Celebrating New Beginnings -- Report on My Transition to Keto Diet

About a week ago I began to transition into a keto diet.

My purpose was to decrease inflammation that leads to the pains in my right hand, wrist, and forearm as I use the computer mouse.

It got to where I would need to stop in about 20 to 30 minutes to massage my hand. And then it was painful to go back to surfing the web.

Also, I have had stiffness in my neck and shoulders for a long time that I hope too will decrease as the inflammation decreases. 

As I researched keto diet I noticed testimonies of more energy and greater mental clarity. I want both of those. 

So far this transition has involved much online research and buying books by Dr. Berg https://www.drberg.com/ He offers hundreds of Youtube videos about keto diet https://www.youtube.com/user/drericberg123  and nearly 3 million subscribers. 

Along this path, I discovered that most of what I had been eating was not the best for my overall health.

Dr. Berg taught what happens when I ate what I was eating and why changing not only what I ate but when I ate will be helpful.

He advocates intermediate fasting. That means not eating any breakfast but waiting as long as possible to start eating.

Previously I would eat as soon as I woke up and I would eat many small snacks all day and all night. I would eat a little when I woke in the night to go to the bathroom. That was not the wisest path according to his understanding of how the human body works.

I am not here to convince you to use the keto diet. 

What you eat is your choice. And know that all choices have consequences. And stated differently; what you sow is what you reap.

This is a report on my new adventure. 

Note that I have committed to do my best to follow the keto guidelines of Dr. Berg for 90 days. Then after September 25, 2019, I will evaluate my experiences and results. I will continue or make changes at that time. 

During the first few days, it was very painful as my body adjusted. 

Internally I could tell that this was a profound shift. 

While the sensations were unpleasant my body was assuring me this a good way to go. 

I probably would have had fewer symptoms if I had more gradually transitioned what I ate and when I ate. But that phase is behind me. 

There were short moments of lightheadedness and overall weakness.

There were short moments when I felt like I did when I got drunk in college as an unbeliever. 

These went away in less than a minute when I just sat or stood still. Those symptoms have not returned. 

Also during that time my thoughts and feelings went on short roller coaster trips. But that has not repeated not since then.

Yesterday I went to Walmart to shop for groceries for the first time since transitioning to the keto diet. I was armed with a list of what to buy based on inputs from Dr. Berg and many others online. 

It was strange to walk past the items I had previously bought. 

It was a learning experience to find the things on my list that I had never bought before. I did not know where they were in the store. Then when I got to that section there were so many options to consider. Previously I could shop for groceries half asleep because I bought the exact same things every time. 

I had never bought cabbage for myself before, but I did yesterday.

I had never bought butter for myself before, but I did yesterday.

I had never bought cream cheese for myself before, but I did yesterday. And I found that I really like just a spoonful of plain cream cheese.

Dr. Berg strongly advocates lots of salads. Others online are not as keen on salads. So I bought a few bags of prepared salads. I had bought these before but half the time they would spoil before I completed the contents. And this time I found that there was far more chewing with my full dentures than I had remembered. So salads might not be a big part of my future eating. 

Also, I had placed an order with Vitacost https://www.vitacost.com/

Vitacost is like a huge online health food store with nutritional supplements and healthy foods.

The many guidelines point to uses of all kinds of oils. So for the first time, I bought coconut oil from Vitacost.

Also, I bought turkey jerky, olives and bone broth from them as well as other things on the recommended lists.

Eggs are strongly advocated for the keto diet. So last week I asked and was given a dozen duck eggs. The owner of this apartment complex has 3 ducks here on a remote corner of the property. The maintenance man gave me the eggs. I scrambled some and hard-boiled others. If this provision continues then I will explore other ways to cook eggs.

I talked with a neighbor that has relatives who sometimes bring to him an abundance of catfish. He said he will give me some of his surpluses. So cooking fish that will be another part of this overall adventure.

In order to stay true to my intentions and minimize my temptations to go backward, I have purged my pantry and fridge. I have set aside items that are prohibited on the lists to give others when the container was not opened. I threw out the items where the container was opened.

WOW, that was a giant step forward in my commitment to this adventure.

