Complete Sermon Notes
Healthy Eating – What Does the Bible Say?
We are at the crossroads: Opioid and alcohol abuse are leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Obesity is skyrocketing and plaguing the young as well as the old; it has reached epidemic levels in children – caffeine and sugar have taken us captive. Diabetes is plaguing millions, and cancer and heart disease are the number one killers in America. Is there an answer? Yes there is:
“This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls…” (Jeremiah 6:16 NIV). We must go back to the old paths to truly find freedom and deliverance.
My background – NASM, Maker’s Diet, 24-Hour Fitness, etc.
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270pounds – denied insurance – Pic. 70lbs overweight.
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Overweight – hospital 4 days.
Confusion leads to discouragement which leads to failure – They say, “Don’t eat meat, Or dairy, Or lectins, Or carbs” …
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We also lack motivation: we are not prepared for the battle – its drastic. No – open heart surgery is drastic – leaving this earth too soon is drastic.
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Pic. of fat heart
Disclaimer – check with your physician before beginning. A check up CAN motivate you if you use the blood work as a starting point.
Biblical View: I’m not prescribing a diet but a lifestyle – that we look at food as stewardship and not being mastered by it – 1 Cor. 10:23.
1. Food is primarily about fuel & nutrient = stewardship…then enjoyment.
This is why I don’t agree with those who say, “God doesn’t care about what we eat.” That’s really just an excuse to indulge; it shows a lack of restraint, and a lack of wisdom.
PRAY – “Would you rather have me eat food you Created or food that man altered in order to hit revenue numbers; food he has damaged and destroyed – food this has little to zero life giving benefits.
My Focus Today – I believe that God wants us to take care of His gift; it matters.
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HEALTH CAN BE AFFECTED BY – the demonic realm, what we put in, our mental /emotional health, and besetting sin (eg., “many are sick among you”).
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Search our website for help in these other areas-
How the body works in 5 minutes: storing and burning – BMR, NEAT, EXERCISE.
Remember the primary role – nutrients and fuel.
ALL 3 MACRONUTRIENTS PROVIDE NUTRIENTS AND FUEL [ENERGY] –
C – sugars, starch, cellulose. Main source of energy – glucose stored as glycogen.
THE PROBLEM: When we eat primarily carbohydrates, insulin tells the body to start using the energy. If the body doesn’t use it, it’s stored as excessive energy. Too much is taxing on the body [e.g., insulin resistant].
P – amino acids – essential part of all living organisms, especially muscle, hair, collagen, etc., and as enzymes and antibodies.
THE PROBLEM: When you consume more than your body can use for protein synthesis, the extra is used as fuel. If there is no energy need [or the storage tanks are full], it can be converted to fat.
F- is stored for energy, helps the body absorb necessary fat-soluble vitamins and protects our organs – brain development and helps with inflammation.
THE PROBLEM: The fat [avocado] is converted to triglycerides. At that point, it is either burned for energy or stored as fat. Junk fat is hard on the system, as is excess.
Total Fat 55g in a double bacon cheeseburger; compared to 10g lean meat.
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The 1100 calories [energy] in it will take a 2.5 hour bike ride to burn.
2. We have a storage problem and a moving problem.
FAT: 20 EXTRA POUNDS = 70,000 CALORIES
CARBS: 500 grams stored in muscle and liver.
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EAT less / MOVE more is not outdated.
Movement is Medicine
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If you don’t use it you lose it [muscle deteriorates, cells are damaged, etc.]
We also have a consuming problem [gluttony]. This keeps us enslaved – Feed me.
In the Beginning: Genesis 1:29-30, “Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food’; and it was so.”
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Most diets are written from an evolutionary perspective: Some say that 99.9% of our genes were formed before the development of agriculture (farming). Hog wash!
In Genesis 9 NIV, “…Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it…”
WHY COULD THEY NOW EAT MEAT? Permissible, but is it ideal? Should it be consumed sparingly? Does it balance nature – eat and kill?
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Rev. 22:2 NIV [New Jerusalem] Down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
We don’t often see meat represent healing – but we do see it represent strength.
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1 Timothy 4:3-4 (NKJV) says that in the last days deceiving spirits will forbid marriage “and commanding to abstain from foods (bro’-mah: foods of any kind) which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving.”
UNCLEAN FOODS IN THE BIBLE ARE ALLOWED BUT VERY UNHEALTHY –
3. Pray for guidance and direction – I truly believe that God will show you. Most are listening to the world’s influence and confused.
*Fast, coffee, sugar, God-given food, meat/dairy moderation, and minimal supplements.
