Thursday, July 10, 2014

The Blog is Moving!!

Hi worldwide friends and family! 

We've just finished an exciting little blog renovation and you can now find my new site at www.grandmaswithmuscles.com.  

I'll be sharing all the same stuff as I have here in the past, but from now on it will be at that new location.  To make it easy, you can sign up there to follow and receive email updates whenever I post something too.

I've just posted some tips and videos showing what I do to stay fit both at home and at the gym, and there will be more of those to come in the next few days.  So head over and check that out and sign up for updates if you'd like them!

Blessings you all! 

Beni

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Detoxing


Detoxing is ridding your body of toxins that have built up in your system. When your body is toxic you can develop physical problems that in turn affect your emotional, mental and spiritual state. Some of the problems being toxic can bring are weight gain, fatigue, depression, skin problems, allergies, mental sluggishness, bloating, gas, digestive problems, and the list goes on.  Detoxing is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your life.  

I do cardio twice a week and work out three times a week with a trainer. He puts me through some intense weight training. I enjoy lifting weights and it feels great. Because of the intensity of my workouts, my body is releasing a lot of toxins in the workout process. If I'm not careful, those toxins that I'm releasing will build up in my liver and I will find myself getting tired faster and feeling sluggish. If I feel like my body is at a stand still, I know it's time to up the detox.

Where do I start? The colon.  There are many ways you can detox, but I suggest the colon as the first organ to start with. I believe the best way to detox is the natural way where it doesn't interfere with your daily life. It's a slow process but with less side effects.

I like to blend and juice my vegetables for the colon. This is a great way to get your colon cleaned out. I use to only juice but when you juice, you lose the fiber that is an important element in the cleansing process of your organs. So getting a hold of a good blender (I have a Vitamix) will be the best investment and probably the appliance you will use the most. Some people like to juice and blend together which means you are getting the benefits of both worlds. I like drinking my blends early morning.

Here are some recipes that I use:

Green lemonade (use organic)
1 bunch of romaine
1 bunch of kale
1 peeled lemon
1/4 Avocado (optional)
1/2 to 1 green apple (green apple have less sugar)
Filtered water or coconut water for texture
Blend or you can juice the fruit and put the remains in your blender and blend them together!

Digestive Juice
Carrot juice
Organic carrots
1green apple
(If you have sugar issues, only drink 4 ounces of this recipe.)

Lemon water
(This should be the first thing you drink in the morning.)
12-16 ounces of warm filtered water with a drop of lemon or lime essential oil.  If you don't have the oils, you can use the juice of a lime or lemon.
This has such a great cleansing property to it and it alkalinizes your PH levels in your body, which fights those nasty, disease-causing free radicals.

When you get your colon cleansed, your liver will start to naturally cleanse itself.
In David Herzog’s book “Jumpstart” (which I highly recommend), he gives a great list of easy ways to detox your body. Here is a list of some things he suggests.

Colon hydrotherapy
Otherwise know as colonics. Colonics reduce bloating, gas, constipation, and improves digestion. It begins releasing your body to feel better.  I've have had a series of colonics and I can tell you that when you walk out of the office, you actually feel lighter and brighter.  Colonics frees your body of poisonous, toxic waste.

Liver cleanse
The natural way is to go on a seven-day juice fast and eat foods that will promote a healthy liver such as garlic, grapefruit, green vegetables, avocados, walnuts, turmeric, and green tea. David says that for most cases, when obese people are checked out they find that their liver is very toxic. When the liver is toxic it's very hard to lose weight.

Candida cleanse
 You can get a simple candida-cleansing pill and go off of all sweets and sugars.

Infrared saunas & skin cleansing
Sweating is the best way to clean and clear out your skin and body of toxins. The infrared takes it to a whole new level. This type of cleansing goes deep into the skin and brings out those nasty toxins poisoning your body. Your skin will start to glow and it will help with blood circulation, back pain, and arthritis.  Sweat, sweat and sweat is the key. So if you can't get an infrared, use any kind of sauna or get out and work up a sweat.

