How to be postive?

I will be honest. We live in an ungrateful and crazy world that is getting more crazy.
We think that we deserve everything and we get the blessing and we keep on being ungrateful.
A person that is not thankful will have bad mental health.

Do you know someone that always is longing but never content. This person could have an million dollars and a big house but they are not happy. That person is not thankful.

I will confess an issue that I had before. I have an great family, health, and much more but
my heart was not content. I needed to think of blessings in life.

I made an list of what I was thankful for.  Here are somethings that was on my list.

1) I had an good family.
2) I had an good job.
3) I had money in the bank.
4) I had my health.
5) I had good friends.

I will mention an idea that will make people thankful. Many people want to be an relationship so they can share their lives with someone.
There is someone that is perfect that knows everything about and loves you.
When you are crying at night and need someone to talk to. There is someone that will hear your pain.
Are you curious about this person?

The person is Jesus. He is the perfect God that wants to know. I know that we are in Christmas Season now and do not just remember Jesus as an baby.

Hebrews 4:14-16

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Times of fear

Times of fear should be times of prayer: whatever causes fear should drives us to our knees, to our God.  Jacob had lately seen his guards angels, but in distress he applied to God, not to them; he knew they were fellow servants (Read Revelation 22:9).

There cannot be a better pattern for true prayer than this. Here is an thankful acknowledgement of former undeserved  favors; a humble confession of unworthiness; a plain statement of fear and distress; a full reference of the whole affair of the Lord and resting all his hope on the Lord.

The best way we can say to God in prayer, is what he has said to us. Thus he made the name of the Lord his strong tower and could not be safe. Jacob's fear did not make him sink into despair, nor did his prayer make him presume upon God's mercy, without the use of means.

God answers prayers by teaching us to order our affairs aright. To pacify Esau, Jacob sent him a present. We must not despair of reconciling ourselves to those most angry against us.

Genesis 32:9-23

9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”

17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” 21 So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.

Rest days

1. Decreased performance.

The telltale sign of overtraining is a lack of improved performance, despite an increase in training intensity or volume. Decreased agility, strength and endurance, such as slower reaction timesand reduced running speeds are all common signs of overtraining.

2. Increased perceived effort during workouts.

Not only can overtraining decrease performance, it can also make seemingly effortless workouts feel unusually difficult. A clear sign of this is an abnormally elevated heart rate during exercise or throughout the day. If you are experiencing OTS, you may find that it takes longer for your heart rate to return to normal after a workout.

3. Excessive fatigue.

A few days of fatigue or “heavy legs” is expected at times. But fatigue will accumulate in a body that never has a chance to fully recover from previous workouts. Further, chronic, negative energy expenditure leads to something called “low energy availability,” which means that the body is consistently pulling from its own energy stores (carbs, protein, fat). This can be the result of too much training or too little fueling.

4. Agitation and moodiness.

Overtraining significantly affects your stress hormones, including cortisol and epinephrine. This hormonal imbalance can cause mood swings, unusual irritability and an inability to concentrate.

5. Insomnia or restless sleep.

Sleep ideally provides the body time to rest and repair itself. But overproduction of stress hormones, as mentioned above, may not allow you to wind down or completely relax, making sleep much less effective (which compounds chronic fatigue and moodiness).

6. Loss of appetite.

A hormone imbalance can also affect hunger and satiety mechanisms. More training should stimulate more appetite, but the physiological exhaustion of OTS can actually lead to appetite suppression.

7. Chronic or nagging injuries.

Overused muscles and joints can cause constant aches or joint pain. Pain that does not subside in two weeks (or so) should be considered a notable injury. Overtraining taxes all of the body's systems and also makes it more difficult to ward off infections. Thus, frequent illnesses and upper-respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are signs as well. Medical complications may also include low bone mineral density and low testosterone.

8. Metabolic imbalances.

Long-term low energy availability may lead to nutrient deficiencies, such as iron deficiency anemia, which have the potential to harm both health and performance. Medical complications can also involve the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, nervous or reproductive systems (e.g., menstrual cycle disturbances in women).

9. Psychological stress and/or depression.

Some people live for punishing workouts and grueling competitions. If this sounds like you, the inability to train or race (combined with an imbalance of hormones and lack of quality sleep) can significantly affect your psyche.

