Nutrition/Diet

Blessed Monday and rest of the week to you!!  Did you enjoy the weekend?  I did; had my Sons over on Sunday and it's usually fun hanging out with them.  I also tried a new natural hairstyle and it came out pretty good! if I can say so myself :-)

Continuing with our Spirit Health and awareness series, today we are going to explore nutrition and diet.

It's no secret that eating processed, salty, sugary, oily, too much meat and starchy foods on a regular basis leads to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, obesity and stroke.  Conversely, eating nutrient rich foods such as, nuts, grains, vegetables, fruits, beans promises to improve our immune system, provide more energy and clearer skin. 

Can I tell you that a few years ago I stopped eating meat and made a conscious effort of Eating Like God's original diet plan for man.  I did this for about 3 years. Can I testify that my skin glowed.....seriously! I got compliments all the time and people asking me how I get my skin face to be so clear. I wasn't really sure what they meant but one day it dawned on me that it was my diet and I was happy to share. 

Nutrition experts advise that when we eat healthily, we will feel better and look better too! 

Spiritual Nutrition/Diet

What do we allow our eyes and ears mind to eat/digest/consume? 

Phillipians 2:5- Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus.

Whether consciously or subconsciously, what we watch, read and listen to is either healthy or unhealthy diet/nutrition for our Spirit.

I remember attending a church sponsored youth retreat as a teen, where I was introduced to the term subliminal (hidden) messages in one of the sessions we had. This information was sooo intriguing, it left an impression on me for life.

Subliminal or hidden message is anything that sends you a message without your knowledge of it.  The message is usually picked up on by your subconscious mind. and slowly works its way to your Brian.  People rarely catch them, even when right in front of their eyes.  

Subliminal messages are not just in advertisements but also in movies, TV shows, cartoons, music, magazines, ...it's all around us an mostly presents itself to our subconscious in a sexually suggestive nature. It's not just the things that are obvious but the not so obvious that is even most concerning. 

Here are some links to follow up on this topic if you are interested:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=119954

http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/subliminal-messages-definition-examples-validity.html#lesson

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)- Above all else, guard your heart, for everthing you do flows from it.

How exactly can we guard our hearts when the media constantly bombards us with obvious and often not so obvious symbols of sex, food, lust, body images worlds definition of beauty, violence....?

Romans 12:2 (CEB)- Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God's will is -what is good and pleasing and mature.

Spiritual Meal Plan

Moderate Plan:
Limit TV watching for yourself AND your children (if you have any). Find activities to do like develop a hobby, volunteer, clean up the house, read/watch and/or listen to positive uplifting material/programs; send the kids to play or color or read or help around the house, join a 4h club or start one.......the possibilities are endless.  We have become slave to the TV, movies for entertainment and its not good for maintaining or developing spiritually healthy minds.

Ultimate Plan:
Abstain from watching TV and movies all together.

Do you have any ideas to share on how we can improve our spiritual intake with healthy substance?

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NIV- The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come form the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only thought the Spirit.  The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments for " who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Lord help us to be conscious and mindful about how and what we feed our spirits with.  More of you Lord and less of me in Jesus name...AMEN.