Massages
 I am a firm believer in massages. The best is the deep tissue kind. It goes deep and works out those toxins. One important thing about getting a massage is to make sure you drink lots of water after. This will help dislodge those toxins that have been freed by the massage and rid them out of your body.

Nature
Go for walks! If you can walk an hour a day, you are adding life to your life.  In the book “Blue Zones”, the people that they interview mostly do a lot of walking. I've spent a good amount of time in Europe and when in Europe you walk and walk. I love it. The obesity problem is far less in the countries where walking is a life style.

Water
This is always my number one detoxing process. Drink good, filtered water and lots of it. I lay in bed in the morning and the first thing I do is drink a glass of water before I get out of bed.  When you drink water, you alkalize your body and keep your PH balanced, which in return keeps diseases far from you.

Rebounding
We use to have rebounder. I just may have to reinvest in one. When you rebound, your cells in your body and brain receive a positive stress. This is huge for your lymphatic system. Keeping you lymphatic system cleansed is something that many probably haven't even thought about. According to Dr. Morton Walker, when you rebound, blood enters the capillaries and furnishes the cells with fresh tissues and fluid that contain food and oxygen. Many of you parents have purchased a trampoline for your kids, so get outside with them and jump! It's actually highly beneficial.

A big thanks to Dr. David Herzog for is brilliant book “Jumpstart”!

To your health!
Love you all,

Beni

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Digestion Health



I have already drunk thirty-two ounces of water this morning. To help with digestion, first thing I do in the morning before I even get out of bed is drink a glass of water. To help even more, I put one or all of orange, peppermint and rosemary essential oils on my abdomen. Next, starting with the ascending side of my stomach, I do circular motions clockwise, all the way around to the descending side. (I know the picture below is kind of gross, but it gives you a good idea of what to do.)

 My second glass of water has lemon oil and/or citrus fresh oil in it. If you don't have the oils for this second glass, you can also use juice from a lemon. It is a good idea to brush your teeth after, because the lemon can mess with the enamel on your teeth.

When people ask me what the number one thing is that they should do for their health, I will always say drink water! Not only does it hydrate you but it also lubricates your intestines and gets you off to a great start of the day. A good rule of thumb on how much water to drink is to take your weight, divide it in half, and then drink that in ounces. If you are one who works out or does a lot of physical activity, you will need to drink more than that. Because I have an intense workout lifestyle, I drink up to a gallon of water a day.

Drinking water is a great way to fight sickness and disease.   


To your health!

Beni Johnson

http://www.mvholisticretreat.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/colon-health-holistic-retreat-diagram.jpg

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Journey to Health



9 years ago I felt like the Lord told me to get in shape because He wanted me for the long haul. I was overweight and had hypertension. The Doc said that I needed to do something about it. Choosing not to go with medication, I decided to look into another alternative. I began to find some incredible information that inspired me to start my journey to health. I have learned that we are all different and that we each need to find what works for us in our health journey. I am finding that there are many out there who want to get healthy and I believe that it is important that you come to the understanding that this is not going to be another diet, (I don't believe in diets) but will be a lifestyle change.

Years ago my husband, our two boys and I started going to a gym in our town. It became an important part of our family time. Our daughter was too young to join us at the time. We stopped working out for 16 years and have just started back up again. This time our daughter, who is married with 4 children, has joined us and is excelling at it. 
                                                                                         
I think it is important that we take care of ourselves: our bodies, our souls, and our spirits. One of the things I've noticed in the church is that there are many who take care of their souls and spirits but don't think it matters to take care of the temple of the Holy Ghost. I think its time to see a change and that we get our whole person well. 

I'm 58 years old and I feel great. I've found for me that lifting weights is something my body thrives on. When I come out of the gym I feel alive. I've released toxins out of my body and I know that the muscle that is coming will be burning fat. The thing is that we all need to find what works for us. Some like cardio better than lifting weights. The point is that we just need to move. Our bodies were not meant to be sedentary. 
For women especially, it’s really important that we keep muscle on our bodies. The older we get, the more muscle we lose and muscle is what burns the bad fat off. I told my daughter that the best thing she could do is work out and keep the muscle on because it will pay off when she gets my age. 

