It is now midday. Your body is tired and you crave for a filling meal. You worked hard and you deserve a treat. You think of your unfinished chores and the load of more work ahead. This time is very critical. Make the right choice – a healthy lunch munch will keep you satisfied.

Remember the backpack of calories you are carrying in every pound of fat. Your fat is screaming “use me!” A light lunch is the way to go. Eating must be fun. Eat the right amount of food and chew it well. You do not have to eat till you feel stuffed. Do not let your belly control you. A small lunch munch sends a message to your body to start the clean up process. A light lunch will give you more energy for the afternoon. Your mind will be clearer and you will get more work done. Is this not the way you want to live each day?If you give your cells what they need, they will give you want you need – energy.

Here are some suggestions of a healthy lunch munch. Have fun!

Super Salad

A small serving of salad made of fruits or vegetables will meet all your body’s needs. Carrots, yams, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, pineapples, apples – the choices are endless. The key is to cut them into bite size pieces. The dressing must not be the store bought stuff which is deadly. It is filled with transformed fatty acids that have been known to be the cause of all sorts of diseases. The stuff is heated to 2000F°. It has as much nutrition as motor oil. Avocados make a great salad dressing. Natural fats and oils are good for you. They digest easily and supply natural fats and oils. Blend an avocado in a food processor or blender. Add cider vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, a garlic clove, a slice of ginger, a teaspoon of honey and a small tomato. Experiment and you will come up with your own favorites. No junk on this salad,just good nutrition for your cells. When you eat, you can almost hear cells say “thank you.”

Cantaloupe Surprise

Dice one cantaloupe and chill in the freezer for ten minutes. That is one entire meal. Cantaloupe has the most nutrition per calorie of any food. It may take a little adjusting to think of a fruit as an entire meal, but try it and you will like it. You can give it a dash of sweetener by adding a teaspoon of honey over top. If you want to lose weight, you need to cut calories while maintaining good nutrition; cantaloupes fit the need perfectly. Chew it well, and enjoy the flavor.

Cantaloupe Juice

The juice of a cantaloupe and 2 oranges fresh out of the juicer is a healthy choice. A tropical milk shake is invigorating and will surely give you an energy blast! The nutrition enters your blood in seconds. Carry a thermos to work if you cannot make it fresh. Drinking cantaloupe juice for lunch is a mini juice fast. It is filling and satisfying. Do not be in a hurry to finish it, instead, let it combine with your saliva. Enjoy the subtle changes of flavor as thedigestive enzymes start their work in the mouth.

There is a wide variety of foods that make up a healthy lunch munch. Be adventurous and experiment. The goal is to avoid a high calorie intake. Think healthy at all times.

Hunger triggers feelings of hunger and prepares the stomach to accept food. You must be able to recognize if your stomach is hungry, sometimes you can mistake the feeling of hunger for thirst. Try drinking a glass of warm water next time you are hungry…but you don’t think you should be, maybe you have eaten a short while ago. A glass of water 15 minutes before you eat can also lead to eating less. Hunger will make you uncomfortable if it is not properly managed. It could lead to a mild form of binge eating, as you are so hungry and have built up anticipation of the food. This could lead to a cycle of overeating.

Here are ways to help you keep hunger in control and avoid the chance of becoming a compulsive eater.

Measure and delay hunger
Hunger has different intensities. Every time you feel hungry, mark the intensity of the hunger in your mind; 1 as a little hungry and 5 as very hungry. Delay hunger if you can. You overcome the hunger, and eating is postponed. Do you feel good? Relish your success!

Eat small portions
Hunger prepares the stomach for food. Eat small portions, the food will taste better, and the digestive systems will not be overworked. Eating this way will give you a blast of energy better than that of coffee.

Decide how much to eat
Eat predetermined quantities, and decide how much is enough. Chew your food well. Slow down and relax. Feel content as you eat. Enjoy your food and savor every bite. Relish each moment as if it was the last meal.

Drink at the end of the meal
Herbal tea is relaxing; it is a nice drink after a meal and will help you move out of the mode of overeating. This will give your stomach the feeling of contentment. You feel the satisfaction now? Be thankful that you are satisfied.

The next time you are hungry, face it and be at peace. Hunger can cause feelings of being deprived. Ignore it. Hunger stir uncomfortable emotions. Again, ignore it. You can do it!

You will never score a goal in a basketball game by wandering aimlessly. Your opponents will easily grab the ball from you. To be a great basketball player, you have to go through a regimen of training. It is not an easy task. There are many obstacles and trials to overcome. But it is your resolve to be successful in basketball.

