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Beauty Secrets: Weight

Women spend billions of dollars trying to achieve the perfect weight, and billions of hours obsessing over it. The first step in achieving the ideal weight is to recognize that the “ideal weight” may be all wrong. Do you know where the American perspective on dieting began, and why? Would it surprise you to learn that our obsession with thinness actually began as a blatant rejection of Christianity?

THE BIRTH OF THE AMERICAN DIET

The Victorian age in America (approximately 1875–1915) was the last age in which Christianity was truly the focal point of American culture. It wasn’t perfect. Let me set the stage: Women wore long dresses, even in the summers without air conditioning. Complete modesty ruled the day. People didn’t reveal their bodies publicly, so there was much less “body consciousness” in the culture in general. Pornography was not mainstream, so women did not have professional nude models with which to constantly compare their bodies, and cosmetic plastic surgery was still in its infancy.

Men worked and women stayed home, and there was little space for a woman to define herself beyond home and children.

It was even a bit scandalous that men and women had recently begun swimming together in the ocean! Just prior to this, women who wanted to swim “entered the ocean in horse-drawn ‘bathing machines,’ small, roofless cabins on wheels complete with windows and drapes, where a modest woman could enjoy the healing waters of the sea free from prying male eyes.” 1

Because a woman’s place was in the home, bearing children, women were celebrated for having fertile bodies, bodies that were healthy and had generous hips and breasts (assisted by waist-cinching corsets under the clothes). Girls were raised to think only of Christian virtue, not body shape and size. One researcher, the notable Joan Jacobs Brumberg, has spent years comparing the diaries of Victorian girls to modern girls and she concludes that in the Victorian age,

Parents tried to limit their daughters’ interest in superficial things, such as hairdos, dresses, or the size of their waists, because character was considered more important than beauty by both parents and the community. And character was built on attention to self-control, service to others and belief in God—not on attention to one’s own [body].2

Christian morals were the accepted norm, but they were often used wrongly to repress women, to prevent them from becoming full partners in society and marriage. When the women’s liberation movement began, one remarkable change occurred: women used their own bodies as a form of protest. They cut off their long, feminine hair. They ditched the long, modest dresses and corsets for straight and short frocks that did not accent full hips or breasts or tiny waists. They taped their breasts flat to their chest. They began drinking, smoking, and being openly sexual. If men had the power and respect of society, women reasoned that they had to become more like men in order to achieve the same privileges. It was the birth of the American flapper, a “revolution in manners and morals.”3

The first popular American diet book, Diet & Health, with Key to the Calories by Lulu Hunt Peters, M.D., was launched in 1918, and obsession with extreme thinness was born. Women were angry, and tired of “Christian morals” that had been used to stifle their contributions. Unfortunately, the rebellion wasn’t against the misuse of Christianity, but against Christianity itself. The diet craze of America was rooted in rebellion against God. If you have any doubts about this, consider the practical advice of the Bible: to know what the vine is, look at the fruit it produces (Luke 6:42–44). The obsession with thinness in American has birthed nothing but yo-yo diets, eating disorders, anxiety, and despair.

Today, our focus has shifted from our behavior to our appearance. More women today are unhappy with their bodies than in the past, and never have we seen such emphasis on improving our bodies and attaining a good life through a good body. It is, researcher Joan Jacobs Brumberg says, “a symptom of historical changes that are only now beginning to be understood.”4

WHY WE’RE DIFFERENT

The world’s leading obesity researchers have discovered that a woman’s fat cell is larger than a man’s because it has more fat-storing enzymes, while a man’s fat cell is smaller because it has more fatreleasing enzymes. Studies done at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and other research facilities have found that a woman’s hip and thigh fat cells are at least twice as efficient in storing fat and enlarging as they are in releasing fat and shrinking.5

The protesting women of the 1920s got a few things wrong, notably that women are designed to store fat. Being thin and boyish, with no hips or breasts, is simply not an achievable, sustainable state for most women, no matter how much tape we use to strap ourselves down. Even thin women still look remarkably feminine and carry more fat in these strategic places than their male counterparts. In chasing the male ideal, women were setting themselves up for a lifetime of failure: a failure that breeds self-contempt, angst, and shame.

There is a wealth of information available about the positive role of fat in our bodies and our cycles, which you can investigate if you feel led. My goal in this chapter is only to introduce the idea to you that you were designed with a very different goal in mind than the male ideal of the protestors.

