Blue Umbrella Official BU SUMMER 2019 | Page 7

The Benef it s of Eat ing Heal t hil y By Erica L. People often try to eat better for different reasons. Sometimes, doctor's orders require a special diet while other times smaller portions are needed to lose weight. But, do we ever think of the real benefits of eating healthily when we aren't forced to? Would we take the steps to eat healthily if something we want does not immediately result from it? Well, some motivation for eating healthy is given by reputable health organizations. For instance, familydoctor.org says in its article Nutrition Tips for Kids that unhealthy eating as a child can cause lifelong diseases in adulthood. Similarly, Sutter Health's article Why Eat Healthy? notes that a healthy diet is good in many ways?it provides necessary nutrients, helps prevent diseases such as diabetes and cancer, and gives you more energy. Now that we have found a motivation, how are we going to carry through and actually begin eating more healthily? Well, as Sutter Health says, eating habits do not have to change all at once, and starting small often makes it easier to get to the end goal. For example, one small way we could be eating differently is by changing the snacks we eat. Instead of snacking on potato chips, familydoctor.org suggests, try having baked chips or nuts. Similarly, homemade smoothies make a great replacement for ice cream. As you become more familiar with what's healthy, you'll be able to create your own style of snacks. Using our new motivation and tips to get us started, we'll be eating healthy in no time. Just remember 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "? your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you ? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." Let us honor God by eating healthily to take care of our temples that we've been given by God.