Our bodies run much the same way. God, our Master Mechanic, created us to run on good nutrition. If we continue to put junk foods and drinks into our systems, eventually we’ll end up in the hospital for repair. That’s not a bad confession; that’s simply a reality. That’s why eating healthy isn’t just a good idea, it’s a God idea—one that we should take to heart.  

But you say, “Marty, I’m not like you. I don’t like the taste of fruit and granola. And, just thinking about drinking 64 ounces of water each day makes me cringe—I don’t know if I can eat healthy. I just don’t think I can do it.”

Well, maybe you can’t by yourself, but the good news is—you don’t have to do it alone. Your heavenly Father created your amazing body, and He knows just what it needs to run perfectly. So, let Him help you just like He helped me when I first found freedom from the bondage of weight and learned how to eat God’s way.

Before you can begin doing the things you know will put you on the road to good nutrition and better health, you’re going to have to crucify the flesh and surrender this journey to the Lord.

Is it an easy process in the natural?

Absolutely not, but you’re not approaching this metamorphosis in the natural. You’ve got the backing of Almighty God who goes before you in spiritual battles, providing you with supernatural power to conquer anything that tries to come against you—including unhealthy eating habits. That’s why you must get God involved in your eating. He not only holds the answers to your nutritional battles, He is the answer!

I can say that because He has been my answer for many years, and I know His Word works every single time you apply it to your situation. You see, we’re probably much more alike than you realize. I spent many years battling the bulge and watching my weight go up and down with little control over the outcome. There is no telling how much money I wasted on “the latest miracle diet book” and other weight-loss gimmicks, when all the while the secret to my success was awaiting me in God’s Word.

When I needed self-control to resist eating a candy bar, or having that second helping of mashed potatoes, I applied the principle of sowing and reaping in my life. I would say out loud, “I am resisting the temptation to overeat and I am sowing self-control to the spirit.” Eventually, I had sown enough self-control to the spirit that I began living with a great measure of self-control. I didn’t learn that principle from the latest fad-diet plan; I learned it in the Word of God.

There is no victory when you try to fight this battle with the world’s knowledge. You’ll have some success, but none that will provide lasting results. Why? Because even if you’re able to drop a few pounds on a fad-diet, you haven’t reprogrammed yourself to eat healthy. So the minute your diet is over, so is your success. Those pounds will creep back onto your body and usually bring a few more pounds along with them.

Yo-yo dieting is a dangerous practice and one that is plaguing our nation, so let’s stop that cycle of destruction in your life today.           

Pray with me:

 “Father God, I present my body to You as a living sacrifice right now. I am trusting You to change my taste buds to prefer good and nutritious things and detest junk food and things that aren’t good for me. I thank You, Lord, for getting involved in my eating this very day, and I praise You for giving me the direction and the self-control to have success in this area of my life.

From this moment on, Lord, I press toward the goal, for the prize is far greater than anything this world can offer me. I know the plans You have for me are good based on Jeremiah 29:11, and I praise You for anointing me to walk in those plans—full of victory and in good health. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Just Do the Dos!

Good nutrition is just like anything else—we attain it in phases, “from glory to glory.”  So, don’t be discouraged if you’re a junk-food junkie, because we’re on this journey together. If you replace a chocolate bar with a piece of fruit today, you’re one step closer to good nutrition. If you drink four glasses of water today and have only one soda, you’re one step further down the road to a healthier lifestyle.

 Begin today implementing some of these 10 dos and the don’ts will start to take care of themselves. Let me encourage you to keep a positive attitude and embrace good nutrition. The Lord will help you in this retraining process. I know this for a fact because He’s helped me. He even changed my taste buds to prefer healthy choices over sweets and fatty foods, and He will do the same for you. Just believe and receive your deliverance from poor eating habits the same way you believed and received your salvation. It works the very same way—by faith.

Doing the Dos Nutrition Tips

1.       Eat two pieces of fruit every day. Mix it up. Have a banana, some grapes and an apple one day and a kiwi, some pineapple and an orange the next.