You cannot overcome compulsive behavior without a plan and being determined to reach that goal. Just like scoring any goal on the basketball court, you have to get pumped up, determined, and focused. Set realistic goals… pace yourself.

Here is a list that will help you overcome compulsion:

Resolve to be stubborn
It is not your opponents that will weaken your resolve to overcome compulsion. You must be determined in the face of temptation. Be resolved to stay focused. Do not allow thoughts to drift into your subconscious, gab your resolve and chase them out, they will weaken your decisions. In the face of temptation, be firm. Be on the alert that you are being tempted, accept it but refuse to give in. Be stubborn, even when friends are tempting you, refuse to eat junk food with that same power of conviction. Give yourself encouragement when you succeed..success is infectious, spread it around.

It’s a stronger conviction to refuse to do something than it is to – try to do something. Which statement is more positive, “I will try to eat better” or “I refuse to eat junk food.” Stubbornly refusing to do something has power. It is absolute refusal that makes decisions resolute.

Resolve to be intent
Being intent is to be fixed on something. Be like an athlete preparing for the challenge. Be fixed on what you intend to achieve. Do not be distracted. Just as an archer aims for his target, he is intent to hit the target. Once he has fired his arrow, he relaxes and gets ready to become intent again. The focus is exhausting. It requires 100% attention. You can be like that. Set the goal and become totally fixed on it everyday, especially just before you eat or face temptation. Once it is over, you can relax till the next target comes up. The mind can be very determind also, and you will often find that you have failed with out being aware until  it’s too late…don’t be put-off. This happens to us all. It can give you a boost of resolve to be more vigilant. Look at how it happened, and how you were hood-winked, and see if you can “catch” yourself next time.

Resolve to end mental war
Resolute decisions end mental wars. Weak decisions are useless. There will be times you will compromise and feel like a failure. Make your decisions resolute. If you have made the decision to eat one bowl full of food per meal, resolve to feel hungry before eating. You have made a decision! “I am not getting pushed around any more. I refuse to be controlled by food. Cravings do your worst. I will not budge. I am standing firm. My decision is unchangeable. I will not give in.” These ends the mental war.
Resolve to succeed
You have made a resolve to succeed. Every day you have to go over the reasons as to why you have made these decisions. As soon as you weaken in your decision, the battle starts. Fortify these decisions because you know you will succeed.

Compulsion is a vicious cycle. Pain comes in, emotions stir to a storm: fear, insecurity, anxiety, feeling empty and deprived. These feelings will not exist if your decision is resolute. They come because you are allowing yourself to consider breaking your decision. Even if you do not break, those feelings will have weakened your decision and you will need to rebuild it. If you do not, you will fail.

When my soul is in anguish and my heart is heavy, I know I can open the bible and my spirit will find some peace. It happens every time. It takes a while but, gradually, I feel better and from somewhere comes the strength to carry on. I chose the following scriptures because they still my soul.

Comforting Scripture 1
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet water, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. The Lord is my Shepherd. Psalm 23 NIV

Comforting Scripture 2
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Romans 8:35 NIV

Comforting Scripture 3
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 NIV

Comforting Scripture 4
“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 NIV

Comforting Scripture 5
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12–14 NIV

Make it a habit to spend time with God and find your peace. Praise and thank Him for a good night’s rest and the blessings to come. A new day is a blessing, an opportunity to do better than yesterday.

In the darkness of battling compulsion remind yourself that God listens to every prayer, whether simple or complex. Offer your pains and sufferings to Him. You have not been abandoned.

Compulsive eaters take in just about anything. Unconsciously, they eat foods that have no nutritional values. JUNK! Most compulsive eaters are unaware of their diet. They find reasons to eat and justify their choices of food. Compulsive eaters find comfort in food. A hard day’s work filled with stress can often bring on an eating binge. Food is often used as a distraction from anxiety, rewarding the pleasure centre of the brain with eating. Abundant food is often the barometer of security and happiness of the compulsive eater.

Your food preferences vary from junk to gourmet. Food from the nearby fast food chain relieves the hunger pang. Premixed food preparations are often popped in the microwave oven to satisfy the craving. That food featured delectably on the food magazine becomes an obsession.

The imagination is often the enemy of the compulsive eater. The colors, images, smells, textures and taste of food will tease the compulsive eater, giving an anticipation of pleasure so strong that all determination fails. The smell triggers the saliva to activate the urge to eat. The taste will cause restlessness. The various textures and images leaves a feeling of want.

