With obesity at large in this nation, many wonder where the overweight population comes from. Yet it’s no great mystery. With TV dinners, pre-fab products, daily trips to McDonald’s, American citizens are ballooning in weight. Hardly anything they consume is natural or even healthy. With all the junk food to snack on, we forget where the original instructions on being fit and healthy are—the Bible. Countless scripture references tell us to be mindful of what we consume. As said in 3 John 1:2, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” God intends us to be healthy in a holistic sense—dieting through natural foods. With holistic weight loss, Americans can return to a healthier self.
A study in biblical health proves to be fascinating. In several verses in Genesis, God commands His people to partake of the fruit, vegetables, grain, and other crops that He has given them so abundantly. When He gave instructions on eating meat, He often distinguished between the “clean” meat and the “unclean” meat. This has given rise to vegetarianism as one of many natural health solutions thought to be effective. Many early Christians were vegetarian, including rumored Peter, James, and Matthew. Followers of this Christian diet are researched and reported to live ten years longer than the average person. This consideration gives us reason to look more into the benefits of holistic weight loss.
A specific example is the Bible Diet, created by Jordan Rubin. He bases his diet on books from the Old Testament, which specify what is to be eaten and what is not to be eaten. The advantages of this diet are followers with clearer heads, better moods, and decreased ailments and diseases. In conjunction with the restrictions on food intake, a follower of the Bible Diet must pray, take inventory on their life’s purpose, and fast. The regimen is strict and requires discipline. The diet is broken down into three phases in which different natural foods, drinks, and blends are consumed.
As we can see, biblical dieting means not just being concerned with what we eat, but how God views our bodies. We must be conscientious of what our body intakes, whether physically or spiritually. The word follower takes on a new meaning, because it refers to following not only a diet, but God. This holistic weight loss allows a cleaner, purer, more satisfied being because a biblical diet keeps in mind who knows our bodies best.