Both my daughter and I have a personal trainer, which I highly advise, even if it’s just for a short time. They are trained to help you learn what is just right for you. Our trainer helps us with our diet and tells us how much protein, good carbs and good fat we need to eat to keep us going. Do you know that you are supposed to eat at least 70 grams of protein a day? If you are lifting weights it’s supposed to be much more than that. It’s not about eating less; it's about what we call eating clean. I eat small portions every 2 hours. I try to have a protein, a good carb, and a good fat in that mix. I find myself having to eat so much food. Another thing that is important for your body is to drink lots of clean, filtered water. If you can't get filtered, squeeze a lemon in your water every day. Water alkalizes your body, which is very important to good health. 

Do I think that Christians should work out and stay fit? Yes, I do. I see far too many believers who are sick. For the most case, if they would take some steps into taking care of themselves, they would see great improvement. We as Christians should in every way (body, soul and spirit) be well and thriving for ourselves, our families and for the world to see!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

2013


When thinking about this year, 2013, and asking God what was on His heart for this year I heard 3 things: hope releasers, crazy favor, and deeper into Him. Two of these I want to talk about in this blog.
On my Facebook page I posted,  A hope army is rising up this year in 2013. If you feel despair, its not you. You are one to march to the beat of hope!
 I posted this because I woke up one morning feeling a weight of despair after God had spoken to me about being hope releasers. I have learned that most of the time when I feel a negative affect, its not me and that it is only a sign pointing to what God is really doing. We know that God is good and He is kind and that He always has a good plan.
Another thing I have learned is that when Im experiencing these kinds of spirit moments, there are many who are usually feeling the same thing. I dont know about you, but it brings some relief to know that there are others who are also feeling what Im feeling. It tells me that Im not crazy and even more so- God is up to something good.
 Since I have preached that message, my sister has died, my brother in law has died, and my sister in laws mom, as well. It has been such great loss to our family. BUT deep within me, there is hope. My world will not crash and I can still release a hope that is eternal. I watched my sister in law stand strong in her hope in Jesus in the mist of great sorrow and grief when her husband died. How? Her strong tower, Jesus.
Theres an old hymn that says My anchor holds within the veil. What does that mean? This brings me to my second point.
God is calling us in deeper. I feel a pulling in me to walk closer than I have ever walked before. My anchor is Him and in my time with Him. The veil is that secret place with Him. Why do I feel Him calling us in closer, deeper? Is it to get more revelation in scripture, more answers to our life, or more strategies for prayer? I dont think its any of those. What I think is that its for Him to tell us how much He loves how much He loves the world and how much He love me/us.
 Bill and I recently watched the Bible series on the History channel. I have watched many movies on Jesus (probably all there is out there) but this one was different. When Jesus came on the scene in this series, I was so impressed with the character and how they presented him. I saw Him pretty much the way I see Jesus, full of life and huge love. I really liked this Jesus. He actually loved life and he laughed. He would get so happy when someone was healed. But most of all, the love of the Father was demonstrated through Jesus eyes. I remember saying, Now thats the way I see Jesus. Jesus loved big and He still does and He is calling us into deep places with him.
I was listening to John Arnott at a conference and he was talking about the Fathers love and telling stories of the renewal. It was so refreshing and as he talked I could feel the presence of God come in to the room. It was like a big, heavy, warm blanket that wrapped me up. It was His love and when this love comes to you, it deposits in you a strength that will carry with you through the hardest times. That is our anchor and we get it within the veil.  
 2013, if we choose, will be a year of great hope. You and I can give it and live it. And if you will choose to go in deeper with Him, He will lavish His love over you and in you.

Selah

Friday, July 6, 2012

Love Shack Time



I was talking with Ray Hughes the other day and was telling him about using a 528 HZ tuning fork as a prophetic act. Someone told me that this tuning fork is called the tuning fork of LOVE. Google it. Ray told me that science has said that this fork is the sound that holds earth. That blew me away!!