Here is the unavoidable fact: You and I are designed by God to store fat in our hips, stomach, thighs, and breasts. God wants us to have fat on our hips, stomach, thighs, and breasts. It was His clear intention.

God wants us to have fat on our hips, stomach, thighs, and breasts. It was His clear intention.

Does it make sense to starve and fight our bodies when they are built to store fat? It seems just as crazy to try to fly by flapping your arms. Your body was designed to store fat, not lose it. Curves are what set you apart from men (that, and the ability to accessorize). Listen to Isaiah 45:9 (MSG): “But doom to you who fight your Maker—you’re a pot at odds with the potter! Does clay talk back to the potter: ‘What are you doing? What clumsy fingers!’”

When we fight our Maker, there’s trouble ahead. We’ve seen that proved time and time again—this obsession with trading in our feminine bodies for male-thin ones has made us fatter, sicker, and more unhappy with ourselves than ever before. Every new generation inherits this curse, as eating disorders continue to claim lives and turn families inside out.

The door that was opened when women rebelled against Christianity was not simply a door to political equality. The door that we opened was one to shame and isolation. We believe there is something wrong with us if we can’t shake off those fat cells clinging to our backside and tummy. We don’t want others to know that we see something profoundly wrong with our bodies. We resist intimacy, in all its forms and intents. Even our naturally thin sisters suffer in this culture of shame and isolation: they may long for more rounded curves, only to be supported by other women saying things like, “I hate you for being so skinny!”

Your natural weight is simply defined as the weight you comfortably maintain with a lifestyle of daily exercise and healthy eating.

To make peace with our weight, we have to make peace with God. We have to make peace with God’s design for each unique body. The world may have birthed our ideas about the perfect body image, but it’s time for us to do the difficult work of maturing. We can’t set the next generation free until we are free. We have to lay down our lives for those we love. We must sacrifice our desire to have the “ideal body” and give up the notion that being beautiful in the eyes of the world will bring us approval and acceptance. If we can do this, we can set our daughters free.

I am not suggesting that obesity is more spiritual than thinness or that thinness is wrong. We’re targeting the unhealthy body images and the misery we bring on ourselves in trying to achieve them. Ironically, it’s only when we can truly let go of our own unhealthy agendas and preoccupations that we can be free to attend to our health and to achieve a natural weight. Your natural weight is simply defined as the weight you comfortably maintain with a lifestyle of daily exercise and healthy eating.

Queen Esther’s Diet

When the king’s command and order had been heard, many girls had
been brought to the palace in Susa and put under the care of Hegai. . . .
Esther pleased Hegai, and he liked her. So Hegai quickly began
giving Esther her beauty treatments and special food.
—ESTHER 2:8-9 NCV

When a young girl named Esther was brought into the king’s harem and given the chance to win the king’s heart to become Queen of the Persian Empire, the first thing her keeper did was put her on a diet! Sounds familiar, you think? In Esther’s day, she needed to become pregnant by the king to secure her position in the harem, so this diet was most likely designed to increase her fertility, pad her hips, and spark her desire. I don’t think the story of Esther would have ended so well if she had been put on a diet of dry lettuce and clear broth: she’d have been too cranky to woo a king if she was starving!

WHY DIETS ARE UNHEALTHY

Geneen Roth, a writer who specializes in women’s food and body issues, once observed, “For every diet, there is an equal and opposite binge.”6 How true! Diets teach us to work against our own bodies, feeding them when they’re not hungry with foods they don’t want. When we do get hungry, we don’t listen to our bodies and either starve ourselves or cram another celery stick down the hatch. Within a few short days, we grow resentful and tired, and then blow the diet. We abandon the produce aisle for the bakery and are never heard from again. That is, until the next reunion or swimsuit season.

The weight-loss industry has fed our mixed emotions with clever marketing and dangerous supplements. They’re like the mean girls hanging out in the girls’ bathroom. They show us a glimpse of what we can never have, and then promise to give it to us if we’ll hand over our lunch money. We feel intimidated, insecure, and we really want to belong, so we hand over the cash. Then our “friends” are nowhere to be found when we’re struggling a short time later.

Many researchers have noted the devastating effects this industry has had on women, and one of the most interesting discussions has been about the decline of traditional Christian morals in our culture, and where these morals are reemerging. Morality’s new home is in the kitchen. We label foods as bad or good. A recent ad campaign shows a woman who has eaten a donut and shames her with the slogan, “Respect Yourself in the Morning.” Just a few decades ago, of course, we all would have understood that slogan to mean, “Don’t have immoral, casual sex.”

