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Chapter 1 - Motivation
“People often say that
motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we
recommend it daily.” –Zig Ziglar The
Oxford Dictionary defines motivation
as: “A reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular
way.” The
goal of Healthy Weight 2020 is to change your behavior; to help you
implement a healthy diet and lifestyle that will gradually bring
your body into a healthy state, including a healthy weight. And
you can do it! You will establish new, healthy habits that will
become your new “normal.” Establishing a new habit requires
motivation – constant motivation. You must have a good enough
reason to keep going, even when you are tempted to slip back into an
old, harmful habit. So,
the first thing you need to do is figure out what will motivate you
to adopt a healthy lifestyle and stay with it. What, or who, is your
reason for changing your behavior? It
may be that you’re just “sick and tired of being sick and
tired.” In subsequent chapters I’m going to be sharing
information that I’ve gleaned from a number of books, including: ·
The
Enzyme Factor,
by Dr. Hiromi Shinya. On some editions the tagline reads, “Diet
for the future that will prevent heart disease, cure cancer, stop
type 2 diabetes,” and on other editions it reads, “How to live
long and never be sick.” I don’t know about you, but either one
of those sounds good to me! They both motivate me! ·
Sugar
Blues,
by William Dufty, a brilliant, well-researched, landmark work
published in 1975. A quote from the back cover says, “…the
bestselling exposé that unmasks our generation’s greatest medical
killer.” Let’s Live
magazine said, “One of the most revealing, instructive, and
helpful books ever written.” The San Francisco Review of Books
said, “If you are at all interested in your health, read this
book!” I will be sharing information from this book that will
immediately improve your health! ·
Wheat
Belly,
by Dr. William Davis. Dr. Davis is a cardiologist who believes that
health should be in the hands of the public. On his website,
wheatbellyblog.com., he says, “The food you eat is making you sick
and the agencies that are providing you with guidelines on what to
eat are giving dangerous advice with devastating health
consequences. You can change that today.” ·
Self
Heal by Design,
by Barbara O’Neill. “The body can self heal by its very design,
and you can design a program that will enable the body to do the
very thing it was made to do – heal itself.” Get motivated! ·
The
Ministry of Healing,
by Ellen G. White. In 1905, she said, “People need to be taught
that drugs do not cure disease. “…in most cases the
drug only changes the form and location of the disease.” You will learn about the
Eight Principles of Health that Mrs. White taught over 100 years
ago, which Barbara O’Neill is bringing back to our attention
because they are just as true today: 1.
Pure
Air 2.
Sunlight 3.
Temperance 4.
Rest 5.
Exercise 6.
Proper
Diet 7.
The
Use of Water 8.
Trust
in Divine Power ·
Mindless
Eating,
by Brian Wansink, Ph.D. Dr. Wansink is a food psychologist. He says,
“The best diet is the one you don’t know you’re on.” Even I
can stick with a diet like that, and you can, too. I’ll be sharing
some basic information from this book that I guarantee will improve
your health. ·
Dr.
Mehmet Oz says about The
Daniel Plan, by Rick Warren and Drs. Daniel Amen and Mark Hyman,
“I witnessed firsthand The
Daniel Plan’s impact on personal health. Grab a friend and
begin your journey to an all-around healthy lifestyle that’s
attainable and sustainable.” ·
The
tagline from The Blue Zones,
by Dan Buettner, reads, “Lessons for Living Longer from the People
Who’ve Lived the Longest.” Dr. Oz says, “A must-read if you
want to stay young!” And here’s a quote from the back cover,
“A long, healthy life is no accident. The secrets to longevity are
widely debated and sometimes misunderstood—yet remarkable groups
of people manage to achieve it naturally, enjoying longer life spans
while remaining active and vital well into their 80s, 90s, and
100s.” Are
you motivated yet? I hope so! I am! I
am motivated; psyched; fired up; stoked! I
am sick and tired of seeing my family and friends constantly sick
and tired – frequent trips to doctors and pharmacies that keep
them physically, emotionally, and financially drained; continuous
aches and pains, a lack of energy and vitality that rob them of many
of the simple pleasures of life. I do not believe that is the
abundant life that God intends for His children! So,
Reason #1 – Do it for Your Self
If
you’re married, then your motivation could be your spouse. How do
you demonstrate your love to your spouse? It’s easy to say, “I
love you,” but how do you show it? I
believe a very practical way that I can express my love to my wife
is by living a healthy lifestyle – physically, mentally and
spiritually. On our wedding day, Marshia and I promised to love,
honor, and cherish each other, 'til death do us part; for better,
for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health. I know
that she’ll love me for better or worse, but because I love her I
want to give her better, not worse; I want to give her my best. I
know that she’ll love me for richer or poorer, but I want to make
her richer, not poorer. And I have no doubt that she’ll love me in
sickness and in health, but because I love her I want to do
everything within my power to keep myself and my family in health,
not sickness. We
are made in the image of God – three parts – body, soul, and
spirit. Commit to developing all three areas of your life: your
spiritual life above all; your soul, which is your mind, will and
emotions; and your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Do
it out of love for your spouse. Another
reason why your spouse could be your motivation is that God may want
you to be your spouse’s motivation! The
Daniel Plan emphasizes the importance of having others who
encourage us on our journey toward a healthy lifestyle. Maybe your
spouse needs encouragement. In The
World’s Best-Kept Diet Secrets, Diane Irons says, “Studies
have found that friends push each other in a way that causes them to
lose weight 20 percent faster than if they tried to do it alone.” So,
Reason #2 – Do it for Your Spouse
If
you have children then they definitely could be your motivation –
your reason. I lost my dad way too young; he was only fifty-five. I
know first-hand the void it leaves in the life of a son or daughter
when a parent dies young. As
parents, I believe we should do everything within our power to
remain healthy and active throughout all the years that God has
planned for us – not let the devil rob us of even one single day
– that we might be a blessing to our children and our children’s
children. And
while we’re on the subject of the devil robbing us of years of
life, and certainly years of vibrant health, let me share a truth
that God revealed to me recently. One of my many favorite verses
from the Bible is John 10:10: “The thief does not come except to
steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have
life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus
came that we may have abundant life, and that includes our health. ·
Isaiah
53:5 says that, “…by His stripes we are healed.” ·
Jesus
Himself said in Matthew chapter 15 that “healing is the
children’s bread.” ·
Psalm
103:2-3 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His
benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals
all your diseases,” ·
Psalm
107:20 says, “He sent His word and healed them...” ·
Matthew
9:35, “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching
in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and
healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” ·
Matthew
10:1 says, “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He
gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal
all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” ·
And,
in Matthew 10:8 Jesus commanded
His disciples, “Heal the sick...” The
abundant life! That is
God’s perfect will for you and me. And God has provided for that
abundant life; Jesus Christ has paid the price. God has done His
part. So
why are so many of His children today not living the abundant life?
