Type 2 diabetic Cindy Swanson loves low-carb living
Sometimes it feels like I've been blogging about livin' la vida low-carb forever, but there was a life for me prior to my 180-pound weight loss and subsequent career path I am now enjoying. Looking back at all those old jobs I have had--customer service, retail, marketing, management, political writer, short order cook, busboy, and a lot more jobs that I don't care to even remember--all of them prepared me for the work I am doing now serving the needs of my readers and I am grateful for the training I received from each of those.
But there was one particular job that I especially enjoyed during the 1990s that has come in handy for my podcast show and other speaking engagements that I am able to do. I was an on-air radio personality at a contemporary Christian music radio station in Virginia Beach, VA and even hosted a weekly show featuring the top songs in Christian music called "The Christian Hits Countdown." Even then I was always trying to be creative and I dreamed of doing bigger and better things in the future. Today I am living that dream. :)
Doing radio sounds so easy--just sit in a comfortable chair behind a microphone, press the play button on the CD player and talk into the microphone every once in a while. But it's so much more than that as Cindy Swanson from Positive Hit Radio 101QFL in Rockford, IL can personally attest to. She's half of the morning team at the radio station and is very good at what she does. It looks like a simple job, but there are certain stresses that come with radio announcing that you don't even want to talk about (and it has nothing at all to do with that chatty listener who likes to call you every now and then to talk and talk and talk right in the middle of your show...did I mention they like to talk?).
Why am I sharing about a Christian radio announcer today? Because Cindy Swanson was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes last year and has become VERY interested in the healthy low-carb lifestyle. She found my blog from a recent post I did with former "Biggest Loser" contestant Julie Hadden and was curious to find out I am a Christian who likes many of the same Christian artists that she does (I list them under "Favorite Music" in my blog profile). So she contacted me and told me about her fabulous blog "Notes in the Key of Life".
I enjoyed reading her blog and requested an interview with her to discuss how she handled learning she has Type 2 diabetes and what plan of action she is taking to bring it under control (she's livin' la vida low-carb, baby!). I'll be sharing that interview at my podcast later this month. Cindy also asked if she could interview me for her weekend spotlight show and I was delighted to have the opportunity to share about my healthy low-carb weight loss success with her listeners. You can listen to the entire 20-minute interview Cindy conducted with me by clicking here.
Cindy was also kind enough to blog about me and the work I am doing on behalf of low-carb living and I am grateful for her kindness and support. She is the perfect example of someone who NEEDS to be livin' la vida low-carb to control her diabetes and help her shed the pounds. By the grace of God and His guidance in her life, I have no doubt that she will live a long and healthy life with her diabetes under control and at the weight she was meant to be.
THANK YOU Cindy for featuring my story at your blog and on your radio station there in Rockport, IL. I am honored to have readers like you out there championing the cause of Christ as well as the positive message of livin' la vida low-carb. I can't wait to share my interview with you and appreciate all of the kindness and support you have given me since we met two months ago. God bless you and keep doing the work of the Lord within your sphere of influence. I appreciate you!!! :)
It's seems like light years ago now, but before my livin' la vida low-carb days I used to be actively involved in the Christian music industry in the 1990's. While I was attending graduate school at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA beginning in 1993 at the age of 21, I was privileged to be able to meet and know quite a few of the most famous singers and performers in contemporary Christian music thanks in part to my gig as a radio disc jockey and later as the music buyer for a major Christian retail chain.
Because I absolutely fell in love with Christian music while still attending The University of Tennessee at Martin from 1989-1992, I was thrilled to have the chance to work at a Christian radio station on Virginia Beach Boulevard called WODC 88.5FM The Lighthouse (the station changed the call letters to WJLZ The Current in 2003 when it updated to become a more progressive Christian music station) where I hosted my own weekly countdown show called "The Christian Hits Countdown." Featuring the latest top 20 songs in contemporary Christian music, I became well acquainted with the biggest and the best artists producing the songs that inspired and uplifted people of faith.
