Hello, my friend!
I hope you’re doing well and having a great week! My little girl has been sick with an icky (there really isn’t a strong enough word in the English language to describe the monumental ick level…) stomach bug and is currently down for a much needed nap. Our babysitter (who helps make my writing and content-creation time possible!) has been sick this week as well, so I’m praying the two of them will be all better soon, and that no one else in either household comes down with “The Ick”!
Alrighty, diving right into this week’s Top 4! I hope you enjoy and learn something new!
SPIRITUAL SUPERPOWER
“You fast, but Satan does not eat. You labor fervently, but Satan never sleeps. The only dimension with which you can outperform Satan is by acquiring humility, for Satan has no humility.” – St. Moses the Black
We don’t often consider that when we are toiling and striving and punishing our bodies (accumulating stress) to achieve a desired outcome, we are, in a sense, acting like Satan. Satan decided, in time immemorial, that he didn’t need God. He set his pride-sick heart on becoming like God and trading blessed rest as God’s humble servant for endless labor as His arrogant enemy.
In which area of your life are you struggling to surrender to the Lord? In what ways are you being proud, controlling, narrow-minded, or hard-hearted?
“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” – Matthew 23:12
ARE YOU FATIGUED, OR JUST DEHYDRATED?
I learned the following from Dr. James DiNicolantonio:
“A lot of ‘fatigue’ is just dehydration. If you’re feeling ‘low energy,’ start hydrating.
“Optimal hydration =
3 liters of water
4 grams of sodium
4 grams of potassium
400 mg of magnesium
“Watch your energy levels skyrocket!”
Check out my current favorite brand of electrolytes! They’re formulated for and marketed to moms and moms-to-be, but trust me, they’re beneficial for pretty much everyone!
BIG WORD OF THE DAY
“Endocannabinoids”
Say it out loud – it’s fun! Endocannabinoids are naturally occurring (endo = within, as in within the body lipid-based neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters (another fun word), by the way, are chemical messengers in the body that send signals between nerve cells.
Endocannabinoids help with various bodily functions. The endocannabinoid system, or ECS, helps regulate and balance key bodily functions. The ECS may be a potential therapeutic target in numerous physiological conditions such as:
- energy balance
- appetite stimulation
- blood pressure
- pain
- embryonic development
- nausea and vomiting control
- memory and learning
- immune response
In addition, it may be a target for pathological conditions such as:
- Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- multiple sclerosis
Pretty awesome, right!?
So how can we increase these babies?
If you said “exercise,” you win a… thumbs-up from me 
.
Yes, exercise increases the levels of endocannabinoids in the bloodstream, promoting short-term psychoactive effects such as reduced anxiety and feelings of calm.
Have you exercised yet today? If not, you have my permission to stop reading and get your workout on!
2 KEYS TO FULFILLMENT, MEANING, & JOY IN MOTHERHOOD
My latest podcast episode is a deep dive into the book of Ecclesiastes. I hope it blesses you!