On the Word of Wisdom

http://fitnessnutritiondenverboulder.com/defining-whole-foods-redefining-healthy-eating

In my first post I think I made an error.

I said we had no specific plan on how to achieve health, but I have to say, we really do have a place to start!

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I consider the Word of Wisdom as sacred scripture with guidelines for our diet. I have the faith to know that if we follow the Word of Wisdom the way God would have us, we can achieve health.

I remember being in high school and being asked by one of my teachers, "I just don't understand the coffee rule, I mean what's so bad about coffee?" He didn't mean anything rude by it, he was honestly curious as to why a religion would look down in such a harmless food.

I said, "well it's really addicting and not the best for your health."
He responded, "well so is fast food but you eat that almost everyday!"

To be honest I was stunned at that moment. I had no comeback. But I went along and continued my ways. I didn't pay much attention to that comment since.

As this health journey has started, the word of wisdom and the conversation with my teacher have come back to my mind a few times. So what did I do? I re-read the Word of Wisdom, this time with a different perdpective. I read it not just to point the DON'Ts, but also to highlight the DO's. Here is what I found!

DO's                                                                        DONT's

Wholesome herbs	Drink alcohol
Herbs and fruit in season	Tobacco
All grain	Hot drinks
All fruit of the vine above or below ground (personally, I think of vegetables)	-which by revelation we know it’s to mean coffee and non-herbal tea
Animals  - sparingly  - in times of winter, cold, famine	Animals – in excess

And of course, my favorite part: the promises and the blessings that the Lord does promise us if we follow his counsel, which to mean sound like prime health!

18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;

19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.

So that's our game plan! Where our diet contained animal products in every meal of every day, and where vegetables were often an afterthought we have applied three simple rules to our diet we're trying to follow. (Obviously, we don' partake of the items in the DON'Ts list! ) And again, this is all new for us, so we're learning as we go along. Here are our three rules:

• Reducing the amount of animals and animal products we eat to eventually understand what sparingly means 
• Prioritizing fruits and vegetables in our diet
• Being proactive in eating more plant based foods like lentils, rice, beans etc. 

What about any of you? Have you found health benefits and blessings by following the Word of Wisdom? Let me know what you think, and any advice you may have for us!