Additionally, I started out working part-time at Christmas while still pursuing my Master's degree in the mid-1990's at a pretty major regional Christian bookstore chain in Virginia called Heaven & Earth and eventually worked my way up to my store's music expert then manager and then music buyer and marketing manager for the entire chain of 16 stores. It was a very cool job to have (didn't pay much, but the fringe benefits were VERY nice!).
One of those benefits included meeting the top artists in the world of Christian music. And if you think Christian music is just a bunch of boring hymns and sappy twangy ballads, then you don't know what you've been missing. The rise of contemporary Christian music in the early 1990's brought us some truly amazing artists with a heart for God and reaching the younger generation with music that appeals to them. The biggest names included dc Talk, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, The Newsboys, Jars of Clay, and so many more I could just keep naming. But one man stood above the rest when it came to excellence in creating engaging Christian music--Steven Curtis Chapman.
Here's an old photo of (fat) me and SCC in the late 1990's
What a true godsend this multi-Dove Award (the Christian Grammy award) winning artist has been in my own life encouraging me with such stirring songs as "The Great Adventure," "His Strength Is Perfect," "Dive," "Signs of Life," "Speechless," "Let Us Pray"...the list just goes on and on. Steven is the most highly-decorated and honored Christian music ambassador there is. Every time I have met him over the years, the immediate thing you notice is his humility. He does what he does because he has a Savior who loves him and was willing to die on a cross for his sins. That act of selfless love is what drives Steven Curtis Chapman to share his talents with those who are lost and dying and don't even know it as well as bring believers closer to God.
When the infamous Columbine shootings happened in April 1999, I was in Nashville, Tennessee for Gospel Music Association week where Steven was scheduled to attend to promote his new album entitled Speechless. But as soon as he heard about this tragedy in Littleton, Colorado, Steven canceled his promo tour with the Christian music industry to offer words of comfort and solace for the families of the victims singing a song he was inspired to write for them called "With Hope." That's just the kind of person Steven Curtis Chapman is and he has always been there to offer the peace that passes all understanding for grieving victims of life's circumstances.
That's why it pains me today to report that Steven's 5-year old adopted daughter from China was killed yesterday when her older brother accidentally backed into her with the family SUV. Steven and his wife Mary Beth have three biological children as well as three adopted children from China. They are so committed to providing solid loving homes for orphans in China that they set up an adoption assistance organization called Shaohannah's Hope, named after the Chapman's oldest adopted daughter. The news of Maria's sudden and tragic death is stunning and a reminder of the fragility of life.
You can see how much Steven loved Maria in this YouTube video he posted last month while washing the dishes with his beloved daughter:
Ironically, Steven's latest release to Christian radio is a song called "Cinderella" which he wrote for his two little ones, Maria and Stevey Joy. Here's the music video and story behind the song that will break your heart in light of their great loss this week:
Here are the lyrics to "Cinderella" which somehow take on even more meaning now than Steven probably ever thought they would:
She spins and she sways To whatever song plays Without a care in the world And I'm sitting here wearing The weight of the world on my shoulders
It's been a long day And there's still work to do She's pulling at me Saying "Dad, I need you
There's a ball at the castle And I've been invited And I need to practice my dancing Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
So I will dance with Cinderella While she is here in my arms 'Cause I know something the prince never knew Oh, I will dance with Cinderella I don't want to miss even one song 'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight And she'll be gone...
She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed She wants to know if I approve of the dress She says, "Dad, the prom is just one week away And I need to practice my dancing Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
So I will dance with Cinderella While she is here in my arms 'Cause I know something the prince never knew Oh, I will dance with Cinderella I don't want to miss even one song 'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight And she'll be gone
She will be gone
Well, she came home today with a ring on her hand Just glowing and telling us all they had planned She says, "Dad, the wedding's still six months away But I need to practice my dancing Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
So I will dance with Cinderella While she is here in my arms 'Cause I know something the prince never knew Oh, I will dance with Cinderella I don't want to miss even one song 'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight And she'll be gone
Rest in peace Maria Sue Chapman (2003-2008)
Today, Maria Sue Chapman may be gone, but she's dancing with Jesus in heaven. Remember the Chapman family in your prayers during this very difficult time as they try to make sense of all that has happened. A tribute blog in memory of Maria has been set up to communicate messages of love and support for the Chapman family as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death with one of their children. You can send cards of condolences to Steven Curtis Chapman and his family by writing to P.O. Box 150156 Nashville, TN 37215. They are requesting in lieu of flowers that any gifts be directed to the Shaohannah's Hope web site or by sending in your check directly to Shaohannah's Hope, c/o Maria's Miracle Fund, P.O. Box 647, Franklin TN, 37065.
