This makes more sense than any "diet" I've studied. Now to make myself follow it. September 17, 2013 Experimenting on the Word: One Chubby Lady Tests the Word of Wisdom by Brenda Like many people, this desk working mother of four arrived at a point where her lifestyle and eating choices were taking a toll on health and well-being. Meat at every meal, ice-cream more nights than not, Diet Pepsi swigging to wake up and then keep going was rather obviously hitting the bottom line, in more ways than one. There was much rushing around done but none of it exercise. As the cholesterol numbers rose and the scale inched up a real sense of futility began pervade my thoughts and I found myself praying for help. Fad diets were not the answer, I love food too much and none of them worked long term. Research into nutrition was studied but the afternoon munchies still overcame me most days. I knew the Lord cared deeply about both my spiritual and physical well-being and so the answer had to be in the Gospel. Over several months, line upon line the truth began to distill. Near the beginning of this heavenly tutorial a wonderful missionary was assigned to serve in our area. He was bright and happy and excited to be here. He was like so many others who pass through with one major exception, he was a vegetarian. This anomaly brought much attention to this young man from both members of the Church and non. Texans consider themselves the top carnivores on the planet. If it isn’t meaty, chicken fried, and served with gravy it “aint worth eat’n!” In my experience many Mormons would make pretty good Texans. This fact caused the poor Elder no end of ridicule and comment, some of it humorous and some that was flat out unkind. The observation of this behavior caused me to ponder the love affair that so many us have with meat. As these thoughts were percolating through my consciousness it became time for my temple recommend interview with the Branch President. When we got the question about following the Word of Wisdom I hesitated. I don’t drink tea, coffee, or alcohol. I don’t use tobacco or illegal substances but did I fully follow the Word of Wisdom? After a short conversation in which my temple worthiness was confirmed I left that office and set out to study and then test the entire Word of Wisdom. That search led me to all kinds of information and commentary but the most useful was found in the scriptures themselves and in the words of a latter-day prophet. With our vegetarian Elder in mind I first read about meat. D&C 89:12-13 “Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.” This idea of infrequent consumption of meat was echoed in the Joseph Smith translation of Genesis 9:11. “And surely, blood shall not be shed, only for meat, to save your lives; and the blood of every beast will I require at your hands.” Now, for those of you who are ready to whip out the “And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God” quote hang on to your hamburgers. I am not saying that the Word of Wisdom advocates complete vegetarianism but it certainly asks us to eat meat sparingly. Somehow I don’t think sparingly means just two meals a day instead of three. Then I dove into the discourses of Brigham Young who had much to say about the Word as well as many other pragmatic suggestions for good health and long life. “If the people were willing to receive true knowledge from heaven in regard to their diet they would cease eating swine’s flesh. I know this as well as Moses knew it, and without putting it in a code of commandments.” Darn it, there goes the bacon. “It is difficult to find anything more healthy to drink than good cold water.” But Brigham what about Diet Pepsi? I have to have it to keep up my frantic life pace. “Instead of doing two days’ work in one day, wisdom would dictate to our sisters, and to every other person, that if they desire long life and good health, they must, after sufficient exertion, allow the body to rest before it is entirely exhausted. When exhausted, some argue that they need stimulants in the shape of tea, coffee…or some of those substances which are often taken to goad on the lagging powers to greater exertion. But instead of these kind of stimulants they should recruit rest. Work less, wear less, eat less, and we shall be a great deal wiser, healthier, and wealthier people than by taking the course we now do.” With all this in mind I set out to really test how I had chosen to interpret these parts of the Word of Wisdom. I eliminated caffeine completely. It was a tough first two days but I knew Brigham was right on this one. Stimulants are stimulants, I would rest when I got tired instead. I also banned pork from the menu. This was a huge course change, I mean last Thanksgiving I made a bacon blanket for our turkey. It was delicious but if I was going to test this it had to go. Water would be consumed in most cases for thirst and meat eaten sparingly. That part was intimidating because it seemed all the main dishes I regularly cooked had meat as the main ingredient. Luckily I found there are easy substitutions that can be made. Zucchini slices instead of pepperoni on homemade pizza, it is awesome, and mushrooms instead of beef in stroganoff. Fish and poultry became my “sparingly” consumption once or twice a week and I also learned about eating less processed food, sticking to whole grains and the like. This did not require me to shop at Whole Foods, take yoga classes, or become an expert on raw sugar. It really wasn’t that hard and the family got on board pretty quickly. I also took latter-day prophets advice to exercise regularly. I started by walking and then added weight training. My football playing teenage son was a wealth of information and technique in this area. I am now several months into the test and the physical results are pretty amazing. In general I feel better and my energy has increased. The work load that used to leave me exhausted every night is now manageable, my mind is clearer and emotional state more even-tempered. The most recent visit to the Doctor revealed much lower levels of cholesterol, blood sugar and the stubborn weight that has plagued me the last decade or so is slowly but surely coming off. Interestingly, I’ve found that when I don’t eat red meat and pork I stay cooler, which is a blessing living in the south. When I have wavered and consumed red meat at a meal I find myself wanting to stay in front of the air conditioner all day. It makes me wonder if that is one of the reasons the Lord advises us to eat it in the winter. The application of the testing parameters is not executed perfectly every day because sometimes I’m a wimp, but I’ve found that through prayer the Lord helps me get back up and keep trying. Here’s hoping this is one of those weaknesses that will eventually become a strength, but if not I know that I want to do as the Lord has instructed and I will keep at it because the blessing always outweighs the sacrifice, rather literally it seems. Said Brigham “Prepare to die, is not the exhortation in this Church and Kingdom; but prepare to live is the word with us, and improve all we can in the life hearafter, wherin we may enjoy a more exalted condition of intelligence, wisdom, light, knowledge, power, glory, and exaltation. Then let us seek to extend the present life to the utmost, by observing every law of health, and by properly balancing labor, study, rest, and recreation, and this prepare for a better life.” It is clear we must take care of the spirit as well as the body to be the most useful instruments in the hands of the Lord. He asks us to experiment on His word and that includes those parts of the Word we like to ignore so we can enjoy our steak and energy drink. The conclusion I’ve drawn from my on-going experiment is this, the Lord cares about His children both spiritually and physically. He has given us a road map to be healthy and happy. Certainly there is room for individual interpretation and revelation on how to interpret it, but if this chubby lady can test the Word and reap the ever increasing blessings then anyone can do the same. What health benefits have you gained from living the Word of Wisdom? How has the knowledge that the Lord asks us to adopt healthy habits helped you?

