MISSION

To be a source of information and leadership in the faith community.  To ensure that the body, health and spiritual needs of individuals are met through worship, education, networking, healthy behavior and by promoting the "whole person."

Weight management is not dieting it is changing your mind about the way food is viewed and the importance it has for your health.  The Word instructs us to line ourselves with Jesus Christ and walk in His ways.  The Word of God requires us to present ourselves holy and acceptable to God, and to take care of the things that we put on the inside, as we are made of flesh and bone it is important that we not only see to our spiritual well being, but also the physical body. 

Deuteronomy 30:16  

In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God. To walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statues and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to posse. 

The Key Benefits of Creative Health are     

Improved Health       Toned Body          Longer Life

SJWOFCC offers a variety of physical activities for both men & women such as Aerobic Kick boxing exercise class (view calendar of events on the links page for schedule of events).  The class uses kick boxing techniques that focuses on developing the legs, abdominal and shoulder muscle strength and endurance. Also the kick boxing routine is performed at rate that will increase the heart rate at a level that will strengthen your heart and burn body fat.

Tips on Women's Health   Eat breakfast everyday      Tips on Men’s Health  Eat fresh vegetables daily

Tips on Children's Health Tips for parents                 Tips on Senior Health - Coming Soon

The Dieter's Prayer

Creative Health Ministries presents the  recipes for the month of May; includes dinner, salad and desert
                                                                                                                                                                   

Vegetable and Turkey Fajitas

A tasty dish that's quick to prepare, our vegetable and turkey fajitas make a great mid-week meal. Make them without the turkey for a tasty vegetarian alternative!

Nutrition Information Per Serving

350 calories - 7.8g fat -  25.7g protein - 47.0g carb - 3.7g fibre 

Ingredients

300g Turkey Breast, Skinless                   ½ Tbsp Olive Oil 

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice                       1 Clove Garlic, Crushed 

½ Tsp Chili Powder                                 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 

1 Small Aubergine                             1 Medium Courgette 

1 Medium Yellow Pepper                            1 Medium Onion

8 7" Tortillas                               170g Pot Low Fat Salsa 

50g Low Fat Sour Cream    


Directions:

In a large bowl mix ½ tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic and chili powder together. Cut the turkey breast into thins strips 1½cm (¾") wide. Add to the bowl and stir until all sides are coated. Set aside in the refrigerator to marinate.  Meanwhile, top and tail the aubergine and courgette; de-seed the pepper; halve and peel the onion - cut all vegetables into thin strips 1cm (½") wide.  Preheat oven to 190oC and pre-warm 2 oven-proof dishes. Heat a wok over a hot heat. Add ½ tbsp oil and, when smoking, add the vegetables (with great care!) Stir fry for 5 minutes, or until vegetables soften and turn brown around edges. Remove from wok to oven-proof dish and pop in oven to keep warm.  Place the tortillas onto a plate and cover with cling film (ready to microwave at last minute). Alternatively, wrap in foil and place in the oven.  

Heat the remaining ½ tbsp olive in the wok, add the turkey and stir fry for 3-4 minutes (or until browned on the outside and white on the inside). Once cooked remove from wok to remaining oven-proof dish. 

Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 1 minute (or remove pre-warmed tortillas from oven) 

These fajitas are best served ready to wrap - with each person taking an eighth of the vegetables, an eighth of the turkey, a large teaspoon of salsa and small teaspoon of sour cream per tortilla. (NB: 2 tortillas each!) 


Copyright © 2000-2007 Weight Loss Resources Ltd. Published: 15/01/2007

                                                                                                                                                                 

This is the pie for all the true lovers of Lemon Meringue Pie.



1-1/4 cups sugar                  1/2 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt                           1-1/2 cups water 

3 eggs, separated               zest from 1 medium lemon 

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (juice from 1-1/2 medium lemons) 

1 tablespoon butter           1 baked, cooled 9-inch pie crust 



Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the sugar, flour, salt and water in a heavy saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Boil, stirring constantly and vigorously, for 1 minute. (A long-handled spoon to stir with really helps here to get you back from the heat.) Remove from heat.

Slightly beat the egg yolks in a bowl with a fork. Mix about one-third of the boiled mixture with the egg yolks; then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pan with the boiled ingredients, and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly and, again, vigorously. Remove from heat, and add the butter.

Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir to mix thoroughly. Pour into cooled, baked 9-inch pie crust and top with meringue (recipes follow), sealing meringue to edge of pastry. Bake in a 350°F oven 12 to 15 minutes or until nicely browned.



Meringue Pie Crust 

Meringue is a natural for low fat diets. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 egg whites                 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter 

1/4 teaspoon salt            1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 cup white sugar


PREPARATION:

In a large and very clean and dry bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Add vanilla, and slowly beat in sugar until very stiff and glossy. Spread mixture into a 9 inch pie plate to form a shell. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 50 minutes. Turn oven off, and leave meringue in oven for 1 hour. Cool. 

