Healthy Living

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“For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Romans 7:15b

This statement has often been quoted. It has immense spiritual and physical implications, and enumerable applications.

Life is filled with choices. We cannot escape the consequences of those choices either for good, or for out harm.

Denial is our first response when we face the consequences of our actions. We as imperfect creations want to blame anything, and everything we can, to avoid accepting the fact that we cause our own problems.

My primary focus is on God’s plans for our health. So, I will be relating this verse to our health challenges.

We know what the word says in Genesis 1:29 about the diet we were designed for. True science has shown that this is the ideal diet. This diet will help our bodies build our maximum health potential. Yet we eat things we should not eat.

I as a health minister know from personal experience the benefits of eating our original diet. I also know from personal experience the results of returning in small degrees to our fallen diet.

I know from personal experience it is to stick to the straight and narrow, when it comes to eating only the foods God designed for us to eat. I know how difficult it is to resist the fancy or tempting treats the world has to offer.

Every day we hear some new claim, of the supposed health benefits of some harmful treat, or food that is outside of our true dietary character.

It is human nature to crave things we should avoid.

On one side we have our true needs for nutritional sustenance. On the other hand we have our appetite and desires.

So what is to be done?

God in his wisdom gave us fasting, as a natural control, if we will but use it. The powers that be would have us fear fasting, calling it dangerous or akin to starvation. The truth is that controlled fasting on purpose has nothing to do with starvation.

The spiritual and physical benefits of limited fasting are great. Most of the diseases of modern man are caused by eating too much, and/or eating the wrong things.

We would tend to deny that this is true. We seek out scapegoats to blame our problems on. The world health system feeds on this desire by naming the symptoms.

This gives us something to blame, and something to fight. It soothes our basic need to reject blame. Unfortunately it also leads to much pain and suffering.

Fasting is a good and effective way to take control of our appetites and emotional cravings and place them under submission. It affords a great opportunity for spiritual growth.

We normally fast 8-12 hours, from our last meal of the day, until we eat our first meal on the following day. Extending that fast, a few hours, is one way to start a regular fasting program. I often wait until mid day to have breakfast.

The next logical step is to fast one day a week. A 24 hour fast would be from say 7pm one day until 7pm the following day, then eating something before bed.

The 36 hour fast would be fasting from say 7pm today, throughout the following day, until a 7am breakfast. Most of us can safely fast 24-36 hours. Fasting should be accompanied with prayer. There is a large number of references in the bible to prayer and fasting.

The enemy of our faith has caused us to fear fasting. Most of us have been led to believe that if we don’t eat, we will wither away overnight. This simply is not true.

Most of us could live off the fat of the land for a month or more with no harmful effects. As a health minister I do not recommend that anyone who is not accustomed to fasting, try to do it for more that a week to ten days.

Certain health conditions like diabetes would prohibit extended fasting without supervision and/or careful monitoring.

However most of us can fast 3 to 10 days with no fear.

If you chose to fast over 3 days you should chose a time when you don’t have to do a lot of physical activity. It is best to rest.

The purpose of fasting is to give the body a rest from all physical activities, including the metabolism of food.

During a fast your body is able to eliminate toxins that it is not able to accomplish while eating. Our designed diet produces some toxins, as a result of normal metabolism, even if all the food is purely organically grown. The Standard American Diet (SAD) presents the body with far more toxins than it was designed to eliminate in a given period of time.

Fasting allows the body time to eliminate these toxins. When we stop bringing in more toxins, our bodies can clean house so to speak. Our body temple needs to be cleaned out on a regular basis. Fasting is a deliberate action that makes a lot of sense if we will but listen to reason.

Some of the toxins we store end up in our brain, and cloud our thinking, so fasting can have a profound effect on mental clarity. Clearing out the cob webs so to speak can have a huge spiritual affect. Most people feel that they can draw closer to God while fasting. It is logical that this is true.

What I want to do is to live a pure and consecrated life for Christ. I want to be all I can be, for God. What I do is eat most of what is placed in front of me and end up being a glutton. The end result is that my mind is clouded, and pain keeps me form being able to do all I feel I should.

I hate the results of the SAD on my body and my ability to think and reason through life’s challenges. Yet I keep eating as if my life depended on it. Knowing that I should be devoting my time to study of God’s word, prayer, and clean living.

This becomes a vicious cycle, and leads many to obesity. A structured fasting program, and correct eating, can restore the body and the mind to a state that is not possible in any other way.

Be blessed,
Charles Snyder

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