Steven, hold strong to your faith, trust God's eternal wisdom for what has happened, and continue living your life as the amazing testimony you are for the glory of the God Almighty who gave you the privilege of having Maria in your life. We love you and will remember you in our prayers during this difficult time. God bless The Chapmans!
In Episode 85 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," we talk about the role that God can play in your weight loss efforts. Being a Christian is not a requirement for being successful on your low-carb plan, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have His support on your side through this battle.
Hear about how the Lord gets you through the emotional and physical ups and downs that come from going through this process by clicking on the "Play In Popup" link below or by downloading it to your iPod:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 85 [12:37m]: Play in Popup | Download
Weight loss is something that so many of us have tried desperately to achieve in our lives, mostly with futile results. What's been missing? Why haven't we triumphed over our obesity? While you can't overlook finding the right diet that will work for you (which has been low-carb for so many of us!), let's not forget the weight loss aide that's been there for us all along--God.
When you put your faith and trust in the Almighty Creator of the Universe, He promises to be there for you through every struggle, every heartache, and every pain you encounter. So why not give Him control and dominion over your desire to shed the pounds, too? It makes sense to do this, although many Christians are stubborn and try to do it on their own because they don't want to bother God with something small like this. But go ahead, I'm sure He doesn't mind. :)
Whether you are at a computer or on the go, get this podcast anytime by:
Have you found your relationship with God has helped you deal with losing weight better than if you didn't know Him? Or if you do not believe in God, then how are you able to deal with the struggles that come from attempting weight loss? Share your thoughts about it and let's hear how God has worked for you to overcome your obesity.
If you'd like to learn more about how God can become the cornerstone of your life, then simply call toll-free 888-NEED-HIM or go to 888NeedHim.com. If you ever have any questions about God or how He can help you lose weight, then I am more than happy to talk with you about it. Drop me an e-mail at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and I'll do my best to answer your questions.
Dr. Don Colbert applies his Biblical worldview to health
While God most certainly played a role in my nearly 200-pound weight loss on the Atkins diet in 2004, you are not necessarily required to be a Christian in order for the diet (or ANY diet!) to work. I've been asked questions like "Do you have to be religious to do your diet?" by well-meaning members of the secular media when I bring up the role of my faith in my journey towards better health.
The short answer is "no," but it certainly helps to have the power of the Almighty Creator on your side for those times when you need His divine strength to carry you through the valleys that most certainly come when you try to lose weight. If you've ever gone through a weight loss experience without support, then you know exactly how hard it can be. You need a friend that sticks closer than a brother to be there for you when you need Him the most.
What if you could invest a mere 10-15 minutes a day for less than two months of you life and learn practical Biblical advice about improving your health? Would you be interested in learning more about it? If you are a Christian or desire to do something positive and productive about your weight and health, then of course you would.
That's precisely why prolific Christian author Dr. Don Colbert wrote his bestselling book entitled The Seven Pillars Of Health: The Natural Way To Better Health For Life. This 50-day all-inclusive health manual will empower you with tons of information that can be absorbed and immediately applied into your life to bring about big changes in a short period of time. This could be the miracle you have been praying for.
Dr. Colbert is well-known as the premier "health doctor" within Christian circles. I remember selling many of his other 30-something titles when I was working in Christian bookstores in the mid-to-late 1990s. He is highly-regarded for making complex medical conditions and treatments understandable to the common person as you will quickly find out when you read this book.
1. WATER 2. SLEEP AND REST 3. LIVING FOOD 4. EXERCISE 5. DETOXIFICATION 6. NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS 7. COPING WITH STRESS
This book reads like a daily devotional journal providing you with a few power-packed pages at a time to soak in the message Dr. Colbert wants to share with you. Each chapter (or "pillar") takes about a week to go through, so you are able to meditate and fully concentrate on one concept at a time. I enjoyed this format because the lessons you learned the first day were then reinforced on the next and the next to complement your health education. More books need to be written this way!
