Related:
Athletes in Action Can give you the opportunity to evangelize through your sport.

By now it is probably clear to most consumers that eating out is not the healthiest choice.

Many even make specific promises about their food choices by providing nutritional information guides and even list macronutrient details right on their menus. Such details have been welcomed by millions of consumers who are watching their waist line. Unfortunately, even if you adhere to ordering from these “healthy” menu offerings, you may still find yourself struggling to lose weight.

There may be a legitimate reason for this struggle; it’s been discovered that many of these so-called healthy menus are providing misleading information. A recent Scripps Television Station investigation revealed very disheartening results. The investigation uncovered huge discrepancies.

Both restaurant chains and fast food establishments were tested in the investigation. While some food menu items matched their published nutrition details or came close, others had variances such as twice as many calories or eight times as many fat grams. Yikes! That means while you might have counted that meal you ate out last night as only 500 calories, in reality it might have been a whopping 1,000 calories!

So, if you rely on self-published macronutrients from restaurants, you may be severely sabotaging your diet. Does this mean you must cook every meal you consume, seven days per week? No! This investigation’s evidence is just a reminder that YOU must always take full responsibility for understanding what is going in your mouth.

Rather than relying on caloric and fat information provided by restaurants, just stick with these tips when dining out:

• Start your meal with a salad that ONLY consists of veggies. Have your salad dressing on the side and try to use only 3 to 4 spoonfuls of it on your salad.
• Order your meals steamed, grilled or broiled.
• Avoid items that are fried or sautéed.
• When your server brings your meal to you, ask that half of it already be placed in a to-go bag. Then save that portion for another day.
• Ask that side veggies be steamed with no added butter or sauces.
• Choose beverages without sugar or sugar substitutes. Try water with lemon slices, unsweetened tea or caffeine free coffee.
• Skip the bread bowl.
• Don’t order appetizers in addition to an entrée.
• Share a meal with a friend.
• For sandwiches, ask for whole wheat bread.

Further reading:
Starving for Life and Loveliness – The true story of how a passing remark started a journey to anorexia and eventually back to a fully renewed life
Fasting: Is it Healthy? – Explores the role of fasting in healthy eating, as well as its historical significance

All I needed was a loaf of bread, so I turned into one of those gas stations on steroids where you can buy most of the necessities of life. I looked up and down row after of row for a simple measly loaf of bread. Finally, in the back corner on a bottom shelf, I found a loaf or two. But, what amazed me was all the other food offerings.

There was row after row of all sorts of snacks containing high fats, carbs and sugar. I started looking at the nutrition disclosures on individual packages. Why, the calorie intake on some of those small packages was more than half of a recommended daily caloric diet. No wonder American’s have an obesity problem.

You are what you eat, and what you eat influences virtually everything in your life, from how much energy you have . . . to how well your brain works . . . to how long you live. If you want to have a great brain, you must consistently give it nutrient-rich foods. I know it sounds almost too easy, but it’s a scientific fact: Change your diet, and you change your life.

But, those same principles dealing with our nutritional food diet apply to our spiritual diet and effect our life just as much…..change your thoughts and change your life. Garbage in, garbage out, or so the saying goes. We tend to become what we think about al day long.

Paul gives us some worthy advice in Philippians 4:8: “And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.”

Truth, goodness, righteousness, purity and loveliness… think about these things. Let them be the object of your careful attention and study, so as to practice them. Think what they are; think on the obligation to observe them; think on the influence which they would have on the world around you. Esteem them highly, recommend them heartily, and practice them fervently.

Lord, I don’t want to feed my soul on junk food. Help me to not only change my pattern of eating to get physically fit, but to also change your pattern of thinking to get spiritually fit. Help me today to think on the good things You have provided and have done in my life. I cast my thoughts on You, Jesus and my desire is to become more like You. Amen.

Questions: How differently would your life look if you got rid of your spiritual “junk food”?

About the Author John Grant

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Knowing God as Our Father, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

**Are you hungry to know God better? Come chat with us. http://thelife.com/interactive/chat.html

We were moving and it was hectic. It was easiest to get “take out” or stop by McDonald’s. Then we walked into a home of some friends and the roast beef smelled wonderful. The fast food had filled the need of the moment, but the roast beef and potatoes were so much more satisfying.

We all know the slow slide our bodies take when we “fast food” it too much; the little extra bulk here and the sluggishness there. It’s not hard to make the connection between input and results.

The same effect is true in our spirits. We often try to “fast food” it as Christians with our spiritual diet. Oh, we get some nutrition from our verse for the day, our quick reading and our prayer on the way out the door. But often our hearts hunger for the “roast beef” and we don’t even recognize it.

Sluggishness sets into the soul too when we neglect good nutrition too long. Are you finding the telltale little bulges of unrest in your soul? Maybe some deposits of anger or irritation? Are lack of peace and impatience beginning to show a slow slide in your spirit?
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good”  (1 Peter 2:2.3).

Examine your spiritual diet today. Fast food is great for those crazy days once in awhile, but if it is your steady diet, your soul will be malnourished.

God longs to feed your soul. When He does your soul will find a satisfaction that will keep you going back. He provides a meal you don’t want to miss.

How do you find spiritual nutrition when you only know the way to “McDonald’s?”

Put a CD of Christian music in your car.

Read your Bible and ask God to speak to you by His Holy Spirit.

