New Eating Habit: Combine the First Beatitude with Lectio Divina 4x/day

From Neil-Douglas Klotz

Textual Notes for the First Beatitude
The first of the Beatitudes was translated as "Blessed are the poor in spirt; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The Aramaic word meskanaee (poor) encompasses the images of a solid home base or resting point, of a fluid, rod, luminous enclosure, and of devotedly holding fast to something , as if one were "poor" for lack of it. The word "ruche" (heaven) may be translated as "spirit," "breath," "soul" or as whatever moves, stirs animates and links us to life.

The Greek translators appear to have been at a total loss with these seemingly different meaning united around the image of the entire universe filled with one cosmic breath of life, the rukha d'qoodsha or Holy Breath. "Poor in spirit" is a traditional Aramaic idiom meaning "humble" according to Dr. George Lamsa (1936). Behind this, the roots tell us that when ones attended through the berate to God, one does not put oneself forward inappropriately. One's readiness for action rests in the eternal silence of God's Name.

As we saw in the Lord's Prayer malkutha is a word that Jesus used often. It is the "I can"-queendom and kingdom of the universe, from the personal through the cosmic. In this case, the "I can" extends through all realms of light, vibration and name; dashmaya  is another grammatical form of d'bashmaya, found in the first line of the Lord's Prayer (who art in heaven).


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New Eating Habit (to be practiced with all of the Beatitudes)

1. From the 7 translations that you copied of the Greek versions of the first Beatitude OR the creation of one new translation that you took from the 7 translations OR from the Aramaic possible interpretations choose ONE verse that speaks to you, that encourages you, that moves you emotionally..not just intellectually.
Write that sentence down on a clean sheet of paper in your notebook AND on something that you can post where you eat or at your work desk or in your wallet.

2. Bring a sacred intention to each meal and snack by linking a time period of the day to a moment of Lectio Divina. Any food consumed during the Moment of Lectio Divina becomes a reminder to make the moment sacred. The following instructions are borrowed from the Ancient Art of Lactio Divino

Any food/drink consumed before 10:00a.m.- Lectio
Lectio is reverential listening; listening both in a spirit of silence and of awe. We are listening for the still, small voice of God that will speak to us personally - not loudly, but intimately. In lectio we read slowly, attentively, gently listening to hear a word  or phrase that is God's word for us this day. As part of Sacred and Fit, through Lectio, we bring the First Beatitude to our meals, even if only in our minds, if only one time in the morning. We read or recite our chosen verse or passage while eating or drinking before 10:00 am.

Any food/drink consumed between 10:00-2:00- Meditatio  
Once we have found a word or a passage in the Scriptures that speaks to us in a personal way, we must take it in and “ruminate” on it. The image of the ruminant animal quietly chewing its cud was used in antiquity as a symbol of the Christian pondering the Word of God. Christians have always seen a scriptural invitation to lectio divina in the example of the Virgin Mary “pondering in her heart” what she saw and heard of Christ (Luke 2:19). For us today these images are a reminder that we must take in the word - that is, memorize it - and while gently repeating it to ourselves, allow it to interact with our thoughts, our hopes, our memories, our desires. This is the second step or stage in lectio divina - Meditatio. Through meditatio we allow God's word to become His word for us, a word that touches us and affects us at our deepest levels. As part of Sacred and Fit through Meditatio we slow down the busy noon day rush by eating thoughtfully and chewing on what the First Beatitude personally means.

Any food/drink consumed between 2:00-6:00- Oratio-  Oratio is prayer. In this consecration-prayer we allow the word that we have taken in and on which we are pondering to touch and change our deepest selves. Just as a priest consecrates the elements of bread and wine at the Eucharist, God invites us in lectio divina to hold up our most difficult and pain-filled experiences around food and to gently recite over them the healing word or phrase we have consecrated  in our lectio and meditatio. In this oratio, this consecration-prayer during the time we are winding down after work and preparing the evening meal we allow our real selves to be touched and changed by the word of God. We remember to eat and pray, to eat as prayer. As part of Sacred and Fit through Oratio we learn to keep our minds on the First Beatitude and a desire, a true desire for our relationship with food to be changed.


