Good Health
3 John 2 Dear Friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
After writing about the Family Table I thought it might be helpful to remind ourselves of ways to help that table be as healthy as possible. According to this verse in 3 John, God is saying to us through John that His desire for us is to enjoy good health. If your church and circle of friends is like mine, you know that most prayer requests are for health issues. There are so many diseases and sicknesses that plague us now…so many things that cause anxiety and fear in our lives. We know from reading the Word of God that He doesn’t want us to live in fear or anxiety. Philippians 4:6 says, Do not be anxious about ANYTHING… There are many things in this life that are beyond our control. But, having been created in the image of God and having a marvelous mind and will, there are things that we can and are expected to control with His help. Like, our thoughts, actions, spending, tongues, eyes, attitude, speech, time, and believe it or not…what we eat…which can ultimately have a major impact on our health.
We all want to be healthy. Being healthy and feeling good…enables us to do all those things that God places before us to do. We are able to work, play with our children, enjoy sports, sleep well, serve others, exercise and just simply feel good. I know that sometimes things happen in our lives that there is no explanation for…other than the Sovereignty of God…as with Rick. Sometimes we do all that we know to do and still illness comes. But, our world is so different now than even 50 years ago regarding food that we would all be wise to educate ourselves on what we are putting in our mouths. We would all be wise to go back to the basics. Less is more when it comes to food.
The phrase “eat things as close to the way that God make them as possible”, is a good rule to live by. When He created the Garden of Eden, He gave Adam and Eve and all the animals every seed bearing plant to eat (Genesis 1:29-30). It wasn’t until the fall of man that animals ate flesh and so did we. Just because a company calls something “food” doesn’t mean our body sees it as food. Our bodies were made to need nutrition…foods that will nourish us and thereby keep us healthy. So here are just a few tips that we can follow to nourish our bodies and keep our “temples” healthy.
1. Get “fresh” with your diet! Eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Buy a fresh pineapple, cut it up and serve it at supper. It is easy to bag some grapes, grab an apple or a banana before leaving for the day…instead of a candy bar or some pretzels. Eat fruit in season…citrus is really good right now.
2. Eat 1 big salad every day. Try different kinds of lettuces…romaine is one of the most nutritious. Add fresh vegetables to the lettuce…carrots, onions, peppers, broccoli. I especially love to add dried cranberries, sliced almonds and black olives to mine. Choose a dressing with very little ingredients…olive oil based if possible.
3. Switch to whole grain breads. The best and most nutritious breads are made primarily from whole grains. The word “whole” should be at the beginning of the ingredients list. There are many new really good whole grain breads on the market now. Your kids will adjust to the taste if they know you’re not going back to the other!
4. Try a Smoothie! If you have a hard time with breakfast or just want a really “good for you” snack, try a smoothie! When we can’t get our kids to eat anything green, a great way around that is a smoothie! If you’ve never tried green powders…dried barley or wheat grass powders…they are a great way to sneak good greens into a smoothie for our kids. Here is great recipe to try:
4 oz apple juice, 4 oz almond milk, 1 tbls. peanut butter, 1/2 banana, 1 tsp. green powder and crushed ice to taste. Blend and enjoy.
5. Avoid the artificial stuff. Avoid at all costs hydrogenated fats and artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners and preservatives. They most likely will negatively affect your and your children’s body and its normal functions.
6. Befriend beans. Beans of all kinds are an important (and cheap) plant-based source of protein. They’re also rich in fiber and virtually fat free! All varieties of beans are a good source of low-calorie, low-fat, low-cost protein. Make a big pot of soup and add several different varieties of beans to the pot!
We DO have control of what we place in our mouths. And for those that are moms and responsible for feeding and nourishing our children…it is within our power to put nutritious things into theirs. We may not be as successful every day as we would hope to be. But, our goal can be, to the best of our ability and as the general rule, to eat things that will nourish our bodies and the bodies of those we love!
One small step at a time! Here’s to healthy eating!!
Drinking a Smoothie and Sending much love,
Debbie