At some level, this feels like relocating to a foreign country. If I had moved to Japan, Mexico, or Iceland then that would be a radical lifestyle shift.

For another image, it is like I have started to remodel my kitchen. The old has been removed and I have begun to gradually replace with the new. This will become my hub for taking care of my body.

For much of my life, I treated my body like a donkey that was here only to carry around my head. I knew the theory that there was an important connection between my physical health and my mental health. I took some steps to care for my body. But lately, that has become a higher priority.

CONTEXT

There is always a wider and deeper context to such a major transition.

When my hand was hurting I researched options. I found that there are compression gloves to support the hand and wrist. That was in my Save for Later list on Amazon for weeks. But a lifetime of depending on such aids was not appealing.

I used the massage and acupressure methods but those did not last long.

There are all kinds of creams and pills for joint pain. If this was a recovery from an injury then that would be appealing. But I do not want to buy such products for the rest of my life.

I have always sought to take the best possible care of my body. When I learned the science of what I had been doing to my body was not optimal then making improvements was the next right step.

During Lent for the last 2 years, I have fasted from the intake of news and commentary. Both of those 40 day seasons were peaceful and informative. I had greater peace of mind. I recognized that I was giving away my attention to matters of national and international affairs that I could never change. This taught me to focus on what I could change.

What I can change is how I use my time and money. I can change what I eat and when I eat.

I have an overabundance of research and plans for an online enterprise to serve international college students starting this fall. But I have been leaning too much on caffeine during this season of preparations. As the next chapter of my life unfolds I need to have my eating habits and pantry in good order. Then I hope there will be a steady stream of energy to persevere through the various challenges that are bound to present themselves.

This is why I feel motivated to plunge into this keto transition for this 90-day adventure. For me, it is like getting my body in shape for a series of marathons as I launch and lead an online membership community.

PRAYER

Basically, I have been moving ahead one day at a time.

This adventure has been unfolding in ways I could never have predicted.

Thankfully there are those like you who have been praying for me during this transition and long before now.

I request the continuation of your very best prayers. This seems like a smooth report, But without help from God, I know that I would have quit long ago.

Today I understand the basics of the guidelines. There is much more to learn but those are just details that might prove useful later.

Ultimately every person is unique. The foods that work well and poorly in their bodies vary. So what is ahead for me is much trial and error. I am willing to experiment with what I eat and when I eat. May God grant me wisdom and discernment as I find my way along this path.

After weeks and months of experimenting, I want to come to some smart conclusions.

I desire to gracefully establish healthy habits about eating.

I want to learn more about cooking in ways that will best support my keto diet.

As the online enterprise to serve international college student unfolds I want to have a reasonably well-stocked pantry and fridge with foods that I know are best for me. Then most of the experimenting will have been completed and my eating will support my main priority.

I have been plunging ahead. I have been spending money in new ways. I have not been cautious about how the new purchases will impact my needs to pay my regular monthly bills. Pray for all my financial needs to be met during this transition.

BASICS
What I mentioned to people that I was transitioning to keto diet they said that they had heard of it but did not understand it. I cannot give a super brief summary here.

I have watched dozens of short videos about the keto diet. One of the big advantages of being retired is that I have lots of time to research. 

Here are links to the 2 best introduction videos.
Out of the 2500 videos on the keto diet by Dr. Berg here are his 2 introductory ones.

Dr. Berg's Healthy Keto Basics: Start Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMZfyEy_jpI

Dr. Berg's Healthy Keto Basics: Step 2 What to eat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBqpaAKtnXE

It is not my intention to persuade you to use the keto diet. I share these links so that you will have a general understanding of the subject. It might come up on the media or in conversations.

Out of the many blog posts that I read about the keto diet the attached  PDF by Dr. Berg was the simplest summary. You can get an overview of what he and others recommend. 

Just maybe you will modify what you eat based on this and maybe not. But at least you will be informed. 

CONCLUSION
It has been very helpful for me to process all these thoughts and feelings by putting them into words that I shared with you and others. Some people process by talking and I process by writing.

THANKS for being there to read this.

THANKS again for all your prayers.