In the Bible, eating was not a problem two thousand years ago. Food was organically grown, and consumed at its prime freshness because there were no refrigerators. There were no food additives. The early church did not need adrenaline stimulants or fast energy giving drinks or beverages to get through the rigors of the daily tasks.

If Paul is alive today, he would definitely address the problem and would probably say that, “Junk foods are harmful to one’s body. With you as God’s steward, you must live in discipline and wisdom. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit so you must take good care of it.”

Start your day right. Have a healthy breakfast. Enjoy cholesterol- and saturated fat-free breakfast.

The stomach has been asleep. Give it time to wake up. Dumping a greasy bacon and eggs breakfast on a half-asleep stomach is a bad move. If you are not hungry, do not eat. You can take some fruit with you to eat later. Have a glass of herbal tea, or some freshly- made juice and your body will love you for it. If you are hungry, the best choice is fruit. It is easy to digest and will supply all the nutrition needed to start your day.

Here are some suggestions that are easy to make and free of cholesterol and saturated fat.

Morning Mobilizer

Slice a banana into a bowl and add segments from one orange. Chill for 10 minutes. Add a dash of honey and it is the perfect breakfast.

Grape-Pear, Day Starter

Dice one pear, add 10 seedless grapes and a sliced banana. Add a tablespoon of frozen pineapple concentrate which will naturally sweeten the dish to a tantalizing treat.

Cereal Replacer

Longing for that cold crunchy feeling of breakfast cereal? Here is a radical replacement for the usual breakfast of milk, starch and sugar. You need 2 shredded carrots, a quarter cup of raisins, and 1/4 can of frozen pineapple concentrate. Mix together in a bowl and leave in the fridge overnight. When it is ready to be served in the morning, add a few sesame seeds and some frozen banana slices for extra flavor. Peel ripe bananas before freezing in freezer bags and slice only as needed. Frozen bananas taste like ice cream. Kids love frozen bananas.

Cantaloupe Juice-Up

The juice of a cantaloupe is a great energizer to start the day, and a rocket fuel for a weary body. It gives a blast of beta-carotene, essential vitamins and minerals. You could wear your running shoes to work!

Carrot Juice Coffee Kicker

Need that caffeine blast to get you going? We have a better one. Place into the juicer ten carrots, 1 lemon, 1 apple and one beet. Get ready to hit overdrive. Your cells won’t know what hit them but it will hit them good!

A good and healthy breakfast will start your day right! Be focused on the right tract.

You can overcome compulsive eating by eating healthy food. The more junk food you eat the more you crave it. When you eat healthy food, your body starts to crave it.

We are the only creatures on earth that cook food. Cooking kills not only the enzymes. Cooking alters protein and fiber, destroys vitamins and minerals, and kills all enzymes. Nutrients we desperately need are being destroyed. The effect is slow and gradual, but inevitable. It gives us slow death.

Raw food is the key to good health. As those natural fibers enter the stomach, it lets out a sigh of relief. “Finally, a meal easy to digest.” Stomach enzymes discover the rich abundance of nutrition supplied by the hand of God, just a gold mine of nutrition. Happily, the stomach enzymes release their precious cargo into the blood. It’s Christmas time for the 3 trillion cellular residents of the body.

Pizza sludge, dead animal parts, chemicals and additives, grease, sticky white flour goo, is garbage in the stomach. Have you ever lived through a garbage strike? Every corner and crevice becomes a storage spot of such garbage. Flies and putrid odors abound. In the stomach, organs have been overloaded. Every day it has endured forced labor, carrying loads of toxic fat, cholesterol, animal flesh, additives and foods saturated with salt.You feel like garbage because your bloodstream is overloaded with toxic waste. After feeling bad for a day, and possibly suffering a headache, the toxic mucus slime of overindulgence is gradually removed from the body.

Sickness is the bodies’ garbage strike. It is protesting against being overworked and underpaid nutrient-wise. Eating raw food ends the ‘garbage strike’ within the body. The cells cheer the first meal of raw food. No more heavy digestive work. Lots of high-paying nutrients. The strike is over. Every cellular resident goes on a garbage cleanup, removing the leftover pizza sludge, chocolate bars and cola residues. The T-cells molecules into the blood to be removed.

Remarkable things start to happen: periods of exhilaration, energy and clarity of mind. This is only the first experience of the greater benefits yet to come, that will testify of God’s intention for us to be exuberantly happy and abundant.

