Baby Steps

More of my beginning: 

Though I decided I need not follow man-made rules or opinions regarding what I ate, I also knew that God has chosen to work through humankind.

I actually know people who will not read books written by other people. Yes, I'm serious.  They will only read the Bible.  I personally think that is an incredible insult to God because it is He who gives wisdom unto man.  None of us will get it all right.  We will write or speak some things that are spot-on in line with God and there will be times our opinions and human logic stick out instead.

I learned a long time ago to be aware that God is still alive and still speaking through humans.  Humans are flawed and sometimes we get the messages messed up for sure.  The many thousands of ideas and breakthroughs in medicine, science, technology, etc... however prove that mankind does get it right as well, and if we choose to shut ourselves off from that, we miss out on a great deal of God's beauty and wisdom manifested through the crowning glory of creation-mankind.

So, I realized I should pray and ask God to direct me to what HE wanted me to read and learn from...to ask Him to help me discern truth from lies and to keep me alert in throwing out the bad and embracing the good.

One of the first books I read was The Belly Fat Cure.  It was simple and to the point.  It was easy to understand and follow.  It was a way to start making decent changes to ward off sickness and disease and help my body (His Temple) stay productive.

Do I agree with everything in the book?  Not at all.  I don't believe in millions of years of evolution for example, but that doesn't mean the author is a flake in my eyes.  He has some very good information that has changed my life and kept me at a steady weight for three years now.  I am grateful to him for stepping out and writing for others.

The basis of this book is that before the Industrial Revolution, people didn't consume so much processed food, especially sugar.  Obesity became a problem after that time in history.  Heart disease busted on the scene and doctors scrambled to the conclusion that it must be fat making people fat!  The "new" diet plan was to eat "heart healthy" which became an epic failure because it focused on a lot of carbs that turn to what?  Sugar.  People continued to get bigger and diabetes and cancer hit new highs.

Well, finally something was making sense to me!  I read studies about how it actually isn't fats making us fat and revving disease, it is sugar and carbs.  The author of the book went on to tell about his system of watching your intake of servings of carbs per day, as well as keeping your sugar grams low.

I began by simply reading two things on food labels:  carbohydrates and sugars.  I was stunned at what I had been eating that was deemed as "healthy!"

I began to lose inches around my midsection as I made these simple changes.  I couldn't believe the difference...even in how I felt physically.

As I read more, I learned some major ingredients to avoid: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, MSG, enriched flour...

I learned some good ingredients to look for:  whole grains, omega 3 oils, stevia...

You have to think about what kind of person you are and how you work best.  I know that if I try to make a bunch of changes at once, I most always fail, and it takes me a long time to get back on the horse!  If I work on small baby steps and change one or two things at a time, I sustain those changes.

Start making simple changes and work your way up until you are living the lifestyle habits right for you and your family.  Sugar intake is a big deal to me because diabetes is big in both sides of our family, however so is thyroid disorder so we stay away from all things soy, which many people think is fabulous for you.  It's not fabulous for us!  

What is best for you and yours may not be what is best for another family so be mindful, seek wisdom, and then start walking forward implementing a little at a time.

Tip:  If you need a place to start, cut out the sugary drinks and drink more water :)  Carry some small packs of stevia with you and at restaurants, ask for water with lemons and cherries.  Add the stevia and you have yourself a nice cherry lemonade!