Any food/drink consumed after 6:00p.m.- Contemplatio-  simply rest in the presence of the One and trust that transformation is happening. Your prayers are being answered . No one who has ever been in love needs to be reminded that there are moments in loving relationships when words are unnecessary. It is the same in our relationship with God. Wordless, quiet rest in the presence of the One Who loves us has a name in the Christian tradition - contemplatio, contemplation. Once again we practice silence, letting go of our own words; this time simply enjoying the experience of being in the presence of God. As part of Sacred and Fit, through Contemplatio, we cultivate a sacred inner stillness that carries us into the evening and is with us as we lay down to sleep. Within that stillness it is easy to be appreciative and be grateful for our bodies, right now, as they are. We are also grateful for the vision of health and vitality that is coming into reality each day. We end our day with gratitude and with a greater and deeper understanding of the First Beatitude- "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

If Lectio Divina sounds too strange.....

With all the hype about Eat, Love, Pray a person who is not Buddhist, or does not have time to take a year off of work or does not have money to travel around the world might be discouraged. One might be tempted to think that Elizabeth Gilbert's method of finding herself or finding God requires a bit too much.

Fortunately, Christians have been using Contemplative practices for centuries. It is clear that one does not have to become a Buddhist to be still or to take a year off of work or travel the world to find God. God is not lost. Stillness is as close as your next breath.

The last Blog provided just one example of Christian contemplative practices. There are many others. However if the Lectio Divina sounds a bit strange consider that in the ancient Aramaic cosmology (view of the world and your place in it), feeling separated from God would be a completely foreign and strange concept. God was considered Life, Breath, Light, Vibration, Essence. One could lose awareness of God's presence but you certainly could not ever be separated from it.

Keeping God's presence in your awareness was the admonition from Jesus the Christ when he answered the question. "What is the greatest commandment (Matthew 23:36).  His answer was translated as "Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind."

To love God with "all of your mind" means to use more than your "thinking" mind and certainly the Creator of the Universe would be aware of what cognitive psychologists know today...that there are many ways to learn, there are many types of intelligences and there are many states of consciousness. The mind is a big thing.

For example, we know from split-brain patients that the right and left hemispheres of the brain are responsible for different functions. The experience of Jill Bolte Taylor provides a vivid example of the power of the language-based left brain vs. the more intuitive right brain. A brain researcher, Taylor suffers a stroke in her left hemisphere and is able to remember and recount her experience of being temporarily freed from the dominance of her language-based left brain.  Listen to her talk about it here.

Incorporating a contemplative practice is a skill and like any other skill requires practice. The reason a contemplative prayer style is important to changing your health habit is because MOST of the habits don't operate at the conscious level of awareness. By utilizing contemplative prayer you are going to the root of the matter...down to the reason that you eat too much or skip meals or choose not to exercise or fail to drink enough water. When you are engaged in your bad habits there is an unconscious reason for doing so.

Now, as we enter the third week of Sacred and Fit, you have developed your notebook, your eating and exercise plan. You have determined how much water you need. You have started to visualize yourself at your goal weight and imagined how you would feel when you have reached your goal. You have now begun to contemplate the Scripture in a new way and to bring the Power of the Word to your health habits. This contemplation is the most important component of Sacred and Fit. If it feels too strange to you, pray about whether this program is the right one for you at this time. You must be at a place in which you are willing to grow spiritually in order to change physically.

If you are not yet in that space it is OK. There are lots of other health promoting programs out there. However, if you have come to a place of decision in which you are tired of being overweight and are willing to try a new way of doing things for the next six weeks, then Sacred and Fit is for you.

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Watch Jill Bolte Taylor's talk.
Decide to *participate fully* in Sacred and Fit OR to discontinue.
 
* Create and sign a commitment form and place it in your Notebook.

