If you follow my blog, you know that I live an Intermittent Fasting lifestyle. I do time restricted eating for weight loss and health benefits. Lately, however, the weight loss hasn’t been happening. I have stalled and I am super frustrated.
I started praying about it and God led me to Biblical Nutrition. Biblical nutrition is a study of what the bible discusses in terms of nutrition and taking care of our bodies. The Bible says that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. One of the best ways to honor and take care of God’s temple is to consume healthy foods. The Bible even gives us guidance as to which foods to consume for our health.
I am only a couple of weeks into doing Biblical Nutrition with IF, so I don’t have all of the answers. I know what I am supposed to do but it’s still a struggle. I have found that meal planning is key for me. If I don’t plan and I get hungry, I have a tendency to grab “convenience foods” which are not always healthy. I am trying to shop differently which enables me to eat differently. It’s all about making a plan.
I have loaded up my shopping list with foods from the following groups.
VEGETABLES/FRUITS
A generous serving of fruits and vegetables each day provides the body with the much-needed vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, fiber, and even protein.
All vegetables are great to eat but the best ones for fighting heart disease and cancer are cruciferous vegetables. These are vegetables that have four petals, which look like the cross or crucifix, hence the name “Cruciferous”. Vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and kale contain the powerful isothiocyanate sulforaphane which reduces cancer cell replication and boosts the immune system. They also help neutralize toxins in the body.
Leafy green vegetables are some of the most nutrient-dense foods that you can buy (or grow!). Kale, arugula, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, and Swiss chard are all leafy greens and loaded with vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll. The chlorophyll in green vegetables allows blood to transport oxygen to cells. Chlorophyll protects against free radicals, and helps with intestinal regularity, detoxification, wound healing, and deodorization of the body.
Fruits are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, and they are high in fiber. Fruits also provide a wide range of health-boosting antioxidants, including flavonoids. Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce a person’s risk of developing heart disease, cancer, inflammation, and diabetes.
Daniel 1:12: “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
Genesis 25:34: Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.
Number 11:5: We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.
Deuteronomy 23:24: If you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket.
Samuel 16:1-2: When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.
The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?”
Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
OIL
My favorite cooking oils are Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Grapeseed Oil. Both are light and don’t leave residual unwanted flavor.
There are around 150 references to olives and olive oil in the Bible. It was plentiful in Biblical times because there were so many olive trees. Olive oil was used for many purposes including as a food, salve for wounds, skin conditioner, oil for lamps, and as a sacred anointing oil for kings.
Both olives and olive oil contain healing properties that can help retard cancer growth, stimulate bile flow, strengthen cell membranes, lower bad cholesterol, reduce gastric acidity, and supplement the body with vitamin E, an excellent antioxidant for healthy skin, hair, and overall health.
In addition, olive oil contains many nutrients which make them a top health food. They contain antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, macronutrients, and monounsaturated fatty acids.
Exodus 29:2: And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil.
Deuteronomy 8:8: It is a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey;
2 Chronicles 11:11: He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine.
Proverbs 21:20: The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.
Luke 10:34: He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him
FISH
Fish is referenced many times in the Bible and are a key part of biblical nutrition principles. Wild-caught fish can be a very healthy part of your diet. Fatty fish like salmon and sardines contain the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA which have been shown to reduce inflammation, which helps with obesity and metabolic disease, and improve cardiovascular function. These important fatty acids are also necessary for proper fetal development and brain function.
Oily fish like salmon are low calorie and filling. It is loaded with high-quality protein, healthy fats and also contains all sorts of important nutrients. Fish, and seafood in general, supply a significant amount of iodine. Iodine is necessary for proper function of the thyroid, which is important to keep the metabolism running optimally.
Mackerel, trout, herring, and other types of oily fish are also excellent.
Numbers 11:5: We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.
Deuteronomy 4:18: or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below.
Leviticus 11:9: ‘These you may eat, whatever is in the water: all that have fins and scales, those in the water, in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat.
Matthew 14:19: And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
Luke 24:42: They gave him a piece of broiled fish…
John 21:10: Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So, Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.
NUTS
Do not underestimate this tiny but highly nutritious food in the Bible. Nuts are nutrient dense with a unique blend of fatty acids, bioactive compounds, and essential nutrients. They are concentrated with powerful plant compounds that fight inflammation in the body.
When eaten in moderation, nuts help reduce the risk of heart disease, regulate cholesterol levels, prevent cancer, and promote blood fluidity. If you are trying to lose weight, you can snack on nuts or cook recipes that include nuts to help keep you satisfied longer.
Some healthy nuts are: Almonds, walnuts, pecans, Macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, cashews and pistachios.
Genesis 43:11: Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.”
RAW HONEY
Honey is referred to over 60 times in the Bible. It was used as a metaphor expressing abundance in biblical literature. It is also referred to as a healthy sustaining food.
In its natural state, honey is perfectly edible. Up until the mid-1800s, honey was the primary sweetener. This was before the industrialization of sugar cane. In the Bible, people used honey to sweeten their food.
When buying honey, choose only raw and unpasteurized ones. Your body will receive more nutrients and benefits by choosing pure, raw, and all-natural honey. And buy local honey if possible. Local, raw honey has unique flavors that are lost when industrialized. To help with allergies, you need to have local, raw honey. This will ensure that the honey has the allergens native to the area you live in.
Numbers 14:7-8: and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.
Proverbs 24:13: Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
Proverbs 25:16: If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit.
Deuteronomy 26:9: He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey;
Psalm 119:103: How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Mark 1:6: John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
Our bodies are created by God and are the temples of the Holy Spirit. The Bible encourages us to care for our bodies, and good nutrition is part of that. By following biblical nutrition guidelines, we can improve our health and grow spiritually. By understanding the food in the Bible and what God has gifted us to eat, you will reap incredible blessings that come with a healthy and balanced diet. Use this to help in planning daily meals and be on your way to achieving outstanding health that leads to thriving and not just surviving!