2.      Eat four vegetables every day (No, fries don’t count.) Try to make one of those veggies green and leafy.

3.      Drink at least 64 ounces of water every day. You’ll need to drink even more if you’re engaging in physical exercise. Drink purified water instead of tap.  

4.      Add a high-fiber cereal to your diet. If you don’t like the high-fiber cereal choices on the market, then simply mix a little bit of the high-fiber variety with your regular cereal. You can also add berries to your cereal for a more healthful breakfast. Blueberries are a great antioxidant.

5.      Add a fruit smoothie to your daily intake. Here is my favorite recipe: Use rice milk or skim milk. Add frozen strawberries and a banana (use only half of a banana if the fruit smoothie is a snack and not a meal replacement). Next, add two teaspoons of a vegetable protein powder (they come in different flavors), and place a little flaxseed oil into the mix. (Flaxseed is the perfect kind of fat—the kind that your body doesn’t produce.)

6.      Replace eggs with egg whites. For example, if you’re fixing an omelet, use one whole egg and three or four egg whites (Eggbeaters will work). This will cut your cholesterol considerably and still taste great! For a more festive omelet, add some pepper, low-fat cheese and picante sauce.

7.      Eat baked or broiled fish once every 10 days. Try tuna, orange roughy or salmon. When preparing it, season the fish with garlic flavoring and add four or five kinds of peppers and other veggies. Squeeze lemon juice on all of it, wrap your fish and veggies in foil, and bake until done. You’ll love it, and so will your body!

8.      Replace white bread with a whole grain variety. If you don’t like the taste of it, try putting a little jelly on it for breakfast. Sneak it into your diet gradually. (Tip: Most health food stores have Ezekiel bread, which is a great option.)

9.      Reserve a piece of fruit and a bottle of water for your ride home from work. That seems to be the most difficult time of day for many people—the time when they munch uncontrollably, consuming colossal calories and unhealthy snacks. So, keep your blood sugar level stable by eating something small and healthy every three or four hours—especially at peak hungry times like the ride home. Another healthy snack for those peak hungry times is 10 almonds.

10.       Use olive oil when cooking with fat. Just because your grandmother cooked with lard doesn’t mean you should. Olive oil is best, but cooking sprays are also a good choice.

Be excited! You are on the highway to better health, and Jesus is your navigator. He is the GPS of good nutrition and He will be with you every inch of your journey!

Yes, I exercise and eat right. Yes, I know that my body is the temple of God’s Holy Spirit and that my goal is to honor God with a lifestyle of progressive health and fitness. HOWEVER, it is with a total equality of value that I balance that understanding God’s Word which says that while man looks at the outward appearance God looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7). Oh, how freeing it is for us to know that God loves us unconditionally, no matter what we weigh or how we look!

I encourage you to meditate that scripture over and over until it becomes a reality to you. It is a revelation of God’s unconditional love for us that frees us from trying to become something unattainable. After so many years and countless attempts at seeking after a better body, how silly I felt when the blinders were lifted off and I realized that “I am not my body!”

If you are challenged with low self esteem like I was, allow yourself to be loved by God for who you are—for who He made you to be—from the inside out. When you were born again, God recreated your spirit in His image. Your heart is full of love, joy, peace, meekness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, endurance and self-control. Romans 8:29 says we are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, Christ Jesus. Our reborn spirit is like God’s—with the potential and His calling to become more and more like Him.

Don’t be like I was and waste years trying to be something you cannot be. Just realize that God made your spirit, soul and your body and that He has a plan for your life. Accept yourself the way you are today, knowing that His love is unconditional and that He looks at your heart. Self acceptance is freeing. It takes the pressure off and allows our health and fitness goals to be about honoring God in our bodies, instead of trying futilely to prove, either to ourselves or others, that we are valuable because of how we look.

We must get to the place where any effort we make toward self-improvement should be a decision based in freedom and not under pressure. This is a right and privilege of any child of God. I pray that God will bless you as you progress in your understanding of who you are in Him.