 

The Aramaic Version of the Bible

When asked to cite the most important of the Hebrew scriptures, Jesus the Christ quoted from the Shema, (Deutoronmy 6:4-9) the central prayer of the Jewish Prayer Book  This verse is still considered to be one of  the most important verses to modern Jews and is the first verse taught to children.  Reading about the  the Schma in Hebrew provides a glimpse into the difference between English and Hebrew and points out one reason Jews have passed down the prayers in the original Hebrew language.  The Hebrew language offers different meanings of words depending on the emphasis of the speaker. Therefore the first line of the Shema can be translated as "The LORD our God, the LORD is one" Or,  "The LORD is our God, the LORD is one "Or  The LORD is our God, the LORD alone".

This characteristic of the Hebrew language, to relate meaning to inflection, is not a characteristic of the Greek language. Most Christians study New Testament translations of Greek sources when it is known that Jesus the Christ did not speak Greek. Biblical scholars conclude that the language Jesus the Christ spoke was Aramaic. An on-line version of the Lamsa Bible, a translation from the Aramaic into English provides us with many alternate meanings of the words of Jesus the Christ. One scholar who is particularly devoted to the Aramaic translation is Neil Douglas-Klotz. 


An assignment in an earlier Blog was to write down seven different versions of the first Beatitude, Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Consider, now comparing the Greek based translations to the Aramaic translations, which are taken from the book Prayers of the Cosmos: The Aramaic Words of Jesus by Neil Douglas-Klotz.

Happy and aligned with the One are those who find their home in breathing; to them belong the inner kingdom and queendom of heaven.
Blessed are those who are refined in breath; they shall find their ruling principles and ideals guided by God's light.
Tuned to the source are those who live by breathing Unity; their "I can!" is included in God's.
Healthy are those who devotedly hold fast to the spirit of life; holding them is the cosmic Ruler of all that shines and rises.
Resisting corruption, possessing integrity are those whose breath forms a luminous sphere; they hear the universal Word an feel the earth's power to accomplish it through their own hands.
Healed are those who devote themselves to the link of spirt; the design of the universe is rendered through their form.

With so many words used to provide the meaning of just one Beatitude, it is important not to "study" the words in the traditional sense. Both the Hebrew and Aramaic languages lend themselves to quiet contemplation instead of focused concentration. The goal is to have Spirit reveal a meaning that is relevant to YOUR life and situation. A tool that may help in this regard is a technique that has been used in Catholic monasteries for centuries the Lectio Divina. The practice of Lectio Divina is divided into four parts (also called Moments) and likened to feasting or eating the Word.

The four parts are first taking a bite (Lectio), then chewing on it (Meditatio). Next is the opportunity to savor the essence of it (Oratio). Finally, the Word is digested and made a part of the body (Contemplatio)

Lectio- This first moment consists in reading the scriptural passage slowly, attentively several times. Many write down words in the scripture that stick out to them or grasp their attention during this moment.
Meditatio- The Christian, gravitating around the passage or one of its words, takes it and ruminates on it, thinking in God’s presence about the text. He or she benefits from the Holy Spirit’s ministry of illumination, i.e. the work of the Holy Spirit that imparts spiritual understanding of the sacred text. It is not a special revelation from God, but the inward working of the Holy Spirit, which enables the Christian to grasp the revelation contained in the Scripture.
Oratio- This is prayer: prayer understood both as dialogue with God, that is, as loving conversation with the One who has invited us into His embrace; and as consecration, prayer as the priestly offering to God of parts of ourselves that we have not previously believed God wants. In this consecration-prayer we allow the word that we have taken in and on which we are pondering to touch and change our deepest selves. ...God invites us in lectio divina to hold up our most difficult and pain-filled experiences to Him, and to gently recite over them the healing word or phrase He has given us in our lectio and meditatio. In this oratio, this consecration-prayer, we allow our real selves to be touched and changed by the word of God.
Contemplatio -This moment is characterized by a simple, loving focus on God. In other words, it is a beautiful, wordless contemplation of God, a joyful rest in His presence.

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NEW HABIT- Practice your own version of Lectio Divina using the Aramaic version of the first Beatitude. Choose words or phrases that speak to you about bringing the Spirit of God more fully into your health practices. Consider what it would be like if the Christ Presence was an active and integral part of your eating, exercise and water intake on a daily basis.

