Just recently our church started The Daniel Plan. It's a program created by Rick Warren author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. As Adult Education Coordinator in our church, I was sent some material about it and it intrigued me. First of all it was Biblical, and secondly because it was a life-change wellness book and not a diet plan.
The Daniel Plan has five initiatives: faith, food, fitness, focus and friends. It's a book on complete wholeness and wellness, showing us how our bodies can be a temple for the Lord (1 Cor. 6:19). The book is excellent and filled with Scripture, facts, statistics, stories of success, goals and suggestions. But it's the advice it gave that has been an inspiration.
Much of the health part you've heard before: eat more fruits and vegetables, the right portions of the food groups necessary to maintain health, eat the right fats, limit sugars, exercise at least four times a week, don't skip meals, etc. But it was other information I hadn't heard that opened my eyes. For example, how foods with labels including more than five ingredients, probably aren't foods (especially if you can't pronounce the ingredients). How sitting has become the new smoking in its detrimental effects on our bodies. How your brain immediately craves carbohydrates in food emergencies, so you should have a food emergency kit on hand with healthy choices. How the brain releases certain chemicals throughout the body based on the negative or positives thoughts you have. And the dangers of processed foods we eat. My husband commented last night: "I tell you what, the Lord has truly made the human body resilient after all we put it through."
As a result of The Daniel Plan, we are grocery shopping in a whole new way, reading every label to make sure we're eating actual food, selecting more fruits and vegetables and avoiding the processed food aisles in the center of the store. And we've been shocked by the changes in a few weeks, and we're not talking weight-wise. We sleep better, longer and deeper. We have tons more energy during the day. Brad's blood sugars from a diabetic standpoint are more controllable. We are excited to see if our new habits stick and more importantly to see if it translates into better health for the two of us. When 15,000 people joined Rick Warren in this first Daniel Plan, they lost a combination of 260,000 pounds. That's impressive and encouraging. And the fact that it's all revolving around our love for the Lord is the coolest part.
I've been given one "jar of clay" (1 Cor. 4:7), and to be the best, strongest, most resilient soldier for the Lord, it's about time I took better care of it. As the book says, "You wouldn't give a hamburger and french fries to your dog. So why would you eat it?" When I look around me and see how poorly we've done as a people taking care of ourselves, and how we truly have only ourselves to blame (self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit after all), it's startling ... but not hopeless. We may be coming to this realization late, but at least we're here. As chapter one in the book ends: "Welcome to the journey."
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