Live It Articles Nostalgia

The beginning of the holiday season is once more upon us. Many of us may be experiencing nostalgia, yearning to go back to some past period that is full of good memories. God has blessed me with a mind that seems to retain good memories and I have a hard time bringing up bad memories.

A place that I become very nostalgic about is Round Top, Texas. We just returned from our F.O.C.U.S. Week at Round Top Retreat. I have such fabulous memories of making new friendships. Reunions of friendships become strong bonds after spending a week together year after year. I lost four pounds this year and came home completely rejuvenated to start my new First Place session. The best blessing of the entire week is a renewed spirit. This is a place that God always speaks to me in a mighty way. Round Top retreat is a beautiful place, where we take time to draw away for a time alone with God and His Word. If you have never attended F.O.C.U.S. Week, please start a retreat fund today, maybe even asking family members to contribute at special occasions, such as Christmas and your birthday. Your entire family will benefit from attending the First Place F.O.C.U.S. Week.

Speaking of being nostalgic, I would love to go back to a time when I did not have to focus on healthy eating and exercise to maintain a proper weight. But those days are only memories. At times, fighting hunger pangs is a huge hurdle to maintain proper food choices and amounts. Vicki Heath, a beloved First Place Leader, plus a Body and Soul Aerobics Leader, led the exercise program at F.O.C.U.S. Week and also gave a great seminar on fitness.

Vicki mentioned that many of us may have an increased appetite from the food choices that we make. Your food choices affect your appetite. If digestion takes a longer time and involves the lower parts of your intestine, your body will stimulate natural appetite suppressants. Nutritionists have fine-tuned the message about weight loss relative to what food choices benefit satiety.

• Eating more fruits and vegetables is more important than simply eating "low-fat."
• The type of fat is more critical than the amount. For instance, many First Place members avoid nuts because we get a small serving, but the fat in nuts is a very good type of fat and eating nuts can help with appetite control.
• The type of carbohydrates we eat is also important.

If you have trouble staying within the food limits of the Live-It, you may want to check the glycemic index measure of your food choices. This measurement is simply how quick the carbohydrate hits your bloodstream. The glycemic index has been proven to help with appetite control, Diabetes and coronary health. There is evidence that food choices with a low GI increased the weight loss, as compared to just a low-fat food plan. I have hesitated to research the GI because I heard that carrots are high on the chart. I know that carrots are a good choice so I considered the entire index as unreliable. When I did some personal research, I discovered that even though carrots are high on the index, they are low in carbohydrates, so the actual glycemic load is low and considered a good food choice. You can find information on the Internet at www.glycemicindex.com or if you want to do more research, there are a variety of books available on the subject. You will still be choosing food choices from the Live-It, but you might find low glycemic index choices will help you with the hunger battle. You can begin to make good choices without any research just by following these guidelines for choosing low glycemic foods:

• Eat seven or more fruits and veggies every day.
• Eat low GI breads and cereals. (whole grain and high fiber)
• Eat more legumes, including soybeans, chickpeas, and lentils.
• Eat more nuts regularly.
• Eat more fish and seafood.
• Eat lean red meats, poultry and eggs.
• Eat low-fat dairy products.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings,

Kay Smith
First Place Associate Director


Kay is the associate national director of First Place and has been on the First Place staff since 1987.

Kay is a popular speaker at retreats, seminars, Conferences, FOCUS Weeks and Workshops across the country. Kay is the First Place food exchange expert and writes a monthly article in the First Place E-Newsletter on nutrition. She also was a contributing writer to the Today Is the First Day devotional book. Her delightful personality and love for people endears her to everyone she meets, and they quickly become her new best friend.

Kay and her husband, Joe, live in Roscoe, TX. They have two children and five grandchildren. Two of the young grandchildren are making a name for themselves on the golf circuit. Two of the young grandchildren are making a name for themselves on the golf circuit, and the three oldest grandsons are all involved in numerous sporting events, which Kay and Joe attend as often as possible.