"The Kingdom of God" targets your thoughts about your weight

Now that you have written down seven different variations of the first Beatitudes, it is time to see how it speaks directly to you about your weight. You have seen through the different versions that here are two phrases in this Beatitudes the not-so-good and the very good, the negative and the positive. In this case, there is "Poor in Spirit" and "The kingdom of heaven." The goal now is to change HOW YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT, to go from negative thoughts to positive thoughts about your body.

Much of what we habitually think is unconscious. There are thoughts that no longer need words, because as beliefs they are automatically linked to subtle moods and emotions. Your thoughts about your weight are now the target of the Word of God and it is important to target both the unconscious and the conscious thoughts.

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1. The next time you shower or bathe stop for a moment and view your body while naked. Make a note of where your eyes go. Make a note of how you breathe while you observe your face, neck shoulders arms, hands, chest, stomach, hips, thighs, legs and feet. Notice your mood as you look at your body.

2. In your Notebook (Devotional section), create a page titled "Blessed are the poor in Spirit"  Write down all the negative comments that you have thought to yourself about your body. Be specific. Be exhaustive. Write until you can think of nothing else you have ever said or heard that is negative about your weight.

3. Create another page titled "Kingdom of Heaven." Write down the reason that you are now committing to a new and healthy lifestyle. Write down the things that you wish to do that are difficult to do now. Write slowly and thoughtfully and actually envision yourself at your goal weight on a typical day. Include in your narrative words that describe the way your think of your body at your goal weight. Write comments that others will say about you. Write about how you will feel.

4. Create a third page titled "First Thoughts of the Kingdom of Heaven"

5. NEW HABIT #1- As part of Sacred and Fit, it is vitally important to establish an appreciation for your body. That appreciation habit will begin tonight. As you drift off to sleep be conscious of the "Kingdom of Heaven" page of your Notebook. Think on that image of a typical day. The good feelings you have about your body. Concentrate on the good feelings produced by "appreciation" and "gratitude" for your body.  This technique utilizes a state of consciousness known as hypnogogic sleep, and has been used by many creatives, such as Beethoven and Einstein. Place your Notebook and a pen near your bed.

6. NEW HABIT #2- Writing on the page "First Thoughts of the Kingdom of Heaven" should be the very first thing you do in the morning as soon as you wake up. The goal is to re-train your subconscious mind. You can gain a glimpse of what is pervasive in your sub-conscious during the first 45 minutes of wakefullness. As you train yourself to go to sleep thinking thoughts of gratitude and appreciation you will awake to positive thoughts, answers to questions, inspiring ideas, beautiful images or songs.   This may take some time, so be patient. Track your progress by writing down the very first thoughts of your day. Write free style. Write down anything that comes to mind. Don't try to force a structure. Don't worry about grammar or spelling. Try to fill an entire page with spontaneous thoughts just as they appear in your mind.  This is a variation of "Morning Pages" that are used by Julia Cameron, author of The Artists Way.

Wk 2- Introducing Beatitude One

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Using the Bible passage look-up link or any Bible translations that you may own, write down 7 different versions of Matthew 5:3 in your journal on one page.

Congratulations

Congratulations. You have now completed the first week of the Sacred and Fit Program. You are well on your way to Christ-empowered Spirit-Inspired Health and Wellness! You have recognized that your life is sacred, precious, valuable...more valuable than any church building. For, as a believer, Jesus the Christ now dwells within you.  You recognize that your body actually houses the sacred union with the Christ and therefore the body can no longer be considered evil, ugly, sinful or bad.

This is the premise of Sacred and Fit. Because your life is sacred your body MUST be a temple. As a temple the body warrants love, reverence and respect for what it is and for what it contains....700 trillion communicating cells, each with a designated role. We have an amazing heart that not only pumps blood but responds to emotions through a vast array of nerves and nerve chemicals. We have an incredible brain that not only orchestrates the system, tissue, cellular and molecular functions of the body but also is the seat of both consciousness and mysticism. We can read the Bible using the brain's left-hemisphere but we are awed by the beauty of creation using the right-hemisphere. This fantastic body. This amazing brain. This marvelous heart.