Get to a good worship service and ask His presence to touch your heart.

Take some time to pray alone and just listen.

Get into a Bible study group or find a Christian friend to talk with.

Go for a walk and pray.

Take responsibility for your spiritual condition. Real satisfaction awaits you as you crave pure spiritual food. Ask God to help you hunger for Him in new ways. He has a feast for those who linger with Him.

~Father God, today I ask that You will rekindle my hunger for You. I pray that You will lead me in new ways of knowing You. I ask that You will help me take the time to grow up in my spiritual tastes. Thank You for the nutrition You have provided in spiritual fast food, but help me to desire more. I know You have a feast for those who take the time to come. May I be one of them. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Questions: Have you been finding spiritual fast food lately? How can you take responsibility for your own spiritual growth?

About the Author:  http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/gail-rodgers/

Why take vitamins?

For decades we’ve heard that you don’t need vitamin supplements if you eat well. In our fast-paced, convenience-based lives however, it probably doesn’t hurt to top up with a supplement that’s close to the Recommended Daily Intakes or RDIs. This may be especially true for women and children who typically don’t eat as much as men. A supplement is named appropriately for its purpose; it is meant to supplement a healthy diet, not replace an unhealthy one. You still need to eat plenty of disease-fighting plant foods like beans, nuts, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, along with some milk products, meat and fish for optimal energy and long-term health.

Where should you buy vitamins?

It doesn’t matter where you buy supplements; they all contain basically the same ingredients. Most supplement companies buy their vitamins from the same small group of multinational manufacturers. What varies between brands is the amount of each nutrient and whether any extra “frills” like ginseng, ginkgo or green tea are thrown in. There is little evidence that meaningless amounts of these frills found in vitamins do anything for you. A 30-day supply of the best multivitamin/mineral supplements on the market cost between $2 and $9.

What do the fancy claims mean?

Beware of fancy claims like “high potency, super, complete or all natural” which may not mean anything. A basic brand can often contain the same nutrients as a “multi-potency” brand. There are lots of specialized formulas marketed to women, men or older adults that include names like “hair force, enhanced energy, pms forte or stresstabs.” Health Canada does not regulate these claims. Companies are on their own when it comes to making claims; consumers are on their own when it comes to interpreting them.

Are chelated minerals better?

Chelate means claw-like. In theory, a chelated mineral may be better absorbed because it is protected from binders in food. In practice however, it may not be worth the extra cost. Chelated calcium is 5-10% better absorbed but costs five times as much.

When should you take vitamins?

Most experts recommend taking them with meals for better absorption. For calcium however, take no more than 500 mg at a time, preferably at night, separate from a multivitamin. High doses of calcium can impair iron absorption. If you are on prescription medication, ask you doctor or pharmacist about the best time to take vitamin supplements.

Do children need multivitamins?

The same theory for adults applies to children in that a supplement is meant to supplement a healthy diet. Since many adult formulas supply doses which exceed the RDIs, a child over 2 years old should take a children’s multi containing vitamins, minerals and iron.

What should I look for when choosing a multivitamin?

While it is illegal in Canada to print the RDIs on supplement labels, the following tips will help you to figure out if you are getting enough of the nutrients you need in a multivitamin/mineral supplement which I refer to as a “multi.” Nutrients are expressed in a variety of units with “mg” meaning milligram, “ug” meaning microgram and “IU” meaning International Units.

• Vitamin A: you don’t need to take more than the RDI which is l,000 RE or 3,330 IU of Vitamin A palmitate or acetate. Taking more than l0,000 IU of this fat-soluble vitamin may increase the risk of birth defects.

• Beta-Carotene: if you don’t see Vitamin A on the label, you will likely see beta-carotene. The body converts beta-carotene to Vitamin A. Beta-carotene may not cause birth defects, but it has been shown to increase the risk of cancer in smokers. Best advice is to load up on green and orange fruits and vegetables instead. If you do supplement, don’t take more than l5, 000 IU beta-carotene.

• Folic Acid: look for 0.4 mg or 400 ug to help reduce the risk of birth defects like spina bifida and cleft palate. Folic acid may also help reduce risk of heart disease and colon cancer.

• Vitamin D: look for a multi with 400 IU, especially if you are over 50 years. You can also get Vitamin D from milk, fatty fish and the sun.

• Phosphorus: the less, the better. You want less than 500 mg in a multi, as most people get more phosphorus than they need from food sources.

• Iron: for those who don’t lose iron on a regular basis like men and post-menopausal women, 0-10 mg of iron is enough. Children and pre-menopausal women tend to have lower iron stores so 10-14 mg is safe. Too much iron can be constipating and nobody should take more unless their doctor says so. Red meat and organ meats are high sources of dietary iron.

• Iodine, Manganese, Chloride, Molybdenum, Boron, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid: ignore these. There is no evidence that you need more than food supplies.

• Nickel, Silicon, Tin, Vanadium: ignore these. We’re not sure if they’re needed in humans at all.

• Copper and Zinc: make sure your multi has some of each. Look for 9 mg zinc and 2 mg copper. Too much zinc can impair absorption of copper and can even depress your immune system. Taking high doses of zinc has not been shown to shorten a cold. It’s safer to suck on a zinc lozenge.

Courtesy of Fraser Valley Health Region Community Nutrition located in Abbotsford, BC Canada