The Plan

On the eve of our nation’s favorite food holiday, we’re going to talk for a moment about just that–food.  As much as we want the focus to be on giving thanks, we inevitably spend a great deal focusing on food as well. Nothing wrong with that.  I shared way back here about not wanting to walk in circles in the area of food and diet and received quite a load of varied responses.  I mentioned briefly a book called The Plan, and since then the most frequent question I am asked seems to be: “So, what’s The Plan?” It’s been a fun journey these last three months and I am happy to report: I’m no longer walking in circles!  More than a couple pounds shed though, my mindset has changed. I so enjoyed the book I’d like to share a bit of it with you. So let’s just do a quick dive into 1) What is The Plan? 2) Why does it matter?

What is The Plan?

The Plan was recommended to my mom, to help in her fight against Parkinson’s.  I ordered it for her, and was so intrigued by the beginning that I told her I’d do the 20-day plan with her. Jeff caught my enthusiasm and said he was in, and our housemate, Debra, jumped on board a few days later. The gist of The Plan is identifying which foods trigger an inflammatory response in your body, and are therefore detrimental to your health in a variety of ways. Negative responses can range from headaches, weight gain, bloating, puffiness, foggy thinking, stomach-ache, irritability, etc.

The first few days are rough, as you detox and begin to learn how to listen to your body, but after day 3 we were all quickly hooked by just how good we felt! My mom lost a lot of weight, getting to her lowest since before having babies (almost 40 years). Jeff’s cholesterol dropped one hundred points in just a few weeks. I found myself with way more energy throughout the day, and easily shedding the few pounds I wanted to drop. My aunt reached her lowest weight since high school. Our housemate noticed much more metal clarity and more energy as well. It’s been 3 months now and I would say it has been the single best book for educating and inspiring wise, informed choices for our family’s eating.

Why does it matter? 

So, while I cringe at the word “diet,” how we steward our physical bodies does impact how we flourish spiritually. At least for me it does. I have never found a more freeing approach to health, diet, weight, and nutrition as by following the simple steps of The Plan. What I love is that she leads readers on a journey toward a new perspective of health and food. Instead of striving toward some dream image or goal weight or following what “they say” are healthy foods, you simply learn to listen to your body (the one God gave you!) and find your set point, the natural place where your body thrives best. Instead of following some new fad diet, or trying to fit insane workouts into your schedule, you just rest in how your body best functions. Although it’s not a Christian book, I find the truths in it are so in line with the idea of stewardship—learning to adopt a healthy, restful, no-stress approach to good health through nutrition.

So, all that to say that as we enter into a season notorious for its food, I enthusiastically recommend The Plan to anyone looking for a healthy, whole, balanced, stress-free approach to nutrition. I feel like I finally know how best to take care of the body God has graciously given me. So, if your interest is at all piqued, check it out. I think you’ll be blessed.

It’s definitely on the list of things I’m oh-so grateful for this Thanksgiving. 

{Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for reading…}