Here is a letter written to John and Korinne, who are in Australia, on a mission. We just returned from a wonderful road trip after school got out and here are the details: Hi guys, It's so good to get your letters and know you're getting along and the work is progressing. We are cruising through summer quickly. The wind still comes up every afternoon but the hay looks good and is getting ready for its second cutting. The water is always critical and we're praying for enough. In spite of a freak snow storm on the 17th, there isn't anything but a little line of snow at the tops of the Uintas. We discovered again what the real color green looks like when we drove back to the Midwest. Through Iowa we saw miles and miles of lush rolling fields with wind turbines pulling in the breeze. At Doyle's in Kansas City, MO, we had Den's siblings all there. We even took a tour of the town on segways and had a blast. Our guide was the patient mother duck with his senior citizen ducklings strung out behind him. That is a really top notch bunch of people. The missionary work is really humming there and had included several from the Church of Christ (RLDS). They can feel the Holy Ghost and recognize truth. So so cool. Natalie lives where the trees and underbrush grow fast and tall. She lives in Bedford, which we think compared to the size of Vernal, because of the accessibility to Target, WalMart, Costco, etc. they live on 5 acres but only about 1/2 acre is usable because of the forest around them. They are trying to push it back but it's backbreaking work. Their trees are over twice the height of Utah's. So beautiful. Their rain is frequent and hard, but not too cold. And their ground is slippery clay. When our shoes got muddy, I held mine under the tap where the water ran right off. A brush and rubbing was the only way to remove it. The chiggers and ticks thrive and often the kids prefer to stay inside rather than playing out and risk being eaten. Janika is three now and told us how important it is to stay hydrated. She also spends most of her day riding her stick horse and swinging her magic rope telling it to "do your thing", as it rounds up bad guys. John is 9 going on 30. He loves school and is quite the brainiac. He's learning some beginning computer programming and understands binary code. They have angel faces and sweet spirits. Nat works as an OB nurse for a Catholic hospital and really enjoys the atmosphere of prayer meetings every morning and throughout the day. Shawn can see potential for growth and challenges at his base where he works in computer security. He is second in command. I'm so proud of those kids. We couldn't go that far without jogging over to Nauvoo to see Dave and Elaine, who seemed right in their element as temple workers. Their temple is beautiful and runs smoothly. The people think highly of them. We were able to meet Rachel Wheeler's parents who are on a mission there. He is the doctor for all the missionaries there. My hip is getting stronger every day. I'll feel better in another week when I can stop taking Warfarin. It not only thins my blood but thins my thinking too. Dennis is the best nurse ever. He's a great cook and ice water manager. He's become a real pro at putting on my TED hose since I can't reach my foot. We are on our way to meet Keith and Cherie. We are keeping their two girls for a week and Suana will keep them a week. Ryan Krissman won a week for four in Maui. Then they'll hop to Oahu and stay in some military bungalows for a week. Sounds rough. Suana and Dallas sold their house in Roosevelt. They are in somebody's basement apartment until they find what they want. Sad to lose them. Some other news, Woolstenhulmes moved to Logan. Todd and Christy Larsen got moved to Georgia. Brad and Julie LeBaron moved to Provo where he took over the MTC and BYU clinics. Our new Stake Pres is Brent Hales with Robert Alexander and Kyle Snow as counselors, leaving two wards needing new Bishops. Shauna Ogden still has FUO - Fevers of Unknown Origin. But she isn't contagious so has begun to rehab her body by swimming. Then it takes her the rest of the day to get rid of the chills. She has lost a ton of weight and has felt lousy for over a year now. What a weird trial this has been for their family. My counselors are Julie (Buxton) Wilkins and Deb Richards, wonderful ladies. The ward is still functioning and people are still bearing their testimonies since I was put in. :) Alands farewell to Tonga came about because they've been moved to New Zealand. Give a hearty wave and they might see you. Well I've talked your ear off and have actually run dry. Shock! We love you and are so thrilled with your work. Mom and Dad are so proud of you, and I know Korinne's family is too! Keep those letters coming. Love, Amelia Garner

