First let me say that I can’t apply 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 to the outward man. It doesn't line up with what Jesus said about not acknowledging each other in the flesh. The outward man is crucified, dead and buried with Christ. We are new spiritual creatures, so that verse about our body being the temple is talking about abandoning our whole lives to Christ that others may see Jesus by the way we love God and treat others with love. We walk by faith, not by sight. Right?
Even though I myself am an advocate for health & nutrition, it’s not my religion. LOL Ya know what I mean? After all, bodily exercise profits little. It’s great to be healthy, but it can’t compare with being spiritual whole. And we all know people who are physically healthy but who are not very nice people to be around.
Having said that, JosephsDreams are you familiar with "macronutrient ratio"? Because of the high fat, high carb diet my husband had been raised on as a child, he was overweight most of his life and felt sluggish & tired easily. He tried every diet & exercise program but was never able to drop but a certain amount of weight and then gained it right back when he'd get frustrated.
Many years ago I heard a nutritionist explain that we have a certain amount of fat cells and even if you lose weight, none of those cells disappear. You're just making those fat cells skinny when you lose weight. The problem is, when those fat cells are used to being "full", any kind of diet you go on signals those cells to go into starvation mode. That hunger causes us to overeat and gain the weight right back again. The nutritionist suggested the solution of building up your metabolism to make those fat cells burn calories faster, rather than signaling your body that it's starving.
My husband hated dieting and he disliked most harsh exercise regimens but he wanted to lose weight so he could feel physically healthier. He wanted a program where:
1. He could eat every time he was hungry
2. His exercise regimen would be something he really enjoyed
So instead of "dieting", he ate anything he wanted anytime he wanted to except he stayed within a normal fat-carb-protein ratio (macronutrient ratio). And to build up his metabolism, he exercised at least 3x weekly by walking through the park or riding his mountain bike.
Some people say that the macronutrient ratio doesn't matter, that's it's irrelevant. But within less than a year, my husband lost over 100 lbs with total ease and did not gain it back. His metabolism increased and he was able to breathe more easily and gained endurance with his walking & bike riding. So for him, that worked perfectly! And by the way, even after he lost weight my husband was still a big burly guy ~ and I loved that about him!
Well, it could apply to one or the other, or both. Sometimes the bible is layered in its messages.
But anyway...
Its not my religion, I am not even dogmatic about it. I know some people who obsess over it, they stand there and say should I have 6 nuts today or 8? Almost literally.
If our body profits little, then it is okay for people to be unhealthy? Then we do we spend so much on health care, and meds, and why do people seem to have such a compromised quality of life when they are unhealthy?
I think after God, and relationships, our health is the most important thing we can have.
I know that some here think I am trying to push this down peoples throats (pun intended). I am not. I
am trying to get people to consider a different perspective on food and lifestyle and how it dramatically effects out health.
All I am really asking is for people to not take my word, but take ownership of their health, their bodies, be proactive, do some research and see if the standard American diet is causing a lot of health problems.
It is funny, we complain about our health, complain about health care costs, complain about aches and pains, but seem to just accept this is the way people are supposed to age. And that some of these diseases are just a inevitable fact of life.
I think that it makes some people feel uncomfortable to hear that they can take responsibility for their health because if they believe it and don't do it, then they feel disappointed, or maybe that they failed, or some other negative feeling.
Speaking of spiritual, did one ever consider that maybe a higher standard of internal body cleanliness may vibrationally and/or electro magnetically and/or chemically make our bodies better conductors for spiritual awareness? That all that sludge in our bodies are a blockage to a higher level of sensitivity to the spirit?
All that noise and clutter in our minds tends to go away when we fast and that fasting helps with our spiritual connection. So if one carries that to its logical conclusion, then it stands to reason that a diet free of processed foods, more raw and vegan may lead to less blockage.
We have to stop separating the mind, body and spirit. They are all members of the same body and while unique, work in unison.
So why all the resistance here by some people? I don't mean you. But wouldn't it be more intellectually honest say to say I don't know to much about and I may have some valid points? Or that so and so, I can't do it? Or that I am just not interested in eating better because I don't believe it? But again, we are back to where if one does not believe it, do they base it on science, or opinion? I know I would respect that more, rather then some of the things I have heard here.
I know about the macro nutrient diet, and it is not much different in principal to the Atkins diet for losing weight. It will help a person lose weight, and for a short term it is good for catapulting a lifestyle change and losing weight. In the long term the weight loss portion is unhealthy because it has way to much protein. But the sustainable portion of it is not to bad, but not ideal either.
The best long term diet, and the most healthiest way to lose weight and keep it off in a sustainable healthy fashion is a diet high in raw and vegan foods, with a lot of veggies, fruit, and some raw nuts, beans, sprouts, and seeds. Little or no animal products, or no more then 3 times a week. Very little processed foods. That means very little that comes in a box, or a can or a vacuum sealed bag.