Recently I got up to speak at a meeting and walked up to the song "Love Shack" by the B52's. I was calling people to more love. It was so fun.
God is calling us to more love. He is tuning us right now. Some are being tested in this and it’s just not fun. But God is saying 'love' even when it hurts the heck out of you.

Many of you are in some really hard places right now concerning relationships. Have you ever been watching TV and the emergency alert comes across the TV and it says, "This is just a test". Yep. That’s it. This IS just a test.

We got a call from one of our prophets who read our mail as usual and I think this is for so many of you right now. He told us that the relational stuff that we are going through right now is a test. God is watching us to see how we will deal with this. The reason? If we pass, we will be able to handle what He is bringing to us next. What He is getting ready to do is far greater and is a blessing for us.

I feel that it's time to put our love on big time- even if it hurts a lot. We need to tune our lives to love. When we tune our lives to love it brings healing. One thing about this 528 HZ tuning fork is that science tells us that the sound of this fork brings healing. How many of us know that when God shines His love on us it heals us? LOVE HEALS. You have some tough situations going on? Put your love on. Release love. Leave the judgments, criticisms and the bitterness behind. Jesus loved all the way to the cross and on the cross. Jesus will always be our example of how to love and love well. If He could do it as a man then so can we!

Put on the love today!! You won't be sorry.


Tuesday, July 3, 2012

God and Full Moons

A friend of mine texted me recently and said, "It’s the full moon,” and I responded back, "Oh, that’s why." I was kind of joking. I'm sure that many of us are aware that strange things seem to happen on the days that there are full moons. Just ask the police department or the hospital. It seems that more babies are born on full moon days than on other “normal” days. I have heard that more craziness goes on in mental hospitals too. I'm sure that there are scientific reasons for the phenomenon, but that’s maybe for another blog.

After my friend told me this- I woke up the next morning to the full moon day. I love to get up early around the time of the sunrise, which during the summer is around five-ish. It was one of those mornings that I just thumbed through the Bible and came across Jude 1:20 in the Charles B. William translation.

"But you, dearly beloved, must continue to build yourselves up on the groundwork of your most holy faith and to pray in the Holy Spirit; you must keep yourself in the love of God and continue to wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This verse was a perfect verse for the day. I woke up feeling restless. It felt like something needed to happen that wasn’t happening and I was feeling anxious for it to happen and for it to happen now! So when I read this verse and got to the part, “pray in the Holy Spirit”, I took a deep breath and realized that once again I had to tell myself- If you can't figure out what is going on, pray in the Holy Spirit. So I did and I had this feeling that whatever is going on I knew I was being nudged to pray. A friend texted me and asked how I was doing. She is an intercessor and seems to be on track with me when things are going on. I began to tell her how restless I was feeling and antsy. After that, one of my interns texted me and asked how I was and I told him the same thing. He suggested that I go out and do something. I told him that whatever I did wouldn’t satisfy me and that this was a spirit thing going on. Physical things don’t satisfy a spiritual itch. Then my intercessor friend said, “something is stuck between heaven and earth,” and that statement went boom in my spirit. That was it. Something good was stuck between heaven and earth. Oh my. I then began to pray all the more. I still didn’t get what the thing was that was trying to get here to earth. Doesn’t this remind you of Daniel when he was praying and it took twenty-one days for the answer to come?

I know God loves full moon days. So much happens on those days. In Psalms 81:3 says:

"Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day."

God decided to make full moons a time where there would be feasting. Did God know that we would need those full moon days to be a festive day? All you feelers out there who wish at times that you could turn off your feeling-self know that God created you to enjoy life at its fullest. You are a special gift to the body of Christ to release heaven to earth on those days that would make you feel anxious and want to run. Those are the best days for you to press into God. Those are the days that just maybe things are stuck between heaven and earth and God is nudging you- like He nudged me. It’s the best life ever to know that God wants to use you and me and we can bring heaven to earth.