There are now in existence many diets and exercise programs to choose from, and all claim to be ideal, however, God will have us understand that, while some of them may bring us some results, yet it is much more important that we be able to ask His blessing on our efforts, for whatsoever is not in harmony with scriptural doctrine and principle will be doomed to fail in one way or another. Especially is this the case where certain suggestions, coming to us from secular sources may tend to push us to extremes in our dieting, and exercise regimens.
After a detailed review of some of the more popular diets, we have found that some of the foods, and some of the methods recommended, have indeed been taken from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. Therefore, as we examine the various diets we must line them up with the knowledge God has been pleased to reveal through His word, and also from the pen of inspiration. One of the snares for us to avoid at all costs, is that of fad dieting, which as advertised, often promises us incredible results, and quick weight loss in just a few weeks or months.
As a general rule of thumb, the instructions of God pertaining to diet and exercise do not usually work in a hurry, for they are based upon the permanent life-style changes, which call for stern discipline up front, and consistency on an ongoing basis, until our practice becomes second nature. And as we thus endeavor to submit ourselves to the necessary disciplines, then God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, by bringing about gradual changes in our taste buds, and by also giving us the impetus, energy, and resolve to be consistent in our actions.
The following therefore are just a few of a plethora of diets which are currently popular with many here in America, and we will also observe the God-given knowledge either in favor of, or against them as the case might be. Let’s read:
[1] The south beach Diet:
Designed by a Florida-based cardiologist, Arthur Agatston, MD, who wanted to protect his patients from serious medical conditions like heart disease and diabetes, the South Beach Diet stresses the importance of controlling hunger by eating before it strikes. Dieters are urged to disrupt the typical "hunger-overeat-gain weight" cycle by cutting out carbs and focusing on lean protein, low-fat dairy, and good carbs — whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. While the first phase of the diet is strict, the third "Maintenance" phase is meant to be a lifelong eating plan that allows you to enjoy occasional treats while maintaining a healthy weight.
Now while it is true that the whole grains, fruits and vegetables mentioned in this diet, are in harmony with God’s ideal, yet the “dairy” part is not, for in many persons, the casein protein found in dairy is the cause for severe migraine headaches. Also, the principle of eating before we are hungry, in order to prevent over-eating is never to be adopted, for then we will form the wrong habit of eating before the stomach has completely dispensed with its previous work-load.
In addition to this, the scriptural method of having appropriate portion sizes will take care of the age old problem over-eating, for the issue here is not primarily one of overindulgence because of being hungry; instead it is one of self-control. The method of fighting an evil habit with another wrong one has no scriptural basis, and should never be adopted by anyone, when facing challenges of weight loss.
Furthermore, it is never good to eat when we are not hungry, for then the digestive organs will be forced to violate the principle of rest which should be incorporated into any long-lasting diet program, and thus, the delicate work of efficiently breaking down any food we have ingested, will be severely impaired. Let’s read:
Exodus 16:16 This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
[This Day with God pp. 210] It is important that the digestive organs shall not be overtaxed. There are many who keep the stomach continually at work. Indigestion is the result of food taken into the stomach before the digestive organs have had time to dispose of the foregoing meal. Such a habit would produce disease, because the digestive organs would be overtaxed.
Weight Watchers:
Though the Weight Watchers system has evolved over the years, this flexible diet's tenets have remained the same: Eat a balanced diet, eat in moderation, and eat what you want. The diet uses a points system to track what you eat and provides motivation through local support meetings with weigh-ins (or dieters can attend "virtual meetings" online).
This system, like the south beach diet has some good in it, for it espouses the godly principle of
eating a well-balanced diet in moderation, but it also contains some evil, for it gives us permission to eat whatsoever we desire, a principle that is known to be diametrically opposed to the stipulations we have been given in the scriptures, as it pertains to clean and unclean foods.
The freedom to eat “What we want” will inevitably include forbidden items such as pork, rare steak, oysters, and sushi (raw meat and fish). Even though these articles of food are popular with the masses, yet the word of God forbids them, for they are the cause of many strange and deadly diseases that have come upon the human family. Let’s read:
Leviticus 11:4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat”..
6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is
unclean to you.
8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination.
The Mediterranean Diet:
If a dinner of fish and veggies with a glass of red wine sounds like an ideal meal to you, you may have found your diet match in the Mediterranean Diet. This diet includes the food staples of people in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, such as Greece and Italy. With an emphasis on heart-healthy fats, those containing omega-3 fatty acids The diet is rich in seafood, nuts and legumes, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and olive oil, as well as red wine in moderation.