There is nothing more powerful than a person who knows who they are in Christ Jesus.

A: It should be no surprise that when believers have tried to win the battle of the bulge through the world’s system, they’ve failed. I know because I have experienced what you’re going through. You can get to the fullness of the Anointing in the area of eating through the knowledge of God. So be encouraged!

Here’s what I suggest you do.

First, get to know Jesus in your quest to lose weight. The spiritual things have to come first because you are a spirit. You live in a body. If you want your spirit to dominate your body, you have to feed your spirit; you have to renew your mind to train your flesh. In other words, you have to have something to fight with.

Second, cast down every imagination and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). That knowledge includes life, health, exercise and nutrition.

The reason many of us have missed it in the area of eating right and losing weight is because we haven’t “known God” in weight loss. We’ve known natural man’s wisdom. For example, eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight. That’s a fact, but there’s no power in knowing that. We can only take our thoughts captive with the supernatural power of God. The power to overcome is in the truth of God’s Word. When the temptation to overeat comes, we must immediately cast it down. 

Third, concentrate on the “dos” and not on the “don’ts.” If you do what is right, the don’ts will take care of themselves. This is one of the most successful principles I have seen in my one-on-one counseling. I’ll ask someone, “How many glasses of water do you drink a day?” Often, the answer will be, “One or two.” When I ask, “OK, how many fruits and vegetables do you eat a day?” that person may say, “One or two.”

What I have discovered is that not very much is being done right. So that’s where we begin—doing the dos of what God said is good. While drinking six to eight glasses of water, eating two to three fruits and three to seven servings of vegetables a day may be our ultimate goal, we don’t start there. I will tell that person to begin drinking four or five glasses of water each day as well as eating at least two pieces of fruit and two vegetables each day.

If you will take one step of faith at a time to do something that you are not already doing, you will be one step closer to the kind of perfection the Bible calls us to.

In Genesis 1:29, God tells us plainly what is good to eat. “And God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the land and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.” (AMP) After the flood, in Genesis 9:3, He tells us, “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” (NIV) By studying the Bible you can see that God intended for us to nourish, sustain and prosper our bodies with vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, fish, chicken and beef. The closer we stick to God’s plan of whole foods, the healthier we will be.

As you choose whole foods more often, go organic whenever possible.  Organic foods are better for us because they don’t contain the chemicals that can cause toxic buildup in our bodies. The fewer chemicals we consume the more efficiently our bodies function, which in turn makes it easier for us to burn fat.

Common sense can tell us organic foods are healthier. Who wants to eat foods produced with all of the “extra” stuff? Our bodies just simply weren’t created for low quality fuel. Without the nutrients that come from healthy food, our bodies can find themselves in a state of “dis-ease.” Not only that, but our bodies’ ability to absorb and utilize healthy, whole foods will help satisfy our hunger more successfully. If we’re not getting enough nutrients from our food, we are more likely to overeat because our nutritional requirements are not being met.

Research indicates that fruits and veggies grown organically have significantly higher levels of antioxidants than conventionally grown foods. Antioxidants help fight many diseases including cancer, heart disease and others. They help protect the body against the adverse affects of toxins and aging. 

I know eating strictly organic food is not always possible; neither is it a prerequisite for weight loss. However, it certainly helps to eat organic food when possible because our bodies utilize and metabolize whole foods best. Public awareness about the benefits of organic products has made them more accessible and affordable. I know from experience, your family will be just as satisfied with organic choices as the “regular” ones. An organic, whole grain, peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of organic milk hits the spot for my youngest daughter every time!

God created our bodies to work optimally when we eat the right amount of healthy whole food at the right times. Unlike a vehicle, our bodies are irreplaceable. You and I have a responsibility to take care of the body God has given us. After all, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us, “Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body” (AMP).   In order to do that, remember to choose the kinds of food God has already said in His Word are good to eat, and you will have a solid foundation for a healthy diet.

