For advertising information visit www.samplerpublications.com or call 859.225.4466 | February 2015
&
33
Faith
Food
Fitness
Focus
Friends
The Daniel Plan:
Is it the Right Plan for You?
By Dana Sizemore
It’s February again. Our New Year’s
resolutions have come, burned brightly, and for many of us, have already
fizzled out. According to a 2014
study published in the Journal of
Clinical Psychology, getting healthy
is a top priority among Americans as
they ring in the New Year. The study
found that the number one New
Year’s Resolution made by Americans
is to lose weight; number five is to
stay fit and be healthy.
Among the 45 percent who actually make New Year’s Resolutions, the
study found that only 8 percent of us
will actually accomplish our goals.
What are we doing wrong? According
to the creators of the Daniel Plan,
there is a better…plan.
The Daniel Plan is not a diet, but
rather a faith-based healthy lifestyle
program. It is founded upon what
the program creators call “The
Essentials.” They are Faith, Food,
Fitness, Focus and Friends. According
to Daniel Plan founders, this program
is different because it “offers an innovative approach to achieving a healthy
lifestyle where people get better
together.” This is done by “optimizing
health in each of these life areas.”
The Daniel Plan was created to
“teach a step-by-step approach and
to offer simple ways to incorporate
healthy choices into your current life-
style.” It offers “guidance in every life
area, so you can not only get healthy
physically, but spiritually, emotionally
and relationally as well.”
In addition to access to practical food and fitness tips, Daniel
Plan creators say, “You will learn
how to focus your mind on those
things that will encourage healthy
choices.” Throughout the program,
participants are “encouraged to rely
on God’s power, and the application
of dependable biblical principles.”
The Daniel Plan was envisioned
by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback
Church in Lake Forest, California.
Realizing that he and many of the
members of his congregation were
not honoring God by taking care of
themselves, he set out to develop an
easy to follow plan to help people
adopt a healthy lifestyle. He enlisted
the help of a small group of top medical professionals to start the program.
Pastor Warren collaborated with
medical doctors: Daniel Amen M.D.,
Mark Hyman M.D., Mehmet Oz
M.D., to create a book entitled The
Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier
Life. Along with the book, participates can access information, as well
as, connect with other people who
are following the plan on the website,
DanielPlan.com.
The program is based on the
biblical story of Daniel, the young
Israelite captive who refused to eat
the king’s “rich” food. By doing what
he believed was God’s best choice
for him; Daniel honored God with
his choice. As told by Daniel Plan
authors:
The Babylonian king,
Nebuchadnezzar, wanted to train the
best and the brightest of his captives
so they could be placed in positions of
authority within the government. King
Nebuchadnezzar instituted a three-year
training program and while they were
being trained, the young captives were to
be fed the same food found on the royal
table. But Daniel knew this wouldn’t
be a healthy diet, so he asked that he
and three of his friends be allowed to
eat healthier, and at the end of ten days,
they looked better and were more robust
than those who ate the king’s menu
(Daniel 1:1-21).
Daniel Plan authors say Daniel’s
request was not specifically “about a
diet plan, but rather, he understood
God wanted him to live a healthy
lifestyle.” “Healthy living,” they add,
“requires faith as the foundation,
trusting that God’s way is the best
way, while following his prescription
for your health.”
The Daniel plan can be done
individually or in a small group setting. Many churches are offering the
Daniel Plan as a bible study/healthy
lifestyle class. To get started you will
need to purchase the book. You can
visit the website www.danielplan.com
to get more information about the
program.