NUTRITION INFORMATION


Servings Per Recipe: 8    Amount Per Serving  

Calories: 301  Tl Fat: 10.7g   Cholesterol: 114mg    Sodium: 238mg   Total Carbs: 49.6g  Dietary Fiber: 1.5g     Protein: 4.4g

                                                                                                                                                                   

Corsage Turkey Salad 

INGREDIENTS

1 (30 ounce) grilled until cooked through marinate in garlic and lemon overnight 

1 cucumber, thinly sliced                          2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 

4 radishes, sliced into thin rounds                         8 cups mixed salad greens 

1/2 cup vinaigrette 


DIRECTIONS


On a hot grill, cook each turkey tenderloin 12 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the center.  In a large bowl, toss salad greens, cucumber, carrot and radish slices with the vinaigrette. Arrange salad greens on four dinner plates. Slice turkey crosswise into 1/2 inch strips and divide among plates.  

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Servings Per Recipe: 4    Calories: 306    Total Fat: 4.2g   Cholesterol: 76mg  Sodium: 1632mg  

Total Carbs: 18.8g    Dietary Fiber: 3.9g   Protein: 44.3g

Diabetes Management

What is a diabetes meal plan?

People with diabetes have to take extra care to make sure that their food is balanced with insulin and oral medications, and exercise to help manage their blood glucose levels. This might sound like a lot of work, but your doctor and/or dietitian can help you create a meal plan that is best for you. When you make healthy food choices, you will improve your overall health and you can even prevent complications such as heart disease, some cancers, and hypertension.

A diabetes meal plan is a guide that tells you how much and what kinds of food you can choose to eat at meals and snack times. A good meal plan should fit in with our schedule and eating habits. The right meal plan will help you improve your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol numbers and also help keep your weight on track. Whether you need to lose weight or stay where you are, your meal plan can help

There are many ways to help you follow your diabetes meal plan. Some ways are following the Food Guide Pyramid, Rating your Plate, Exchanges Lists, and Carbohydrate Counting. They are all different but hopefully one is right for you.
What is a healthy diet?

A healthy diet is a way of eating that that reduces risk for complications such as heart disease and stroke. Healthy eating includes eating a wide variety of foods including vegetables, whole grains, fruits, non-fat dairy products, beans, and lean meats, poultry and fish. There is no one perfect food so including a variety of different foods and watching portion sizes is key to a healthy diet. Also, make sure your choices from each food group provide the highest quality nutrients you can find. In other words, pick foods rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber over those that are processed.

People with diabetes can eat the same foods the family enjoys. Everyone benefits from healthy eating so the whole family can take part in healthy eating. It takes some planning but you can fit your favorite foods into your meal plan and still manage your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol. Excerpt from "American Diabetes Association" 

While no single plan will work for everyone, the following general tips can help: ·  

• Follow a consistent meal plan and schedule regular check-ups with your Dr. 
• Eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, low-fat dairy products, and lean meat, poultry, fish or meat alternatives. This will help keep your blood sugar levels steady.
• Choose lower fat options and limit saturated fats.
• Use sugar in moderation. Consider lower sugar options if available.
• Check nutrition labels.
• Get your fiber. The American Dietetic Association recommends that all people eat 20-35 grams of fiber per day. Fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grain foods are good sources of fiber.
  Drink plenty of water and use less salt.  

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar. Sugar is the basic fuel for the cells in the body, and insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems:

* Right away, your cells may be starved for energy.
* Over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.

Finding out you have diabetes is scary. But don't panic. Type 2 diabetes is serious, but people with diabetes can live long, healthy, happy lives.

While diabetes occurs in people of all ages and races, some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others. Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population                             

High Blood Pressure the Silent Killer 

According to recent  estimates, nearly one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure, but because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don't know they have it. In fact, many people have high blood pressure for years without knowing it. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. This is why high blood pressure is often called the "silent killer." The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.

Get the facts on high blood pressure and how to live a heart-healthier life. Find out how you can reduce your risks for heart attack and stroke with proper monitoring by a healthcare provider and simple lifestyle changes, even if you have high blood pressure.

If you're an adult and your blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg or above, you have hypertension and are at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and other medical problems. See a doctor and learn how to manage your blood pressure and how often to have it checked. High blood pressure has no symptoms, so if you haven't had it checked in a while, make an appointment now. One in three adults has high blood pressure, and nearly one-third of them don't know they have it.

Factors that contribute to high blood pressure

Medical science doesn't understand why most cases of high blood pressure occur, so it's hard to say how to prevent it. However, we do know that several factors may contribute to high blood pressure and raise your risk for heart attack and stroke.

Controllable risk factors

• Obesity — People with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher are more likely to develop high blood pressure.
• Eating too much salt — A high sodium intake increases blood pressure in some people.
• Drinking too much alcohol — Heavy and regular use of alcohol can increase blood pressure dramatically.
• Lack of physical activity — An inactive lifestyle makes it easier to become overweight and increases the chance of high blood pressure.
• Stress — This is often mentioned as a risk factor, but stress levels are hard to measure, and responses to stress vary from person to person.

Uncontrollable risk factors

• Race — Blacks develop high blood pressure more often than whites, and it tends to occur earlier and be more severe.
• Heredity — If your parents or other close blood relatives have high blood pressure, you're more likely to develop it.
• Age — In general, the older you get, the greater your chance of developing high blood pressure. It occurs most often in people over age 35. Men seem to develop it most often between age 35 and 55. Women are more likely to develop it after menopause.

The American Heart Association 2007