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Transitioning out from the Old Unhealthy Body
Transitioning Out From The Old
By Min. Debbie Mirander
We all go through a transition period some time in our lives. For some, it’s a new job or a new home— a diet change for others. Because of our human inclination to live in our comfort zone, many times transition only comes out of necessity. This is the situation I found myself in almost 16 years ago. After going through a situation that almost took my life, I was determined to live a more vibrant life. After an allergic reaction that compromised my breathing and medication that decreased my quality of life, I was left with only a few choices. I could either continue eating out of control, everything and anything, putting pressure on my immune system or change my eating habits for the better and watch change happen.
I chose the latter and I am so glad I did. But who said it would be easy? We all at some time in our lives go through uncharted waters. The unfamiliar way of life that leaves us yearning for the old once again. And the same reason that Proverbs 26:11 states why a dog returns back to it’s vomit. It’s familiar. It’s who we have become. But it is also how we self destruct. In the Old Testament, the children of Israel was faced with this same dilemma. After being delivered from Egypt, they wandered in the wilderness of the unfamiliar. And at the brink of the Red Sea, they wanted to return back to Egypt. On the contrary, just as an alcoholic with pancreatitis, it is when they are discharged from the hospital and feeling better, that they once again resort back to their old self destructive pattern. And if not delivered from this revolving door, they too will self destruct. On the roller-coaster between self destruction and restoration, that was once my situation. Not one of alcoholism, but one of being on a path of self destruction. And time and time again wanting to return back to the familiar way of eating, until I finally made up my mind to stick to it once and for all. I was delivered.
Just as the children of Israel needed deliverance, we also need deliverance from ourselves. My deliverance came with repeated illness until, out of desperation, I searched for answers. When I began to educate myself on a natural and holistic dietary lifestyle, I begin to see how the high sugar diet I was consuming on a regular basis compromised an already compromised immune system. I begin to see that it DID matter what I put into my body. And the best thing for me was to change to a more natural dietary lifestyle, limit my exposure to environmental chemicals and toxins and, most of all, pray.
Believing God had a divine purpose for me and that he allowed me to go through a near death experience to bring out his glory was enlightening. In turn, many have been blessed by my testimony of God’s deliverance, endurance, and restoration for my life. I began to become more dependent on God to help me continue on that right path. The Holy Spirit guided me, and orchestrated different persons I came in contact with through natural or divine appointment, holding me accountable to accomplish my goal. I then began to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The first thing I began to do was read labels on the products I bought. I would sometimes write down those big words I did not understand and google them. Through technology I submerge my mind with my new knowledge and renewed my mind with God’s word. I prayed for God to guide me and help me stay on this path. I soon found out that things I use to crave became distasteful. My taste buds had change as I started eating more fruits and vegetables. I also began to eat different types of whole grains. Changing from simple starches such as white flour and white rice to whole grains. When I saw something that used to whet my appetite become something that I avoided, I realized that not only were my taste buds being renewed, but my mind was also being renewed. When we think of healing for our body, we cannot forget the mind. Our mind must be renewed daily. The next step was choosing more organic vegetables over conventional ones.
Changing my eating habits was not all that was needed for me to live a healthier lifestyle. Other things had to be addressed as well, but it sure was a start to something wonderful and something obtainable. I began to visualize myself being healthy. Once I had a vision of being a healthy vibrant person climbing a mountain with ease. The image that came to my mind became my hope. Hope became the mustard seed faith that was needed, and something I continue to cling to as I continue my lifelong journey to continued health.
So when transitioning from a lifestyle of bad eating habits to a holistic healthy lifestyle, we must renew our thoughts daily. Think of the vibrant and energetic lifestyle we want to obtain. Just feeling a sense of normalcy in our lives, helps to motivate us into transition. We start feeling the change in our body little by little as we take it step by step. What once was our mountain, will becomes our stepping stone.
Written for Author and Publisher Claudette Freeman’s magazine Oikonomia Feb 2012, Page 54-55