Diet: Why We Do Not Do the Good We Should Do; Women 25 to 44

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
(Galatians 6:9, NKJV )

Hello my dear Sisters! This week we will continue our journey to physical wellness. Now that we know what diet we should eat, we will seek to tackle some of the reasons we struggle to do the good we know to do. We want to move from knowing what is good to doing what is good, so we can be well.

Our focus scripture this week is from the book of Galatians, in which the Apostle Paul, encourages the Galatians to be persevere in doing the good they knew to do, in spite of the hardship or slow return on their labor. He told them that if they sowed to please the spirit (continued to do what was pleasing to God), and not the flesh (what went contrary to the wisdom of God), they would reap a harvest of everlasting life! They were to not allow themselves to be persuaded by their hard circumstances to forsake what was good, because in God’s perfect timing they would harvest a good crop. 

We can apply the principle of this Scripture to our pursuit of physical wellness through healthy eating. If we do the good we know to do, eating a diverse, balanced and nutrient dense diet, we will reap the harvest of a healthy body. Remember Jesus is by your side. He will strengthen you, by His Spirit, to do the good that you know to do. He is also faithful, so that you can be sure of a good harvest.

In our 20s, 30s and 40s, we are remarkably busy, juggling the responsibilities of schooling, family and or career. It feels that there is simply not enough time to do the good we know to do in all the places we are called to shine. We look at all the good and think, “When can I fit this in?!”  So we look for a quick fix: eating out or ordering in. Unfortunately, the foods we get outside our homes generally contain more calories, saturated fats, sugar, and salt content than we need. 

While we cannot add more time to our day, we can make better use of the time we have by planning in advance how we are going to eat a healthy diet outside of our home. Develop an away from home healthy eating plan:

• When eating out look for restaurants that allow you to choose healthy options like a salad instead of French fries.
• Look for kid friendly restaurants that offer healthy food options on their menu and or/ allow you to choose substitute food choices like apple slices instead of French fries.
• Choose low fat, low calorie dressings, and sauces. 
• Substitute broth or mustard instead of butter and creamed sauces
• Choose to have meat, fish and some vegetables steamed, grilled, or baked instead of fried.
• Check the restaurants nutrition information guide found on the menu to inform you of the ingredients and calories
• Choose fruit for dessert
• Drink water instead of alcoholic beverages sodas and juices that contain a lot of calories and sugar
• When eating at All you can eat buffets choose an assortment of low-calorie fruits and vegetables
• Choose more fruits and vegetables on your plate

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf/r2p_away_from_home_food.pdf
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TRY WITH YOUR GIRLS
Fast food is not necessarily bad food. But, we tend to forget to apply what we know about portion size and our need for nutrient rich foods when eating away from home. Equip your girls to choose both nutritious and delicious choices on the go! And remember to reinforce that the goal is not about fitting society’s standard of beauty, but being good stewards of the bodies God has given them. Remind them that God has wonderful adventures ahead of them and they will be greatly helped on those adventures by a strong body.