A DAILY DEVOTION FOR ANYONE THAT WANTS TO MAKE LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO BE HEALTHIER PHYSICALLY AS WELL AS SPIRITUALLY
How to Use This Book
It has been decades since I started writing this devotional. I was teaching nutrition in college at the time, but I did not devote full time to it until I retired almost two years ago. I have a Ph.D. in Nutrition, and I am a registered dietitian. I have taught nutrition in college for thirty-three years, have consulted in five different areas of dietetics while teaching, and have practiced for six years as a nutrition support team dietitian in a large teaching hospital. I have been a born-again Christian for thirty-nine years, have been a lay teacher in several churches, and have taught classes on dieting for Christians. I have counseled many on weight reduction and I am well aware of the problems they face. It seemed reasonable to me to write a book that would combine my two areas of interest and expertise to encourage those who are trying to develop a healthier lifestyle while introducing them to the basics of nutrition. That is the purpose of this book. It is primarily intended for born-again Christians who believe in God’s Word and trust in Him for strength to change to a healthier lifestyle. I say primarily because you do not have to be a believer to read this devotional. A healthier lifestyle includes those who are trying to lose weight but also those who may be fighting a disease state, like diabetes or elevated cholesterol. It also includes those who may be trying to gain weight, overcome an eating disorder, or just wants to be a healthier person. All of these conditions require proper eating, exercise, sleep, and relaxing. However, this devotional can be useful for anyone that is on a diet or not.
Each day has a scripture reference with a brief encouragement based on the scripture, a short prayer, and an instruction to basic nutrition facts with simple advice for those trying to eat healthier. It is not intended to be a diet book or advise you on a specific diet plan, but to give general information on the basics of nutritional facts while providing scriptural encouragement for you to improve your lifestyle. For specific dietary advice, you should consult a registered dietitian.
Each day the nutritional information builds on the previous day’s knowledge. Because of this, the devotional does not start with January 1 but begins with day one and goes through day 365. This numbering system enables you to start the nutrition information from the beginning without starting in the middle of a nutrition section. It also allows you to begin the devotional anytime without waiting for the first of the month. Even though you could start this devotional on any day, it will be divided up into twelve sections with a different theme in each section.
It is essential that you understand this devotional is intended primarily for believers in Jesus Christ because it is designed to encourage you to call on your faith in Him. Of course, this devotional can be used by anyone and will inspire anyone. If you are not a believer, not to worry, I can help you with that. The first thirty-one days will have the theme “Who am I in Christ?” John 3:16 tells us that For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. When you first received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your initial belief was based on this scripture. In case that has been some time ago, you can renew or rededicate yourself to the Lord at any time. The last page of this book will help you with a prayer for salvation or rededication.
This devotional is intended to help you be victorious in any healthy life-change program. The encouragement comes from the Bible and describes God’s love for us; this devotional will show you that God loves you and will never leave you. He wants you to be healthy, to succeed, and to be a witness for Him. His Word is extremely encouraging to us in every lifestyle that we are engaged. We have to continually remind ourselves of that in everything we do, whether it be dieting, exercising, performing in our workplace, relating to our family or friends, etc. Without God’s love and guidance, we are nothing. To obtain the most out of this devotional, we need to understand that fact. Therefore, as you begin your program, remind yourself what it means to have been saved and who you are in Christ. The first month of this devotional describes who you are in Christ because knowing this will show you that you are more than a conqueror and that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
Remember that the last page of this book will help you with a prayer for salvation or rededication.
1. Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
DAY 1
I Am a Believer
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
As born-again Christians, all of our daily activities should have Jesus in the center. He should be in the center of our homes, workplaces, hobbies, churches, and any extracurricular activities, including lifestyle changes. Everything we do should be Christ-centered. We get so tangled up with everyday routines that frequently we forget to submit everything we do to Jesus. Sometimes we need to stop and remind ourselves not just who we are as Christians, but what that means as who we are in Christ. This knowledge sets us apart from the daily, worldly, and secular routines. Therefore, start this first day of your new regimen by reminding yourself that you are a born-again believer and you are not of this world. You are in the world, and you have to participate in worldly activities, but as a child of God, you are not part of the world. As a believer, you are a child of God and you have an inner strength that enables you to be successful if you call on Jesus and walk in His light. Be bold and courageous. Determine with an act of your will that you can do this! If you trust in Jesus for help, you will not be doing this alone. Remember who you are in Christ and proceed with confidence.