Open up just about any magazine that deals with food or exercise and you’re likely to see an article about the low-carbohydrate diet craze. Walk down any grocery store isle and the latest “low-carb” products will seem to jump out at you. Listen to the radio long enough, and the discussion eventually turns to the low-carb controversy.

Well, now I would like to weigh in on the debate and settle the controversy once and for all!

I know. You’re probably thinking, Marty, how can you be so bold as to say that? How can you be so sure? Because God has already given us His Word on the subject and it’s true-no matter what anyone else says!

In Genesis 1:29-31: “God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the land and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food. And it was so. And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely” (The Amplified Bible).

God approved completely of fruits, grains and vegetables. In other words, He completely approved of carbohydrates. They are His idea!

He also approves of us eating meat according to Genesis 9:3: “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green vegetables and plants, I give you everything” (The Amplified Bible).

Brain Food

Our bodies were created to function in a certain way, and God created carbohydrates to meet specific nutritional needs. Their main purpose is to provide our bodies with energy. When you eat carbohydrates, your body converts them into a sugar called glucose. Glucose then circulates in the bloodstream and is consumed by cells to produce energy. Other food sources, such as proteins and fats, can be used by the body for energy, but it prefers glucose.

And more importantly, glucose is the only fuel normally used by your brain! Mental activity actually requires a lot of energy and rapidly uses up glucose. Sufficient amounts of glucose—or carbohydrates—are needed throughout the day in order to learn, concentrate and remember.

There are actually two kinds of carbohydrates: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are found in some natural foods such as fruit juices and honey. But most are found in refined foods containing sugars. Carbs from refined sugars are not on God’s “completely approved” list for a number of reasons. Simple carbohydrates are quickly processed and rapidly released as glucose in your bloodstream. They raise your blood sugar level immediately. Too many of these kinds of carbs (found in cakes, candy, sodas, etc.) can be very harmful. They can actually cause too much insulin in your bloodstream which hinders glucose from getting to your brain and muscles. These kinds of foods are basically empty calories and also contribute to weight gain.

If you’re still not convinced this kind of junk food is bad for you, then consider the radical statement in Proverbs 23: “Put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of dainties: for they are deceitful meat” (verses 2-3). It might help us to remember that scripture the next time we’re offered a gigantic piece of cake!

It only takes a quick look at a nutrition label to discover that most processed foods contain a high percentage of sugar (listed as carbohydrates) but very little fiber or nutrition.

Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are extremely beneficial. They’re found in natural foods such as whole grains, nuts, vegetables and legumes (remember the list in Genesis 1:29). Your body gradually breaks down these kinds of foods into the glucose molecules that fuel your brain. Carbohydrates in natural foods don’t raise your blood sugar rapidly, but are rather like time-released capsules providing sustained energy over a period of time.

Recent research at the University of Toronto (UT) determined that complex carbohydrates dramatically affect memory. During the study, adults ages 62-80 ate a breakfast of barley, mashed potatoes, or a glucose beverage, after which their memories were tested. The results showed that memory improved by about 37 percent after eating barley, 32 percent after mashed potatoes and 8 percent after drinking a glucose beverage.

(I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had barley or mashed potatoes for breakfast! I would imagine you would get similar results with a breakfast of oatmeal, a high fiber cereal, or a thick slice of whole-grain bread. Of course for a balanced meal, I would also recommend a little protein and fat be included.)

Findings in the study further revealed that “eating carbohydrate foods can improve memory within an hour after ingestion in healthy elderly people with relatively poor memories.” The UT study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that while barley was least effective in raising blood glucose levels, it was most effective in enhancing memory.

This research confirms what God already knew—complex carbs are extremely important to our health, even where our memories are concerned!

Well-Balanced = Being Well!

Feeling sluggish and being irritable are also common affects of low blood sugar. I remember telling a friend of mine who was on a low-carb diet, “Just go eat some carbs, will you? You’re not any fun to be around!”