There's some real eye-opening content in this book that you are just gonna have to read to believe. If I didn't already drink upwards of 1-2 gallons of water a day already, then you bet your sweet bippy I'd be guzzling it like it was going out of style after reading the water chapter. I don't think people have any idea just how crucial fresh water is to their health. I'll drink to that!
At the end of each day's journal, you get a nice little wrap-up of the major points in that section with Dr. Colbert's "Building Blocks To A Healthy Life." Consider it your Cliff's Notes version of the content you just read and the take home message he doesn't want you to forget. There's the "Points To Ponder" as well as the practical application under the "Action Step" that allow you to begin using the information in your own life right away.
Another eye-catching feature of this book is the "Dr. Colbert Approved" or "Dr. Colbert Recommended" check marks with straight-up advice for people to follow directly from the good doctor himself. For people who need direction that slaps them in the face, these frequent helpful hints lay it all out clearly and easily for everyone to see. Additionally, there are also extra boxes with essential information to lead you by the hand to making The Seven Pillars Of Health your new way of life.
Although this book isn't as blatantly against the Atkins low-carb diet as other "Bible-based" health programs are, Dr. Colbert does get in a few comments that had me raising my eyebrows just a bit. For example, in the SLEEP AND REST chapter, he mentions low-carb diets as a reason why you can't get a good night's sleep because they allegedly "create a low-blood-sugar reaction, causing you to awaken in the middle of the night."
Um, what in the world are you talking about, Dr. Colbert? I've been eating this way for three years and the only thing that wakes me up in the middle of the night is the porcelain goddess and that beautiful snoring creature on the other side of my bed! Sure, some low-carbers MAY experience hypoglycemic reactions at some point when they are livin' la vida low-carb, but don't paint us all with a broad brush and make it universally true. It clearly is not.
There are some other issues that I disagree with him in The Seven Pillars Of Health (especially regarding saturated fat intake, artificial sweeteners, and meat consumption), but overall there are some redeeming qualities about the book that I cannot overlook either. His shunning of junk carbs, including sugar and white flour, is a major plus as well as the promotion of organic foods and proper supplementation. And the chapter on COPING WITH STRESS alone is worth getting this book!
Scripture verses are sprinkled throughout to back up all the information that Dr. Colbert is providing. You can tell he took calculated steps to ensure that everything he was sharing was grounded in the Word of God. I can appreciate that fine attention to detail to get it right because he is honoring the Lord with the information he is sharing. I especially enjoyed the "appreciation list" and the "day of jubilee" because they pay tribute to God's providential hand in all things, including health.
I wanted to share a brief passage from The Seven Pillars Of Health that sadly illustrates where we are regarding health in the United States and why we need more books like this one and doctors like Don Colbert speaking out with the truth about diet and health:
"A woman walked into my office weighing nearly three hundred pounds. It was the first time I'd seen her. Her back was slightly bent with osteoporosis, and she was suffering from arthritis and shortness of breath so severe that she had to move very slowly. I examined her, performed lab work, a chest X-ray, and an EKG, and I found she had angina, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and other obesity-related problems. Her cholesterol was even over 300.
'I eat the four basic food groups,' she told me. 'I don't understand why I gained fifty pounds over the past year.'
I asked her what specifically she ate. 'Well, I fast every morning,' she began. 'I miss breakfast. Then for lunch I have my four food groups--a Quarter-Pounder with cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a bun. Sometimes I have a jelly sandwich made with strawberry preserves, too. So I get my fruit.
'For dinner,' she said, "I'm a meat-and-potatoes woman. I get my vegetables from potatoes, and I love T-bone steaks. So that satisfies my meat group requirement. I always include bread for my grains, and I put lots of butter on it to meet my needs for the dairy group. And I like a tall glass of orange juice or grape juice for my fruit group needs.'
I was stunned almost to silence. No wonder she was obese and had a host of medical problems."
