way within a healthy range when you are psychologically ready. You have to have the desire to be healthy and want to change for yourself and no one else but yourself. That's when you are psychologically ready and then I believe you can begin to get physically ready by making wiser choices within your life. This might mean admitting to yourself that you need help from professionals or a support system. Anyways, LOVE the skin you are in first, then everything else will fall into place. Being healthy will work its way into your new lifestyle when you are ready.

If you still find yourself confused or need more encouragement then create a support system to surround yourself around. Talk to your health care provider because they might have some really great tips and pointers for you from a professionals standpoint. Find people around you that will help encourage you to reach your goals if you want to get healthier. Your support system could be made up of your family and friends, maybe a group of individuals who are trying to achieve the same goals as you (like my Weight the Reality Series group), or it could even be a group of fellow Christians who could be your cheerleaders. Your co-workers need to be involved also because more than likely you are around them as much as you are your family and friends. Join a fitness center and the people you meet there will become part of your accountability and encouragement team. Last but not least involve the most import person who helped create you...God. Pray about your health and ask for His support in your journey. And...my door is always open if you need my encouragement...because I know that I need yours daily! 

Learning From a Special Lady...

It has been an historical week to say the least. Tornadoes ripped through the state of Oklahoma. An innocent soldier was murdered in broad daylight in London. Millions of insects called cicadas have begun to emerge from the ground to serenade us throughout the summer. A new grocery store opened up in a small town promising lower priced groceries. A committee of seven ladies finalized plans on a summer concert series. A former co-worker moved on with a new life opportunity while leaving behind a vacant agriculture and natural resources county agent position in a small rural county in Kentucky (the job will be posted soon). A small group of dedicated individuals participating in a program called Weight the Reality Series continue to lose weight and make healthier life choices in order to have better bodies. A friend decided to move and transition into a new town to be closer to her work. And on a more personal note...my "Savage Life" continues. I have come to realize even more now than ever before that I cannot do it all, so I say a little prayer for God's guidance and my personal sanity. I put a smile on my face and attempt to manage one thing at a time on my to do list.

Now that I have had a chance to step back and reflect a little over my week it is kind of ironic that this week I have been reading about a special lady that overcame many obstacles! I am trucking right along with my daily bible readings and this week I have been reading about a lady that had courage. She followed God and His will for her in order to help her friends and family. She had faith and courage despite the obstacles that were thrown her way. Here are some applications that I think we can observe from this special lady.

1. Sometimes we need to stop and thank God for helping us overcome obstacles, trials, tribulations, and evil that is around us. We need to "stop and smell the roses" so to speak and be thankful for all the blessings that come our way no matter their size, shape, or situation. Life might not make sense now but God has a plan for your life just like he has a plan for my life.
2. Sometimes we might be placed into situations that we necessarily do not want or desire for ourselves, but instead of harboring on the sour situation we need to add a little syrup and make lemonade out of the lemons that life throws our way. We need to understand there is a purpose and we might not understand it now, but one day all the puzzle pieces will fit together perfectly because someone else with more powers is designing our life and we just get to play a small part in the process. 
3. Taking risks is a part of life and we must be willing to take the risks that come along in life in order to gain something greater. Some of the best things sometimes come when things are unknown. The lady I have been learning about this week was willing to go before a powerful king without his permission. She was willing to risk her life for her friends and family because she did not have anything else to loose.  
4. There are times we need to pray about things, seek a Godly counsel and wise advice from others, and then there are times we need to simply wait a while and have patience. But when the courage comes we need to move forward, step out of our comfort zone, and have faith in God's plan for us. The lady I was studying trusted in God and she saved a nation. She was willing to risk it all, but when we are like this special lady others will want to be like us. Others will look to us as an example, for answers, and for help. We need to be humble enough to acknowledge that we do not know it all and that answers can be found when one seeks the one and true God who knows it all.  

If you have not already figured out my special lady was Esther and we can learn much from her in the short ten chapters about her life in the Bible. So tonight when I say my prayers I am going to ask God what He wants to do through my life. Let us each remember that God put each of us on this earth where he wants us to be and for a particiular period of time. Let us have faith in His timing and will.

My Family Legacy

This weekend the Savage Girl is getting to celebrate a few family milestones on my maternal side of the family. I had one cousin graduate from high school and another cousin is about to give birth to her first baby so a baby shower is planned for tomorrow afternoon. These milestones indirectly affect me since my extended family is expanding and new paths are being embarked on. All this got me to thinking about our family legacy.

Bonnie on graduation day...and yes she got her very own electric man for her
dorm room from yours truely!

I have always heard that cousins are a childs first best friends! Oh the stories we could tell on each other from our days on the Craighead farm! Here are some of my cousins recently at Sara's baby shower in December. Now Mallory is about ready to have her little one too!  

Each day we are writing our history and life story whether we realize it or not. We need to take time to reflect on the things that are truly important and worth preserving  for others to view and remember us by in order to help preserve our legacy into the future. Everyone has things within their life that they feel is important and worth reflection time but sometimes we forget to communicate our legacy to others on why it is important to us. I feel that my parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents have done a pretty good job communicating our family legacy on to the next generation of Craighead youth. It is exciting to see my cousins now as they are opening new life chapters and carrying on that legacy into the future. My hope and dream is that one day I can do this too if it is God’s will and plan for me to have children of my own.