Weakness, headaches or dizziness are common symptoms of detoxification. Even one day on fruit can cause bloating, gas, diarrhea, indigestion and a feeling of weakness. Your faith and patience will be tested. Do not be discouraged. Your stomach will have developed a thick coating of mucus to protect the lining from hydrochloric acid that is so strong it can eat through metal.

Instead of eating a steak, eat three peaches and some grapes. Fruit is easy to eat, it requires less digestive secretions than a steak. Your body reacts by sending you to the bathroom for most of the day. As you eat more raw food, your body will, over a few weeks, increase the cells needed to comfortably digest fruit. The fruit will then digest without gas, diarrhea, or any discomfort whatsoever. Your body has adapted its enzyme secretions to whatever you have been eating.

Eating a large steak after 6 months of eating raw food, the meat will sit in the stomach like a lead brick. The stomach has become adjusted to lighter eating. Taking a heavy starch meal will fill the sinuses with mucus. Eating cheese will cause constipation. A greasy meal will cause headaches, tiredness and oily skin. Now, your body is reacting to your old diet as if it were poison.

Eating the standard North American diet will cause your body to function abnormally. The blood, digestive secretions, and the biochemical balance of the body have become adjusted to function as best it can under a barrage of toxic food, caffeine, saturated fats and heavy proteins. In this state, your body will never crave fruit or vegetables. Change that balance and your body will react as it would to any addiction. You will never be caught at three in the morning, raiding the refrigerator for toxic or junk foods.

Man makes food to be addictive. The industry profits as your health deteriorates. God makes food satisfying, nourishing and cleansing. Money is useless in heaven. God cares about your health because He loves you.

When cravings hit, it’s time to hang tough and have faith. The body will rebalance and reprogram and the desire for that favorite junk food will disappear. We recommend 30 days of eating nothing but raw fruits and vegetables as a way to regain control over food. By the end of this period, all unnatural cravings will have disappeared and you will discover a health and well being that will surprise you. Eating raw food for thirty days is a true challenge, but if you use your newly discovered skills, you will joyously succeed. And when you do, the gain will be a blessing to you for the rest of your life, a gift of God.

Is it a habit, an obsession, a compulsion or an addiction?

Compulsion and addiction each involve a perceived lack of control by the individual facing them. However, there are some key differences.

Most all of us exhibit habitual behavior, for instance looking both ways before crossing the road, but compulsions and addictions refer to those instances where these behaviors disrupt an individual’s ability to function.

We’ve all avoided stepping on the cracks between paving stones on the way to school: that was no mere habit, but a compulsion, since we thought there would be an undesirable outcome if we didn’t perform the ritual. Likewise, common compulsions include repeatedly making sure the gas is turned off when leaving the house and making sure the lights are ‘properly’ out by switching them on and off again.

Compulsive actions and behaviors offer temporary relief from anxiety — in turn, the need to reduce this anxiety is what drives the compulsive behavior. Sometimes an obsessive thought relates to the compulsive behavior (such as fear of germs and hand-washing), but often the compulsive behavior has no clear relation to anything in particular, like performing a superstitious ritual of walking all the way around one’s car before getting in.

Understanding Addiction

The term addiction is used to describe a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific pleasure-seeking activity, despite harmful consequences to the individual’s health, mental state or social life. Like when one reaches for a cup of coffee, the pleasure center of the brain receives stimulation so the action is repeated. Not all doctors agree on what addiction or dependency is. The term is often reserved for drug addictions to psychoactive substances that alter the natural chemical behavior of the brain, defined by tolerance to the drug, withdrawal symptoms and inability to decrease the amount consumed, but it is sometimes applied to other compulsions such as problem gambling and compulsive overeating. Many people, both psychology professionals and laypersons, now feel that the term addiction should be made to include psychological dependency on such things as gambling, food, sex, pornography, computers, work, exercise, shopping, and religion. Although these are things or tasks which, when used or performed, do not fit into the traditional view of addiction and may be better defined as an obsessive-compulsive disorder, withdrawal symptoms may occur with abatement of such behavior.

Obsessions

Obsessions are persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that cause anxiety or distress. Repeated doubts and the need to have things in a particular order are some of the more common obsessions. The individual with obsessions usually attempts to suppress such thoughts or impulses or to neutralize them with some other thought or action (i.e., a compulsion). A compulsion, then, is a feeling that you have to do something to relieve the obsessive thought or doubt. A compulsion is a physical or mental act that you perform over and over–the act of an obsession. Common compulsions include counting, washing, arranging and checking things again and again. When these tendencies are exaggerated, like when having to perform a ritual of making sure the front door is locked 10 or 20 times every time you go out, the behavior has escalated to an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Such behavior then becomes time-consuming and interferes with normal daily routine.