WOW! Isn't that amazing! It really makes you wonder how many people are living in American today who think just like this patient that saw Dr. Colbert that they are eating healthy when very clearly they are eating themselves to sickness and even death! That's why it is so vitally important to constantly build on what you have already learned about healthy living and never settle for what everyone else is doing.
If that was working so well, then why is two-thirds of our nation overweight or obese, hmmm? Regardless of how we got there, it's high time we do something about our weight and health as a society before we destroy ourselves physically, economically, and even spiritually. Read The Seven Pillars Of Health to find out how we can break this disturbing trend as soon as possible.
God's Word is being used by some to justify a vegetarian diet
In the arena of ideas about diet and health, I can't help but notice a trend lately within Christian circles to start talking about weight loss from the perspective of what God would have humans eat from a Biblical perspective. For those who are nonbelievers, this kind of discussion is a non sequitur since the concept of a Creator and His instruction manual for living life are completely foreign to them.
But with tens of millions of Bible-believing, God-fearing Christians in the United States alone, anyone who quotes Scripture and makes an assertion about a subject based on verses from the Bible will at least capture the attention of the faith-based crowd and quite possibly convince them that they are right.
I've previously featured three examples of this at my blog where nutritional advice was provided and allegedly based upon certain verses in the Word of God:
I have to wonder how many people have listened to people like Meinz, Shamblin, and Malkmus thinking their perspective on how a Christian SHOULD eat is the right thing to do. After all, if it's based on Scripture, then it must be God's way, right? Again, I know this doesn't matter a hill of beans to people who don't believe in God or in the infallibility of the Bible. But this is a very big deal to people of faith who rely on the Word of God to direct every aspect of their daily lives.
One of my skeptical readers who supports vegetarianism on Biblical grounds told me about a religious program she saw recently called It Is Written and the topic of discussion was this very subject I am blogging about today. The gentleman who was interviewed on the program by Shawn Boonstra was Dr. Fred Hardinge described as "a specialist in the field of health and nutrition."
Dr. Hardinge contends that God would have us all be vegetarians
Dr. Hardinge gave a rather lengthy dissertation about what he believes is the proper diet for a Christian to be eating according to what he sees are the standards of the Bible. As a supporter of livin' la vida low-carb and the amazing transformation it has brought about in my life personally, I cannot adequately communicate to you how disappointing it was to read the transcript of this utter nonsense from a supposed authority on diet and health. The worst part is he claims this is Biblical! ARGH!
Check out just a couple of excerpts from this interview:
FRED: And this was the menu given in the Garden of Eden, where man was first created and brought into existence.
SHAWN: So it’s here, the herb bearing seed and the fruit of the tree. We’re talking about fruits and vegetables?
FRED: I believe we are also talking about grains as well, and probably nuts, which is really the fruit of a tree.
SHAWN: Absolutely.
FRED: And so we have fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts. Later, after the Flood, as recorded in Scripture, we see that things that are grown in the ground like legumes were also added to the diet.
SHAWN: That sounds an awful lot like the nutritional recommendations coming out of government agencies today.
FRED: Well, it’s amazing, but that is absolutely true. It’s particularly amazing to me having been involved in nutrition for almost 30 years. When I think back on my training in the early years, there was not the emphasis that there is today on eating those foods, particularly the recognition of how important they are in preventing many of the chronic diseases that are afflicting man today.
SHAWN: Now I can’t help but notice as I’m looking at this list, there are some foods that, frankly aren’t there, that are missing from the list. We have fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts and so on. What’s missing from that list?
FRED: Well, I think we’d have to say that the animal products are missing from that list.
SHAWN: Yeah. It’s very hard for me to imagine, of course, in the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve chasing a cow with a knife through the Garden. So obviously it was a plant-based diet. ************************ SHAWN: Now, I’ve heard some people say that God insists everybody must be vegetarian. We know that isn’t true. Jesus ate the Passover lamb and fish and so on. But the general recommendation seems to be we ought to go plant-based. It seems to be the best fuel for us.
FRED: I think that’s the way the world of science is moving; that our diet should be primarily plant-based.