Ironically, we are returning in many ways to the biblical days, labeling healthy foods “clean” and condemning those who eat otherwise. Jesus had to tackle this very doctrine over two thousand years ago. In Matthew 15:10–11 he said,

“Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

There is something in the human soul that longs for the distinction of clean versus unclean, and right versus wrong. Now, overweight women, or even women of normal weight, suspected of eating “unclean” foods, are subjected to the scorn of an invisible scarlet letter F. Fat is the new evil. Thin is the new holy. If you have any doubt, flip channels to a diet infomercial: they have all the passion and pathos of an old-time revival.

To make matters worse, women have damaged their health, and even died, from taking over-the-counter diet pills to achieve a thinner body.7 Except for monitoring labels and advertising, the FDA does not regulate diet pills sold over the counter. If they are proven to be unsafe—which can be a lengthy process—then the FDA can step in and pull them from the market. Every time you pick up a bottle of diet pills, you are placing your life in the hands of strangers. You are betting that they did years of long-term research, that they know how to safely manufacture the ingredients, and that every pill is standardized to contain the exact amount of ingredients listed on the label. But your bet may be wrong.

Thankfully, there is a way out of this danger zone, and into a healthy zone of lasting weight management. You can lose excess weight and learn to love what your body looks and feels like at its natural weight. You can eat the best foods in the world. You can eat until you’re deeply satisfied. It shouldn’t surprise you by now to know that these secrets have been hidden inside the Bible for centuries.

Why does a person feel full after he or she has eaten? It is not because the stomach is full or because the blood sugar has risen. It depends on the amount one has smelled in the process of eating.8 Smell and taste affect our senses of hunger and fullness; taking a moment to savor the aroma of a meal will increase your pleasure in the food, and help curb fast, mindless eating.

Slow down, breathe deeply, and take the time to fully enjoy the food you’re blessed with.

THE BEAUTY SECRETS OF THE BIBLE ON WEIGHT

The Bible mentions food thousands of times, either in casual references or in focused moments of teaching. Food was used over and over by Jesus as an illustration, a metaphor for the spiritual world and the inner life. A few years ago I took on an unusual project: I read every reference in the Bible to food, eating, drinking, appearance, and weight. What I learned astonished me:

1. Food is a blessing from God, to be received with thanksgiving.

Everything God created is good, and to be received with thanks.
(1 Tim. 4:4 MSG)

When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.
(Deut. 8:10)

2. Food should taste good: it reminds us of how good God is.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good. (Ps. 34:8)

3. Hunger is good, too. It allows us to be empty, so that we can be filled. “I do not want to send them away hungry,” Jesus said in Matthew 15:32. The people’s hunger was the invitation for one of Jesus’ greatest miracles—the feeding of the four thousand.

4. No one is meant to go permanently hungry, but physical hunger can be a temporary teaching tool. Being filled with wonderful food is used as a symbol of God’s abundant blessing.

So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. (Deut. 8:3)

I am the LORD your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. (Ps. 81:10)

5. Everyone should be able to eat until they are satisfied—not merely nourished, but satisfied.

For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
(Ps. 107:9 NIV)

6. You were meant to eat the finest of foods. God’s blessing included good foods, and His ultimate blessing, heaven, is described as a rich feast.

He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you. (Ps. 81:16)

On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. (Isa. 25:6 NIV)

Food is an illustration of the abundance of God. He wants us to eat our fill. He wants us to have the best. And at the end of our lives, we can look forward to a feast of supernatural proportions. Being welcomed into eternal life is repeatedly described in Scripture as being invited to a wedding feast. We all know the type of food served at a wedding—rich, delicious, and beautifully presented, with heavenly aromas. We all know how people eat at a wedding, too: until they are filled and satisfied. Joy and hope permeate the atmosphere. This is how we were truly meant to live.