If you recognize these signs of overtraining in yourself, seek the help of a physician or other health professional to seek help. In some workout arenas, rhabdomyolysis is a right of passage, but it is important to understand that the kidneys shutting down is NOT the sign of an accomplished workout (but rather a sign of acute overtraining).

A better approach is to follow a periodized training program that includes both active recovery and complete rest. Rest can be frustrating, but recognize that a day or two spent on the foam roller is better than a day or two in a hospital bed. Recovery today not only allows for greater production tomorrow, but likely fewer missed training days over the next few months.

The list above is about over-training. I had been maxing out on weights with little rest for the last few months. My joints began to hurt so I listen to my body.

I took an week off from hard workouts and did light workouts with cardio. I began to felt better within days.

This is my second week from not lifting weights. I will be doing rubber band workouts, cardio, yoga and body-weight workout.

I will change my workout from the last few months. I will do more cross-training. Next year, I will do more reps with 50% of my max. This should help me and my joints.

Make sure that you do not over-train. 

Keep going forward

The angels of God appeared to Jacob, to encourage him with the sense of Divine protection.

When God designs his people for great trials, he prepares them by great comforts.

While Jacob, to whom the promise belonged, had been in hard service, Esau was become a prince.

Jacob sent a message, showing that he did insist on his birth-right. Yielding pacifies great offenses, Ecclesiastes10:4. We must not refuse to speak respectfully, even to those unjustly angered with us. Jacob received an account of Esau's warlike preparation against him, and was greatly afraid.

A lively sense of fear arising from it, may be found united with humble confident in God's power and promise.

Genesis 32:1-8

Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is the camp of God!" So he named that place Mahanaim. Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He instructed them: "This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’”

When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

 In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” 

Why having good posture is important?

You know that poor posture effects your back in an negative way. I don't know if that you had an parent or friend that preaches at you. They preach at you when you have bad posture and most likely, you have ignored them. The next time that you hear this rebuke, you need to take an listen to their wisdom.

If a person is slumping while walking because the person is looking at their phone or tablet will most likely be mugged then someone that is attentive and standing up tall. So it will be wise for you not to slump over but to walk with an straight back.

I will explain more about having bad posture is bad for you. When a person has bad posture then it can cause harm on the human body. It can cause neck and back pain. It can cause muscle fatigue, breathing limitation, bad joints, digestive  problems and bad mood.

If a person have good posture then that can cause better confidence. There is something to be said of standing taller. Many people lie about their height because they want to be taller so if you stand up taller then you add inch to your height.

I am guilty of looking down on my phone with hump back and most people have the same issues.
I have been working on not do this anymore. I don't want to have the iPosture and many people have bad posture and that includes teenagers now- a -days.
The more your head to not aligned to your spine, the more weight that you put on your spine.

I will give you an helpful advice for good posture. Practice an shoulder roll when you sit.

• While sitting in your chair, lift your shoulder and roll it back as far it is comfortable can without moving your body around.
• Then, let your shoulder blade slide down along your spine.

We live in an age that information is on our phone and tablets so look up exercises to increase your posture and back muscles. We can be more self-aware of the issue of bad posture and if you notice that you have the iPosture then correct the position of your back. Your back will thank you.

I will give an personal reason why I think this topic is important to me. I want to give the best body to my Lord Jesus. So I want to have a good, straight back so I will have better health so I am doing the yoga without the eastern thought. The exercises has helped to be know what a good, straight back is.

I know that the Lord want me to take care of myself so I do my best. If my health is not good because I have a bad back because of my posture then I am limiting myself for the Lord. I love this Bible verse. Romans 12:1 talks about giving your body to the Lord. So I believe that believers needs to take care of their selves the best they can.

Life will have issues

We will all have trouble in this life. Many people think that if they have money then everything will be well. This is not true.

Jacob just finished his working days with Laban. Laban was his father-in-law. He will be on a trip to where God wanted Jacob to be.

Jacob had money but he still had issues. He will soon face Esau. Jacob and his brother had issues because Jacob took the birth right from Esau so Jacob feared death.

I am sure that Jacob was wondering if God would help him out. We all know situations when we face difficult times and think that we will die. God always proves that He is faithful.

God has many tools to help His people. God has His angels to help people in this life because there is an spiritual warfare for mankind's soul. God desires to have people to know Him but the devil wants to bring people to hell and have them reject Jesus as Lord and Savior.