My great-grandparents Hazel & Homer Gates. 

My grandparents Ralph and Jo Frances Craighead.

 

My parents Leah and Charles Savage.

I believe there was a theme to this Craighead family legacy. All of us grandchildren I believe were passed on this family legacy that consisted of values, beliefs, and the love for heirlooms and preserving the family history. Some have chosen to let it impact their life and change their family and or individual history. It has impacted us all differently! This is not to say that we all have followed the same path or that we are all clones of one another. Trust me we have all made our own fair share of mistakes and some have even had their our own off road adventures in life. We are human and life happens! But I believe because our family history was passed down through the years we now can see certain values, principles, and beliefs that are repeated in each generation. Hence now why it is a legacy that I believe we are continuing to pass down. In a nutshell here is what I believe our family legacy consists of…

• Belief that there is one church, one God, and one truth. We each were taught that we all have the responsibility to think, believe, and obey the truth but if we want God’s acceptance then we must be willing to accept what was taught in the beginning and not ignore the teachings of the bible and the examples we can learn from it.
• Education is very important and your daily attendance is crucial when it comes to attending school. Continuing your education is a must! It is the door opener to the future and the opportunities that lie ahead. Learning is lifelong and doesn’t stop in the classroom. Learning is an exploration of yourself and the things around you. You must ask questions and inquire to learn new things in order to continue learning and fully understand life.
• Service others and give back to your community whether it is within your life work and career or your personal free time. Give selflessly of yourself in order to make a difference and help make small changes for the total overall larger life picture. Volunteer your time and energy, but do not expect anything back in return.
• Provide leadership for the things you are passionate about. Step up and be a leader if you are needed because it is a job, someone has to do it, and so it might as well be you.
• Cherish the things you love and the things that make you happy. For some within my family that means holding on to family heirlooms and historical family pieces so that the future can know the past by passing the information forward.    

No, my cousins and I did not go to family legacy school. These were just small things in life that I believe that our parents and our grandparents instilled in us through the life they lived and the example they set forth. If only they could see us now! I can see the impact of the family legacy within each of our lives. I am sure they would be very proud and beaming with joy from all of our achievements. I am pretty confident that there are more turns and roadblocks ahead for us but I believe our future is bright and that the legacy will be remembered and carried forward!  

Are you leaving a family legacy? If you have not ever thought about it maybe you should reflect a little and see where you want your family legacy to be. Who knows you might change your family tree!     

Small Changes

My personal “get Lara healthy” and “weight loss” challenge has been stalled for the last little bit. I have been stuck, so when I started the Weight the Reality Series program at work for my community a few ago I decided that I was going to make a few small changes with what I was doing to hopefully change things up a bit and to jump start my loss again. Guess what? It worked! ( And YES I am going to blog about a work program on my personal blog again!)

These are the changes I made 2 weeks ago when I kicked off my program at work:

1. I bought a new water bottle and I started carrying it with me every day. Every day when I make my breakfast, I have tried to fill my bottle up with ice and fresh water for the day. I also try to refill it a few times throughout the day. I know that I do not get enough fluids. I am not a drinker! I sometimes can go almost an entire day without consuming anything besides my cup of coffee in the morning…, which is not very healthy! Drinking water instead of sugary drinks is one of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. Drinking more water is a proven behavior of successful losers. Sometimes I make it a little more exciting by adding lemon, lime, or strawberries and I have tried flavored sparkling water. Choose foods and drinks with little or no added sugars. There are about 10 packets of sugar in a 12-ounce can of soda. Choose 100% fruit juice instead of fruit-flavored drinks.   
2. I also started to add more fiber to my diet. I was already consuming 100% whole grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, and pasta, and lots of fruits and vegetables, but I knew that I needed more. Therefore, I changed up my breakfast routine and started adding a slice of whole grain bread in addition to my morning cereal and fruit routine (cold cereal or oatmeal). In addition to my usual fruit as a snack, occasionally l will add a fiber packed cereal and grain bar.
3. I also tried to stick to my physical activity routine by exercising 4-5 times per week for 30-60 minutes no matter where I was whether I was traveling for work or at home in my normal routine. Normally when I travel I just ignore my physical activity for a few days and then pick back up when I get back home, but not last week! I purposely decided to stay in the conference hotel where I would have to walk the furthest to get to my meetings and I got up early to squeeze in a little exercise before the activities of the day consumed me. Maybe you need to add this to your routine. Pick a few physical activities that you like and start by doing what you can, at least 10 minutes at a time. Every bit adds up, and the health benefits increase as you spend more time being active.

I am currently 17 pounds from my goal weight. There is a light at the end of the tunnel! My goal for the next month is to keep making small changes so I can meet my goal weight. My challenge to you is make a few small changes in your routine and you might see a difference like me!

If you need motivation from a group or someone to be accountable to then contact me at work and join my Weight the Reality Series group we meet Tuesday nights in Tompkinsville. Weigh in is from 4:30-5:30 p.m. and our program is at 5:30 p.m.  

...some of my biggest cheerleaders! My mom Leah and my sister Anna.
They joined me in my WTRS group & collectively we three have lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks!