When You Ask for a Good Start…

God has a sense of humor…I’m convinced of it.  That’s why, when I decided to make healthy changes and work toward my goal weight, He put me in a college nutrition class.  Talk about a kick start to my goals!

Before you think, “Wow, she’s really dedicated to her health,” let me stop you.  That’s not why I signed up for this class.  I signed up because I had to – it’s a requirement for me to graduate in May (281 days from now, but who’s counting).  But you know, God’s timing is perfect, and so, as I find myself ready to make huge changes to my eating and exercise habits, I wind up enrolled in five weeks of “nutrition for the dental hygienist.”  Although I spent six years working for a women’s fitness center, where I did lots of weight loss and nutritional counseling, this college class has turned a lot of what I thought I knew upside down and has given me a new perspective.

For years, my philosophy was, “If I don’t eat right, I’ll take a vitamin – it’ll be okay.”  One thing I’ve learned quickly from my class, though, is that nothing compares to what God made.  All the vitamins in the world can’t compare to the natural vitamins and minerals in good, healthy, natural foods.  I’ve also learned that the effects of poor nutrition can affect everything – my brain function (vitamin B deficiencies can mimic dementia in older people), my immune system, my heart, my bones, and more.

God designed my body perfectly.  He knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).  I am a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).  Yet so many times, I make careless decisions about what I put into my body.  I gorge on cupcakes or mega-cups of sugary coffee because I’ve had a bad day.  I starve myself of the things I need because I want to lose weight fast.  It’s about so much more than just what I eat – it’s also about why I eat, and it’s about a self-disciple that goes far beyond just food.

Thanks to my nutrition teacher, I’m rethinking everything I put into my body, and I already like the changes.  I can tell a difference in how I feel after just a week of adding more fruit to my diet and cutting back on carbs (even though I eat a lot of whole grain).  I’ve noticed that I’m getting full faster.  I’m focusing on food as a way to fuel my body, not as a way to drown my sorrows and stresses.  I’m excited to see what changes my new view of nutrition, paired up with my workout routine that I’ve posted on my personal blog, will bring.