Dear Father God, thank You for sending Your Son to die for me. I thank You that You love me that much, and knowing how much You love me, I know that You want me to succeed in everything that I do. I know that You love me no matter how much weight I lose or gain, but I know that You want me to succeed with my healthy lifestyle program. You want me to take the necessary steps to be healthy while trusting in You for guidance and strength. By an act of my will, I choose to be successful with Your help. I ask that You give me the strength and courage to stick with a new health plan for my life, and I pray that You allow me to become more efficient as a witness for You. In Jesus’s name, I ask. Amen.
Nutrition Thought for the Day.
Always set realistic goals for losing weight or gaining weight. Expect fantastic results, but begin with realistic goals while believing strength and guidance come from the Holy Spirit and watch your realistic goals turn into excellent results. If you are trying to lose weight, know that ideal weight loss is one to two pounds per week. I know, you want to lose weight faster than that, but it took you a long time to gain weight and it would not be realistic to believe the weight will disappear overnight. If you lose one pound a week, that is fifty-two pounds a year and a lot of weight. Take one day at a time. If you are trying to gain weight, the proper exercise routine is essential. You will not gain muscle quickly, and you want to avoid gaining weight as fat. Weigh once a week at the same time and with the same clothes each time to be consistent. It is not advisable to weigh every day because weight comes off (or goes on) too slowly and you will get discouraged. Remember, if you are very overweight, slightly overweight, or at your ideal body weight, Jesus loves you just the same. His love for you is never based on your appearance. Even if you have not been saved, He still loves you for He died for you. Always remember this and use this fact as your starting point for your new program for a healthy lifestyle.
DAY 2
Spirit, Soul, Body
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
Many Christians do not realize this scripture is true. We are a spirit, we live in a body, and we have a mind or soul (the seat of our emotions, intellect, and will). First Thessalonians 5:23 explains that. We know that when we die our bodies go into the grave and return to the dust from which they were formed, but our spirits go on to heaven or Hades, according to the way we lived our lives on the earth. Our minds move on with our spirits. When we were saved, our bodies did not change, and our minds did not change. The Bible tells us that when we are saved, we are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). So what is new? What changes is our spirit. Our spirit is covered with the robe of righteousness, and when God our Father looks down, He sees the righteousness of Jesus. Ephesians 1:14 says our spirits are marked with a seal by the Holy Spirit, and that seal will forever be there. If we could see into the spirit world, we would be able to determine who is saved and who is not by the seal on our spirits. The seal by the Holy Spirit is part of who we are in Christ, a marked spirit set apart for eternal glory. This should be very encouraging for you and can remind you each day who you are in Christ. You have been claimed by the Holy Spirit and Jesus is in your heart. He promises guidance and wisdom. You are not trying a new healthy lifestyle alone, but you have the Trinity on your side. Knowing this, you can be bold and courageous. Keep reminding yourself of who you are in Christ. Make up your mind, by an act of your will to succeed with your new regimen.
Oh, there will be days when you get off your routine. Your spirit does not change when that happens. God does not fall off the throne or love you any less. Anything you do that is not pleasing in His sight has already been forgiven. If you fail in your daily routine, your biggest enemy is yourself. Forgive yourself and move on. Set your sights on a better tomorrow. Being knocked down is not being defeated. Being knocked down and staying down is being defeated. Get up, knowing your Father does not see your failures, but your righteous spirit sealed by the Holy Spirit. Not your righteousness, but the righteousness you have based on what Jesus did for you.
Father God, thank You for saving me. Thank You that You love me no matter how many times I disappoint You and You will always be with me, even when I fail. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, continue to remind me who I am in Your Son. I know that with Your strength I can be successful. I am a child of God. I want to love You more each day and to be a witness for You. Strengthen me and help me in my daily walk. In Jesus’s mighty name, I pray. Amen.
Nutrition Thought for the Day.
The more of a creature of habit you become concerning your lifestyle, the easier it will be for you to lose weight. Consistency is essential. I know it is not always possible, but if you can eat at the same time each day, your body will adjust to eating at that time, and you will get in sync, so to speak. It will be easier to lose weight or to gain weight if you eat at the same time each day.