7. A proper relationship with food involves making sure others have enough. God’s people are commanded to store grain to feed others who have none:

The stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do. (Deut. 14:29)

In a global world, everyone is “within our gates.” How are we doing at feeding them, in contrast to ourselves? Consider:

0785221786_ePDF_0051_005N America spends $100 billion a year on fast food.9

0785221786_ePDF_0051_007N Combined, Americans are carrying a total of 7 billion excess pounds on our bodies.10

0785221786_ePDF_0051_011 Nearly twenty percent of American children go hungry.11

0785221786_ePDF_0051_011 Six million children die each year, mostly from hunger-related causes, in developing countries.12

0785221786_ePDF_0051_011 For what Europeans and Americans spend on pet food every year, we could eradicate hunger worldwide.13

There is a definite correlation between our wallets and our waists. God has commanded that we care for the physical needs of the poor, making sure everyone has enough to eat. You simply cannot convincingly ask God to bless your weight loss efforts if you are not attending to those who have nothing to eat. Honor God’s heart in this matter and see what He is willing to do in yours.

HOW DO I PUT ALL THIS INTO PRACTICE?

1. Eat when you are hungry. Eat only when hungry. Your body isn’t as likely to store food as fat if you eat only when actually hungry.14 If you eat when you’re not hungry, hungry.your body doesn’t need those calories and will store those calories as fat. When you eat beyond what your body needs, it will throw a fat-storing party: your fat cells can swell to six times their normal size and multiply to store that precious fat.15

When you eat beyond what your body needs, it will throw a fat-storing party.

2. Stop eating when satisfied. Satisfied is the point where you stop tasting the food, stop enjoying it, and your mind naturally turns to other things. You’re comfortable. Every time you stop when you’re satisfied, you are resetting your expectations with food. You’re reinforcing the message that you have enough. By not depriving yourself or overindulging, you’re creating the expectation in your body that it’s okay to let go of excess weight and bad habits.

3. Realize that no one food is off-limits. Diets have done us all a disservice in teaching that certain natural foods are not to be eaten (for example, bananas, or fruits high in carbs). But the truth, according to Pritikin Center nutritionist Dr. Gayl Canfield, is that “The people who eat the most fruit have the most normal weights.” Dr. Canfield is known for her work in encouraging people to incorporate many more fruits and vegetables into their diet. She also dispels the idea that certain foods must be eaten in combination. (Some diets teach that foods must be eaten only if paired in specific ways, so that the body can “properly” digest them.) “There’s no truth in that,” she reassured me.

Diets teach us that some foods are “sinful” and not to be eaten. Don’t fall for that. If God made it for food, enjoy it. The only foods you should truly avoid are man-made, processed foods, which are loaded with preservatives, refined flours, and trans fats. God has better ones in mind.

God intended for us to eat the “best of the land,” which means the foods that will bless and nourish us above all others. Processed foods, loaded with unhealthy ingredients, don’t count as the “best of the land” under this definition. They’re not “unclean,” as some suggest, but you’re trading down every time you eat them. How truly generous of God to surround us with natural foods that fight disease and keep us glowing and radiant. If He designed the natural world to silently speak to us of blessing and abundance, how much more would He like to quietly whisper to you as well?

When people eat better, you can tell it on their faces. They feel better. I’ve seen women beaming. If you improve your internal health, the only possible outcome is that the entire health of the body is improved.”

—DR. GAYL CANFIELD

4. Set a daily goal for fruit and vegetable intake. Dr. Wayne Geilman, a nutritional research expert, tells us: “The average American eats only 1.4 servings of fruits and vegetables a day—and that’s if you count French fries.” He also gave me some startling facts that would send anyone running to the produce aisle:

0785221786_ePDF_0053_006N There are 70 diseases linked to the nonconsumption of fruits and vegetables.

0785221786_ePDF_0053_008N Over four thousand antioxidants have been identified in fruits and vegetables.

0785221786_ePDF_0054_001N It has been recently discovered that antioxidants are anti-inflammatory. (Inflammation is suspected as a major cause of premature aging.)

0785221786_ePDF_0054_003N Consuming these antioxidants will contribute to resilience in your cells, flexibility of membranes, and smoother skin.

0785221786_ePDF_0054_005N Almost half of what we know about polyphenols (fruit antioxidants) has been discovered only recently. This field of knowledge is rapidly expanding.

We can expect more and more reports of science discovering the potential of fruits and vegetables to unlock the secrets of aging, beauty, and well-being. In the meantime, your body doesn’t grade on the curve. Don’t compare yourself to your peers—they are only eating 1.4 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and heart attacks, obesity, cancer, and other diseases are stalking them. You should set a daily goal to eat at least the government’s recommendation of six to nine servings per day. Dr. Geilman, however, throws down the gauntlet to us: “Eight to twelve servings a day is better.”

5. Never, ever diet again. Studies have shown a clear link between frequent dieting, weight gain, and obesity. One intensive study on the link between yo-yo dieting and increasing percentages of body fat concluded that “going on and off diets repeatedly will make weight control difficult in the long run.”16 Dieting disrupts our naturally beautiful bodies by interfering with our natural appetite cycles, and sets us up for rebellion against healthy foods when we grow tired of trying to diet.

The seduction of diets will be too much for us some days. We’ll want to try miracle cures and swear off our favorite foods forever. That’s just a natural reaction to living in a diet-saturated media in a processed-food-saturated world. The more you can insulate yourself from diets and weight madness, the more you will:

0785221786_ePDF_0055_002N Discover what your natural weight is (and like it).

0785221786_ePDF_0055_004N Increase your vitality, energy, and well-being.

0785221786_ePDF_0055_006N Appreciate the gift of natural, life-giving foods.

Remember the principle that “What you feed, grows.” The more you “feed” this lifestyle, the more it will grow. Health radiates outward, touching every relationship and activity in your life.

BIBLICAL FOODS THAT PROMOTE

A HEALTHY WEIGHT

All of the foods below have a strong presence in the Scriptures, and scientists today are only beginning to understand how these foods can benefit our health. But note that dozens of different fruits, vegetables, grains, oils, herbs, and spices are mentioned in Scripture. It would take an entire book to examine them all, so we’ll highlight only a particular few that can help us find and return to our natural weight.

ALMONDS

Almonds are found throughout Scripture, playing a role in our diet as well as in God’s message to us. The Hebrew word for almonds means “diligence,” and the flowers of the almond plant symbolize the awakening of spring.17 The beautiful plant suggests the new spring we will someday be led into, the spring of freedom and redemption from slavery, poverty, and war, an awakening of spirit and heart.

In Jeremiah 1:10–11, God shows Jeremiah an almond tree, known as a so¢ª qedì . This is meant to symbolize God’s so¢ª qedì , or “watching,” and gives evidence of God’s commitment to fulfill His prophecy: “for I am ready to perform My word” (Jer. 1:10–12).18

Modern science backs up the idea that almonds are little blessings: not only do almonds have a role in significantly reducing bad cholesterol, they may also help you lose weight and improve metabolic syndromes.19 That means almonds may play a role in helping our bodies use insulin efficiently and shed excess, harmful weight.

Setting bowls of fresh fruit and nuts (especially nuts in the shell) around your home not only looks inviting, but it encourages healthy snacking. Having these foods nestled in attractive bowls throughout your home sends a message of abundance.

The recommended dose of these little treasures is approximately one ounce, or 1/4 cup, per day. You can find a fabulous recipe for a snack mix using these on page 84. Raw almonds with brown skins are the best kind to use. Commercially roasted nuts contain added fats and will go bad faster than raw nuts.

Almonds Are All-That

0785221786_ePDF_0056_008 Almond skins contain more than 20 antioxidants.20

0785221786_ePDF_0056_008 These antioxidants combine with the vitamin E found inside the almond’s meat to deliver more than double the power of antioxidants than if they were consumed alone.21

0785221786_ePDF_0056_010 Consuming whole, raw almonds in a heart-healthy diet can lower damaging inflammation levels as well as statin drugs.22

0785221786_ePDF_0057_002 Eating almonds as part of a healthy diet can help you lose 62 percent more weight than a diet without almonds, plus achieve a 50 percent greater reduction in waist size and 56 percent greater reduction in body fat.23

0785221786_ePDF_0057_002 Oh, yes—and thanks to the vitamin E they contain, almonds are a wonderful food for fighting premature aging and wrinkles!

FLAX

In biblical times, flax, and especially flax oil, was used for making linen and for food, and the flaxseed was valued for its medicinal properties. Flax also was featured in two epic biblical tales: God destroyed the flax crops of the Egyptians in the Seventh Plague (Exod. 9:31), and Rahab used stalks of flax to hide the spies, Joshua and Caleb, on her roof (Josh. 2:6).

Today, researchers believe the omega-3 fatty acids in flax help the body regulate leptin, which helps you lose weight and burn fat more efficiently. Omega-3s are also important as anti-inflammatory agents, and according to First magazine, flax is “nature’s number one source of lignans, unique plant compounds that can double the speed at which the liver metabolizes and excretes inflammation-triggering fat and toxins. The study-proven dose: 1 to 2 Tbs. of ground flax daily.”24 Because ground flaxseed is so rich in fiber, it can help keep your blood sugar stable and help you avoid low-blood-sugar munchies. For maximum benefit and taste, buy a coffee grinder and whole flaxseeds, and grind a little fresh every morning to add onto your cereal, toast, or breakfast shake.

You’ve probably seen ads for diet pills that promise to optimize your leptin levels. These over-the-counter pills can take a bite out of your wallet.

Cost for 30-day supply of “leptin” diet pills: $99

Cost for 30-day supply of flaxseed: $5

TOTAL SAVINGS: $1,128 per year (based on buying one bag of flaxseeds per month versus one bottle of diet pills per month)

Besides saving you money, flax offers advantages no diet pill can offer:

0785221786_ePDF_0058_008 Flax has six times the fiber of oatmeal.

0785221786_ePDF_0058_008 Flax is higher in lignans, which protect us from disease, than any other source. One-fourth cup ground flaxseed has more lignans than 60 cups of broccoli.

0785221786_ePDF_0058_010 Flax can be substituted for butter in many baked goods. Cut the amount of butter called for in half, and use this same amount of ground flax in its place.

FISH

Fish and fishing were a biblical way of life and a staple of the everyday diet. They were roasted fresh, or dried to be eaten later. Several of the Bible’s disciples were fishermen before they met Jesus, including Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Jesus even performed miracles with fish, feeding multitudes of hungry followers and providing the disciples with a miraculous catch of fish.

Everything works together for good:

Fish high in omega-3s are not only good for achieving a healthy weight and preventing premature aging, but studies have now linked consumption of omega-3s with a reduction in depression.25 Only God can create natural foods that bless us in so many ways.

All fish are a good source of protein. Some fish are also a rich source of omega-3s, which not only can help you lose excess weight, but also contribute to healthy, soft skin. It’s always best to eat whole foods instead of supplements, but because of concerns over high mercury levels in some types of fish, I mix both supplements and servings of fish into my routine. If you use a supplement, buy one that promises no fishy aftertaste.

CINNAMON

Cinnamon was used in the holy anointing oil for the tabernacle, a prophetic symbol of the Holy Spirit’s anointment on our lives. Modern research tells us that cinnamon plays a role in regulating blood sugar. By adding cinnamon supplements to your diet each day you may help boost your glucose metabolism, prevent blood sugar spikes, improve cholesterol levels, and help your body return to its natural weight.26 Look for cinnamon supplements, which are simply powdered cinnamon packaged inside gel capsules; the proven dosage is the equivalent of ¼ to ½ teaspoon daily. Supplements are a convenient way to get your cinnamon each day, and are quite inexpensive. Cinnamon sprinkled on your food may not be as beneficial, since saliva contains a chemical harmful to cinnamon.27

Type 3 Diabetes

There may be a connection between high blood sugar, inflammation, and Alzheimer’s, which some are now referring to as a possible “type 3” diabetes.28 Taking steps to ensure stable blood sugar, such as by consuming cinnamon and flax, may play an important role in reducing your risk of such diseases.

CLOVES

Cloves get their name from the Latin word clavus, meaning “nail,” because they look very much like nails. Because spices were so valuable in biblical days, they were kept in a king’s treasury. Second Kings 20:13 tells of King Hezekiah showing off “all the house of his treasures—the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all in his armory—all what was found among his treasures.” A life-giving spice that is undervalued in our culture, cloves, like cinnamon, may play an important role in regulating glucose levels, lowering cholesterol—especially the bad type—and helping to reduce weight and promote lean body mass.29 They make beautiful additions to many dishes. You can add them into your favorite tea, or mix into a fruit vinaigrette. I love the smell of cloves so much I throw a few into a candle and allow the melted wax to warm and release their scent.

FIGS

The fig tree symbolizes prosperity and peace in Micah 4:4: “Everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid.”30 We’ve discovered that figs, because they are rich in fiber, can help promote a return to a normal weight. They also are helpful in protecting bone density and protecting the cardiovascular system.31 Dried figs are available year-round but lack the fiber of fresh figs. Because heart disease is the number one killer of women, and we struggle with osteoporosis as well, figs may be a rich blessing to us indeed.

VINEGAR

Vinegar was as common as wine in biblical days, and different varieties were made by the addition of herbs. Vinegar has been in the news lately for its suspected ability to slow carbohydrate absorption and encourage stable blood sugar. Dr. Carol Johnston of Arizona State University East of Mesa has published research that demonstrates consuming two tablespoons of vinegar before a meal prevents the blood sugar spikes that come from eating carbohydrates. The effect is comparable to antidiabetes drugs, and is most effective for those who are showing signs of becoming diabetic.32 Participants in Dr. Johnston’s study also lost a modest amount of weight, between two to four pounds in four weeks when consuming two tablespoons of vinegar twice daily before meals.

I asked Dr. Johnston if any vinegar might be substituted for the vinegar used in the study (which was apple cider vinegar). Participants didn’t like the taste of drinking the apple cider vinegar, but since the suspected active ingredient studied, acetic acid, is present in all vinegars, Dr. Johnston confirmed that mine was, indeed, a reasonable conclusion, and is in fact doing studies now with red raspberry vinegar.

A word of caution: don’t buy vinegar pills. They may not contain acetic acid, the active ingredient studied. Dr. Johnston is working on creating a supplement that does contain acetic acid, so save your money until she does.

BREAD

Bread was the mainstay of the biblical diet. The words bread and food were interchangeable. Bread was made from either wheat or barley, and the women ground the grains and baked the bread fresh each day, except for the Sabbath.

Bread plays an important role in how we understand our dependence on God, and His nature. In the wilderness, the Israelites depended on God to provide manna, which had to be gathered fresh each day. When Jesus arrived, he said this about Himself: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger.” (John 6:35).

Manna was a foreshadowing of Christ, the Word dwelling among us from heaven. This dependence on God for spiritual nourishment as well as physical is taught throughout Scripture.

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matt. 4:4)

Give us this day our daily bread. (Matt. 6:11)

All breads are not equal. Making whole grains a focus of your diet will help reduce your risk of disease, keep you feeling full longer, and help stabilize blood sugar.

BEAUTY SECRETS OF THE BIBLE (BSB) RECIPES

ALMOND-FILLED SWEET POTATO

Here’s a snack that multitasks: it helps you achieve a natural weight, encourages glowing skin with fewer premature wrinkles, and lowers bad cholesterol. Sweet potatoes do not cause the same rise in blood sugar that white potatoes do.

Steam one large sweet potato by pricking with a fork and microwaving until soft to the touch. Add in raw almonds, chopped, and cinnamon to taste.

You’ll fill up on ingredients that promote a return to your natural weight, plus promote smooth and radiant skin.

BSB CHOCOLATE CHIP FLAXSEED COOKIES

We’ve already seen that ground flaxseed helps women with problems such as dandruff, dry skin, and premature aging. But how to work flax into the diet? I sprinkle it on my breakfast cereal and into my baked goods. One recipe is a classic at my house: Chocolate Chip Flaxseed Cookies.

Dark chocolate in moderation can be good for you, and these cookies are a healthy way to indulge. Each cookie has more healthy lignans (antioxidants that promote breast and colon health) than ten cups of broccoli! Each cookie also packs a powerful punch of fiber that will keep you full and satisfied, promoting weight loss. There’s no cholesterol, and the cookies may even promote heart health and a healthier cholesterol level. Chocolate never was so good, and good for you!

BSB CHOCOLATE CHIP FLAXSEED COOKIES

1/2 cup heart-healthy butter substitute

1/2 cup ground flaxseeds

3/4 cup natural brown sugar

1/2 cup unbleached granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 12-ounce package dark chocolate chips

First, cream butter, flaxseeds, and sugars until well mixed. Add egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flours, salt, and soda. Mix thoroughly and stir into wet ingredients. Add chocolate chips.

Drop onto cookie sheet using a medium-sized melon baller or large spoon. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes 22 large cookies.

Indulge Me

Tea isn’t mentioned in the Bible. However, we know the people in biblical times were trading with the East. Many of the biblical wars were fought for control of the trade routes, which brought them in contact with those as far away as Africa and India. These same trade routes also helped spread the gospel later.