As a Christian, can I just tell you how insulting statements like those are not only to my intelligence but also to my faith? It's quite a leap of faith (all pun intended!) to assume that God wants his children to live on a plant-based diet alone (see Regina Wilshire's excellent post about this subject from last week) when this "government-recommended diet" that is so highly lauded by people like Dr. Hardinge has only led to higher and higher rates of obesity and disease over the past few decades.
Meanwhile, you look at the cultures where animal fat is the mainstay of the diet, like in France, and what do you see? They have MUCH lower rates of heart disease than America. How about that? But we don't hear about facts like this in our fat-phobic society because the overriding message, even from a secular standpoint, is low-fat, low-calorie, portion control centered around fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Speaking of secular, this discussion sorta begs the question: What sets a Christian diet apart from what "the world" is promoting? As it stands right now, absolutely NOTHING at all. But if believers in God are supposed to be "salt and light," then how can we do that by going along with what this sinful world is already doing, hmmm? Aren't we called to be "in the world, but not of it?" It sounds to me like the vegetarian movement has taken a strong foothold in Christian health circles.
My point here is not to condemn anyone who chooses to eat a vegetarian diet based on their own convictions whether they are Bible-based or otherwise. But I simply want to assert my belief that God would have his creation simply "honor the temple of the Holy Spirit," which is your body by not defiling it with anything that might destroy it. To me, that means avoiding foods like sugar, high fructose corn syrup, processed foods, fast food, junk food, and anything else that would bring on disease and weight gain rendering you unable to bring glory to God with your life.
Finding a way to eat that works for you, sticking with that plan and praying for God to strengthen you during your weight loss, continue eating that way to keep your physical body from disease, and living a long and healthy life so you can serve God better--that's what I call honoring God. I really don't think He expects his creation to live on plants alone.
When I weighed 410 pounds before starting on the Atkins diet in 2004, I was clearly not honoring God with my body. The sin of gluttony has full control over me and every way I tried to overcome that (including the overly-hyped recommended low-fat diet) fell miserably short of the mark. But then livin' la vida low-carb came into my life, helped me shed 180 pounds that year, restored my health, and set my life in a direction that I believe is pleasing in the eyes of God. I give Him all the praise and glory for helping me overcome a lifetime struggle with my weight.
But, does the Bible consider the Atkins diet a sin? Some think so.
According to vegetarians who are also Christian, Romans 14 gives them the basis for shunning meat while embracing vegetables as the only acceptable food on God's one true diet. The following is the New International Version of that Scripture passage:
1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:
"'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"
12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
At first glance of this passage from the New Testament of the Bible, some Christians may be led to believe God would have them give up meat altogether. But if you read what the apostle Paul wrote carefully, then you will notice he was not making that point at all.
In verse 14, he wrote "I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself." He was asserting that meat was completely acceptable for consumption despite his previous teachings about idol worship of animals. In other words, this had nothing at all to do with animal consumption, but rather animal sacrifice.
You'll also notice the reference in verse 20 that "all food is clean." The Greek word katharos (clean) was used for all sorts of definitions meaning purity and cleanliness including clean dishes (Matthew 23:26), people (John 13:10), clothing (Revelation 15:6; 19:8, 14), "pure" religion (James 1:27), gold and glass (Revelation 21:18).
Food isn't even mentioned in either verse 14 or 20 and the word "meat" does not appear in the original text. In fact, no specific object is ever mentioned relative to cleanness or uncleanness at all in these Scripture verses.
What I take from these passages from Romans 14 is that "nothing is unclean" and "all is clean." I hate to break it to all my vegetarian believers in God out there, but that would include the food they abhor the most--meat. Paul was making is very clear that any association of food with idolatrous activity had no bearing whatsoever on whether the food was suitable for eating. So meat isn't to be avoided Biblically as has so often been erroneously attributed by well-meaning people.
Do any Christians reading this want to weigh in on this discussion? If you are livin' la vida low-carb, then how does it make you feel to hear all these so-called Biblical reasons why you should be eating a vegetarian diet?
