“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” – Jesus
Many of us do not know what true hunger is. We have never felt the ache of a tummy with no hope of being filled. Such are the blessings of living in the land of plenty.
There is true comfort in the rhythm of our meals but many of us could skip one or two meals a day for the rest of our lives and not be adversely affected. It’s true. And, while many of us grew up with parents who encouraged us to “empty our plate” because there are “starving children” in other countries, we had no tangible concept of starvation, so we got into a habit of eating when we weren’t truly hungry because it was required.
When I read that Louis Zamperini survived for 47 days on a life raft with no food and very little water, I was shocked. I wondered if it was even possible. But Lauren Hillenbrand illustrated in her masterful work, “Unbroken”, that not only was it possible—it really happened. Louie’s plane crashed at sea, and he and two other men climbed aboard a yellow life raft. Yes, their bodies were emaciated when the Japanese picked them up and the yellow from the raft had transferred to their skin. They weren’t pretty—but they were alive. I write that to illustrate that people can live for extended periods of time (and in extreme conditions) without food.
Nutrition is not just a label.
Now that we have demonstrated that we are willing to learn, God will help us understand our bodies and their natural responses. Once we learn how to response to our physical cravings, we will discover a sense of empowerment. Early in my journey, I found great joy while reading about nutrition and how it affects the body. The more I understood, the more ammunition I had to resist temptation.
I used to have the attitude, “I know soda, fast food, and candy are bad for me, but I don’t care. I’m going to eat them anyway.” This mindset is poisonous. When we refuse to acknowledge the affect foods have on our bodies, we reject the sanctity of the body itself as a temple of the Holy Spirit.
“Do you not know that youare God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Our bodies must process everything we put into it. While many people rant about environmental pollution, they are slow to realize chemical pollution by way of intentional ingestion. We often take our liver and kidneys for granted until the day the doctor tells us they aren’t working properly. These vital organs bear the brunt of our poor choices in food and drink. When we eat foods that do not nourish the body—as food is intended to do—we starve ourselves of nutrients and literally poison the only body we have for our whole lives.
The argument, “What I don’t know won’t hurt me” is wrong. One great example is Diet Coke. The word “diet” hoodwinks many people into believing the “no-calorie” lie that we can consume without affect. (Thanks for nothing, Evil Marketing Geniuses!) With ingredients like caramel color and aspartame, we have become victims of toxins we know practically little about. Worse, we drink them, don’t lose weight, and become frustrated.
So when will we get angry enough to stop giving corporations our hard-earned dollars? When will we acknowledge they have created concoctions that purposely make us addicted? Are we really happy living with bodies that cannot move, and that are sick or diseased?
Hunger is Helpful
Once we determine our brains have been hijacked by toxic products (passed off as food), we can begin the difficult work of detoxing. We can stop ingesting processed sugar. We can stop drinking sordid sodas. We can curse the monster who created donuts (chemicals fried in trans-fat). We can begin our journey by learning what true hunger is and eat smaller portions of real food. We can exercise a muscle we didn’t know existed in our bodies (self-control) and we can light a match to the kindling of hope that—given enough time, oxygen and education—will produce a roaring flame of success.
We can tip our hand to winning once we stop playing the mental game where we choose Oreo cookies over exercise, Cheetos over joy, and Barq’s root beer over good health. I know it sounds simple, but taste buds need not trump common sense. We simply need to make a decision to change our lifestyle and stick to it.
Is this easy? No.
But isn’t every noble goal worth fighting through some discomfort to achieve? I think so. And what can be more noble than saving our bodies so we can use them more effectively?
I do want you to know that the suffering is temporary. If you choose to go on this journey, you will find that while there are difficult stretches, it is mostly a wonderful adventure!
So let’s stop saying, “I can’t stop eating Doritoes. I can’t give up Diet Coke.” As I stated before, “Yes, you can!”
Next time…What Can I Eat?
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