Healing PromisedWritten by Joyce C. Lock
Problem: Many are weak and sickly, among you, and many sleep. How many people do you know that can't stand on their own two feet spiritually, that seem to be sick entire winter every year, or that haven't shouted, "Amen!" since 1958? Cure: If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged, I Co. 11:30-31. All our righteousness is as filthy rags, in comparison to God's way of thinking. His ways are higher than ours are. Understanding that, it seems odd when people go into a state of shock, being offended that another would even think they weren't perfect, when all God wanted to do was to set them free. It takes a person maturing in their walk to be able to consider thoughts that might not be lined up with God's, without their pride or low self-esteem kicking into overtime. When we allow ourselves to be introspective with ourselves, to see if any part might be in error, we accomplish what Bible said. If people judge themselves, they shouldn't be judged. When our insides begin to go haywire, instead of pointing to a person or circumstance, we can look inward and upward, asking God, "What is it about me that crumbles whenever this happens? Where does this feeling come from, when I get angry over such little things? Why do I always fall apart in like circumstances? Why can't I trust You with my needs, instead of taking matters into my own hands? Why do I expect worst and get offended at people, when I only presume to think I've seen their heart?"
| | Battling Childhood Obesity through Smart EatingWritten by Protica Research
Finally, a positive solution regarding America’s difficult and costly campaign to stem childhood obesity is emerging. For thousands of children and their families who are currently battling with childhood obesity, this good news is long awaited. Indeed, risk factors for childhood obesity read like a checklist of ailments that only a generation ago would never have been linked to children and diet: heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and of course, social ridicule and alienation [i]. This latter consequence of childhood obesity -- ridicule and alienation -- has dual effect of damaging a child both physically and emotionally far beyond childhood, and possibly for rest of his or her natural life. For years, medical experts have called for a multi-faceted strategy to address this epidemic. It has been clear that any long-term solution must be fought on four major fronts: physical activity, sedentary behavior, socioeconomic status, and eating habits [ii]. Yet there is room for another pillar; or, at very least, identification of another component that must be a part of any lasting solution. This fifth pillar, or undiscovered component, is smart nutritional supplements. Many obese children have been told repeatedly by well-intentioned dieticians that eating smart is key to overcoming this scarring condition. This is easier said than done; especially when emotional eating or an unobserved food addiction [1] may fuel adverse eating habits. Yet being told to “eat smart” is oftentimes not enough. Children must be provided with foods that are nutritionally sound, and foods that they actually enjoy eating. It is this latter criterion that most well-intentioned experts and caregivers overlook. This is explained below. Most obese children are neither unable to learn, nor willfully disobedient. Some of these children even have remarkable support from their well-adjusted families who dutifully remove usual suspects of chips, soft drinks, chocolate bars, and other damaging foods from home. Yet many of these same children continue to gain weight and march ever closer to litany of health defects noted above. These children are not sadistic, and they are not attempting to kill themselves through eating; though some do because of stigma associated with their condition. Indeed, many obese children are cognitively aware of danger to which they are subjecting their bodies. Yet they continue to snack away in secret, or binge on foods when they get chance, thereby undoing whatever minor gains might have been achieved in previous few days or weeks. The problem is one of food selection. Generally speaking, children of all weights and shapes will not eat something that they do not like. For obese children who have typically had unfettered access to highly stimulating foods such as gravies and sugar-loaded soft drinks, willpower to eat unpalatable foods is undeveloped. Indeed, dietician may snack away on carrots and celery while talking to an obese child about importance of eating smart. For obese child, carrots and celery are foreign foods for which there is no known preference.
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