Why do we pray for wisdom in other areas but not in this area?
4. The perversion of food and the altering of it is causing the damage – taking the life, nutrition, and health out of the food.
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Where are you getting your information from? Who are you trusting?
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Who is doing the study…paying for it? Who is writing the article – Starbucks or an unbiased group?
I love physicians, but often, they are taught how to respond with medication rather than nutrition – to treat the symptom rather than the cause.
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Take this for blood pressure and high LDL, INSTEAD OF do this.
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Take this for your anxiety, INSTEAD OF…
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Take this for type 2 diabetes, INSTEAD OF…
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Take this to lower your cholesterol, INSTEAD OF…
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Take this to increase your testosterone, INSTEAD OF…
5. It appears that meat and dairy were used, but God created us to eat seed bearing as the primary staple [includes fats such as nuts and avocados].
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The life of the food is given to us, whereas meat is dead food.
Those needing to lose a lot of weight should avoid carbohydrates in abundance. Limiting carbohydrates and focusing on ketones [FAT] for fuel may be the best plan.
You have very healthy tribes of people on plant based, and other villages such as in the Himalayas, that eat organic dairy and meat.
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This is where energy expenditures comes into play.
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Meats, sweets, alcohol often tied to unhealthy lusts, cravings, and gluttony.
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Too much of a good thing is often a bad thing.
Half way – hold tight
6. Consume the food in its God-given state; the way He created it: [cf. What the Bible says about Healthy Living, by Rex Russell].
I’m not sure we have a “gluten” problem – we have a pesticide/poison problem – we also have an alteration problem (e.g., perverting God’s food).
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Pic. of pesticides
KEY – The common denominator in the different programs such as Forks over Knives, Atkins, Paleo, and The Ketogenic Diet is a clean, unadulterated diet.
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They eliminate junk food (man made/man manipulated), but add their own spin.
DIET: If you need a rule of thumb to follow –
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Aim for organic, Grass Fed meat and Raw Dairy [not every day – definitely not every meal and in moderation].
What the animal eats you eat – GMO corn or unpolluted Grass? –
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has shown that consuming raw milk will not, in fact, be a death sentence. Researchers, doctors and other medical professionals from across Europe joined forces to investigate the effects of consuming raw milk, and revealed that raw milk isn’t just non-toxic, but also yields some impressive health benefits!… Essentially, raw milks helps to decrease inflammation, while processed milk creates more inflammation.
Many say that Raw Milk and Honey are complete foods – “I will give you a land flowing with Milk and Honey.”
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Raw milk contains over 60 beneficial enzymes for digestion, immune system support, and growth. Pasteurization destroys most of these enzymes.
Does A Mother’s Diet Affect Her Breast Milk?
The Annual Reports of the Department of Agriculture, For the year 1907 – “The Bureau, through its Dairy, Biochemic, and Pathological divisions has made a special investigation of the milk supply of the city of Washington, in cooperation with the District authorities, with the result that very unsatisfactory conditions have been disclosed.
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Fruit and Veggies – clean and in abundance – fiber and micronutrients.
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Grains – Whole and complete [low-glycemic] – in moderation.
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Snack – Raw yogurt with honey, granola without additives, blueberries.
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Supplementation and Protein Drinks.
Refined Sugar NOT how God created it – refined, altered, tainted – 56 names for sugar: https://www.thecandidadiet.
PLASTIC TEASPOONS – In 1800, the average person consumed – 5 teaspoons. In 1900, the average person consumed – 27 teaspoons. In 2009, 50 per cent of Americans consumed approximately 227 grams of sugar each day – 56 teaspoons.
SUGAR and junk food is the problem – junk meat and dairy, and junk carbohydrates that rob our health rather than invest in our health.
ADD alcohol, meds, and caffeine and we have created a very unhealthy environment.
Your body will call your joints and your bones when it needs nutrients – It will get the nutrients from somewhere. It will break down if its not repaired.
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Cancer is on the rise because we are deficient in our nutrients – in the things that actually fight cancer.
BIG SURPRISE: Leafy Green Vegetables. …Cruciferous Vegetables. …Berries. …Brightly Orange-Colored Fruits and Veggies (Citrus Fruits, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, etc.) …Fresh Herbs and Spices. …Organic Meats. …Cultured Dairy Products. …Nuts and Seeds.
