Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Start Eating for Three


Have you ever heard the expression “Eating for two?” Immediately that expression makes most people think of a pregnant woman eating for herself and for her unborn child. So naturally, the expression eating for three would mean that the woman is carrying twins right?! Think again..

About a year ago, I heard the expression "eating for three" and it has always been something I try to keep in mind when I am about to cook dinner or order something from a restaurant. Eating for three means that you are eating for yourself, for your family, and for God. Eating for three is a simple idea that really makes a lot a sense if you think about it.

Eating for yourself is probably the most natural concept because, well, you should want to eat to be healthy, have more energy, and look good! Eating for your family is important because when YOU eat healthier you set a good example for your family. It is also a safe bet that eating healthier will give you a better quality of life and create more time for you to spend with family. Many times parents get so caught up in sacrificing everything for their children that they stop taking care of themselves. When you neglect your own health in order to take care of your children, you are actually doing them a disservice. If you are unhealthy and develop disease in your body, what will happen to your children, to your spouse? Will they be forced to watch you suffer through life, visit you in the hospital, or worst of all go through life without out you? Although you may have never thought about it in this way, being healthy and active is the most important thing you could do for your family. Take time to take care of yourself and in turn you will be doing something amazing for your family! Eating for God may seem a bit out there to you, or it might make total sense, I guess it just depends on where you are spiritually. I’m going to say that for the purposes of this post, you do believe that God created us. With that being said, our body is not for us to destroy or do whatever we want with. In fact, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” We have to understand that our bodies are just “on loan” during our time on Earth and we need to take care of what God gave us.

You need to eat every meal for yourself, for your family, and for God. You need to respect your body by making sure that the majority of food you eat is food that is natural, created by God. The further a food product is from its natural state, the more processed it is and the more unrecognizable it is by your body. Food is meant to provide energy and nutrients which keep your body healthy and active. Everything that goes in your mouth is processed and is either beneficial or destructive to your body. Think about this when trying to decide between taking the time for a home cooked meal or grabbing McDonalds on the way home! Always remember to eat for 3.