DAY 6
You Chose Me
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” (John 15:16)
Many times we lose sight of the fact that when Jesus hung on the cross, He saw all the sins that were ever committed and would ever be committed, including all of your sins. It is because of sin that He died. He knew that you would fail Him from time to time and He knew if you would or would not have a health problem, even a weight problem. Those things did not make any difference to Him. He died for your sins that you could be with Him eternally in heaven. He saw the problems and mistakes you would make in the future and, in spite of all of your insecurities, failings, and sins, He chose to die for you anyway. Even if He knew you would not accept Him, He chose to die for you. There is no greater love than that. So when you go through your day, and you feel miserable for one reason or another, you should stop and remind yourself that you are not just another creature walking around on this earth. You are special. You have been chosen by your God to live eternally with Him in heaven. It does not matter how you feel, it does not matter what you look like, nor does it matter what you think about yourself. You need to know that, in Jesus Christ, you are one of God’s chosen ones. Because of what Jesus did, you will have eternal life with Him; and you know what, your weight will not be a problem, nor will it prevent you from receiving His love, unless you let it. You are God’s chosen and He is with you and will never forsake you. You can accomplish a new healthy lifestyle knowing that God is with you and loves you no matter what you do. Do not be discouraged if you mess up with your program. Always try to do your best, stick to your regimen, and remember that if something happens you fail, you are still God’s chosen and He still loves you.
Dear Father God, I know that You have chosen me to receive Your salvation. You knew all of my shortcomings and all of the times I would fail You in my entire life, yet You chose to die for me anyway. Your love is truly beyond my comprehension but I accept it. Help me to walk in Your love today and to see myself as You see me—as a child of God and as one who can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.
Nutrition Thought for the Day.
Your new lifestyle program should start with proper food choices, but before you can understand what to choose, you need to have a basic understanding of what happens when you eat. The first principle to discuss is your blood glucose level. If a doctor tells you your blood sugar is too high, he is referring to your glucose level in the blood. If your level is high and stays high, this is what is called diabetes. If your blood sugar level drops too low, you get weak and shaky. So what is glucose? Glucose comes from simple sugars and starch, compounds that are called carbohydrates. Diets low in ample carbohydrates and can cause you to be weak and shaky. As your blood glucose level drops, this sends signals to your brain which sends signals to your stomach, and you begin to feel hungry. It is important to keep your blood sugar in the normal range.
DAY 49
You Are a Crown of Beauty
You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. (Isaiah 62:3)
Be encouraged as to who you are and how your God sees you. In this scripture, Isaiah was talking collectively about God’s people in the Old Testament but if you follow His Word, this scripture carefully, you will see that it is true for you. You are ‘a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord.’ You are a royal diadem in the hand of Your God. No matter if it is the Old Testament or the New Testament if you are God’s child, and, as a born-again believer, you are just that, then God sees you like a crown of beauty in His hand. It does not matter if you see yourself as a crown of beauty or not, you are what God’s Word says about you.
I encourage you to see yourself as God sees you. He does not see you as someone who is struggling to keep a diet/exercise program. Instead, He sees you just as the Bible describes you and that description includes you being a crown of beauty to your God. Remember that and move on with your head held high as you serve your God on this earth.
Father God, I do not always see myself as a crown of beauty, particularly when I have a bad day and return to an unhealthy lifestyle. But I know that You see me as Your child—a crown of beauty in Your hand. If Your Word says this is true, then I say amen and let it be so. I know Your Word is true and You cannot lie but help me when I do not see myself as I should—as You see me. Give me the strength and endurance to complete this program and always remind me, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, who I am in Christ. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.
Nutrition Thought for the Day.
Substances that will increase LDL include excessive calories, whether they be from carbohydrate, fat, or protein. HDL can be increased with consistent significant aerobic exercise. Claims have been made for increasing HDL by the intake of various foods, but the research backing these claims is limited and inconsistent. Olive oil is one of the foods that may help increase HDL. Moderate alcohol intake can raise HDL, but alcohol should not be consumed for this reason because it can cause many other health problems such as high blood pressure, cirrhosis, cardiomyopathy, and cancer—not to mention alcoholism. Smoking reduces HDL. If you quit smoking, HDL tends to come back up.
Bottom line: Do not take in excessive calories, do not smoke, only drink alcohol in moderation or not at all, and get good, healthy exercise.
