Are Christian diet plans as good as others?

Question:

I've heard of "Christian" diet plans. Are they just as good as any other?

My answer:

When you rely on God totally, for everything – including such things as losing a few pounds – He will bless you.

However, any diet plan, whether “Christian” or not, that eliminates whole food groups compromises your nutritional status. These diets are usually nutritionally inadequate and do not address the need for lifelong changes in food habits.

Also, any diet program that restricts you to fewer than 1200 calories per day is unsafe and ineffective. Although following such a diet can help to lose large amounts of weight, the weight lost is muscle mass and water, not excess body-fat. If you lose weight too fast chances are you’ll gain it right back.

Losing one or two pounds a week is a realistic goal and will result in long-term weight loss if combined with exercise. The slower the weight comes off, the less likely it will come back. Eating several mini-meals will increase your energy, add variety in your diet and help maintain your weight.

Food touches every aspect of your life and affects how you feel. Healthy eating helps you to take care of yourself on the most basic level. God created a variety of foods that you can enjoy to meet the needs of your body.

What are your thoughts? Have you found a good diet plan to follow?

Our Bread from Heaven by Laurette Willis

Welcome guest blogger Laurette Willis of PraiseMoves.

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. I am the bread of life… Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” John 6:35, 48-51

The manna God sent to daily feed the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years was miraculous provision, yet this amazing food could only nourish their physical bodies. It couldn’t fill their souls or give them eternal life. Only Jesus can do that. He is our bread from heaven.

I’ve often found myself reaching for food when I wasn’t physically hungry. Have you? I’d want to put something in my mouth to feed a hunger of a different kind.

Loneliness, boredom, distraction, anger, sadness, emptiness and guilt are some of the things which have driven us to food. Yet food cannot satisfy emotional hunger or alleviate suffering. The food may seem to fill us, but that’s only a physical sensation (I’d often stuff myself until I was numb emotionally, but hurting physically).

Question: Have you ever eaten past the point of feeling “full”? How did you feel afterwards?

For years I didn’t have a “full signal.” I didn’t really know when to stop. It was frightening sometimes. I avoided social gatherings where there was food, because I knew I couldn’t control myself. Oh, I could put on a good show and act like I was a dainty little eater for a while, but I knew I’d eat more than this 5′2″ body needed to eat.

I’d started using food to numb emotional pain when I was six years old. For the next 25 years I battled with compulsive overeating and all the emotional turmoil that goes with it.

After coming to Christ, I continued to fight with overeating—even though the Lord delivered me from alcoholism and smoking. Why was this issue with food so tough?

In John 6:51 Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

How can we “eat” non-physical food?

We can consume spiritual food (the living bread, the flesh and blood of Christ) by feasting on the Word of God with our eyes, lips and ears. Proverbs 18:20 tells us that our stomach can be made full by the fruit (words) of our lips.

“A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; from the produce of his lips he shall be filled.”

While physical eating satisfies physical hunger, spiritually feasting on the Word of the living God feeds our spirits and satisfies the hunger of our souls (mind, will and emotions).

If we feel our needs are not being met emotionally, we look for other things to fill that void. Some enter into unhealthy relationships; others become caught in an addiction to a substance (such as food, alcohol or drugs) or behaviors such as gambling, compulsive spending, or trying to control others through fear or threat of moods.

No Human Relationship or Thing Can Give You What You Need Emotionally

Perhaps the reason our emotional selves are so hard to feed is that people and things of this world cannot truly nourish this part of us. Only Christ can feed the human heart and soul.

Okay, it makes sense that spiritually feeding on Christ can bring spiritual health, but why turn to Christ to meet our emotional needs, too?

Because: Taking from others can never truly satisfy us. Only partaking of Christ and GIVING to others can do that.

God wants me to love others as I love myself. However, if I haven’t been feeding on Christ I don’t feel full of His love on the inside of me. I don’t feel “lovely” or worthy of love. I may be self-critical and even hate myself. Feeling unloved, I’m unable to love unconditionally, and will try to compensate by “filling” myself in other ways, and exhibit various controlling behaviors to “make” people love me.

By feeding on the Word (reading and meditating and doing what you read in the Bible) daily, He will fill you. You will feel FULL! Remember what Jesus said about the type of peace He gives, “Not as the world gives do I give to you.” He gives from the inside where His Holy Spirit dwells.

