A few months ago, my doctor told me: You are 54 years old, but you look 35; however, your body inside is 65 plus years. Lord have mercy! As I start this New year my mind is heavy with a few things; mainly my health. I was diagnosed with diabetes about 8 years ago. I have had very short seasons of victory; for the most part, I am losing that battle.  I was also diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and the latest is high blood pressure. So, what can I do? Well, I know what to do; I think we all do: diet and exercise. That is part of it, but there is a third element that I am discovering, which is more important; I must get some quality sleep. In the right order of importance: 1) Sleep2) A proper “sustainable” diet, and 3) Exercise.

But the reality is that other elements can’t be ignored; so, as I search and study, I find that this list is incomplete. Recently I started looking at the Blue Zones People These are five communities with the healthiest longevity around the world. These folks are not spending thousands of dollars on gym equipment and gym memberships; 1) they are moving naturally through the day, 2) they take time to distress every day, 3) they eat mostly a plant-based diet; 4) they drink a little wine every day, 4) they have a sense of purpose, 5) they value their families more than their careers, 6) they belong to faith-based groups, and 7) they surround themselves with folks who care about their wellness. It is truly remarkable! 

The Bible is not silent about diets; so, I looked at it and found some very interesting factors. In the Bible, you don’t have one diet only:

1. Strictly Vegan

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. Genesis 1:29 (NIV)

This is the foundational Scripture for one of the Blue Zones communities to embrace this diet: The Seventh Day Adventist at Loma Linda California.

Prophet Daniel seemed to adopt this way of eating as he states, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.” Daniel 1:12 (NIV)

2. Meat 

By the time you get to Noah, the world is turned upside down; however, God specifically instructed Noah to bring into the ark pairs of 7 (Clean animals) and pairs of 2 (Unclean animals) Deuteronomy 14 gives us a detailed list of the animals we were allowed to eat and the ones we were not. So, it seems that with Noah a different diet is introduced. 

3. Bread in the Morning and Meet at Night

“Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning…” Exodus 16:8 (NIV)

This happened because the children of Israel complained about the new diet. The cravings for Egypt’s food were so strong that they stated, “…If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:3 (NIV) This was a very simple diet: Manna in the morning and meat in the afternoon.

4. Fish and Bread

After the resurrection, Jesus prepared a barbecue fish for the disciples, “When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it and some bread.¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” John 21:9-10 (NIV)

5. John the Baptist Diet

John the Baptist was a low carbs guy. “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine…” Luke 7:33 (NIV) The Bible tells us of John the Baptist that “…His food was locusts and wild honey.” Matthew 3:4 (NIV) Wow!

6. Eat it All

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ¹² It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. ¹³ Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” ¹⁴ “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” ¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Acts 10:9-15 (NIV)

It seems Peter was a very disciplined man when it came down to his diet. Peter stated that he had never eaten anything impure or unclean; how many of us can say that? 

So, with this valuable information, I have a good strategy as I start 2023. I know that because of diabetes I can eat a plant-based diet filled with rice and wine, which will affect my sugar. But what I am going to do is embrace something I have never done; something that sounds crazy, a Carnivore Diet. I don’t think that I will be very strict, I think that I will include broccoli and other good vegetables, but the Carnivore Diet is at the center of what I started about a week ago. I am drinking coffee and water. All the diets agree that we need to declare war on sugar and processed food; no argument is there. So, in conclusion, this is my prophetic vision for this year:

1. Increase my prayer life and study of God’s Word: I did well in 2022, but it is always a good thing to always increase here.
2. Adapt the Blue Zones Wisdom into my life: Except for the wine and the plan-based diet, everything else is very helpful.
3. Adopt a carnivore approach in my diet.
4. Complete a Life Coach Certification: I will start this certification in February.
5. Complete my Master’s in Christian Counseling.

To be continued…