Proverbs 13:25 teaches that God provides the righteous enough to satisfy their stomach. The word satisfy in this verse is so-bah in the Hebrew and it means full. It is elsewhere translated abundance and fully satisfied.
This means that God wants you to enjoy plenty of food. What an important principle in the discussion of moderation!
Eating moderately does not mean we have to starve or eat just enough to stay alive. God provides us with an abundance of food — and we should take advantage of His provision.
Last week we wrote about the dangers of overeating. Today we will explore the dangers of under-eating — or not eating enough.
There are several ways that we can be starving ourselves of the nutrition we need. I wrote about this topic here: How to Starve to Death on a Full Stomach. The body requires a certain amount of nutrients to function properly. One doctor has identified 90 necessary nutrients for life:
- 60 essential minerals
- 16 essential vitamins
- 12 essential amino acids
- and 3 essential fatty acids
Of course the main source for these nutrients is in the food that God has created for us to be enjoyed with thanksgiving. And if we are not getting the necessary nutrients, our bodies will suffer sickness or disease.
Unfortunately, I learned this lesson the hard way. On a recent long-term reduced calorie diet, I counted every calorie that went into my body — but I wasn’t counting the nutrients. It was a mistake. Thankfully, I lost 30 pounds! But losing weight means nothing if you are not healthy. And I found myself deficient in certain nutrients, which caused some unpleasant health issues that I am now combatting. Yes. We need to make sure we are getting all the proper nutrition in our food.
There are certain life-style choices that must be avoided if we are to get enough nutrition for our bodies to function properly. Here is a short list of things to avoid or correct:
- Bulimia and anorexia are often considered medical disorders. But the case can be made that they are rooted in sin. Bulimia had a hold on me for many years in my younger days. I wanted to remain skinny while eating as much food as I desired. So I’d eat the food then purge it in various ways. It wrecked havoc on my health through poor nutrition. Some of the medical conditions I experienced due to this abuse of my body were regular vagus nerve attacks, arthritis, stomach pain, severe constipation that led to a visit to the E.R., and hypoglycemia. My body was not getting the nutrition it needed to thrive. I finally stopped purging when I realized it was a sin. God delivered me instantly. All glory to Him! Read my testimony here.
- Calorie restriction to lose weight over a prolonged period of time can cause the body to suffer poor nutrition. This too I experienced firsthand recently (as mentioned above in How to Starve to Death on a Full Stomach). Thankfully I have corrected my course and am now counting calories AND nutrients.
- Poor diet is even more maniacal than calorie restriction. A poor diet not only withholds needed nutrition from the body, it introduces harmful toxins as well. Your body must work extra hard to remove these toxins that were never intended to be eaten. Without the proper nutrition to function optimally, toxin removable can become impossible and cause a host of problems. Read more about how the body addresses toxins here: Crazy thing my Gremlins Taught me about Antioxidants.
- Poor digestion can stop the body from getting the nutrition it needs to be healthy. All the wonderful life-giving foods in the world will not deliver nutrients to your blood and cells, if your digestive system is damaged due to abuse or other factors. Read more about digestion here: 7 BIG Problems Caused by a Fatigued Digestive System. If your digestion is poor, it can recover. Digestion is a major issue we discuss in our Biblical Principles of Wellness.
Since we are merely stewards of these bodies that God has given to us, we must strive to nourish them the best we can. In so doing, we honor Him! It was He who inspired Proverbs 13:25: “The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite.” And He has ordained the means to accomplish it!
The next post in this series will introduce the clear biblical connection between food and nourishment. See you then!
Next: Which Type of Eater Are You?
Return to: Biblical Health Study
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Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.
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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
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© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
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