Perhaps the most famous of all OCD sufferers was the billionaire entrepreneur Howard Hughes (‘The Aviator’), who spent his later life mentally and physically incarcerated by his own fears of contamination and elaborate cleaning rituals.

No one is sure why people have OCD. New research suggests that OCD may be related to atypical functioning of the circuitry in a part of the brain called the striatum. Whatever the reason, there seems to be an inappropriate response to anxiety in the deeper, primitive part of the brain that is not involved in reasoning. The cause of OCD is probably a mix of many factors including neurobiological, environmental influences and the way we think.

A link between addiction and OCD was illustrated when an assessment of 50 alcoholic patients revealed that 12% had OCD, 5 or 6 times greater than in the general population.

Addictions are often refractory to addiction rehab treatment, but patients treated for substance abuse and OCD showed greatly reduced OCD symptoms and higher overall abstinence. rates.

A lie could be summed up as a statement viewed by the receiver of the information as false. It has two major determining factors, the recipient of the information holds the judgment whether it is a lie not the conveyor of the message, and this recipient has no prior knowledge of the matter.

Others believe that it is a statement at variance with the mind as defined by Thomas Aquinas. But take note that the receiver of the information has the judgment whether it is false or true. A truth, if regarded by the person hearing it as a lie would remain as a lie. You might ask, what about lying to oneself? I would say that is impossible! An individual who does that is not on his right mind. Victims of lying are of course complete strangers to the information relayed. Also, the number of those who believe or do not believe in a certain subject would not affect its truthfulness or falsehood. The decision is very personal. 6 billion people here on Earth who believes in the presence of God would not change the belief of Atheists. What is true to one maybe a lie to others.

Lying is done to make other people reverse original plans or to believe the contrary. This is done for personal favor of the liar.

Someone who speaks of a lie as a way of automatic response to a question or to relay an information is a compulsive liar. There is no clear reason why do they need to lie as they don’t even need care about it. They acquire comfort through lying as gossipers gain relief from mongering. They take no considerations and no regard as to what would be the result of their actions. An obsession which is very hard for them to end as it is now a psychological part of their system.

Now, you might mistake some pathological liars to be compulsive liars. Here is the difference. A pathological liar is someone who lies persistently to get their way out. They do this with very little affection to the feelings or respect to the rights of the people affected. The purpose of lying overrides the feeling of guilt. A lawyer would consciously thwart realities in exchange of fortune from high-paying clients. Pathological liars are manipulative, self-centered, and purpose-driven. Still others maybe conscience-stricken after the process.

Whether someone lies occasionally or regularly doesn’t suggest that it is compulsive lying or pathological lying. It is best to consider the purpose.

Quit living in the past. We all have our pasts to deal with. We cannot fix it but we can let it go and decide to move on. Pick up yourself from the vicious cycle of the past and live your life to the fullest. Do not justify the past by blaming others. Accept past mistakes but do not wallow in them. Surrender everything to God. Allow Him to work in you, resting in the thought that He will completely erase the past. Loosen up. Have fun. Allow yourself to be like a child all over again. Never allow the past to ruin your future.

Being Motivated

Bear in mind that your thoughts determine how you feel. Captivate your thoughts and filter them into positive tools to become an overcomer. Refrain from criticizing yourself, instead find an opportunity to reaffirm yourself that you made the right choice. Do not blame or make excuses for your behavior, but rather firmly resolve that the change you desire emanates from the very core of your being. Take responsibility, accept and love yourself. Feel good about your accomplishments.

Do not go back to the vicious cycle of worrying especially during eating. This is disrespect to our God. If you have problems you must have to deal with, write them down on paper and leave it behind for awhile. Do not ever attempt to tackle problems before eating. Once you have decided, stop the worrying and do something positive. If things cannot be changed, leave it all to God. Nothing can be hidden from the Lord. He knows your heart, your desires and wants. He also knows your strengths and weaknesses. Always ask for wisdom for you to be able to accept your situation.

Look at the future from a new perspective. You are a new you. Your brain is no longer filled with the negative thoughts, but rather, it is replaced with fresh and new affirmative thoughts that you are a new creation. Create a new list of your priorities and goals. Make a list of positive statements to say to yourself for encouragement. Joy and peace will no longer be easily snatched away from you because it is in your heart. It is your choice to be joyful and at peace.

