Heart Healthy Diet......anyone?

Phew....the holidays have come and gone and now with the New Year upon us we are faced with a barrage of commercials from all the weight loss centers with their products, the quit smoking aides, fitness centers, gym memberships and so on! Ever since last year when I started eating differently and walking 6 days a week, the one thing that has really stuck in my mind is a "Heart Healthy" way of eating or diet. I use Diet not in the sense of dietary changes to lose weight for a given period of time, but as to eat food. We all have some type of diet, but that does not equate to eating a special diet for weight loss. A heart healthy diet is a daily diet (to eat food) that is high in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and low in fat.

We should be very concerned what effect our lifestyles and diet have on our hearts. Our stress levels, alcohol consumption, foods high in fat, sodium and sugars, not enough sleep, lack of or too much exercise, and obesity, which puts a great strain on our hearts and sets us up for high blood pressure and strokes. Once the heart has a problem it affects your entire body, well being and state of mind. Guess what my dear sisters? So does the spiritual heart of man when it has problems. That is what I want to talk about today. How good are our spiritual “Heart Healthy” diets?

Have you ever had to take a stress test on a treadmill? If so then you know that if you are out of shape all sorts of things happen. For one, your blood pressure can raise to dangerous levels, you may not be able to catch your breath and you heart rhythm starts to race, which is far from normal. The end result will usually lead to recommendations from your doctor to change your diet (foods that you eat) and lifestyle. The same goes for our spiritual hearts. Trials and tribulations become our treadmills in life and out of our hearts will flow the issues of life and they show us (and others) where we are spiritually on handling life's disappoints and tests.

Just as in the natural we are told to watch what we eat to protect our hearts and cholesterol levels, so the Word of God tell us to protect our spiritual hearts against the wickedness of this world and our old ways. In the natural we are instructed that in order to receive great benefits from a heart healthy diet we must exercise and eat the right foods on a daily bases, so also dose the Bible tell us the same thing for our spiritual hearts. Matthew recorded Jesus as saying, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” The Bible tells us that we are to meditate on this Word day and night. And after we meditate (think on those things) they should be written on our hearts so that when we have a spiritual stress test, we have a spiritual heart that will fear not, will trust in the Lord, leaps for joy (no matter what the circumstances) is full of song and praise and does not give into the fleshly way of handling things.

Sometimes in the natural we may require open heart surgery, a bypass, a pace maker inserted or even a heart transplant to help correct problems such as heart disease, clogged arteries, irregular arrhythmias and other aliments which can affect the heart. Well, in the spirit realm we often need surgeries that only God and His word can perform. Some of the most common ailments we suffer are, a proud heart; a heart that is harden, a grudging heart, despairing heart, a disobedient heart and a heart that has turned away from the Lord. And to top it all off Jeremiah tell us, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Hum!

I would have to say a good remedy for a deceitful heart is one of David's prayers, "Create in me a clean heart oh Lord" or "Let the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight.” God promises that He will turn the heart of stone into one of flesh and also promises that if we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us (place in us) the desires of our heart (those things that will please Him). He also heals the broken and downtrodden heart too.

Just as eating a high fiber diet loaded with fruits, vegetables and low in fat, will render a healthy heart and body that will give you more energy, a better outlook on life and sense of wellbeing, so will a daily diet of the Word of God. Being around people who love the Lord, brings added joy too. Proverbs tells us that (NIV) “A cheerful heat is good medicine”, (KJV) “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” So get into your Bibles every day, get around people who make you laugh until tears roll down your checks, and above all else, diligently guard your heart (keep it from those things that make you doubt the Lord our God)!

There is nohting more important than our spiritual heart, and the reason I say that is because Romans 10:9, tells us that if we “Believe with our Heart” that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we will be saved. Wow! That says it all.

If you have a moment, share how you plan to make 2009 a more heart healthy year for you. I would like to hear spiritually and naturally. It is all good and we can inspire each other to make change.

If you want to read some of the many things the Bible says about our hearts, start with the book of Deuteronomy and Psalms. You will be inspired and corrected at the same time. ~Smile~

Love & Hugs
Ponnie