Perhaps you are a Christian vegetarian and would like to further explain why you believe vegetarianism is God's one and only recommended diet. I'm curious, do you believe those of us who are following the Atkins diet are engaged in active sin for eating meat? Do you likewise believe that meat eaters will be going to Hell for consuming animals? I'm VERY curious to know what you think.
This should be a fun topic and I welcome any and all opinions.
2-20-07 UPDATE: FINALLY, I got a response from one of my readers at Low-Carb Newsline who read this post and is a Christian vegetarian. This is quite lengthy, but it'll give you everything you wanted to know about what so many from this ilk actually believe the Bible says regarding diet. Hold on to your hats, folks, because this one's a real doozy!
It is doubtful that any civilization in history has ever been nearly as cruel as America is now to its animals. Completely unnecessary massacres that would probably not happen on the Planet of the Apes are running rampant in our so called modern, cultured, compassionate society. What does this say about the greatness and moral progress in America?
The following quotation proves that if the United States Congress was made up of people like Dr. Neal D. Barnard, there would be no factory farms or slaughterhouses in America.
"The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of real food for real people, you'd better live real close to a real good hospital." -- Neal D. Barnard, M.D. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington D.C.
If you believe in God and believe in the following words that were written in the old testament of the first Hebrew Bible which reveals Gods first commission on the sixth day of creation, when God had created everything including land animals and humans, then you will understand why God - who is the supreme symbol of kindness, life and love – unequivocally wants factory farms and slaughterhouses to close.
Let's begin way back when God first gave us this commission, on the sixth day of creation, when He had created everything including land animals and Man [humans].
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES: Genesis 1:24-30
24. Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures [souls] after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.
To help us to better understand our commission of dominion over the earth and all that it contains, we should look at the original Hebrew wording of this passage:
24. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the soul of life according to its kind, cattle, and creepers, and its beasts of the earth, according to its kind.
Nowhere in this passage does it refer to creatures, but living souls, neh-fesh hahyawh, the exact same wording by which humans are called.
Has the Bible been deliberately mistranslated, because humans were afraid to admit that other animals also have souls?
Could this have happened because humans have not ruled over the other animals with love and compassion, but rather brutalized them.
25. And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
And God saw that it was good that He had made all these different kinds of animals, each individually as a living soul.
It was only after seeing the goodness of His other created beings, that God turned His attention to the creation of Man.
26. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our Image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28. And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.
When God says to subdue the earth and its other living souls, He does not mean to overpower it or them, for our own selfish uses, but to subdue it from the forces of evil, and this is how the word "subdue" is used every other place in the Hebrew Bible.
Our position of rule is to be a respectful and caring one; one filled with love and compassion for all the goodness God has made.
We are to help every other human and animal have the God given right to enjoy the life God created for them.
We are not to take away any of those rights, as we have done for thousands of years.
And, note that God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness"; in the likeness of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
We were made with the same qualities as God, which means that we should be acting like Him, with at least all the love and compassion exhibited by Jesus; for as He said, "…greater works than these shall he [the believer] do…." (John 14:12)
And to further emphasize this gentleness of rule, and the interaction of all of God's living souls that He created to live together, look at the next two verses and see what God originally intended:
29. Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;
30. and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life [which is a living soul], I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.
God's original intent was that there would be no killing of any kind, neither by people nor animals, for all were to eat earth grown foods only.
Until Americans stop torturing and murdering God's creatures by the millions every day using many methods of hideous cruelty, society and the earth's environment will continue to suffer the unfortunate consequences that go with supporting and committing these sick crimes.
The relentless cruelty and huge massacres occurring to animals every working hour in factory farms and slaughterhouses as vividly described next must absolutely end.
When reviewing the following information revealing the cruelty to animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses, readers might begin to think there are a large number of people in the United States that have completely lost their minds. Is there no limit to the cruelty?
Livestock production is also at the heart of almost every environmental catastrophe: rain forest destruction, spreading deserts, loss of fresh water, air and water pollution, acid rain and soil erosion.
The livestock industry is responsible for more hazardous climate change gasses than all the motor vehicles in the world.
- 70 percent of the Amazon deforestation
- 64 percent of all the acid rain-producing ammonia
- 15 out of the 24 vast global ecosystems that are in decline can be attributed to livestock.
