Missionary diet??

I am trying to figure out the most simple way to eat. I'm not a nutritionist nor have I been a health conscious eater for a large part of my life. Being for times given over to worldly eating like Coke and cheeseburgers and things as the norm. So, I'm still working past things. Also, as I get older I become more health conscious in regards to weight, energy, and general health. I thought about farming, but I think that at least at this time it is a waste of time though it may be good to know how just in case one has to. I also recently thought of something that brought further clarity to me. I remember how I used to wear worldly clothes and I was enamored with having certain labels on them and ect. In light of that while looking in a grocery store I thought to myself that all the brand name foods with all the packaging and marketing and designing and luxurious creations are the same in many ways to worldly clothes. We are often from a debased culture given over to excess and connected to the spirit of this world. It is such the norm to us that we do not even see it until it is somehow revealed to us. Whereas the norm are I believe those in other countries who live much off of vegetables and rice and less meats and such. I know that God has allowed us to eat meat but I do not think it is God's ideal will therefore we should not gorge ourselves with it as many westerners do. I am sure there are other things.

Again, my main question is in what way can I most simply eat? So as not to spend a lot and and spend a lot of time and also just to not overly indulge my flesh so that I can more so carry a life after the spirit. I think another thing is how can I eat most simply and yet be sure that I am getting enough nutritional supplement? Can I take vitamins, eat beans and rice, trail mix, or vegetables. Or maybe there is an option of food that does not take much cooking with fire and refrigerations and such. I once saw a homeless man and in some sense he convicted me because he just lived off a couple simple meals that would cost barely anything maybe a dollar and slept outside and walked and lived okay on basically nothing.

I also know that much of my eating is driven from drug like substances which addict me like sugars and carbs and such which cause much of my distortion of diet apart from simple sacrificial godliness.

Brother, I think you are over thinking this entire thing. If you are wanting to know how you can eat very well off very little, you should probably visit a nutritionist. However, I'm concerned you think there is such a thing as a "missionary diet." I'm also worried you consider things like "cheeseburgers" and brand name foods as "worldly." I believe you are attempting to be spiritual, and mean well, but in the end what you are looking to do is only psudeo-spiritual and without Biblical support.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to live simply. We should all do such. Nor should we over indulge in food. However, you should be sure to eat well, according to the degree that the Lord has blessed you. There is no virtue or anything spiritual in being an ascetic or eating like a person who is homeless or lives in a third world country. Such an attitude of "touch not, taste not" is condemned in Colossians 2 as having the appearance of spirituality and wisdom, but Paul says is actually carnality.

Heck, even Christ "lived it up" when it came to eating. He ate and drank so much, that the Pharisees accused him of being a drunkard and glutton. Of course, he was not these things, and these were false accusations. But one thing is for sure, they did not accuse him of being an ascetic when it came towards food.

Additionally, in 1 Corinthians we read of the church holding a weekly "love feast." Notice the word "FEAST." An abundance of food and drink marked these events. They were not lean and simple. How do we know that? Because some brothers and sisters were taking advantage of the feast, abusing it, and getting drunk. There was room for over indulgence should one have chosen to do so.

We should rejoice and be thankful for the food that we can eat. Even more so if we can afford to eat well. Personally speaking, I'm a 27 year old male. I eat off about $120-200 a month. $120 if I just eat from what I make at home. $200 if I grab something while I'm out and about. I eat about 2 full meals a day. I usually eat a decent breakfast, a hearty lunch, and then a very lite dinner. I eat pretty simply for the most part. But, I try to eat well whenever I do, especially since my job requires me to be on my feed 8 hours a day. I would like to spend a little more on food, but, I live on a tight budget, and cannot afford to do so. I am pretty happy with what I eat, but it is below the standard of food I was raised on.

Whatever conviction one has in these things, let him be happy before it in the Lord.

My husband has recently begun treatment for diabetes and I have been doing all the study I can to diet. I found this site http://www.biblelife.org/biblediet.htm
It was very illuminating.

One of the things we have decided to do is to eliminate all the 'chemicals' we can from the food we prepare. No diet soda (Aspartame is a deadly poision) or artificial sweetener. No glutamates, Google the term, they are poision (and in every manufactured product and listed under "Natural Ingredients") or MSG. Google [u]Aspartame makes you hungry[/u] and see the dirty secrets.