This is just the beginning....We then have this indescribable spirit that yearns to know and be known by its Creator. That call of God that you heard once so clearly when you were first saved, is still calling. Knowing Jesus the Christ is just the beginning. There is a calling for you to fulfill. There is a purpose to be realized. There is the miracle of Christ in you to bring forth into the world.
 
 No matter if you wish to loose 25 pounds or 250 pounds, the journey of cultivating a healthy life style is a perfect time to reconnect to your life's purpose, your God-inspired dreams. The goal of having a healthy body is not to fit some Hollywood image of beauty but so that your sacred mission can be best accomplished. You may not recognize your mission. You probably have been too occupied with self-defeating thoughts to feel its presence. Overweight people tend to think negative thoughts about themselves. This self-talk just reinforces the bad habits; when you feel bad about yourself, it is easy to neglect healthy habits.

  However, that's over now. Each pound you lose will bring you closer to your life's mission. You will know it by it's joy. The sheer idea of it will make you laugh out loud. You will stop the self deprecating thoughts because you will be so full of your mission, your passion, your joy.  Behold, all of your  thoughts about your body have become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17  (Darby Translation)

  ¹⁷So if any one [be] in Christ, [there is] a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new:


Romans 8:11. (Young's Literal Translation)
  ¹¹and if the Spirit of Him who did raise up Jesus out of the dead doth dwell in you, He who did raise up the Christ out of the dead shall quicken also your dying bodies, through His Spirit dwelling in you

Exercise

The Mayo Cinic website has a list of seven benefits of regular exercise.  The obvious benefit is aiding in weight loss. Here are the others:
2. Improving your mood.
3. Combats chronic disease (like diabetes and heart disease).
4. Combats chronic fatigue.
5. Promotes better sleep.
6. Put the spark back in your sex life.
7. A fun thing to do.

Despite all of these potential advantages, most overweight people don't exercise because it is decidedly NOT fun. Psychologists who study human motivation say that what will inspire a person to change behavior is a desire for something that they want AND a belief that they can attain it. If exercise is seen only as a means to loose weight and if you don't really believe that you will loose weight, then you won't be motivated to exercise. So for now, forget about exercising to lose weight. These are the Sacred and Fit recommendations for exercise.

#1- Start with "baby" steps 
When I was first learning to declutter my house, I used the FlyLady method. FlyLady helped me to see that any huge task (such as seeing the floor of my laundry room) could be completed if you took small steps every day. FlyLady suggests divding your home into five zones, focusing on only one zone per week and de-cluttering 15 minutes per day. She has other suggestions, such as a weekly one hour "House Blessing" and doing a load of laundry every single day. Slowly, these little steps done consistently make a big difference. I got through my dissertation doing these "Baby" steps. The habits for a healthy lifestyle won't happen all at once. However, if you keep your focus every day, you will reach your goal.


#2 Try out different physical activities
Who says that exercise has to involve big machines or a gym membership. Those are certainly options, but if you hate the gym, what else could you do on a regular basis or to supplement the time on the treadmill? Here are some suggestions:

Take a cycling or jazzercise class
Buy an exercise video for when you don't want to leave home
Join Bikram "Hot"  Yoga
Walk to work or somewhere else that you need to get to on a regular basis
Jump on the mini trampoline to fast music.
Go dancing.
Make a regular "power-walking date" with a friend 

If you already have an exercise routine how about introducing Interval Training to your work out.  The good thing about Interval Training is that it can be used with just about anything you are already doing. The goal is to exert yourself in short spurts for as hard as you can and then to have a brief moving rest period. Three spurts within 30 minutes and you're done.



#3 Spiritualize your Exercise
How about exercising as a part of your spiritual practice. Exercise as an act of worship. Consider the exercise your prayer time. Carry one Bible verse with you to the gym or on your walk. Memorize it. Contemplate it while you exercise. For the duration of the Sacred and Fit Program we will be focusing on the Beatitudes of Jesus. Memorizing them and thinking about them are critical to this program....However, you need not limit yourself. What scriptures can you find that encourage a change in behavior based on the empowering presence of Jesus the Christ. How about these two for starters....

