Diet: What is the Good We Should Do? Women 25 to 44 Years

“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? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” 
(1 Corinthians 6: 19 - 20, NKJV).

Hello Dear Sisters! We are still here by the grace, mercy and unfailing love of the Almighty God. In this season-yes, even in this season-we are devoting time to building up our temples. We believe that self-care is essential and, as such, necessary in all seasons. We are grateful for the opportunity to walk alongside you in making Christ-centered physical self-care a sustainable priority in your life.

Our focus Scripture for this week comes by way of the Spirit-filled Apostle Paul, as he writes to the church in Corinth during a time when it was struggling with many problems, to include sexual immorality. Whatever the problem, Paul’s message to the believers in Corinth is essentially the same: live your lives under the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ because you are not your own. 

​In 1 Corinthians 6: 19 - 20, he emphasizes how the work of Jesus Christ in the shedding of His blood on Calvary’s cross changes our relationship to our bodies. Our bodies do not belong to us, but Christ. We were bought at a high price. The blood of Jesus was the price paid for the redemption of our whole lives (spirit, soul and body) unto God. Our very bodies are vessels of the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us. They are a perfect gift from God, and so we honor God by caring for our bodies through proper diet.

“Healthy eating is a way of eating that improves your health and helps prevent disease.” It requires a shift in thinking about food, so that we see food as a God given tool to equip our bodies for optimal health and protect against diseases, which threaten to limit our vitality. It is an invitation to add color and diversity to our diets! It invites us to eat, in good measure, from all the food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein.

Life is filled with swift transitions and we are certain that you have experienced many of them: shifts in thinking, priorities, place and community. What often creeps up on us are the shifts that we experience in our bodies over time. No one seems to adequately prepare us for the slowing of our resting metabolism (the number of calories our bodies need to sustain themselves at rest) as our lives pick up pace with careers, marriages and kids in our 20s and 40s. We need to fuel our bodies differently. (Health Eating and Women). Here’s what’s recommended:

• Eat foods that are high in protein, fiber, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. 
• Eat iron rich foods, particularly during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Eat foods rich in folic acid, particularly during childbearing years to prevent birth defects.
• Eat foods with calcium and vitamin D to promote and maintain healthy teeth, strong bones and decrease your risk of developing osteoporosis.
• Avoid and or limit foods and drinks containing added sugar and saturated fats.

There is no one size fits all for caloric intake. Instead, use this tool to identify your recommended caloric intake. Download this guide to learn how to build a healthy plate. 
 
TRY
Use the information and tools provided in this article to help you answer the two questions below.  A YES to ONE or BOTH of the questions should serve as a prerequisite for anything that becomes a consistent part of your eating routine.

1. Will this food, at this portion size, improve my health at this stage of my life?
2. Will this food, at this portion size, help prevent disease at this stage of my life?

TRY WITH YOUR GIRL
Mothers, as your daughter’s first teacher, you have the power to influence her beliefs, values, attitudes and behavior when it comes to food and body image. There are so many voices competing for your girl’s attention. Many of them would like to make her believe that food is a delicious enemy against which she must fight in order to be beautiful. But God, in His wisdom has given your voice His weight. God’s Word says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NKJV. So choose carefully what you say and do because your daughter is watching.