I am confident that the devil and Jacob's sin nature was working overtime. Jacob began to worry so God had mercy on Jacob's soul.  He sent His angels to helped Jacob.

God opened Jacob's spiritual eyes and Jacob saw the camp of God. The angels of God helped Jacob to see reality.

We need to know that God is in control. Jacob was learning this idea that God was teaching him.
I am still learning this topic but I know more now.

Jacob called this place "Mahanaim" which means two camps.  There were the camp of Jacob of weak, sinful people that struggle and will lose on their own and camp of God.
The camp of God is strong and God's purpose will always occur.

Weak mankind needs to join forces with the camp of God. We face many issues in this life and we will die and suffer but we don't have to.

Many times, I don't want to enter the camp of God because of pride then I get destroyed by life. I wondered if you have done this. May we learn to depend on life by the Bible, prayer and faith to keep moving forward for Jesus.

Genesis 32:1-2
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.

Friendships are important

I will talk about mental health and spirituality. God did not make mankind to be alone.
Genesis 2:18 says, "The LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
It is true that this verse talks about marriage but it can be used as friendship.
So no one should be an loner. Being a loner even if a person is not social that person needs social interaction.
So we need know how to choose friend. The Bible gives people mental and spiritually help for anyone that desires the best life.
Proverbs 12:26 says, " The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray."
The person that desires right standing in life need to have Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
The Lord will give that person to pick friends with wisdom.
If a person's closest friends smoke weed, that person will smoke weed. So the righteous person will be careful in their interaction with people.
Many people that don't listen to the Lord or rejected Jesus as Lord. They will go down a path of sexual immorality, drug use and alcohol abuse. 
The true believer needs to avoid cancer habits so that believer will be careful in friendship.

Times of fear

Times of fear should be times of prayer: whatever causes fear, should drive us to our knees, to our God. Jacob had lately seen his guards of angels, but in this distress he applied to God, not to them; he knew they were his fellow-servants, Revelation 22:9. There cannot be a better pattern for true prayer than this. Here is a thankful acknowledgement of former undeserved favours; a humble confession of unworthiness; a plain statement of his fears and distress; a full reference of the whole affair to the Lord, and resting all his hopes on him. The best we can say to God in prayer, is what he has said to us. Thus he made the name of the Lord his strong tower, and could not but be safe. Jacob's fear did not make him sink into despair, nor did his prayer make him presume upon God's mercy, without the use of means. God answers prayers by teaching us to order our affairs aright. To pacify Esau, Jacob sent him a present. We must not despair of reconciling ourselves to those most angry against us.

Genesis 32:13-23

13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”

17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” 21 So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.

The benefits of an cold shower

We all don't like the cold but a cold shower will help your health. I like to try new things and I have been taken cold showers and feeling stronger and better. If you are not weak then follow my example (at your own risk!).

1) Cognitive Function

Regeneration of synapses and nerve cells that may help cognitive function and prevent degenerative brain disease.

2) Weight loss

Produce healthier and more efficient brown adipose tissue that can lead to weigh loss.

3) Inflammation

Reduces inflammation by affecting cytokine production and vase-constriction of blood vessels.

4) Immunity

Boosts immune system due to the production of lymphocytes that may help boost cognitive function and prevent brain disease.

5) Mood

Boost feel good hormones  like dopamine and nor-epinephrine so may help in depression

6) Stress Response

Cold exposure creates a positive stress on the body giving many benefits through "hormeis."

7) Studies show

Cold water immersion at 14 Celsius for one hour increased metabolic rate by 350%, nor-epinephrine by 530% and dopamine by 250%.

I don't know about you, this may the fountain of youth that you need.  You just need to get a tough mind then you will be well.

 

Times of uncertainty

Life is never easy because they are always be an struggle for everyday.
I believe that we pray the most when we are uncomfortable.
Jacob will see his brother, Esau. Esau wanted to hurt Jacob. Jacob needed to keep calm by trusting in the Lord. Jacob didn't do it God's way and put the matter of life into his own wisdom.
He got the birth-right but he got in trouble. I believe that God would have given the birth-right in His perfect timing.
I have the same issue and many times, I trust in my wisdom over the will of the Lord.
Jacob had a plan to divide his camp into two camps.
We will discover that Esau will not harm Jacob. Jacob lacked faith and wanted to be clever.
We can learn to trust in God and be proactive but we need to do what the Lord wants for our lives.
If we help God then we will have issues. God will help us when we get lost and stop relying on our limited wisdom. If we try to help God with our insight then watch out!
God does not need our ego but we must rely on Jesus.

