I was tasked to deliver a short
lecture last Monday (July 14) for our students to commemorate Nutrition
Month. This was how it roughly went…
Good morning.
I am here to deliver a short
lecture on the significance of being concerned with eating nutritious foods. Some of the details I will be sharing here
are merely taken from your Health lessons.
Nonetheless, I hope that at the
end of this short lecture, you will realize the relevance of eating healthy in
your lives and be compelled to do your best to maintain a healthy diet.
Part 1 – The Body’s Need for
Proper Nutrition
Let us start this with a simple
question.
It’s a misconception to think
that one is “malnourished” when he or she is thin, and someone is “healthy”
when he or she is fat. Being
“well-nourished” is NOT defined by how thin or fat you are, but whether you
have the right amount – emphasis on “right
amount” – of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional components that the body
requires to function. Both being too
thin and too fat are usually indications of malnourishment – meaning the “right
amount” of nutrition is not being met.
How can we make sure that we are
getting the right amount of nutrition from our food intakes? That’s what the food pyramid is for…
Many nutritionists consider this as
the most definite, most comprehensive way of determining the right amount of food
intake to ensure that we get the appropriate amount of nutrition that the body
needs. It’s very easy to understand:
those that are in the base are the kind of foods that you need to take the
most, and as it grows closer to the tip, the less you have to eat such kind of
foods. I will not discuss the food
pyramid in detail. It’s just to
introduce or remind you of what guide you can use for a healthy diet.
Part 2 – Some Consequences of Not
Getting Proper Nutrition
Now, let us proceed to look at
some of the most common diseases that arose whenever there is lack of nutrition
in the body, and some of the foods you can eat to avoid them.
Part 3 – There is a Reason Why They
Are Called “Junk” Foods
When we eat healthy foods, the
body gains access to and breaks down necessary nutritional components like vitamins,
minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and amino acids so it can repair bodily wear-and-tear
and refurbish cells. However, in junk
foods, there is a deficiency of nutritional components in them or none at all. Aside from that, the toxins in junk foods put
strain on the body because it has to work extra hard to flush them out of
itself.
Eating too much junk food can
also lead to serious conditions…
Part 4 – Some Tips for Eating
Healthy
Here are some basic tips for you
as you start adopting a healthy diet…
Part 5 – The Theology of Eating
Healthy
As Christians, the Scriptures
have provided some implicit insights with regards to the need to eat healthy. I found four. Let us read...
As Christians, our bodies are the
temple of God. We have a responsibility
to take care of it, to keep it healthy.
Moreover, we need to glorify God in all our actions – and the Scripture openly
includes eating, since it was the chosen example. Do you think we are glorifying God in our
eating if we are deliberately and gratuitously consuming stuff that can give harm
to “God’s temple”? There are
consequences if we are not faithful stewards of these bodies God has given
us.
Eating should not be an end
itself. We should be conscious that
eating is designed by God to give “fuel” to our bodies so that we can do the
tasks that He entrusted to us and carry on His will in our lives. I am not saying that it isn’t right to derive pleasure
from eating, but, again, it should not be the end purpose itself. We don’t enjoy earthly delights just for the
sake of enjoying earthly delights itself.
Every pleasure we choose to partake in should always lead us to the
glory of God (that is for another topic). So, as
we enjoy eating fried chicken, we always need to remember to thank God with
each bite for the pleasure it gives us (delicious foods and meals in general are
God’s gifts) and remind ourselves that the enjoyment we are deriving from
eating fried chicken is nothing compared to the enjoyment found in God alone.
Lastly, there is no actual forbiddance
in eating junk food. It is not sinful to
eat chips or drink soft drinks. But,
again, whenever we allow ourselves to exercise our freedom – and that includes eating
junk foods – we need to think well if it’s beneficial to us, if it will help
our purpose of glorifying God.
It is up to you to make a
decision out of your personal conviction from the Holy Spirit. But let these Scriptures be your “food for
thought” on your choices regarding your diet.
A Christian will always need to consider the glory of God in everything
that his life touches on.
Part 6 – Conclusion
In closing, I guarantee you this:
Eating healthy will greatly help you in your school work. I want you to ponder on this.
Kim John, stand up and please
read the slide…
Zion, please read the next slide…
Next, David Daniel, please stand
up and read…
Lastly, students, let us all read
together…
Amen. You can forget everything what T. Bernel has
said to you, but just remember this one thing: to glorify God in all things, even your food
choices, fitness, health, everything.
Glorify God in all things.
Thank you very much for listening.
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