2 Corinthians 5:17  (Darby Translation)

  ¹⁷So if any one [be] in Christ, [there is] a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new:


Romans 8:11. (Young's Literal Translation)
  ¹¹and if the Spirit of Him who did raise up Jesus out of the dead doth dwell in you, He who did raise up the Christ out of the dead shall quicken also your dying bodies, through His Spirit dwelling in you
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Write in your Notebook answers to the following: 
Do you enjoy exercise? If you do, write down some of the reasons. If not, think about what new thoughts will you need to bring to exercise so that you can begin to enjoy it?

What will your weekly exercise routine include? How many times per week will you exercise? Can interval training be incorporated into your program? If so, do you plan to use interval training?

What can you do to make your exercise program, Christ-empowered and Spirit-inspired?

Are you thirsty?

Are you thirsty? Focus for a second on your lips and mouth. Are you lips even slightly parched? Does the inside of your mouth feel like it could use a light cold glass of water.  If so, stop right now and go get a glass.
  Got your glass?  Take a moment to look at it. Crystal clear and tasty. Even after one sip you moth feels a little better. After you finish the glass, your kidneys receive more hydration and are better able to aid the liver in removing toxins from your body. A more efficient liver allows for more fat to be metabolized. You actually aid your weight loss with adequate water.
   You also help keep yourself healthy. Below are several conditions that are linked to mild dehydration.

• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Depression
• Cravings
• Cramps
• Headache

  The 50 Million Pound Challenge suggests that you drink 8 glasses of water a day. But that is the recommendation for a person of normal weight. If you are over weight, some doctors recommend half of your body weight in OUNCES of water. So, a person who weighs 200 pounds should drink 100 oz of water...36 oz (41/2 glasses) more than the recommended 8 glasses per day.

The link below has some more information about water, including the different types of water- bottled water, distilled water, mineral water,  spring water, etc. If your water doesn't taste good, you will not want to drink it. If you need to invest in a water system do it. Water systems can be as simple as a filter over a pitcher of water, to an in home filtration system. The important thing is to find a source of water that you like and that you can sustain for the long haul. (Consider bottled water only when there are NO other choices..It's expensive and the bottles last in the environment forever. Plus-you don't know if what you paid for is the real deal or not---    Be informed. Here's a report from a consumer watchdog group

To learn more about the benefits of drinking water, go to this link.


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Write in your Notebook answers to the following: 
Based on my current weight, I should be drinking _____oz of water per day.
My source of water will be_______________.

Diet vs Lifestyle eating

A weight problem is really a thinking problem because eating is a behavior and all behavior begins as thought.  Even if the thought has become so buried and unconscious through years of practice that it seems natural.  Habitual thinking creates habitual behaviors. Therefore, success with any change of behavior must  include a shift in thinking.  Below is an excerpt from the latest book by Dr. Ian Smith, founder of the Fifty Million Pound Challenge.  He says in the Introduction of the 4 Day Diet that "Loosing weight is 80% mental and 20% physical."  In choosing a new way to eat the first decision to make is to determine just what to eat. (Just as important is to also know when to eat and why you are eating --but more about that later.) Sacred and Fit does not promote a diet. People go on and off diets. We are asking you to cultivate a way to eat that you will sustain for the rest of your life. Admittedly, you may need to go on a "diet" to figure out the best eating plan for your body. The 4 Day Diet is one possibility. There is also "Eat right 4 your Type," a diet based on blood type. Weight Watchers based on points. Fat Flush Diet and South Beach diet based on phases. Which ever diet you choose, the key to success is consistency...finding what works and sticking with it. Over the course of the next 7 1/2 weeks you will be able to experiment with several different diets or choose the one you wish to use for the duration of the program. Either way, you will be charging it with a spiritual connection. You are not looking for a diet but a plan for eating within a healthy lifestyle. Your diet days are OVER!


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Have you chosen your diet for the 8 Week Sacred and Fit program? Have you also considered menus, shopping lists and preparation times? Please record this information in your Notebook.
(NOTE: Sacred and fit requires no specific diet program and you are urged to be flexible. However the week of fasting will require the use of a Juicer. Commercial bottled or frozen juices are not recommended.)

