When I was on the yo-yo diet, choosing low or no fat foods was the recommended way to lose weight and be healthy. I cringe thinking about what I thought was healthy—rice cakes, Diet Coke, Lean Cuisine frozen dinners, Yoplait fat free yogurt cups, microwave popcorn, and Kellogg’s Special K cereal.
In a previous post, I wrote about how healthy food made by God boosts your mood. Most likely, the processed food and artificial sweeteners made me depressed and anxious.
Food is a gift from God
Scripture says, “Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food” (Genesis 1:29 NIV).
The Hebrew word for food in this scripture can also mean nourishment or fuel. So, God gave us the gift of nourishing food as fuel for our bodies.
In addition, food is medicine. God created food for our enjoyment, but He made colorful fruits and vegetables containing phytochemicals to heal us and improve our health.
Four levels of eating
Dr. Ed Bauman, founder of Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts, envisions wellness through healing foods, arts, and community learning. He is a nutrition and Integrative Health Specialist at the forefront of the health and wellness industry for the past 50 years. He developed the Eating For Health System where he defines four levels of eating. 1
Level 1: Eating for Pleasure
- Immature, impulsive, emotional eating
- Emphasis on processed foods and sugar such as cookies, ice cream, candy, alcohol
Level 2: Eating for Energy
- Satisfy hunger, but quality of food is not a concern
- Food examples: burgers, pizza, burritos
Level 3: Eating for Recovery
- Follow a “diet” such as Atkins, Zone, Weight Watchers, or Blood Type diet
- May become tiresome and judgmental because of restricted calories and prohibited foods
Level 4: Eating for Health
- Lifestyle, not a diet
- Eat in moderation
- Eat food as a gift from God
How to eat for health because food is a gift from God
There are no “bad” foods in God’s creation. However, there are lots of “bad” foods created by man in factories. With so many choices, how do we know what to eat?
The acronym S.O.U.L. (seasonal, organic, unrefined, locally grown) summarizes Dr. Bauman’s Eating For Health program.
He writes, “Choosing S.O.U.L. foods is a powerful tool for ensuring fresh foods with high nutrient-density, and the acronym reminds us that eating provides not only good nutrition but spiritual nourishment as well.” 2
How do we progress to Level 4, eating for health?
Eat seasonally
Eat seasonal and local produce during its natural growing season. The produce may be seasonal, but not always locally grown. If local produce is not available, think about “where was this grown and how far did it travel”? Choose produce grown as close to current location as possible.
Eat organic
Organic produce is grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Look for the green and white USDA organic label on packaged foods. PLU codes on fresh organic produce will start with 9. For example, conventionally grown lemons are 4033 and organic lemons are 94033.
I know organic produce can be expensive. The Environmental Working Group tests samples of fruits and vegetables and compiled their list of the items most often contaminated by pesticides, called the Dirty Dozen. If you are on a budget, limit your purchases of organic produce to this list.
They also compiled the Clean 15 list that has the least amount of pesticide residues, so you do not need to choose organic for this list.
Only choosing organic when necessary to avoid the highest levels of pesticide residues saves money but still protects you from increased exposure to toxins.
Avoid ultra-processed foods
Walk into any grocery store and see aisle after aisle of ultra-processed foods—cookies, crackers, cereal, snacks, candy, ice cream, baked goods, and frozen dinners. The difference between processed foods and ultra-processed foods is the latter has added sugar, preservatives, natural flavors, artificial flavors, and colors.
Did you ever notice that the perimeter of the grocery store is where all the fresh food is located? Shop for fresh produce, meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products on the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid the internal aisles as much as possible. This practice helps us avoid ultra-processed foods.
Learn to read food labels
- Be skeptical of the claims on the front label of a package
- Understand food claims on the front label and read the nutrition label on the back of the package to verify
- Look for and trust food labels from certified organizations
- Click here to find out how to demystify food labels
Conclusion
Food is a gift from God. He created food for our enjoyment, nourishment, and healing of our bodies. Eat for health by eating food made by God. And don’t forget to give God thanks and praise for all the wonderful food He created for us.
My journey from Lean Cuisine and Diet Coke to where I am now has continued for many years. I know the struggle to resist so many tempting treats, but take it one step at a time. Wellness is a journey, not a destination. Small steps over time bring big results.
What level of eating are you at? What is one small step you can take today to eat more healthy food made by God?
References
- Bauman, E., & Jody, F. (2016). Eating for Health: A New System, Not Another Diet: Part One. Journal of Integrative Health, 23 (4), 7–8.
- Bauman, E., & Jody, F. (2016). Eating for Health: A New System, Not Another Diet: Part One. Journal of Integrative Health, 23 (4), 8.
