Many people find it incredibly difficult to know where to start on the pursuit to healthy eating. Do I switch my milk first? Should I cut out starches? Is low-fat a good idea? (Absolutely not!) What about GMO foods? AAAAHHHH!!
If you're finding the task of working towards a healthier lifestyle daunting, I have two resources that I highly encourage you to start with. The first one is essential, in my opinion, for long-term success. Short-term success can be easy; it's long-term changes that proves to be difficult. I've had many clients achieve short-term changes and quick weight loss, only to come to a halt and go back to their old lifestyles. Why? Because food issues are almost always (if not always!) a sign of an inner spiritual problem. In order to achieve long-term success, the spiritual needs must be changed before any food changes are made.
Lysa TerKeurst's Made to Crave provides astounding insight into this truth. As she says in the book, "Getting healthy isn't just about losing weight. It's not limited to adjusting our diet and hoping for good results. It's about recalibrating our souls so that we want to change--spiritually, physically, and mentally. And the battle really is in all three areas."
Click on the link below to read sample pages and order the book online from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/031029326X/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=freechrishome-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=031029326X&adid=0EPJKDXWR87CCPA2B4W7&
After you've addressed the spiritual reasoning for unhealthy eating, I suggest moving on to the next resource:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0830743499/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=freechrishome-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0830743499&adid=1A7EVCJ9JD3XS1FHHXNR&
This is the book that started it all for me and my family! Five years ago, I found this book on the shelves at my church's library. I found myself so intrigued with the simple Biblical principles of healthy living that I devoured every word! In fact, it hit me so hard that I threw away the dinner I had brewing in the crockpot because of its health implications as explained in the book!
Dr. Rex Russell discusses 3 simple principles and guidelines that you can use as a standard for measuring your food choices. These principles are rooted in deep study of Scripture, which was an important qualification for me. Why? Because dietary trends change every single year. One year it's low-fat, the next it's no carbs, and then there's the milk diet or the pregnancy hormone pill. The only thing that has stood the test of time, in all areas of our lives, is the Bible! This book is the key to interpreting Biblical principles into a healthy lifestyle.
If you still feel like you would like personal help changing your eating habits after you've utilized these resources, you can go here to learn more about my personal nutrition coaching services: http://healthyfamiliesforgod.blogspot.com/p/personalized-nutrition-coaching.html.
May God grant you strength and success on your journey to live an abundant life for His glory!
Sara Jo Poff