Last June my short story titled God Does Not Eat Meat was published. This thought provoking and controversial back to the future religious fantasy cuts between a violent and bloody present world in which millions of animals are slaughtered daily, to a future America where all meat has been removed from the food chain.
The story is believable, entertaining, and shocking. Read for free online by clicking here. The moral of this story can be summed up with this old Hindu verse:
"Those without wealth may one day prosper, but those without kindness are utterly and incurably poor."
My goal is to inspire people to protect the sanctity of life for all of God's precious creatures on the face of the Earth.
For the sake of all animals.
Arthur Poletti Western Springs, Illinois Author of the short story (God Does Not Eat Meat)
Arthur, Arthur, Arthur...you lost me when you referenced "Planet Of The Apes," started quoting people from the anti-meat, radical PETA organization Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM), made the claim the Bible was mistranslated, believing that animals have the same God-given rights as humans, and finally quoting a HINDU verse at the end. You're just a pretender attempting to push your ultra-wacko vegetarian ideals.
Comments anyone?
2-20-07 UPDATE: Here's another one from a New Zealander.
Do you Bible believers ever wonder why your "Good Kind God" didn't create trees that grew lamb chops, pork chops and chickens legs? Think about it! From New Zealand--happily a land with no state religion!
Ooooookay...and your point is?
2-22-07 UPDATE: Friend, Bible scholar, and fellow low-carb blogger Carol Bardelli weighs in on this subject with a post of her own called "The Lord Was Pleased by the Smell of Roasting Meat! - Biblical Foods: Part One." ENJOY!
If you believe in God and on low-carb, then support awaits you
One advantage that the Internet has given people in today's society is the ability to find like-minded communities of people who share many of their same beliefs and values on a wide variety of subjects. Livin' la vida low-carb is no different.
Although there are many low-carb sites available online today (most of which I have attempted to highlight at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Links" blog), even many of those are broken down into subgroups and specialized categories to cater to the specific needs of that collective body.
One such site which offers people on the low-carb lifestyle who also happen to be Christians a place to hang out is called Low Carb Christians. The stated purpose of this web site is to provide Christians a peaceful refuge for discussing their low-carb journey with fellow believers in God.
"We are Christians whose primary goal is to support one another in our low carb way of life," their web site proclaims. "We take pride in being a safe haven on the oftentimes crazy Internet and welcome you to join us, whatever your faith, whatever your low carb plan."
This open-arms policy is an inviting way to attract someone who may be on the low-carb lifestyle, but not a Christian or who is a Christian, but not livin' la vida low-carb. Either way, Low Carb Christians seeks to serve hurting people--either spiritually or physically--with the love of the Lord that the members there have for the people who frequent their site.
There is an excellent support forum with interesting categories discussing low-carb support (of course!), but also Christianity, funny stories and games, triple-digit weight loss, low-carb news and information, inspiring posts from the past, motivating challenges, and you can't forget about all the yummy low-carb recipes and product reviews, too! Please register for the forum and interact with whatever strikes your fancy there.
You won't want to miss the Low Carb Links as well as the Christian Links they provide to you as well. But the most unique aspect of this web site unlike any other low-carb web site that I've seen is the special Prayer Requests page.
"We firmly believe in the power of prayer, and of the miracles that can be accomplished by lifting up our needs and praises to our Heavenly Father. You may submit your prayer requests...so that others may pray with you."
Whether you are having difficulty in your weight loss and you desire prayer for strength to reach your goal or if you had a personal tragedy in your family and you would like someone to provide intercessory prayer on your behalf--that's why Low Carb Christians is there.
Do you feel like there's a greater purpose in this world than just living in the day-to-day? Are you ready to turn your life over to the God of the universe, the Creator of all things, the Saviour of us all, who loves you, cares for you, and wants nothing more than to see you blossom into that person you were destined to become?
If so, then find refuge and hope at the Low Carb Christians web site--both in your low-carb lifestyle and in life. I pray God's blessings upon you and those wonderful people who are glorifyings God with their actions by seeking to minister to your every need. Give them a try TODAY!