Your eating habits can increase or decrease compulsive eating. Here are some good habits that you need to develop:

Healthy Eating Habit 1: Prepare with Flair

Prepare meals with anticipation, creatively, with color, taste and smell that appeals to your senses. Instead of just chomping on a cantaloupe, cut it up into squares, chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes and serve it in an oval plate. Observe how different it feels when you add a bit of flair.

Healthy Eating Habit 2: Eat Hungry

We eat three times the amount of food we need to maintain health, and constantly eat without hunger. Most people eat a meal that could sustain an entire family in Africa for one day. Do not confuse natural hunger for cravings. A growling stomach with a ‘blah’ taste in the mouth is not hunger. Eating to relieve grumbling caused by gastric irritation will only leave you feeling sluggish and lethargic. Wait until you are hungry. You will not die of starvation. Most people have experienced true hunger only a few times in their life. Fighting hunger is like fighting Goliath. You put up a fight, he will run. If you are not hungry, do not eat. This is an opportunity to delay eating. Skip breakfast or the occasional meal and feel the intensity of your hunger build readiness.

During hunger, the sinuses clear, the stomach becomes ready and the sense of smell reaches its peak. Best of all, taste is enhanced. You will feel your salivary glands activating so that eating gives more satisfaction. A burst of energy and a feeling of well being is achieved if you eat healthy food. Wait until your body needs nutrition, eat raw foods, and chew your food well. If you eat this way, you will not have the desire to keep on eating. You will now be satisfied with smaller portions which is the way it should be. There will be times you will feel gastric irritation making you uncomfortable, eat small amounts of fruit or vegetable to help relieve it.

Healthy Eating Habit 3: Chew, Chew, and Chew

Learn to chew your food. It is better than swallowing. We make swallowing the big event, but it is in fact the anticlimax. Chewing is the build-up and it is the prelude to swallowing. As the digestive enzymes in the saliva start their work, the food changes flavor, and with each chew, explodes more taste sensations. Soft warm textures massage the tongue. Digestion starts in the mouth as well as contentment. Chewing greatly increases the health value of the food. Aim for thirty chews before swallowing.

Healthy Eating Habit 4: Eat Stress-Free

Learn to relax before a meal. Let go and be at peace before you eat. A plate of worry is bad for the belly. Turn on some relaxing music and take your meal to bed if you have to. Go outside if it is warm. Learn to slow down, do not rush, and enjoy each mouthful. Do not let your mind drift to problems and worries. If you are going to eat, stay focused. If you have to worry, stop and worry but limit yourself to a few minutes then get it out of your system. When you are ready to eat, be aware of the taste, be conscious of your breathing. Be alert on how the food feels in the stomach. Enjoy the experience as much as possible. The more you enjoy it, the more satisfied you will be.

Healthy Eating Habit 5: Feel Good as You Eat

Feel good about your achievement. You are eating health giving food with discipline. Be proud of that accomplishment. Take the time to enjoy being content with feeling full.

Healthy Eating Habit 6: Be Thankful

Count your blessings. Be thankful of what God has given you. Acknowledge Him by saying grace before meals. He loves you and is sustaining you. He is with you as you eat. Food has been brought from all over the world just for your benefit. It is a manifestation of His promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Healthy Eating Habit 7: Love the Foods that Love You

Look at your food straight in the eye and ask questions: “Do you love me? Will you support my cells and care for me in old age? Are you loving my body or is your love artificial? Do you really love me or are you just flirting with my taste buds?” If you want to be healthy, love the foods that love you.

Healthy Eating Habit 8: Eat Simple

Simple food is healthy. The silkworm lives on mulberry leaves. The koala lives on eucalyptus leaves. Cows live on grass and do just fine. Humans are the only creatures in the known universe who eat every food type in one meal. The food industry makes intricate combinations that make digestion more difficult.. It is because of this that we burp, expel gas and abuse our colon by over-working it. Stomach ulcers are results of our carelessness. It is time we go back to the basics. Pretend you are in Eden and enjoy eating from one tree at a time. Aim for a simple and nutritious diet; your stomach will love you for it.

Healthy Eating Habit 9: Eat More Raw Food

Heating drastically alters the precious nutrients which our body needs. Cooking kills! As you drop your veggies into a pot of boiling water, listen closely. You can hear the enzymes screaming with pain as they die. That poor little enzyme was just trying to build your health. An 80% raw diet will provide you with optimum health. Give enzymes a break. Allow them to work into your body the proper way.

Healthy Eating Habit 10: Spice is not Nice

Excessive use of salt and white vinegar is addictive and hard on the stomach. Food becomes tasteless and bland without them. Use condiments in moderation.