So it is possible the earlier biblical peoples knew about tea. Tea is, of course, one of God’s most notable health foods. Not only does tea fight free radicals, cancer, and give us a soothing, nurturing moment of rest, it can also help us lose weight. Green tea in particular has been studied for its ability to boost metabolism and burn fat. But skip the supplements and drink it fresh. Keep it iced to sip on throughout the day, and don’t forget to fill a small spritzer to place in the fridge as a wrinkle-fighting facial spritz. (A spritzer with freshly brewed tea should be refilled at least weekly to keep tea fresh.) Tea’s magic is in its catechin polyphenols and flavonoids, “anti-inflammatory compounds that are 200 times more powerful than even vitamin E at soothing cellular inflammation.”33 When drinking tea, make it even more powerful by adding a few cloves while it steams, and swirl a cinnamon stick into it for a beautiful presentation. If you have trouble with snacking at night, establish a new routine of drinking herb tea after dinner instead of eating.

WHY EXERCISE?

I want you to consider why you exercise. That reason is probably the number one reason you quit, too. Do you exercise because you’re fat and need to lose weight? Do you visualize yourself getting smaller and thinner? Do you get disgusted with the minuscule progress you make and quit? I believe the motivation that gets us to work out can ultimately be our undoing.

Think about the dynamics of life. What is the strongest instinct any creature has? It’s the will to live. When you send messages to the body that it must become smaller, give up food, and get rid of stored fat, you’re sending it messages that it may interpret as a threat to its survival. No creature is wired to desire becoming less. We are all wired to want more. (I believe that’s what got us into this mess!)

Sending yourself the right message can change your life, not just your weight. Focus on eating more: especially more fruits and more vegetables, as well as more whole grains and lean sources of protein and dairy. Focus on exercising to build yourself up, to get more–more endurance and more muscle.

STRENGTH

There’s a difference between fat-burning aerobic exercise that builds endurance, and muscle-creating exercise that builds strength. A lot of women concentrate on aerobic exercise and miss half of the exercise equation. Muscle-building exercises—specifically, training with weights—will decrease your size while building muscle. Weight training is a critical workout regimen that many of us may be missing.

There is an integrity we discover when we build our bodies. The action of working out to build it, to get more life for it, sends the subliminal message that your body is already at a good starting point. It’s a message of acceptance, a belief you already have something of worth and worth building upon. This focus automatically eliminates comparison to others: it’s a dramatic process of affirming yourself even as you work to build upon what you have.

Anytime we can switch the focus from what we look like to what we actually do, we line ourselves up spiritually with every doctrine in the Scriptures. The abundant life isn’t about appearance. It’s about how our new life is manifested in what we do. It’s about reaching out for more, instead of believing the lies that lead to shame and isolation.

A HISTORY OF WEAK WOMEN

If you’re feeling a bit skittish about working out with weights, I have an insight that might shock you. God intended for you to be strong:

She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms.
(Prov. 31:17)

Think about our biblical sisters. They had to walk in the desert for forty years, lugging babies and household supplies. They had to draw water and carry the heavy pitchers back to their homes, every day. They had to grind their own grains. A strong woman survived and her family thrived. Strength in women has always been prized throughout history, anytime in a culture that people lived close to the land, including the early days of America. When the Industrial Revolution hit, women didn’t need to do all of those tasks. We could buy ground flour. We could buy produce, and soap, and clothes. It was during this shift in our habits, from strong worker to the modern consumer, that the “weak woman” came into vogue. Femininity was redefined as weakness.

Suddenly, strong women weren’t necessarily valuable women. Men, especially wealthy men, didn’t have to choose wives based on how strong and capable they were. About this time, fainting couches came into style, and the myth of the weak woman was born. We became luxury items—a rich man could afford a woman who was so weak she couldn’t get off the couch. We became trophy wives instead of capable, strong partners.

Women were meant to be strong. Don’t fall for the lingering lie that deliberately weak women are more feminine. Your strength, in every way, only enhances and accents a man’s strength.

THE WISDOM OF CELEBRATING EACH OTHER

One of the greatest blessings of diversity, which is God’s intended order of life, is that as diverse women enter the pages of magazines and are on television and in movies, we are seeing a celebration of body types that extend well beyond what American writer Tom Wolfe once called the “impeccably emaciated” ideal. Every action has unexpected effects. No one knew that pushing our culture to embrace more than one standard of beauty would begin to relieve all women of the burdens of isolation and condemnation. Praise God for making us all so different, and for those on earth who have the wisdom to celebrate that!

May you, too, be continually blessed as you search for balance between spirit and beauty, strength and gentleness, wisdom and application. I pray that the changes you make as you continue the Beauty Secrets of the Bible journey will create changes in every area of your life, bringing health and joy to you and yours.

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