Eat Less

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live long, live well”

Our Bible verse for today: “If you find honey, eat only what you need; otherwise, you’ll get sick from it and vomit.” Proverbs 25:16 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Eat less”

In general, slender people live longer and healthier than overweight or obese people. The reasons for that are obvious. We’ve covered many of those reasons already in this series and so rather than rehashing those, we will spend our time this morning thinking about ways to address the issue.

Reducing caloric intake is one of the Blue Zone strategies recommended by Dan Buettner. Moderate eating is one of the traits held in common by those who live long and healthy lives. One of the Blue Zone population groups Dan studied for his National Geographic research was Okinawans. As a group they tend to live longer and healthier than almost any other population group on earth today. They have a cultural saying that they often repeat to each other just prior to beginning a meal “Hara Hachi Bu”, which, roughly translated means, “Stop eating when your stomach is 80% full.” That’s because when your stomach is 80% full you are no longer hungry, but you are not yet stuffed either.

For most of us, simply reducing your calorie intake by 20% per day can result in as much as a 10% loss of body weight. Losing 10% of your body weight will significantly improve your overall health and your quality of life. Counting calories works. Eat a moderate amount of reasonably healthy food and get some exercise every day and before long, you will begin to experience positive results.

So, reduce your calories. Perhaps the most important way to do that is to control your environment. One of the primary reasons we overeat is because food and temptation are all around us. The Blue Zone researchers found, “We overeat because of circumstances – friends, family, packages, plates, names, numbers, labels, lights, colors, candles, shapes, smells, distractions, cupboards, and containers.”

Serve yourself smaller portions. If you are eating out in a restaurant, ask for a “to go” box when the food arrives and immediately remove one-half of the portion from your plate. Restaurants serve large portions so they can charge you more money. It’s typically much more food than a normal healthy serving. Also, eat your meals with other people who also make smart food choices. We are influenced by those around us. And control your environment. Avoid buffets. If donuts are your downfall, don’t park in front of the donut shop at the strip mall. Don’t fill your refrigerator or cupboard with snacks and foods that are unhealthy.

You can train yourself to eat less. Eating less will result in losing weight. Being thinner will improve your health and increase your chances of living longer and better. Step one to better nutrition and a longer and healthier life is to simply eat less.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Share this:

Related

Leave a comment Cancel reply