Either eat food, or don't eat.
If you get it through the window of your car, it's NOT FOOD.
If you get it out of a machine, it's NOT FOOD.
If you get it from a convenience store, it's NOT FOOD.
If you can't pronounce the names of the ingredients, it's NOT FOOD.

As a consequence of all this study my husband's Blood Glucose level has dropped considerably. We have practically eliminated carbohydrates. Eat eggs, meats, Cheese and beans (cooked from dry beans - nothing from a can or box). The food tastes great and it is simple to prepare a meal.

Hope this helps, remember, it is only how we are doing it right now. It is a learning process and we are continuing to pray for guidance and illumination. As that progresses, I imagine our diet will alter accordingly.

Kind regards,
white stone

I would agree with KingJimmy's reply, we must be careful not to fall in to the trap of legalism, thinking that eating more sparingly or simply somehow makes us more spiritual. And, once in a while, it is a good thing to eat "a lot". Feasts are inevitable, no matter what country or culture you're from. There are always going to be times when getting together with friends/family and stuffing yourself (though not engaging in gluttony) is appropriate.

However, if you're worried about taking care of your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, there are a lot of good resources out there. As White Stone said, you can start by eliminating the toxins that are in most processed foods: MSG (goes by many different names), aspartame, refined flour, refined sugar, chemical additives and preservatives, etc. Even salt is harmful to the body--at the amount that the average American eats it, anyway. Only a small amount is needed per day.

A good rule of thumb is to eat as FRESH, ORGANIC, and RAW as possible. Pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are harmful, and cooking kills off the vital vitamins, minerals and enzimes in fruits and vegetables. Buy as much organic green, leafy vegetables as you can (spinach, kale, green leaf lettuce, etc.), they are superfoods. Organic produce is more expensive, but the leafy vegetables are usually not that much more expensive. Salads are easy to make and won't take too much of your time.

As far as rice: get brown rice. If you eat meats: let it be organic and grass-fed. Most commercial meats are laden with antibiotics, hormones, and chemical preservatives. Dairy products: raw, unpasteurized milk from grass-fed cows if you can find it. Either way, natural plain yogurt is good for the body and digestion. Grains: you really don't need that much, but make your own wheat bread if you have to. Oatmeal is a better option; it's cheap, healthy and easy to prepare.

Here's a page that shows you how to eat healthy for $12 a week. The prices are a bit outdated, but it still costs pretty cheap, I've tried this myself.

http://www.doctoryourself.com/eatwellcheap.html

That main website will also give you invaluable information about vitamin and mineral supplements.
Hope all this info helps.

It should also be noted that eating healthy in this country, especially organic is far more expensive than eating cheap. $4 will get you a lot more of hamburger than anything organic. Once I went on a "Daniel's Fast" which was pretty much just 40 days of veggies, beans, and soup. Yet to eat enough to satisfy the needs of my body, I pretty much had to spend double on my groceries.

Honey, unprocessed (raw) 1/2lb. @ $1.69/lb $.85

Yesterday I bought 1lb of raw honey for $7.19! My how times have changed. :-(

However, that is a very interesting site and worthwhile to visit! Thanks for the link.

ws

It should also be noted that eating healthy in this country, especially organic is far more expensive than eating cheap.

Yes, it's one of the ironic, yet tragic realities of living in the most industrialized country in the world. Going back to "nature" and getting rid of the poisons from your diet can many times cost you more!
Ideally, we should grow our own fruits and vegetables. That will save a lot of money. Or it may just be that you need to rearrange your budget a bit...you may be spending too much on sugars and junk food, and as a result not have enough to buy healthy food. Get rid of the bad stuff, and use that money to buy the good stuff.

Another option is to compromise a bit. Check out the following:

Shopper's Guide to Pesticides:
http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php

It lists the top 47 fruits and vegetables with pesticides, from highest pesticide load to lowest. Those with the highest pesticide load you can buy organic, and those with the lowest you can just buy conventional.

Meat and potatos. Preferably Ribeye. Maybe a little shrimp scampi sautéed in butter. Steamed broccoli with garlic.

Brings a smile to my face everytime. :-)

Going back to "nature" and getting rid of the poisons from your diet can many times cost you more!

I explained this to a friend of mine recently who is from Hong Kong, and accustomed to eating much more healthy than we are here. The reason for this is simply the law of supply and demand. There is simply a bigger demand for Big Macs than Caesar salads. There also happens to be an abundance of cows to meet the demand.

Thanks I will try and check some of these things out.