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DR AXE: Organic meats including beef or chicken liver are recommended on many cancer-fighting diets since they’re considered some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet and extremely high in vitamin B12. Consuming organic meats as part of a “nose to tail” approach to eating animal proteins provides minerals that help cleanse the liver and enhance the ability to remove toxins from the blood and digestive tract. Detoxifying with rich sources of selenium, zinc and B vitamins helps purify blood; produce the bile needed to digest fats; balance hormones naturally; and store essential vitamins, minerals and iron. These mineral-rich foods can help counteract the effects of alcohol, prescription drugs, hormone disruptions, high triglyceride levels, low potassium, obesity and viral infections.
7. Hit the reset button often – to realign, to bring back, to restore.
Fasting is the RESET Button – fasting from harmful foods [meat and dairy] is crucial.
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When you give, pray, and “fast” – We keep fueling the tank (breakfast).
Fasting is not starvation. Fasting is actually completely natural – eating all the time is not. Our body was to design to store and assimilate and use later – and to rest – much like a Sabbath Rest.
WHEN STORED SUGAR IS FULL – “De novo lipogenesis” [new, fat creation] occurs.
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BIBLICALLY SPEAKING – they moved a lot more; no convenience stores; people went days [weeks] without a lot of food.
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Fasting Trains us not to respond to the immediate impulses.
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Start slow and progress – read books: God’s Chosen Fast, etc.
FASTING is not shutting down the body and starving it – it’s changing where it gets energy. And healing begins to take place – this is why aging slows.
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This is why it’s hard to lose weight – we rarely dip into the fat source – we want the quickest, fastest way and to use the least amount of energy.
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My 7 day example.
The Great Physician often heals our bodies through prayer and fasting.
“There are multitudes of diseases which have their origin in fullness, and might have their end in fasting” (James Morrison, God’s Chosen Fast).
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“God, please take away my type 2 diabetes.” But what if it’s due to gluttony and a lack of self-control?
INSULIN IS GOOD AND GOD-GIVEN – it helps shuttle the nutrients into cells by “telling” the cells to open and absorb them. But too much of a good thing is bad – insulin resistance.
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“Giving more insulin is like giving an alcoholic more alcohol – type 2 is diet driven.” – Dr. Jason Fung, The Complete Guide to Fasting.
I don’t agree with it all – his focus is physical mine is spiritual. He encourages coffee; I don’t. He puts everything into an evolutionary context; I don’t.
Here comes more benefits of fasting – insulin down / sugar is burned. But we keep medicating – then blindness; then amputation; then early death.
Fasting balances hormonal levels – spike in growth hormone.
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I want all the wrong things – Fasting starves desire.
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Ghrelin – hunger hormone – it will go back to baseline when resisted.
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Fasting does not consume all the muscle – 24 hours on glucose and protein – after 36 hours fat oxidation [ketosis]
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It’s free.
But the Spiritual Benefits are even better – visit our website and search FASTING
8. Remove your addictions – sugar, nicotine, alcohol, meds, and caffeine
The #1 addiction in America after sugar is doing a lot of damage – from anger to depression, and from anxiety to mental illness and poor health. – Read Caffeine Blues …
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It’s a drug that affects all areas of life – the chemicals in it are alarming.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders lists caffeine-related disorders such as caffeine intoxication, caffeine-induced anxiety disorder, and caffeine-induced sleep disorder—all can lead to angry outbursts, severe anxiety, and extreme irritability.
Since caffeine runs along the same biochemical pathways in the brain as cocaine, opium, and amphetamines, quitting can be a nightmare.
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Caffeine has been shown in the short term to increase both glucose and insulin levels. Because of this, people with diabetes should be cautious when consuming coffee.
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Decaf is very unhealthy from a health standpoint – Many brands use the chemical methyl chloride to “decaf” it.
Caffeine free is impossible if caffeine was there in the 1st place – up to 30mg.
“I have counseled more than 9,000 patients and kept careful records regarding their compliance and level of success. Of all my recommendations – including weight loss, dietary changes, exercise, and stress management – no single factor matched the impact of caffeine reduction” (Dr. Stephen Cherniske, Caffeine Blues).
9. Feed your motivation – articles, books, sermons – this CD [cf. Dr. Michael Brown’s book, Breaking the Stronghold of Food].
“Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
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Motivation – dying, sick, unproductive.
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What about the kids? “Obesity Among Youth Skyrocketing” – we are setting them up for failure before life even begins.
Fat heart picture(s)
10. Fall forward – Our relationship with God is far more important [do you know Him]?
The only difference between those who succeed and those who fail is that they keep getting up – they fall forward!
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No temptation is too great.
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You can start today – get back on track.
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Your body will change – I crave broccoli dipped in hummus and avocados and tomatoes, you can too!
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What are some steps you can take today? One right choice fuels another.