Shingles and their left-over symptoms.

It's been over a year since Dennis came down with shingles across his ribs and back on ?left? side. It was a REALLY miserable week, a mostly miserable second week, with a terrible rest of the month. The skin stayed very tender long after the sores healed. Still, a year later, he prefers to slip out of his shirt while at home. But interestingly, the outside nerves weren't the only things affected. He has had nervous anxiety this year as I have never seen. Dennis has always been confident and self-assured. Not any more. He puts on a good show but inside, he struggles. He has dreams of having nervous breakdowns. If there are stressful times - like NBEA - he'd really like me to be with him. I love being with him, but I worry about what the stress does to him. Isn't marriage a wonderful organization, created that we can help each other through hard times? How nice it is to have someone there when you need them. He's certainly been there for me when I've been down or had tough things happen. It's nice to be able to reciprocate in a small way. Time is magic in many ways. It will be interesting to compare notes in a year and see how things change.

3/31/12 - 4/6/12 Boston

Dennis was in charge of the computer part of his NBEA (National Business Educator's Association) convention this year again. It was held in Boston. I got to go with him 20 years ago - but I was 8 months pregnant with Mike. We took Grandma Garner then and had fun but were only able to spend a few days there. Knowing that Den would be working most of the time, and because I wanted to go and really check out the Revolutionary War sights, we took Teresa for me to hang out with. Dennis did have to work most of the time but Teresa and I got to really see some wonderful sites. We followed the Freedom Trail, seeing many monuments, museums, churches (especially the Old North Church - one if by land, two if by sea), the Fine Arts Museum, the Aquarium, Old Iron-sides - The USS Constitution, a WWII destroyer, Bunker Hill, Mike's Pastry for cannolis, the amazing library with it's amazing architecture, the "Cheers" bar, the Boston Commons park where many hangings had occurred and the shallow frog pond where men could dunk their wives if they were tired of nagging. We shopped and had so much fun. We got really brave and rode the subway, the train, a cab, a city bus, the trolley, and a ferry. Boston was the cleanest city I've ever seen. Even the sand was swept up. There were hired people with brooms and dustpans or pokers to clean everything up (like at Lagoon).














We even went up to Salem and had a tour of that town. I was surprised to learn that the entire Witch episode only lasted 8 months. Huh. They compared it to the McCarthy era during the Cold War and the witch hunt he had going. That city did have a creepy feel, to me. It was mentioned that there were over 1000 witches that belong to the Wica church, that live in Salem today. Nathanial Hawthorne's House of Green Gables is in view with the three chimneys on top.

It was a most wonderful trip!!! I can't wait to go back again, some day!

3/29/12

At our drill team end-of-year banquet tonight, it was announced that I would probably not be helping with drill much longer. Since working at the temple on Saturdays, it makes it hard to go to competitions and have Saturday practices. A hard decision! I've loved these girls that give me balance. My students that have learning and social issues, then I get to work with these girls who are driven to work so hard and are so intelligent. It's been good for me and I hate to give it up. But it's time. Sigh.

3/7 to 3/11 Nationals

We were able to place well at State this year with our Drill Team, so we decided to take the girls to Nationals at Santa Ana, CA. I coaxed Dennis into coming along. We drove all night Wednesday, hit an owl in the night and broke the windshield. There was glass all over the driver but he just kept driving since there wasn't much he could do about it.

We went straight to Newport Beach on Thursday morning. While the driver went to fix the windshield, we played. Then, in the afternoon, the wind came up. Being March, the wind was right chilly; but our girls, coming from the Basin where 60 degrees is warm, couldn't be talked into dressing warmly. Kara (Campbell, the coach) got the life guards to let us into their conference room where they kindly fed us burnt popcorn and sodas. The girls were in heaven to have those cute men doting over them. They made a good friend in a great "old" lifeguard (probably 50 years old) who kidded and goofed off with them.

On Friday, we went to Knott's Berry Farm. It was a nice relaxing day.

Saturday, the girls performed at Nationals where they did VERY well. We brought home several top trophies and all felt very glad for their performances.

12/14/11

I just finished two years of classes for my Reading Endorsement! YEA! Now I just have to pass the Praxis test in April.