I believe the abundant life that Jesus intended for us includes
abundant health; vibrant health. But, if that’s the case, then why
do the vast majority of our prayer requests at church Sunday after
Sunday have to do with sickness and disease? Exodus
15:26 says, “…If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your
God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments
and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you
which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals
you.” So
why are so many of God’s people today suffering from the same
diseases as His enemies? I
believe the reason is that we are not doing our part. The truth that
God revealed to me is that in order to enjoy the abundant life each
of us has to live what I call “The
Abundant Lifestyle.” The
Oxford Dictionary defines lifestyle
as, “The way in which a person lives.” Now,
I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers. I don’t
understand why my late wife suffered and died from cancer at the age
of fifty, or why Marshia’s sister, Anna, suffered and died from
cancer at fifty-five, or why so many other good, God-fearing people
that I have known have been stricken with terminal diseases that, in
my humble opinion, don’t belong to God’s children! All
I do know is that, as a child of God we are responsible to do
everything possible within our means and understanding to remain
healthy and active throughout all the years that God has planned for
us – not let the devil rob us of even one single day – that we
might serve God and others, reach our full potential, and fulfill
the purpose for which God created us. So,
Reason #3 – Do it for Your Children
Now,
if none of these reasons motivate you to commit to the Healthy
Weight 2020 Challenge, allow me to repeat the passage that I shared
at the end of my Introduction, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “19
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20
For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body
and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I
want to encourage you to seriously consider the condition of your
body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and ask God to show
you what changes you need to make in your lifestyle that would honor
Him. Now
you may be wondering what my motivation is for putting this project
together. Proverbs
12:18 says, “…the tongue of the wise promotes health.” I
want to promote health among God’s people. I want to see God’s
people flourish in every way. As the apostle John said, “Beloved,
I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as
your soul prospers.” That
is my prayer for you, but you have to do your part. Your soul will
not prosper without prayer and Bible study, and neither will you be
in health without a healthy diet and lifestyle. Imagine
a man coming forward at church and asking for prayer for God to
restore his marriage, and yet he continues to openly practice
adultery. Would that not be an affront to God? That man needs
counseling and teaching! He needs to repent and change his life. So
what about the person who asks for prayer for a health condition
that could be avoided or reversed by living a healthy lifestyle?
Does that person not also need counseling and teaching about health
and nutrition? Does that person not also need to change their life? That
is precisely the goal of Healthy Weight 2020: To offer information
about how to live The Abundant Lifestyle – the full, healthy life
that God wants for His children. I
want to end this chapter with a few quotes from Hippocrates, “The
Father of Western Medicine:” “Let
food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” “Natural
forces within us are the true healers of disease.” And
finally… “Healing
is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of
opportunity.” I
hope you’ll take this opportunity to change your lifestyle and
become all that God created you to be in spirit, soul and body. In
our next chapter, which is entitled “Assessment,” you will take
an honest look at where you are right now, and I will show you
exactly where you need to be. Then in subsequent chapters I’ll
tell you how to get there. Let’s
get it done! Bibliography Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com Shinya, Hiromi. The Enzyme Factor. Millichap Books, 2010. Dufty, William. Sugar Blues. Grand Central Life & Style, 1986. Davis, William. Wheat Belly. Rodale Books, 2014. O’Neill, Barbara. Self Heal by Design. Bang Printing, 2014. White, Ellen G. The Ministry of Healing. Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1942. Wansink, Brian. Mindless Eating. Hay House, 2001. Warren, Rick, Amen, Daniel, Hyman, Mark. The Daniel Plan. Zondervan, 2013. Buettner, Dan. The Blue Zones. National Geographic Society, 2008. Irons, Diane. The World’s Best-Kept Diet Secrets. Sourcebooks, 1998. Copyright © 2019 by Robert May |
You can contact me here: rmay@goitc.net |
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