Genesis 32:9-12
9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

How to be a better worker?

I have two steps to be a better worker. I desire to be a better worker and there are two things that you can do that will help you.
I have done yoga everyday for the last month and an half. My focus is better for work because of Yoga. I don't do the mediation which is Eastern thought which is not good for the soul but I breathe proper and think of Bible verses. I pray to my Lord that my mind will be more like Him.
This has helped me to have more energy and great focus on my task.
I also go for a twenty minute walk during my lunch-time. It makes your mind and better work and it reduces the stress of the day. I would suggest to pray to God of the Bible and He will give you peace.
This is how you can have a better day at work.

People look for peace

We live in a uncertain world that can cause distress. It could be because our bad mistakes or a random event that happened. I can relate to Jacob and his struggles.
Jacob was walking to see his brother, Esau. I am sure that he was very nervous.
God sent angels to comfort Jacob in Genesis 32:1 The verse says, "Jacob also want on his way and the angels of God met him."
Jacob was in Gilead during this time. Gilead was east of the Jordan and north of the Jabbok.
I will give you Genesis 32:2. The verse says, "When Jacob saw them, he said, 'This is the camp of God!' So he named that place Mahanaim."
The word Mahanaim means two camps in Hebrew. Jacob named this place "two camps" after the angelic encampment, suggesting that he saw God's encampment as a divine assurance. God's host had come to escort him safely to Canaan. Yet he also feared meeting with Esau, so he divided his household into two camps, still trying to protect himself by his own devices.
Genesis 32:3-5 says, "Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He instructed them: 'This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes."
Jacob was comforted to go forward and God encouraged Jacob but I have the same problem.
God promise that I have victory but I believe in my head but I refuse to put in my desire so I do my plan. We are all work-in-progress.
You will see this even more in verses six to eight.
Genesis 32:6-8 says, "When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, 'We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him.' In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, 'If Esau comes and attack one group, the group that is left may escape."
Jacob would be fine but he didn't trust in the Lord. How many times have you stressed and caused major issues in your life? Give up your stress to the Lord and do not rely on your wisdom.

Intermittent fasting

The Promise

 
Why cut back every day if you could drop pounds by watching what you eat only a couple of days a week? That's the logic behind intermittent fasting, a weight loss approach that's become more popular over the past few years.
There are different versions, but the general idea for all of them is that you eat normally some days of the week and drastically reduce your calories on other days.
Some plans encourage you to skip food entirely for up to 24 or 36 hours at a time. On others, such as the Every Other Day Diet and the 5:2 Fast Diet, you can have some food but only get about one fourth of your regular calories.
Some research shows that intermittent fasting works. In one study, overweight adults who cut calories by 20% every other day dropped 8% of their body weight within 8 weeks. They also had less inflammation.
The possible secret behind the diet's health-boosting benefits: Fasting puts your cells under a mild stress.  Scientists think that the process of responding to this stress, on your low-calorie days, strengthens cells’ ability to deal with stress and potentially fight off some diseases.

What you can and can't eat 

 
You can eat mostly what you want on days when you don’t fast. But to lose weight and get the nutrients you need, you should stick to healthy foods and limit treats like dessert and processed foods.
On fasting days, you’ll eat very little food or none at all.
For example, the Every Other Day Diet says to eat no more than 500 calories during each fast day.
Another program called the 5:2 Fast Diet involves eating 5 days a week and fasting for the other 2 days, when women can get no more than 500 calories and men no more than 600. That’s a quarter of the amount you likely eat on the days when you don’t fast. Whether you eat those calories in one sitting or spread them across micro-meals throughout the day is up to you.

Level of Effort: Hard

Limitation:  

It’s not easy to skip most of your calories a few days a week and rely mostly on water, coffee, and tea to keep you feeling full. You’ll need a balanced meal plan to eat in moderation on your so-called "feast" days, despite their name. You can indulge in a treat occasionally, but that's about it if you want to see results.