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Dr. Ian Smith: A lot of these questions are answered in my book The 4 Day Diet, so I'm going to post a synopsis here for everyone.
I want to share with you some great news about my new book that can help you reach your goals in a healthy, effective, and straightforward manner. More importantly, it will help you keep the weight off permanently, because it teaches you how to make lifestyle changes. No more roller coaster ride with your weight! The 4 Day Diet is really two books in one. The first half of the book deals with the common missteps that many people make while trying to lose weight. It teaches you how to set a proper weight loss goal, what's realistic to lose over a certain period of time, how to get motivated, how to avoid temptations, and how to STAY motivated. The second half of the book is the diet-the modular eating plan. This is a revolutionary way to eat that has produced tremendous results in those who have tried it. The diet is broken up into 4 day modules using regular, inexpensive food that you can purchase at any local grocery store. And to make it even easier, you don't have to count calories on this program as I have done it for you. All you have to do is follow the daily meal plans. These modules all have a theme and a purpose. There are 7 in total.
Induction (detox/cleansing)
Transition (to reintroduce all food groups)
Protein Stretch (to avoid plateaus)
Smooth (when you can have some formerly forbidden foods like pizza and French fries)
Push (the sprint just before the final stretch, back to a stricter eating plan)
Pace (a comfortable module for you to catch your breath)
Vigorous (the final module to lose those last few pounds)
The beauty of this eating plan is that every four days you are changing your eating style. One of the biggest complaints about most diets is that the food becomes boring after eating the same thing over and over. Not on The 4 Day Diet. You NEVER get bored because there's so much variety and flexibility in the food choices. Just think, every four days you can eat in an entirely different fashion. You will have no problems following this program. Just think-YOU CAN DO ANYTHING FOR JUST 4 DAYS.
What's also helpful is that once you do the Induction and Transition modules, you can decide the order in which you do the rest of the modules. And when you complete the modules, you simply go back and do them in any order that you prefer until you have hit your weight loss goal. With The 4 Day Diet, you don't feel like you're on a diet because the food is constantly changing.
The 4 Day Diet will not only get you to finally lose those stubborn pounds, but it will re-train your brain to get motivated and stay motivated. You will not only lose weight, but you will become healthier and enjoy all that life has to offer. This is not a short-term fix, it's about changing your lifestyle that will bring long-lasting success. The 4 Day Diet is now available in all bookstores, and you can also order a discounted copy at http://www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com. This is the plan that has helped many and it can help you too. I can't wait to receive updates on your success. The NEW you begins NOW!!!
Best,
Ian K. Smith, M.D.
 Washington Post online chat with Dr. Ian Smith

The 50 Million Pound Challenge

Your membership in the Sacred and Fit community begins with the invitation to join the Sacred and Fit Team at the Fifty Million Pound Challenge (Dr. Ian Smith). The Challenge website will provide the online tools for monitoring your progress over the next 8 weeks and beyond that, if you so choose. The link can be reached at   http://www.50millionpounds.com. Once you register ("join now" at upper right hand corner) you make the request to join the Sacred and Fit Team. You will receive an invitation email. Click on the link and you will be included in our community.

You will find several tabs once you have completed your registration- From left to right the tabs are,  "My weight tracker", "30-day meal plan", "My journal," "My activity tracker" and "My teams." During this first week of Sacred and Fit, start using all of the Challenge tabs. Place your current weight and goal weight in the spaces provided under the first tab. As you will see, the tabs are pretty self explanatory. Feel free to customize the meal plan but make every effort to eat 4 meals per day and 2 snacks and to drink 8 glasses of water.  Otherwise, combine the Challenge menu information with knowledge of your previous weight loss success, your budget and your good sense to derive a menu plan that is right for you.  The Journal will be used to record your devotionals and the activity tracker does just that...keeps a record of your exercise regimen. Tomorrow's blog will have more information on interval training, which is what we recommend to enhance cardiovascular activity.

  Another important distinction is the role of fasting in the Sacred and Fit program. there is a week-long raw food/liquid/juice fast during week four of the Program. Please be sure to check your calendar so that the fasting week doesn't interfere with major holidays or important social events

All Sacred and Fit Challenge team members will automatically be invited to view this Blog. You should receive alerts about each daily posting.