Feed on these words today from John 6:35, “And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. I am the bread of life.”

Right now ask Him to fill you. Don’t try to figure out yet what that means. Just ask the Lord to fill you with His goodness. In Ephesians 3:19, Paul prays that the Lord’s followers will be “filled with all the fullness of God.” Come to Jesus and be filled.

**

Laurette Willis ©2009
Christian Fitness Expert and author Laurette Willis is the Director of PraiseMoves® Fitness Ministry, offering fitness programs, DVDs, books and instructor training for those interested in a Christian ALTERNATIVE to yoga, plus fitness for spirit, soul and body at . Follow Laurette on Twitter snd Facebook

True Health by Rachel Curtis

Welcome guest blogger Rachel Curtis of P31 Fitness.

True health begins internally and should be exemplified externally. The balance of Spiritual, Physical, and Emotional well-being needs to be our goal in this life. Health is a matter of peace, balance, and contentment with ourselves, our surroundings, and our life.

We must take care of ourselves physically, so as we can be at our best emotionally for others. Many often think that this is a selfish approach, but that is the far from the truth. We are designed to be “whole-body” beings, and everything works in harmony. If one of our pieces in our lives is out of balance, it effects the other parts of our lives.

I believe that taking the call from the Lord to take care of the “temples” He has given to us is the purest way of fulfilling our true purpose in life. We must aim to find a balance in living as a Christian in this world even when it comes to health, fitness, and nutrition. Although this may not seem like an important area, it is vital to our attitudes, thoughts, actions, and overall well-being. Our spiritual lives are directly connected to our physical walk as well. God made so many parallels in the Bible about our bodies, exercise, and how to best serve Him, that it is something that can’t be ignored in the Christian life.

Taking the time to be healthy with the Lord, be healthy with our food choices, be healthy with our activity level, and be healthy in our relationships will make lasting impressions on our health and the health of those surrounding us each day.

**


To learn more about P31 Fitness

Fuel for Fun by Jane Weber, RD

Welcome guest blogger Jane Weber.

Many of us remember the cramp we had in gym class, or have found our energy dwindling during a normal work out. Our first thoughts go to the food we ate.

God has designed our bodies to work efficiently. Our bodies will send the energy where it is needed most. During exercise, that means our body targets our muscles and digestion becomes secondary. Eating the wrong foods then, right before a work out, can end up sitting there with underutilized energy right when we need it. Adequate time between eating and exercising allows digestion to get well underway and then you can tolerate a wider variety of foods. If your schedule is tight, your better choice is something that is easily digested. This will supply your body with fuel for your fun without upsetting your stomach.

The best fuel for muscles combines carbohydrates and a little protein.
This combo is ideal but since protein, fat and fibre take longer to process than carbs they need to be cut back the closer you get to your work out. Use the following guidelines as you think through your schedule of when you exercise compared to when you eat. Then you will be able to plan the right meals for the right time.

Foods eaten 2 – 2 ½ hours before exercise should be mostly carbohydrates with a small amount of protein and low in fat. For breakfast, try cereal with milk, fruit and a small glass of juice. For lunch or supper try rice or pasta with lean meat, a sprinkle of cheese, a vegetable and fruit.

Eating 1 – 2 hours pre-exercise should be small and primarily carbs with only a little protein, fat and fibre. Try a small container of dry cereal, a few nuts and dried fruit or a homemade muffin and some juice.

Less than an hour before exercise ideally is light and also primarily carbs with very little protein, fat and fibre. An empty stomach bordering on hunger may not allow you to last your work out. Try to at least grab something like a yogurt or try rice crackers and a clementine.

And don’t forget fluids.

Being even a little dehydrated means your body won’t function as well as it could. Drink a big glass of water or milk 2-3 hours before your activity. Water is your best choice during workouts to replenish lost fluids. Sports drinks are not necessary unless you are an endurance athlete or sweat a great deal. Energy drinks, carbonated or sugary fruit drinks are not recommended and can actually make your work out worse. Their quick rise in energy tends to be followed by an equally quick drop, causing you to end your exercise on a down note.

These guidelines give us a good base to build from, but personal preference often trumps recommendations. Tweak the info with what you have found works best for you and look forward to an energized work out.

**

Jane Weber, RD

Registered Dietitian

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