Make eating for wholeness a “Way of Life” for you! This will not be easy in today’s culture since everywhere you look you find fast food, addictive substances (caffeine, sugar, salt), and refined and processed foods (white flour, white rice, white pasta, cookies, chips, TV dinners, and fast foods, etc.). These types of foods lack fiber, are full of empty calories, and will add pounds to your body and take years from your life.
In his documentary “Super Size Me”, Morgan Spurlock took on the challenge of eating fast food for a month to see what would happen. He ate everything on McDonald’s menu at least once and supersized his meals if asked. What was the outcome? Well, it took only three days for him to start to feel the effects of a total McDonald’s diet. Before long, he had gained over 25 pounds and by the 3 week mark of his month-long experiment, his doctors were urging him to quit as his health had become so poor that he was liable to suffer long-term damage.
This documentary also included an experiment Spurlock did where he placed McDonald sandwiches and French fries in a jar on a countertop. In a month’s time the sandwiches had lots of mold on them, but the fries had not broken down at all. They looked like they had just been cooked the hour before. How could the fries break down in in a person’s body and pass on nutritional value to your body if they could not break down in a month without refrigeration? Spurlock learned that you can lighten your load by steering clear of fast food. Instead try opting for fresh, organic, bio-friendly food.
According to Juice+ (www.juiceplus.com), the latest research indicates that people can improve their chances of living longer and healthier by eating more fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables offer your body a host of benefits – vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fiber, and a better chance at avoiding cancer. According to the American Institute for Cancer research, diets that contain substantial and varied amounts of fruits and vegetables may potentially prevent 20 percent or more of the cases of cancer each year.
The average American today consumes 170 pounds of sugar each year, compared to 10 pounds two hundred years ago. Unfortunately sugar contributes to a multitude of health problems. It would be helpful if we would read labels as we shop so that we are aware of all the hidden sugar that is contained in products bought at the grocery store every week.
More and more books, such as “The China Study”, “Eat to Live”, “Living Health”, “The McDougall Plan”, “Fit for Life”, “Healthy Habits” and “The Health Promoting Cookbook” are challenging medical orthodoxy with newly uncovered information. Research indicates that consuming meat, dairy products, and fats have a negative impact on our bodies. These authors indicate that a plant based diet (fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, whole grains) are the best for our bodies. Studies show that the countries that consume the most dairy and animal protein have the highest rates of diseases such as, cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease, and diabetes, along with others. As you read the information from these books you will be challenged to look closer at your eating habits.
It might seem impossible in this culture to eat healthy, especially at public gatherings, gatherings with friends, and family events. However, it is a matter of balance, not perfection. Try keeping junk foods out of your diet at home and use good common sense when you are eating out in public. Try concentrating on foods in their natural form, as God made them, as often as possible. When you cut out refined sugar (especially high fructose corn syrup) and empty carbohydrates (white flour, white rice, and most fast foods) from your diet, your body will more easily tell you what is not good for you. Once out of your system, these foods will seem too sweet or make you feel sick because your body is not used to them. After awhile you will no longer desire them.