In addition to being a Challenge member, by now you should have a good start on your Notebook. Starting next week, you should definitely print out the blog pages, if you haven't done that already. The blogs will contain more about the devotional aspect of the Sacred and Fit program after this first week of Orientation.

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Have you registered at the 50 Million Pound Challenge website?
Are you a part of the Sacred and Fit team?

The Notebook and what goes in it

The Sacred and Fit program is designed to provide the tools for a self-designed health and wellness regimen that you will continue to use until your goal weight is reached. The techniques, activities and assignments are all aimed to provide a spiritual foundation for your thinking about your body.  We believe that once you value your body-temple as an integral and important part of your spiritual life, you will have all of the motivation you need for a healthy lifestyle. The focus of Sacred and Fit is not a goal weight but an increased faith. This program will mark the end of failure and frustration around your weight, using tools that the Bible provides; the words of Jesus the Christ, prayer, fasting, contemplation and community.

The foundation of the program is the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-10.  The word "Beatitude" literally means "supreme blessedness" and the seven verses provide a clear and systematic guide to spiritual growth, which is the ultimate blessing.  The devotional assignments during the next 8 weeks will not require any special books or trainings. Everything needed for study is provided on the world-wide-web. However, the success of the program depends not just on reading but on contemplating the meaning behind the words. We will use several different Bible translations to delve into each of the seven verses, one each week.

There are two tangible products that will emerge from your commitment to Sacred and Fit for the next 8 weeks. The first will be your weight loss. The other will be the Notebook which will detail exactly how the weight loss was accomplished. The Notebook will be a repository for your contemplation and introspection. The Word of God is powerful and the thoughtful and prayerful consideration of even a single verse will have life-changing effects. The Notebook will also be a permanent record of your progress over the 8 weeks. It will contain information on new foods that you will discover during the program and recipes and menus that you have designed to best meet your goals. The notebook will contain a record of the exercise regimens that you will have incorporate into your daily routine. Finally, the Notebook will contain a section for pictures and images that represent your goal weight and how you will feel once the goal is reached.

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Use this first week to construct your Sacred and Fit Notebook.  All you need is a three ring binder and five dividers. The dividers should be labeled as follows: Chart (for weekly weigh-ins), Devotionals (contemplative writings, reflections and journaling) Menus/Recipes (for info on foods, smoothies, juices and water),  Exercise,  Vision Pages.

Introduction to Sacred and Fit

Fifty Million Dollar Challenge Homework Assignment Explanation

Week 1 Discussion -  How is your physical body related to your salvation experience?
Assignment- Review this (50 Million Pound Challenge) website. Send available times for check-in phone call (15-20 min).

Background for Discussion question- 

Members of Sacred and Fit are drawn together under one premise- that as a believer in Jesus Christ, each of us have been given a SACRED charge that no one on earth can fulfill. Because our bodies are the medium through which the sacred charge will be accomplished, it is important that we have the physical strength, vigor and good health necessary to fulfill our individual calling. In other words, we must be physically fit enough to fulfill our sacred charge.

A simple way to describe one's salvation experience is to recount the time and place of the public declaration of Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior.  It is often much more difficult to describe what that single decision has meant and continues to mean in terms of inner changes of the heart and mind.  Usually, the  salvation event happens one time but the internal transformation is an ongoing and continual process.  Part of that ongoing process is to grow in understanding of our purpose, gifts and callings. Why shouldn't that understanding include the body and the care we give our body.

There has been much publicity about obesity and the other diseases related to it, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver disease, to name a few. The obesity epidemic has many causes. Many communities have easy access to fast food and less access to fruits and vegetables. Time constraints cause many American families to eat fast or to eat on the go. Americans are bombarded by images of sweet and rich foods.  With all of that, it may seem difficult to bring a sense of the sacred to the act of eating....difficult but not impossible.

The first question for discussion is, how you would relate your physical body to your salvation experience. If you've never given this thought, take time to pose the question to your spirit.  Phrase it in  your own words. There are, of course, no right/wrong answer. The inquiry is what is important.