A diet that’s too restrictive will cause your body to feel deprived—causing a physiological reaction. You will begin to crave the nutrients you’re not getting. If you are on a low-carb diet, you’ll probably experience sugar cravings. Why? Because your body knows from experience that refined sugars will quickly boost its energy level. So, typically people will replenish carbs by binging on junk foods instead of complex carbohydrates.

By eating a well-balanced diet, your blood sugar will be more stable. For most of us, that means between 10 and 25 percent of our diets should consist of protein, approximately 55 to 65 percent or our daily calories should be from carbohydrates and about 10 to 30 percent from fats.

Personally, I believe it’s good to include fish, chicken and occasionally red meat in your diet. But you can go to God and ask Him what’s best for your body. He knows—He created you! James 1:5-6 in The Living Bible says “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”

The Thinnest People Eat Carbs!

It’s true that people can lose weight on a high-protein/low carb diet. I’ve done it myself. It was really wonderful in that I wasn’t hungry at all! But at the same time, I couldn’t count to four!

My theory is that people often lose weight on this kind of diet not because they give up the healthy carbs, but rather because they give up the empty calorie carbohydrates. They simply stop eating white breads and foods loaded with refined sugars. And anyone can lose weight by omitting sugars and fats.

The truth is, people who eat the most complex carbs are the thinnest people!

I know that may be hard to believe in light of all the publicity about low-carb diets. But it’s true according to a recent intensive four-nation study involving more than 4,000 men and women from the United States, UK, Japan, and China ages 40 to 59. These findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s 44th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, held in March 2004.

“Without exception, a high-complex-carbohydrate, high-vegetable- protein diet is associated with low body mass,” study leader Linda Van Horn, PhD, of Northwestern University said. “High-protein diets were associated with higher body weight.”

Not surprisingly, the study also revealed that people who exercised were less likely to be heavy even if their diets consisted of more calories.

So, here’s the bottom line. By eating a balanced diet of vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fruits, proteins and fats, our bodies can get the nutrition needed to be healthy and function properly. We can also achieve weight-loss goals by eating a well-balanced diet. The key word is balanced. We must eat the right kind of carbs, and eat them in moderation. Too many calories of any kind can sabotage our greatest weight loss efforts. We must also make sure that the whole grains we are eating are truly “whole,” and not “enriched.” Eating foods from enriched grains or flours is like eating sugar and can cause us to get hungry and gain weight. Remember, this is why so many people think they can never eat bread—they’re eating “enriched wheat” rather than whole grains.

Who’s House Is It Anyway?

God desires for us to be healthy. You have a responsibility to take care of your body, just as I have a responsibility to take care of mine.

Recently when we went skiing as a family in Colorado, the Lord showed me this truth in a fresh way. During this trip, we stayed in a beautiful vacation home that someone else owned. At the time, it was up for sale. One day I was standing in the kitchen with my mother-in-law, Gloria Copeland, and sister-in-law Kellie, when Kellie remembered that the realtor planned to show the house. Immediately, Gloria began cleaning. Kellie and I started picking up things and tidying the place. (Remember we were on vacation, so there was a little clutter!)

It became exceptionally important to us for that house to be clean and orderly before the people came to view it. The owner had blessed us by letting us stay there, and we wanted to be sure it was in the best possible order—that it showed well.

Why?

Because the condition of the house would be a reflection of the owner, not a reflection on us.

Think about this illustration in light of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

“Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, you were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body” (The Amplified Bible).

Now let me ask you this question. If you truly believed this scripture —that your body belongs not to you, but to Him— what would you do differently?

Think about it, and write those things down.

Then just begin to lift those things up to Him in prayer every day. Begin telling Him that you desire to honor Him and bring glory to Him in your body. Ask Him to give you the wisdom and grace you need to make changes. Boldly ask Him to help you—and He will!

Now you may be thinking: Marty, how can you be so sure about that?

I can be so sure because His Word settles all controversy! And Hebrews 4:15 promises: “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need!” (New King James Version)

I can boldly say He will help you…because He did it for me!