More than 90 percent of Americans believe in God and more than half pray at least once a day, according to a recent poll taking an in-depth look at Americans’ religious beliefs.

The poll, by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, also found that nearly three-fourths of Americans believe in heaven as a place where people who have led good lives will be eternally rewarded. If you are a Christian, you know that good works and “living a good life” will not get you into heaven, but they are a part of our commandment to others (love your neighbor, serve others, etc.).

Almost 60% believe in hell, where people who have led bad lives and die without repenting are eternally punished, the poll found. Give thanks to Jesus for dying for our sins and blessing us with his grace so that we can have eternal life at his side.

Majorities also believe that angels and demons are at work in the world and that miracles occur today as they did in ancient times. “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8.

This is the organization’s second report that is based on one of the largest polls of Americans’ religious beliefs ever conducted, with more than 36,000 adults interviewed.

The first report released in February took a broad look at the American religious landscape, while this report dives deeply into the faith and politics of religious, and non-religious, Americans.

On the political side, for example, it found, among Jews who pray daily, 36% are politically conservative – more than twice as many as those who pray less often.

- Story originally reported in The Washington Post

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Here are a few tips to utilize when you go grocery shopping:

• Make a menu plan: Write out a weeks’ worth of menus and consider how you could use leftovers to further stretch the budget. I usually make extra servings of dinner to have for lunch the next day. The Warp Speed Fat Loss program comes with 28 days’ worth of meals that are easy to prepare and taste great!
• Create a list: Write down the items that are essential to upcoming meals you have planned, and stick with it.
• Organize coupons: Just inside most supermarkets, you will find extra newspaper coupon inserts or store flyers and a board with the sale items highlighted. Check these sale items against your shopping list to make sure you are getting the best price.
• Shop alone: Friends and family members can steer you off the shopping list.
• Don’t shop hungry: Your appetite can influence your spending causing you to buy things you don’t need or shouldn’t eat.
• Spend cash: Take time to get cash before going to the store. Nothing impacts our minds like taking cash from our wallet.
• Always shop by the unit price: Supermarkets post the unit cost on the shelves. These numbers can show you that larger packaging isn’t always the best buy.
• Buy in bulk: Purchasing certain food items in bulk (beef, chicken, fish, nuts, eggs) can help save money and the environment (less packaging). Stores like Sam’s Club, Costco and BJ’s can offer savings over local grocery stores. But just as noted above, compare the unit price. Sometimes, bigger isn’t always better. And occasionally, grocery stores will offer better deals on certain items during sales.
• Shop the perimeter of the grocery store: If you shop along the perimeter of the grocery store, you will find all the fresh foods you should be eating on a regular basis. Think about it. What is located on the perimeter? Meats, vegetables, fruits and dairy products. Stay away from the aisles as they tend to host the man-made and pre-packaged items like cereal, soft drinks, chips, cookies, cake, etc.

These tips will help you make better decisions the next time you shop!

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I was listening to a conference call with Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training last night. He mentioned that he sells many of his programs to people in Australia. Originally, he thought Australia was a very fit country even though he sold many of his training products to their citizens.

After speaking with a trainer in Australia, he found out that most Australians are actually overweight and many are even obese. I would have been surprised hearing this last night, however, my friend (Dan) in D.C. sent me a link to this article a couple days ago – CLICK ME!

I was a bit shocked when I read the article because, just like Craig Ballantyne, I thought Australians were much more fit than Americans. However, we now see that the obesity epidemic is spreading across the entire world.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, even the Japanese (a culture known to be fit and live long lives) are now trying to combat obesity.

This has become a world-wide epidemic. We need to do something about this sooner rather than later. It’s affecting the quality of life for every man, woman and child in the world in which we live, and it’s terribly expensive on the healthcare system.

Even with the amount of information available on the internet about nutrition and training, many people don’t know where to begin or what to do.

Here are a few simple ideas everyone can implement today:

1. Eat more fruits, veggies, lean meats and healthy fats from fish, fish oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, peanut butter and olive oil.
2. Eliminate processed foods from your diet – If it comes in a box or is man-made, don’t eat it!
3. Avoid soda (diet and regular), candy and anything made with high fructose corn syrup.
4. Avoid fast food and fried foods.
5. Read labels more carefully!
6. Drink more water each day.
7. Eat 4-6 small meals per day.
8. Move more! Take a walk each day for 20-30 minutes. Park at the back of a parking lot and walk to the store. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
9. Hire a trainer or buy results-proven training programs that you can do at home or in your garage and backyard (see some of the links on my blog!).
10. Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Keep your room dark, quiet and cool. Try to keep electronics (phones, TVs, computers) out of your bedroom (they disrupt sleep)

By incorporating a few suggestions from the list above, you will help reverse some of the damage caused by poor nutrition and lack of exercise that can lead to obesity and a variety of health problems including diabetes, heart disease, cancer and more!

For some excellent training programs, DVD’s and more that you can do at home, be sure to check out Art of Strength.

For a jump start on your fat loss, you can also check out the Warp Speed Fat Loss program.

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Bryan Clay is a great example of a Christian Athlete. His faith in God has helped him change his life for the better, and he has become an outstanding athlete. He will be competing in the Summer Olympics in the Decathlon, one of the hardest sports of all since it combines a blend of speed, strength, explosive power, endurance, skill and more to be successful.

What is remarkable about Bryan (besides his physical abilities and talents – an obvious gift from God) is his faith as a devout Christian and how he has used his talents, abilities and faith to help and encourage others through speaking engagements and his foundation.

If you want to be an example of a Christian Athlete, then look to Bryan as a role model. I also encourage you to check out Bryan’s web site where you can read more about him and watch his videos. Be sure to post some words of encouragement on his site and pray for him so that he will continue to do God’s work while staying healthy as he competes in the Summer Olympics.

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• 83: The life expectancy of people who frequently attended religious services; for infrequent attendees, the estimate was 75.
• 70%: The percentage of churches that provide healthcare services to their communities, according to a survey of 6,000 congregations.
• 40-60%: The percentage of hospital patients who want their doctors to pray with them.

Faith in God, prayer, living a healthy lifestyle as God intended and surrounding yourself with strong social support from other Christians is an important part of living a long and healthy life.

Exercise and a proper diet are important to our physical needs. Faith in God, a strong support system and prayer are important to our spiritual, emotional and physical needs.

Have you prayed today?

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