Shalom
John

pray for transition to Keto Diet

I use the computer for many hours each day.

For the last few weeks, there have been increasing pains in my right hand, wrist, and forearm. 

I use a wireless turbo ball mouse instead of a standard mouse. So I can put my arm in different positions while easily moving the cursor.

I went online to search for massage and acupressure for my hand. 

There was a mention that a change of diet could help decrease inflation and support joint health.

That took me down the path to learn about the Keto diet. 

Many of the foods I eat each week are off that diet. And there are things on the diet I never buy. 

So I have created a grocery list for shopping next month. 

I will eat what I have and transition into those recommended foods. 

I have never needed to lose weight nor do I need to lose weight now.

Besides helping my hand and joints the videos suggest more energy. I can always use more energy. 

Besides changing what I eat there is a matter of when I eat. For 2 years at this apartment, I would eat a little all day and all night. I rarely had a big mear at home. 

But the recommendation is 2 meals that are 4 hours apart. 

At this moment when I enter into this transition, I recall the slogans that helped me in the past and they are as follows.

Keep it simple

Easy does it

One day at a time

Please pray for me to embrace and work with those slogans in the coming weeks and months. 

At this moment I perceive this as an experiment. Today I am not one hundred percent committed to using the keto diet for the rest of my life. I have heard many stories of those that went on it for a while and came off. 

But like stretching a rubber band surely my diet will not be the same as it has been. 

I request your best prayers both for the changing of my diet and for the health of my hand, wrist, and forearm. 

If you have been on the keto diet then I invite your insights, recommendations, and stories.

Shalom
John

Video Update --- Pray for Our Community Garden

These short videos provide an overview of the community garden for senior citizens where I live in Ennis Texas. And there is a tour of the worm farm.

God has blessed us with 200 dollars toward our goal of 339 dollars.

That money will go to buy 2 felt beds and 2 cubic yards of sandy loam. Those will pave the way for our fall garden as well as the spring and fall gardens for years to come.

There is a local handyman that has offered to save us money by delivering the sandy loam for less cost to us. Pray for this to come together smoothly.

The generous supporter used my Paypal link https://www.freewebs.com/jsohub/give.htm

Those who give will be kept anonymous and each one will receive a copy of the receipt of what we bought during this fundraising round.

Here is my video general overview tour 6:12

https://youtu.be/vOyfFRKaZL0

Here is the tour by Beth that gives some details 5:31

https://youtu.be/eOlbo4sJ6UQ

Here is the tour of the worm farm in my apartment  9:21

https://youtu.be/hnG6AIjB0qI

Please pray that we keep learning about community gardening.

May we work well together as a team.

May all the fund arrive soon.

May each year we enjoy the process of gardening and the foods we harvest.

Shalom

John

Video Updates of Thrift Store Donations - Gathered Yesterday and Delivered Today

CONTEXT

I am learning how to create a video report of my life and ministry. 

There are links to 4 very short videos at the end of this text. There are 4 of them and the lengths are 2 and a half minutes, 1 and a half minutes, 10 seconds, and 8 seconds in that order. They are a chronicle of what I have been doing recently. 

Also, I am learning how to best use my time and talents to express my values. I have an inclination toward depression when the news reports are focused on the many crazy problems all around. So I have learned that I need to invest part of my life to contribute to the solution. That gives me peace of mind. It makes me feel part of something bigger than my tiny corner of the universe. 

My Christian faith informs me that according to the Bible Jesus gave me a New Commandment to love one another. The epistles teach me to love others using my words and deeds. So I am on the lookout for practical ways to love others. I want to make a difference. I seek to make this world a better place. 

What has been working for me is to keep an open box in my residence. When I come on a thing I do not need, want, or use then I put it in that box where I am collecting things to be donated to the thrift store. I am constantly doing that all year long. 

Then a few times during the year I conduct a mini spring cleaning. I cast a critical eye on my closest, cabinets, drawers, and other storage locations. If I have not touched a thing in about a year then it is on probation. If I have not used it in 3 years then the thing needs to justify my keeping it. The exceptions are those things with sentimental value, tools, and reference materials. 