 
Cooking and shopping: 

 
You can continue your regular cooking and shopping, as long as you stick to mostly healthy foods. 

 Packaged food and meals? No.

  

Exercise: 

How much you exercise  is up to you. But obviously, you’re not going to have a lot of energy for that on your fasting days. The creators of the Every Other Day diet studied people doing cardiovascular exercise (like biking) while on the alternate-day fasting plan and found that they were able to maintain muscle mass while fasting. 

 

 

Does It Follow Restrictions/Preferences?

You choose what food you eat, so you can make it work with food restrictions -- whether you're vegetarian  or vegan, high- or low-carb, avoiding fat, etc. But it's worth noting that you could have side effects like fatigue, weakness, and headaches.

What Else You Should Know

Cost: None beyond your shopping. In fact, because you will eat much less 2 to 4 days per week, your grocery costs should go down.
Support: There are several books and websites detailing variations on the basic idea of fasting a few days a week. So though there's no single destination for support, there are plenty of resources once you've decided which version of the plan appeals most to you.


Most of the intermittent fasting diets recommend cutting back to 500-600 calories on fasting days. In general, for many people this would be medically safer and easier than not eating at all on those days.
Remember to drink enough on fasting days to prevent dehydration.  And you’ll need to eat a healthy diet on days that you don’t fast.

 

 

It is vanity?

Laban could neither justify himself nor condemn Jacob, therefore desires to hear no more of that matter. He is not willing to own himself in fault, as he ought to have done. But he proposes a covenant of friendship between them, to which Jacob readily agrees. A heap of stones was raised, to keep up the memory of the event, writing being then not known or little used. A sacrifice of peace offerings was offered. Peace with God puts true comfort into our peace with our friends. They did eat bread together, partaking of the feast upon the sacrifice. In ancient times covenants of friendship were ratified by the parties eating and drinking together. God is judge between contending parties, and he will judge righteously; whoever do wrong, it is at their peril. They gave a new name to the place, The heap of witness. After this angry parley, they part friends. God is often better to us than our fears, and overrules the spirits of men in our favor, beyond what we could have expected; for it is not in vain to trust in him.

Genesis 31:43-55

 

⁴³ Then Laban replied to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? ⁴⁴ So now come, let us make a covenant, ^[a]you and I, and let it be a witness between ^[b]you and me.” ⁴⁵ Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. ⁴⁶ Jacob said to his ^[c]kinsmen, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. ⁴⁷ Now Laban called it ^[d]Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it ^[e]Galeed. ⁴⁸ Laban said, “This heap is a witness between ^[f]you and me this day.” Therefore it was named Galeed, ⁴⁹ and ^[g]Mizpah, for he said, “May the Lord watch between ^[h]you and me when we are ^[i]absent one from the other. ⁵⁰ If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see, God is witness between ^[j]you and me.” ⁵¹ Laban said to Jacob, “Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between ^[k]you and me. ⁵² This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass by this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. ⁵³ The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac. ⁵⁴ Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his ^[l]kinsmen to ^[m]the meal; and they ate ^[n]the meal and spent the night on the mountain. ^55 [o]Early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.

Best and Worst Foods for Bloating

Feeling puffed up after a meal? Keep your digestive system humming along by eating flat-belly foods and avoiding those that bloat.
Where does bloating come from? Most people will pass gas 12 to 25 times a day. We all want a flat stomach all the time because of Google images of a fitness model.
After you eat and drink, food and liquids take up space inside your stomach and intestines, and that means some expansion.
A ballooned belly doesn't necessarily indicate that something is wrong with what you eat, but if your abdomen is too swollen to squeeze into your jeans, you may want to identify the belly bloaters in your diet.

Worst: Broccoli, cabbage, kale 

 Kale, broccoli, and cabbage are cruciferous vegetables, which contain raffinose — a sugar that remains undigested until bacteria in your gut ferment it, which produces gas and, in turn, makes you bloat. But don't shun those healthful greens just yet. 

So keep eating the green stuff, but keep your portions in check. And if you absolutely can't part ways with even a gram of your kale, steam it: Cooking any vegetable softens the fiber and shrinks the portion as some of the water cooks out, so it takes up less space in the GI tract, It won't eliminate or prevent bloating altogether, but it may make your veggies easier to digest. 