Note: You may not like these suggestions, but it is up to you if you want to be healthy and have a greater chance of living longer. The alternative is a greater chance of being plagued with numerous illnesses and perhaps die prematurely.
Day 185
Fear the Lord and Shun Evil
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:7–8)
Sometimes as born-again Christians, even though we know the Lord and we know His Word, we can get cocky and think we can do things on our own—even simple things. While we do have the ability to accomplish some things on this earth, we cannot come near to our potential on our own power. We must depend upon the Lord. It is when we become wise in our own eyes that we start going down the road to failure. This verse in Proverbs tells us to turn away from evil and fear the Lord. While this is indeed something we should do, we can become wise in our own eyes with things that do not even relate to something that is necessarily evil, but something that is just distracting us. In this case, we may not think about turning away from it because we do not see the distraction as evil. However, the fear of the Lord mentioned in this verse means fear, but it also means to revere or to stand in awe. It is a kind of reverent fear with honor and respect.
Distractions can cause us to refrain from giving respect to our God. If we can them, we will find that we can also avoid going down the road to failure, whether a spiritual failure or physical failure. Revering God’s Word can give healing to our body and refreshment to our bones. This is really an interesting verse because in the King James Version it says, “it shall be health to thy navel.” The Hebrew word used here is shor (Strong’s H8270) and means umbilical cord or naval. So this verse is saying that a reverent fear of our Lord is nourishment to us as a mother’s umbilical cord is nourishment to her baby. How awesome is that? Have a reverent fear of your God today and seek Him with all your heart knowing that you are attached to Him like an unborn baby is attached to its mother.
Father God, I thank You so much for keeping me as close and attached to You as a newborn baby is still attached to its mother by the umbilical cord. I have a reverent fear of You and honor You with all my heart. I do not want to be wise in my own eyes, but I want to have Your wisdom and avoid evil. I even want to avoid distractions that are not necessarily evil but are preventing me from giving You respect. Continue to give me the wisdom and understanding so that I may accomplish this in my walk. I will approach today knowing that I am spiritually, and in a way physically, attached to You. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.
Nutrition Thought for the Day.
Since PLP is vital in muscle metabolism, particularly in the synthesis of amino acids, and results in the synthesis of muscle, do bodybuilders need additional vitamin B6? Since muscle metabolism is being increased, yes there would be an increased need for the vitamin, but the increased need would be so negligible that additional supplements are not necessary. Remember that vitamin B6 is found in a variety of foods and anybody eating a balanced diet should be getting more of the vitamin than they need. Muscle builders are usually very good eaters and eat a lot of meat, and the vitamin is abundant in meat. While there may be a slight increase in the requirement, there should be no need for additional supplementation.
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DAY 244
Be Confident in Yourself
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. (Hebrews 10:35)
Your God lights your path, directs you in the way that you should go, is always with you, and rejoices over you. As a result of all these positive things in the extent to which your God loves you, you should be able to show extreme confidence that you are God’s child in that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). If you think that you fall too many times, remember that no matter how many times you fall your God is always there to pick you up. It does not matter if this is a spiritual fall due to sin in your life or a physical fall due to not following your healthy lifestyle routine—your God is always with you and will always rescue you. Be confident in this and be confident that no matter what you try to do on this earth your God is always with you. Think things through, use wisdom before attempting any new endeavor, and ask God for guidance before you attempt anything but know that right or wrong, your God is with you.
I thank You, Father, that You are always with me and will always be there to pick me up when I stumble. This gives me great confidence in that I know that in my success as well as my failures I will always have You there to see me through. I choose this day to walk with confidence that You are my God and that You will never leave me. I thank You that there is nothing I can do that can separate me from Your love. I thank You, Father, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Nutrition Thought for the Day.
Beta-carotene is an antioxidant like vitamin C, but beta-carotene is fat-soluble while vitamin C is water-soluble. The active form of vitamin A is sometimes referred to as an antioxidant, but it is not. If you take multi-vitamins, look on the label and see what it says about vitamin A. It will usually tell you how many units of vitamin A are in the tablet and how many units of beta-carotene are in the tablet. Sometimes the units of vitamin A are listed as retinol equivalents (RE) or as international units (IU). Both of these are old units but are sometimes still used on labels today. The current units for vitamin A are expressed as retinol activity equivalents (RAE). No matter which one is used on the label of a vitamin tablet, it would be wise if you do not take the entire day’s requirement as the active form of vitamin A.