Healthy Eating Habit 11: Savor the Food

Learn to enjoy and relish with gusto everything that you put into your mouth. Get those dopamine pleasure molecules working overtime by really savoring each bite. The more you enjoy the experience of healthy eating, the more satisfied you will be. The more you find contentment, the easier it will be for you to stay focused on healthy eating habits.

Butterflies are beautiful, unique, and display an incredible process of transformation. What was a fat, leaf-chomping, tree crawler is now one of the most beautiful creatures in flight. In the same way, humans can transform from tree crawlers being driven by the lower nature to that of a free creatures, flying the skies, enjoying all the blessings of life.

Steps to Change Compulsive Thoughts

1. When you are ready to eat, take a moment to thank God for all He has given.
2. Chew the food well, slowly tasting and enjoying each bite.
3. Enjoy the food and relish each bite. Eat slowly, chewing, tasting and enjoying till the food becomes liquid.
4. Feel content when your stomach tells you have eaten enough.
5. Do not let your mind wander, stay focused on the act of eating.
6. When you finish eating, congratulate yourself for doing well. You have eaten in a disciplined manner. Feel good that you are giving your body good nutrition.

Before you eat, consider your goals for the day. See yourself accomplishing them easily and feeling good about it. Visualize yourself enjoying the day. Decide to be loose and be child-like. Get determined to have some fun, relishing each second, as though they are the last moment on earth.

If you are feeling lonely, question the thought. If you feel worthless, challenge it. You are a kind, loving, patient person who works hard at whatever you do. You are not worthless; you are a good person, rare and unique. Be at peace with yourself. Forgive your mistakes most especially yourself. You don’t have to be perfect. Let go of those uncomfortable feelings and trust in God. Give Him your doubts and suffering. You do not need food for comfort. Food cannot give you what you want. Straighten up your shoulders, loosen up, let go, and be at peace. There is nothing to worry about. It will all work out.

The cares and pressures of the day will steal your enjoyment if you let it. Stay focused on the food. Make the decision and be firm to leave any problem in God’s hands. If you are tense, take a few deep breaths, inhale and slowly exhale to the word “peace”. Do not let your thinking get negative. Declare to your soul: “This is going to be a good day!”

You are eating healthy and disciplining yourself and you should feel good about that. At the end of the meal, feel the guilt-free contentment of what you have eaten. There will be times you may still feel a little hungry, ignore the feeling of hunger and move to your next activity. If after all these positive thoughts, you find yourself still wrestling with the desire to eat more, create a feeling of revulsion then get moving.

Overcome compulsion by facing failure head on with courage.
There are many disappointments while fighting to overcome compulsive behavior. You might even end up blaming God for your failure. Asking him questions like “Why is life so unfair?”, or “Why does He doesn’t seem to be listening to the prayers of those who are sincerely begging for help”?

In a world of competition, when you pray to God for your personal success, there are more people out there praying for your failure. It is the course of nature! So it is part of life and we all have to face it but how can we face it with courage and see failure as a learning rather than an label on our personality.

Failure is a viewpoint, a disparity between what one is capable of and what one has actually done. You see the lacking rather than the attempt. The glass is half empty.

In order not to suffer beatings from failure, set realistic goals. Small goals can give a boast to your dignity. Even a small success is a big one if you cherish it.

There are times you still fall off the track, do not quit, but be sympathetic to yourself. Allow yourself to fail; it is an acceptable part of learning. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Focus on the goal, not the failure. Examine what caused you to fail and come up with ideas to prevent it from happening again. Beating yourself up with guilt will just be inflict useless self-punishment. There is no way you can go back in time, so keep moving! Feel regret, then build the desire to change. Feel bad about the decision, then make a decision and move on to your goals. Thomas Edison, did not simply come to a point of thinking that tungsten would be the perfect filament for the incandescent bulb. Success came after nearly a thousand attempts, or 999 failures. Sylvester Stallone, was denied when he requested support from Warner Brothers on his first Rambo. He loaned some funds and produced it by himself. The result? Five movies and endless Rambo repeats on every channel. TV for Real Men. Sheer determination accompanies success.

If you fail, encourage yourself. Think of the things that you have accomplished.

Blowing is part of the process of learning how to do it correctly. You are not a failure. You have come so far and accomplished so much! Bear in mind that their is never a wrong decision. It is by failure that you come to know what is right. Life is like singing Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way”. The song is never wrong, just a bit out of tune. A planet slightly deviated from orbit. With extra effort, you will be back on track.