 Worst: Legumes 

  It's probably not news to you, but beans, along with lentils, soybeans, and peas are gas-causing foods. These little guys are basically bursts of protein in a pod, but they also contain sugars and fibers that our bodies can't absorb. So when legumes reach the large intestine, your gut bacteria take the lead and feast on them. This process leads to gas and can balloon out your waist.

Combine legumes with easily digestible whole grains, like rice or quinoa. Your body will eventually get used to them. 

 

Worst: Dairy 

 If you feel gassy after a few slices of cheese or a bowl of cereal with milk, you may be lactose intolerant, which means your body lacks the necessary enzymes to break down lactose (the sugar found in dairy products). That can cause gas to form in the GI tract, which may trigger bloating.

So before all that gas gets to you, steer clear of dairy products and opt for the many lactose-free or nondairy alternatives out there. The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) also suggests the use of lactase tablets like Lactaid, which help people digest foods that contain lactose. 

 

Worst: Apples 

 An apple a day may save you a trip to the doctor's office, but it does not keep the bloat away. High in fiber, apples also contain fructose and sorbitol, sugars found in fruits that many people can't tolerate.

 Apples are a great snack, however: One fruit provides an average of 4.5 grams of protein and around 10% of your daily vitamin C requirement, so don’t give up on them altogether. 

 

 

Worst: Salty foods 

Eating high-sodium foods can trigger water retention, which can balloon you up, Sass says. Avoiding sodium isn't as simple as steering clear of the saltshaker, however. The CDC reports that about 90% of Americans consume more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet (2,300 mg per day for most people, and 1,500 mg for adults over 50, and people with diabetes, high blood pressure, and high risk of hypertension). 

 

 

Best: Cucumber 

 People use cucumbers to reduce puffiness under their eyes—and you can eat them to do the same thing for your belly. The vegetable contains quercetin, a flavonoid antioxidant that helps reduce swelling.

 

 

Best: Bananas 

 Foods rich in potassium—like bananas, plus avocados, kiwis, oranges, and pistachios—prevent water retention by regulating sodium levels in your body and can thus reduce salt-induced bloating. Bananas also have soluble fiber, which can relieve or prevent constipation. 

Best: Papaya 

 The enzyme contained in papaya (papain) helps break down proteins in your GI system, which makes digestion easier. Sass says that the tropical fruit also has anti-inflammatory properties, as well as fibers that support a strong digestive tract. 

 

 

Best: Asparagus 

 Asparagus is an anti-bloating superfood. Sure, it makes your urine smell, but it also makes you pee, period—helping you flush all that excess water, thus relieving any discomfort and bloat. 

 

 

Best: Yogurt with probiotics 

 Get some of those good bacteria into your gut! Called probiotics, they help regulate digestion and champion the overall health of your digestive tract. Sure, you can take probiotic supplements, but you may as well get a breakfast out of it.

So eat your bloat away with a yogurt that has active cultures. You can sweeten it with a little honey, jam, or granola.

 

Best: Fennel seeds

 You can find fennel and fennel seeds in breads, sausages, and other meat dishes. You can also chew on the seeds directly or sip on a fennel tea at the end of a meal.

 

 

Best: Ginger 

 Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and an all-star digestive aid. It soothes the digestive system and relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract, which can relieve bloating, Sass says. It also contains an enzyme that absorbs proteins, thus reducing protein-induced puffiness and gas. 

 

 

Best: Peppermint and chamomile tea 

 If you're feeling stretched out after dinner, you can sip on a hot cup of peppermint or chamomile tea. Both kinds relax GI muscles to help dissipate the gas that causes your stomach to bloat. Aside from improving digestion, chamomile can also soothe and relax, which can help ease any sort of stomach discomfort.

 

 

 

 

 

Keep moving on

If Jacob were willingly consumed with heat in the day, and frost by night, to become the son-in-law of Laban, what should we refuse to endure, to become the sons of God? Jacob speaks of God as the God of his father; he thought himself unworthy to be regarded, but was beloved for his father's sake. He calls him the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac; for Abraham was dead, and gone to that world where perfect love casts out fear; but Isaac was yet alive, sanctifying the Lord in his heart, as his fear and his dread.

Genesis 31:36-42

 

³⁶ And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
³⁷ Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
³⁸ This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
³⁹ That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
⁴⁰ Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
⁴¹ Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
⁴² Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.