This ongoing policy helps to keep my living space orderly and minimizes clutter.

I hate waste. I do not want to waste my time, money, energy, storage space, thinking, feeling, etc. 

I embrace the fact that according to the Bible I am a steward of my time, talents and things as well as money. 

After my last day in this mortal body, I will give an account to the Lord Jesus Christ for my stewardship. I seek to excel at that evaluation. And in order to do well on that final exam then I must be diligent during my journey from the cradle to the grave. 

REPORT

Today I went with 2 men and a woman to deliver 43 boxes and many more units to a thrift store in the small town of Ennis named Thrifty Boutique https://www.yelp.com/biz/thrifty-boutique-ennis

This filled up 2 pickup trucks, We took up a collection like this last year at the apartments for senior where I live in Ennis. Then we filled 2 pickup trucks too. 

The funds from those sales go to support First Look Clinic https://firstlookclinic.com/ that is in Waxahachie.

Those funds make available free ultrasound tests for pregnancy as well as the detection and treatment of STDs and classes for mothers. 

This is a Christian organization so prayer and the gospel message is part of what the women receive.  

COMMENTARY 

We live in a society where casual sex is common with the younger generation. Such intimate contacts can lead to pregnancy. Then, unfortunately, abortion is treated as another kind of birth control. 

The emotional ripples for the women that have an abortion can last for the rest of their life. These unseen wounds can lead to all kinds of other troubles like addictive behaviors and deep depression.

The woman entering a crisis pregnancy center did not typically have a previous game plan to care for a child long term. 

They probably do not have much of a support network before this critical crossroads.

There are small choices to be made that will lead to huge consequences during this tiny window of time. 

By the nature of the pregnancy process, it is not possible to ignore, deny, or postpone such small choices.

Consider that pregnancy and childbirth can be complicated and difficult for the most prepared mother.  Then layer on that the stresses, pressures, and uncertainties that come with any female that enters a crisis pregnancy center. 

LOVE

The older I become the more I appreciate the gracious gifts I received from my mother. 

I was blessed to have had a close relationship with my mom. 

Her sacrificial love for me in those early years humbles me. 

Her tender mercies remind me of the love of God. 

Each year on Mothers Day there seems to be a huge outpouring of gratitude from moms. That is one of the very few things that unite us these days. 

Our shared society is overly busy. There is precious little time or energy to express love. 

The media does a grand job to magnify the bullies and the victims that are all around.

So who are those that are worthy of our unconditional love? May I suggest those women who are brave enough and humble enough to enter any crisis pregnancy center. 

As I have reflected on what I have been doing recently I realized that all my attention had been on the women. Yet the Lord slowed me down enough to consider the infants that will become babies. 

I had a hard time sleeping last night. My back was sore and my body ached all over from dealing with the preparations of the 43 boxes of donations things that I assembled in the apartment clubhouse. 

Those muscles will recover. My memories will fade. 

Yet those physical things will be sold for many hundreds of dollars. That money will go to serve the moms. Those moms will love those infants, that will become babies, that will become children, then teens, then adults and then parents for many decades to come. 

Therefore my discomfort had redemptive properties. 

So inviting my senior citizen neighbors to bring their surplus things to the clubhouse was ultimately my way to express love for untold numbers of others I will never meet. 

You will never find me holding a poster in a political rally related to Pro-Life.  Messing with politics has zero appeal for me. 

But being used by God to personally and corporately love those ladies that pass through those doors, floats my boat. 

I have been consistently pruning my possessions and taking those to thrift stores for many years. It is only the last 2 years that God has led me to donate to a thrift store to help a pregnancy center. This has added a deep stirring to come from compassion as well as stewardship. 

NEXT

What is next for me is to take this text document and repurpose it into 2 slideshows that I will use with voiceover to make short videos. 

One will deal with advocating Christians to gain the habit of giving their surplus things to any thrift store. 

The other short video will advocate supporting crisis pregnancy centers with prayer, money, volunteering, and donating things. 

These projects are dear to my heart. Yet I do not intend to make these the long term focus for my online ministry. They are important to me under the general heading of consistently improving stewardship.