One staple of this diet is “Red wine in moderation”, but this again leads us contrary to what the Bible says, for even though the antioxidants found in red wine are often touted as a good reason for drinking it, yet the alcohol, and fermentation does harm to the body and brain. Because something good may be mingled with something evil, does not make it safe, on the contrary, it renders the product all the more dangerous, since it is likely to be consumed by those who are thus mislead. Furthermore, the very same antioxidants can be found in their purest form by ingesting the fruits from which the red wine was derived in the first place. Let’s read:
Proverbs 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Raw Food Diet:
Advocates of the Raw Food Diet believe that cooking food and breaking down its enzymes leads to losing many of the food's nutritional benefits. Restricting food that is cooked or heated above 116 to 118° Fahrenheit, the plan allows you to eat as much as you want, as often as you want as long as it is raw and vegetarian. Though nutritionists praise the focus on fresh produce and the avoidance of processed foods, many say the diet is lacking in nutrients and is difficult to sustain.
The raw foods diet has become popular with many who are seeking alternatives to the refined foods, and the flesh meats that are known to be the cause of many cholesterol related illnesses. However, the scriptures do not teach us the principle of eating as much as we want, whenever we want, for even the eating of good food, can have adverse effects, if it is done intemperately. A person can do real damage to himself by drinking too much pure water. Thus the Bible teaches us the principle of “All you should eat”, not “All you can eat”. Let’s read:
Proverbs 25:16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
The following therefore is a scriptural, dietary plan
that all may choose from, and it does not seek to stipulate amounts, nor does it restrict anyone who may not be in a position to access the products that are mentioned. There are places in the earth where it is virtually impossible to live on God’s ideal diet, and because of this, allowance has to be made for all those who may be in such situations. Take for instance, the clean meats and fish that are to be found in the 11th chapter of Leviticus, which are permissible; even though they do not represent the very best dietary plan, yet God makes allowances for those who cannot do any better, because of circumstances beyond their control.
It is important for us to remember that on the issue of diet, and weight-loss, different people will have different nutritional needs, and because of prior health conditions and allergies, and the availability of certain articles of food, some may be able to adhere to God’s ideal, whilst others may not be able to. We therefore present God’s ideal, since as was stated before, He is taking us from Eden to Eden, however, the choices are there before us, so that wherever possible, we may have good alternatives. Let’s read:
Ezekiel 4:9 Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof and”… “shalt thou eat thereof.
11 Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drink.
Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast”…“eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:
18 “Thou shalt eat the herb of the field.
Genesis 43:11 “Take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey”… “nuts, and almonds.
Numbers 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
Because of the present condition of our world, organic foods are becoming more and more of a rarity, and even when they are available, may be out of reach to the average John Doe. Thus we should seek out those items that are easy to procure, and trust God’s goodness to take up the slack when we cannot do any better. Hence the reason why we emphasize the scriptural principles such as discipline, faith in God, adequate rest, lots of water, avoiding processed foods as much as is possible, and not eating between meals, nor late at night before going to bed. Whenever and wherever these and other sound godly principles are adopted, and coupled together with, regular exercise weight-loss will take place.
In closing, it is of critical importance for us to be consistent, for one of the main reasons why many of us try and fail so often, is because of a lack of consistency by which the necessary disciplines pertaining to diet and regular exercise are left up to chance, or are otherwise controlled by the feeling of the moment. Success in anything good will not come without well directed effort coupled together with consistency, and therefore we must settle it in our hearts, that come what may, we will try by the grace of God to be disciplined enough, so that our efforts may not be in vain. We therefore end with a quote from the pen of inspiration, which should encourage us to keep pressing on until we realize our goals as it pertains to diet, exercise, and weight-loss. Let’s read:
[Christ’s Object Lessons pp. 331>332] Christ has given us no assurance that to attain perfection of character is an easy matter. A noble, all-round character is not inherited. It does not come to us by accident. A noble character is earned by individual effort through the merits and grace of Christ. God gives the talents, the powers of the mind; we form the character. It is formed by hard, stern battles with self. Conflict after conflict must be waged against hereditary tendencies.
We shall have to criticize ourselves closely, and allow not one unfavorable trait to remain uncorrected. Let no one say, I cannot remedy my defects of character. The impossibility lies in your own will. If you will not, then you cannot overcome.
Remember that you will never reach a higher standard than you yourself set. Then set your mark high, and step by step, even though it be by painful effort, by self-denial and sacrifice, ascend the whole length of the ladder of progress. Let nothing hinder you. Opposing circumstances should create a firm determination to overcome them. The breaking down of one barrier will give greater ability and courage to go forward. Press with determination in the right direction, and circumstances will be your helpers, not your hindrances.
We close, not with a text, but with a theme song for our exercise program, and which can be our motto for this new year:
Lord, I looked down the road and I wondered
And I wondered
And I wondered
Yes I looked down the road and I wondered
A long, long way from my home
So I buckled up my shoes and I started to run
I started to run, I started to run.
So I buckled up my shoes and I started to run
I started to run, I started to run.
M ay God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.
God bless!