Cut it Out

I have people asking me to pray for them on a very regular basis. One of the most common prayer requests is: "Pray for a miraculous healing." That prayer request is usually made the day after a person has gotten bad news from their doctor.

I believe that God can and sometimes does miraculously heal. Yet, more often than not as I pray for people, and ask God to give me guidance and words of encouragement, many times it seems that the LORD is saying, "They don't need a miracle, they need to begin to make some changes in their lifestyle. They need to learn how to eat properly and they need to start exercising. Their physical problems and sickness are the result of reaping from what they have been sowing throughout their lifetime. They are perishing for a lack of knowledge."

In the course of this short article I am going to share some simple things that will improve your health (if you apply what you are about to read).

We need to realize that not all physical problems are the result of poor choices but the truth is that many of them are. It's no secret that in many cases heart problems, diabetes and other physical problems are avoidable. Therefore I believe we should each do what we can to make the best decisions possible to avoid unnecessary illness and disease. The better we take care of our bodies, the better they will perform. If we neglect our bodies or simply fuel them improperly, we will physically begin to break down and fall apart in the same way that an automobile would break down if the recommended service guidelines were not followed.

When it comes to eating right, I'm beginning to discover that it's really not all that complicated. In fact, I believe that many people could improve their health (and decrease their waistline) by simply subtracting a few things from their diet.

Regardless of what your health issues may be, I believe that if you simply cut back on (or better yet, completely cut out) the following things you will become a healthier person.

1) Cut the white sugar. Sugar is doing more to destroy the health of Americans than just about anything else. Cola and other soft drinks are jam packed with sugar.

If the name of an ingredient ends with "ose" don't put it in your mouth. If you see the word fructose, it might as well read "super duper sugar." By the way, artificial sweeteners that end with "ose" aren't good for you either. Rather than using artificial sweeteners try using Stevia (a very sweet herb) or Xylitol (it's low glycemic and actually good for your teeth). Most health food stores carry both products.

3) Cut the white flour. Go for whole grains instead. White flour has virtually no nutritional value and it's quickly converted to sugar when you eat it.

4) Stay away from trans fats and anything that contains them. Trans fats will damage your circulatory system.

5) Don't touch anything that is hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. Hydrogenated oils will eventually do a number on you. It's amazing how many off the shelf food products are filled with hydrogenated oils.

Following these five simple guidelines will make a great difference in your overall health. But realize, you cannot follow these guidelines until you actually begin to read the ingredients list on the food that you buy.

God has blessed you with a body and I believe He wants you to take care of it so that you can better serve Him and the people around you. Since we do reap from what we sow, please start sowing some healthy seeds today. You might just experience some truly miraculous results.