The huge and complex project that I was involved with researching and planning before this was to create an interactive ministry for international college students. Launching and leading that enterprise is the wisest way to steward my time, energy, and talents.  

PRAYER

Any time that I write it is essential that I call my readers to prayer. 

I have witnessed over the decades that such requests lead to answers from God that are amazing. 

I request your best prayers that these 2 videos will come soon come together gracefully and be shared widely to receptive audiences. 

It is my intention that I will be producing and sharing more such videos that are aimed to stir up Christians unto love and good works. See Hebrews 10:23-25 that is an often neglected part of the Bible. 

After that my game plan is to both craft a narrative of how I believe God has called me to minister to the international college students. That will be used to enroll supports that include intercessors, advisers, and donors. 

In terms of prayer requests for all crisis pregnancy centers that have thrift stores, I offer the following.

May God supernaturally inspire many and various people to generously donate good quality items often. 

May the volunteers and paid staff at the thrift store work well together as a team to accomplish their goals gracefully.

May God guide an abundance of shoppers to come to the thrift store where they find the exact things they need at reasonable prices.

May the property, things, people, and all those associated with the thrift store be blessed. 

May there always be an abundance of net profits from the store operations that go to the crisis pregnancy center. 

May the paid staff and volunteers at the pregnancy center flow together in harmonious ways. 

May God do a deep work in the mind and heart of each woman that comes for services.

May each unborn be effectively loved and nurtured by their mom. 

May God to a great work so that each mom gains and maintains a support network. 

May God move mightily to raise up a band of prayer warriors for each pregnancy center. 

May there be more than enough things and money donated each year for each center. 

VIDEOS

Here are the videos I took.

part 1

2:29

https://youtu.be/LJsxIF2f8mc 

part 2

1:24

https://youtu.be/ALnOv5oMkEg

part 3

0:10

https://youtu.be/z7mIRQytdWE

part 4

0.08

https://youtu.be/6V8PoFwlRTI

THANKS again for all your prayers.

Glory to God in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen?

Shalom

John S. Oliver

Rent, Garden, and Calling

THANKS again for all your prayers.

I know that God is answering prayers every day.

My spiritual walk with Jesus Christ has been complicated and stressful.

I learned that it was always best to request prayers along the way. When I others have prayed then things unfolded much more gracefully.


RENT
Last night I had troubles falling asleep. I was feeling anxious about the meeting this morning at the housing authority. 

They sent me a packet with 25 pages of detailed forms and instructions. Part of that called for documenting the parts that qualify me for subsidized housing. Some of those requests were not clear. I took along 33 pages that I felt sure they would want and 27 pages that I thought they might want. That took me more than 5 hours to find online and print out. 

Thankfully a kind neighbor picked me up early and I arrived there 40 minutes early. I went into the classroom with about 15 others like me and 3 caseworkers. I was the 3rd person to be called and the process happened very quickly. It turns out I was over prepared. Only about 12 pages of documentation were needed. 

When riding back home I felt a huge relief mentally and emotionally. 

I thank God for answering prayers. There were many times that I got very frustrated in seeking all those documents. I had to quit and pray to regain peace of mind before I could return to the search. 

The caseworker said that that renewal will be done online next year. 

GARDEN
Now that the housing challenge is behind me I turn my attention to helping with the community garden here at the apartments for senior citizens. 

This community garden began last year. We raised various vegetables and some watermelons. 

This year we want to about double the space of the beds. 

Recently we went to visit the horticulture teacher at the local high school that is across the street. He had some good advice. And we saw that he was using a kind of durable felt for his raised beds for years. He has been getting great yields in those beds.

Those are called Smart Pots. I am just the helper on this project. The leader named Beth wants two of the 8 foot Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/product/smart-pot-long-bed/ that is 158 dollars with shipping. 

I just talked with the manager of the local nursery. He can deliver two square yards of sandy loam for 181 dollars. https://texscapesnursery.com/garden-store-ennis-tx/organic-gardening/

The total is 158 plus 181 equals 339 dollars. 

The residents here are senior citizens that are living on a small income. So I am looking to God to bless us financially. This will be so valuable to have reasons to get outside. There are sharing and learning that happens as well as delicious food. 

