Clean

**Disclaimer...In no way am I trying to knock supplements or any of the multitude of health related items anyone of my numerous friends sells. I rejoice in the happiness and success these products create in their lives. I know this is not going to be a popular post but feel like I have to write this out. This is MY opinion and what I feel works best for our family. This is solely my opinion and possibly some encouragement.** I remember being in first or second grade sitting on the side of the pool in our little bikinis with my friend comparing fat rolls on our bellies. First or second grade. I mean, this is just ridiculous. Yet, this memory is clear as day for me. I have always been a little insecure with my body. I have always been a little thicker than my friends and was a giant taller than all the boys beginning in third grade. I never liked the way I looked in pictures with groups of people because I was always the tallest and stuck out like a sore thumb. I remember going with some girlfriends to Hollywood for the day and getting to see the Ryan Seacrest show. I was picked to play this game on-stage with him and good gravy was he short. I towered over the little man and was mortified seeing myself next to him. Totally dumb but it is who I am. I remember my mom always cooking healthy and my sister and I not being too fond of it (sorry mom). I remember my dad sneaking in junk food from time to time and longing for the jack-o-lantern Happy Meal from McDonalds. Fast food was a treat not a weekly meal. I went to the kids club while my parents worked out and I watched them run 5k and 10ks. I say this to give a little background as to why health and body image have always been a part of my life. I guess it didn't help that I grew up in Southern California, specifically Orange County, where everyone is tan and beautiful. Even though my parents introduced me to a healthy way of life, I always ALWAYS felt like I needed something to help me be and stay skinny whether it was a diet where all I ate was this crazy soup and beets or a pill or shake. I never thought I could be healthy on my own. "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 How many of us have heard 1 Corinthians 6:19-20? This is a common verse applied to so many different things. What comes to my mind is when people get into debate about tattoos. I have also heard this preached in regards to drugs, alcohol, and addictions. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 is swirling in my head for a different reason. This verse, to me, brings back the simplicity, and yet the splendor, of our health and the bodies He has created. Our bodies were created by our Creator thus we should treat them well for He is good. I LOVE food. I mean, really really love food. I love creating in the kitchen and tasting different flavors. My dad is an incredible cook. He can go into the kitchen and moments later the house smells divine. I love a good cheeseburger and french fries are my favorite. I will not deprive myself of the yummy goodness of food. However, what I have learned about food, health, and my body is that it needs certain things. God created us to need certain nutrients to function. I don't think there is any argument. If you look at our world, He has created everything we need. Any and every vitamin and nutrient is in His creation. Yet, our world has convinced us that that is not enough or a mass hysteria has formed causing us to believe that anything we put into our mouths may cause cancer. Throughout the years of trying this and that I have come back to the simple: our Creator and what He has created. I will not let society lead me to believe that what He has made is not enough. I have learned that I can do this on my own. Not without God, but without a pill, drink, shake, and the like. My family and I will eat from His goodness and the perfection of what He created. We will fill our bodies with all the goodness He allows our fields to harvest. We will be wise with our choices making sure to eat as clean as we can in a polluted environment. We will move our bodies through exercise and play which is exactly what He designed them to do. We will rest and allow our bodies to heal. We will pray and fill and feed our Spirits with His Word and fellowship. I am, by NO means, at my ideal weight but I can say with FULL confidence that I have never felt healthier in my life. I don't write this blog entry to say every supplement is awful nor do I feel that using something to get you started on a healthy journey is bad. I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist and don't claim to be. I write this to encourage the countless women (and men) that have ever tried and felt like a failure. I want you to know that most of that stuff out there has one main purpose: to make money. Many of the products are fantastic. Some, however, don't list all the ingredients so you don't really know exactly what you are ingesting. Others are formulated and created synthetically to get those vitamins in your system when all you need to do is eat an apple. The products are not regulated by the FDA so they do not have to follow the same standards as everything else we ingest (and I know many of us can throw the FDA out the window). What are we going to do when the product we chose to help us with our health is gone, or, even scarier, pulled from the shelves because it is harmful (we all remember the ephedra debacle). I encourage you that God created you to be healthy with what He has created. Yes, I believe in modern medicine. Yes, I believe in science. I also believe in the simple beauty of Him. From a girl who has literally tried everything, I encourage you that eating clean off His land and moving your body a little goes a LONG way. I also encourage you to look in the mirror and accept the beauty staring back at you. Remember, He created you perfectly in HIS image. "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27 Love & Blessings, Meg