LEARN TO LOVE THE FOODS GOD CREATED FOR OUR HEALTH

James 3 focuses on the power of the tongue to promote life and healing – or to cause destruction and set the course of our life on fire. However, our tongue muscle itself is not in charge of deciding which words we speak; this is decided by what lies within our heart. Thankfully, God gives us power to transform our speech – by reading and praying His word.

God has ordained other functions for our tongue muscle as well – one of which is the sense of taste. For most of us, the taste of a food is a major factor in deciding what we eat. The food industry takes advantage of this fact by adding lots of sugar, fat and salt to their products; these additives often make their products very difficult to resist.

The Good News is that God gives us power to transform our tastes to enjoy the whole foods He created for our health. The whole foods God created cause much less inflammation in the body than refined foods with added sugar, salt or fat and they help us avoid setting the health-related course of our life on fire.

"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.

God would not ask us to prioritize eating these life-giving foods without giving us the power to do so.

Just as we can pray for God’s help transforming the words we speak, we can pray for help transforming our tastes to line up with His word.

· Each day, ask God to help you love the foods He created for the health of your body. (Genesis 1:29).

· Thank God each time you eat the whole foods He created, knowing that they will indeed be ‘for the nourishment of your body’.

· Partner with the other members of your tribe to experiment with new types of vegetables, fruits, grains, or legumes (beans).

· Don’t write off a new food if you don’t completely love it the first time. Think about all the foods you hated as a child but now truly enjoy.

Changing your food tastes is not an overnight process. Be patient, pray God’s word, and give it time.

© Lisa McCoy, MD, MPH