So today I am requesting your best prayers for God to guide and provide these items. 

Maybe God will prompt a sponsor to just buy and have one or more units shipped here to me at 1600 W Lake Bardwell DR unit 137 Ennis TX 75119. Or maybe several sponsors will use my Paypal link https://www.freewebs.com/jsohub/give.htm and I will email each such supporter a copy of the receipt. And I am available to answer questions at 972-948-4014.

During the coming weeks, the plan is to make and share pictures as well as short videos on Facebook. Please pray for that part of the adventure to unfold gracefully.



CALLING
Recently I took a free online course from Calling Lab and completed a workbook that went with the course. 

This was useful to review the various ways to understand the guidance from God. 

It was timely for me to prayerfully consider these matters as I am creating an online business that is also like a ministry.

I would highly recommend it for you and others.

The course is free and the book costs. The book uses the same lessons but has more instructions and more questions. It can be used alone or in a small group setting. 

Course

https://underground.teachable.com 

Book

https://www.blurb.com/b/8939492-calling-lab  

My next step with the course is to write a simple summary of what I learned from it and share that with others for their feedback. I have begun that summary. I hope to send that out soon. 

Then with that core guidance, I will add key parts from my files that go back 20 years of how God has been guiding me. That will be the fuel for a business plan to guide my actions for the coming months. 

PRAYER

While I did turn in the paperwork the caseworker still needs to review it and officially approve my rent subsidy for next year. Please pray for that approval.

Gardening is new to me. I enjoyed it last year and I am learning much this year. 

Pray for the core volunteers to work together effectively as a team. 

May we raise all those funds.

May we have some large harvests. 

I pray often to know and do the will of God. May God use this Call Lab tool and others in the coming months to direct my path.

The apartment manager Cheryl asked that I request prayers for her. She goes in for day surgery on May 10. May God grant the surgeon guidance and wisdom.

Shalom

John 

Pray for Transportation and Approval for Recertification of My Housing Voucher on May 7

SUMMARY

It is time for me to travel to Dallas to recertify my housing voucher.

The appointment is on Tuesday, May 7 at 10:15 AM.

Getting there and back is the current challenge.

Plus there are many detailed questions to be answered as well as all needed documentation.  

DETAILS

Yesterday I received an envelope with 26 pages I must read carefully and fill out.

May this be ready for the meeting in order to continue receiving financial assistance with my rent.

I did this last year. There are a few caseworkers in a classroom and about 20 clients. Each person goes forward to quickly have these many pages reviewed. The caseworkers have been doing this for years so it is quick for them. But there are tiny details that must be met. I do not want to return, or mail material, or be denied.

I had already spent much time online dealing with this renewal. They asked for more documentation than last year. Some of the requests were confusing to me. I asked for clarification using the online contact form and sent an email to my caseworker. But I have not received a reply yet.

Besides the online forms, there are paper pages that ask detailed questions and want much proof of important matters.

On one hand, this is understandable because many have abused the system over the year and verification is needed. But on the other hand, while the system pays the majority of my rent and the rent for thousands of others each caseworker has a huge caseload. If this was a business instead of a government agency they would hire more front lines workers.

Last year I was blessed to ride with my apartment manager that needed to go to the same place to get questions answered. That is not the case this year.

Note that I do not have a vehicle. DART buses and trains do not serve Ennis that is a small town south of Dallas. When I had planned to use Uber to get to the Love Field airport in Dallas to fly to St Louis for my vacation Uber did not pick me up. I need dot to get a neighbor to take me halfway to a fast food place in Red Oak. Then a friend gave a ride from the airport all the way home.

After Easter Sunday service there was an Uber driver that brought me from Dallas to Ennis. And to afford that God provided a sponsor for that price.

Even if Uber took me all the way there and back I would have very little money for the rest of the month. So I might need supporters to sponsor this trip or maybe God has another solution He will reveal soon.

Normally I like details. But I need grace, patience, and wisdom from God to complete these materials online and offline.

PRAYER

May I have favor with my caseworker and be approved for another year.

I ask for your best prayers that God will guide and provide.

Shalom

John