Fight those feelings of worthlessness. Consider God’s love for you. Feel the forgiveness of a Father’s love. Forgive yourself. Apologize to God for being so miserable and not asking for His help. Thank Him for your failures and the chance to learn.

Rebuild your desire to try again. Look at all the benefits. Come on, you can do it! When you are faced with a seemingly horrendous obstacle, consider them as a challenge. Challenges build paths to a sweet victory. The fulfillment brought about by winning a contest against a hundred participants is great but cannot be paralleled by winning ……

Snacking is healthy, if you snack on healthy food. It is better to eat several small meals a day rather than eat three large ones. You will feel less bloated and the stomach will have an easier time. Get snack happy with fruits and veggies. Both are low in calories and supply good nutrition without rancid fat, additives or cholesterol.

You do not have to eat by the clock. Dare to be different. Be adventurous! Eat when you are hungry. But always remember, if you are not hungry, do not eat. Raisins or dates are a great replacement for the sweetness of candy. Dried apples and pears are far more nutritious than junk food. This will take time to get used to. You will crave junk food for a few weeks, but after that, you will be free, you will be choosy and you will love to eat the foods that love you.

Dessert is the last course of a lunch or dinner. Fruits are the most common desserts.

Most of your meals should be fruit salads. They are easy to make, delicious, and full of enzymes.

Fruit Salad Mix:

Freeze peeled, ripe bananas in freezer bags. As they start to freeze, break them up so they will not clump together. Bananas will store in the freezer for months. If you are cutting a frozen banana that is too hard, place it in the microwave for 10 seconds. To eat them like a Popsicle, wrap the bottom with a paper towel. For the fruit salad base, use oranges, melons, grapes, peaches, or the fruit of your choice. Dice the fruit into bite-sized pieces then place in a bowl. Frozen banana slices are added next. They taste like ice cream. Chill the mixture.

Fruit Salad Dressing:

The dressing is the most important part. The dressing will make fruit taste like one of the best desserts you have ever tasted, but it will be healthy. To make your dressing, mix applesauce and one tablespoon of orange or pineapple concentrate. Avocados also make an amazing dressing. Avocados are high in calories. They’re perfect if you are an athlete in training or have a fast metabolism and do not want to lose weight during the 30 days. Buy ripe avocados. Test them by pressing with your thumb. They should give a little, but not be mushy. To make an avocado dressing, blend avocados with frozen orange, pineapple or apple concentrate. Frozen juice concentrates sweeten the mixture. You can also use the frozen concentrates as a topping; just mush and spread over the top.

Fruit Salad Topping:

Sprinkle chopped dates with cinnamon for the final touch.
These fruit desserts will never get boring. You’ll feel no sleepiness or bloated feeling after eating, but a clean burst of energy. Try to make the mixture ten minutes in advance. Put it in the freezer, clean up and spend a few moments in prayer to be at peace. You will easily appreciate every bite.

Orange-Banana Shake:

1 Banana, 1/4 can frozen pineapple or orange concentrate, one-cup water and 4 ice cubes.

A Bigger Mountain

Congratulations! You’ve achieved the thirty days. You’re high on life, flying on the jet steams of joy. Every cell of your body is bursting with enthusiasm. Why stop here? The 30 days is just a launching pad. Bigger mountains are waiting. Consider the 90-day challenge. You are already one third of the way there. Your body and mind will feel amazing by this point. Believe that it gets even better. Climbing the 90-day mountain will revolutionize your life more than you can possibly believe.

The 90-day program has three parts:

Part 1: One thirty-day raw-food program.

Part 2: One thirty-day fast.

Part 3: Another thirty-day raw-food program.

The 30-day fast is mostly a juice fast, but we recommend two periods of water fasting of three days in length, or one five-day water fast during this time period. Read our book Fasting to Freedom; there are only a few health conditions that restrict fasting. It is not starving, as your body is being flooded with nutrients. Even during a water fast, the body has 3,500 calories per pound of body fat ready for use. The periods of water fasting are a time of prayer, brokenness, and humility before the awesomeness of God. Water fasting is a period of deeper cleansing. It’s a time to renew conviction and hunger for God. Because your body is clean, you will find these periods easy. There will be a sense of freedom that you have never experienced. Do not expect to feel dragged out; the exhilaration and closeness to God will belie description.

The 30 days back on the raw food diet is the only way to continue gaining more of the same astounding benefits you have received. Most people break a lengthy fast over 10 days. But thirty days is even better. After the 90 days, you can return to cooked food, small amounts of grains, sprouts, raw nuts, and all the delicious recipes we have listed in God’s Banquet Table.

May you be blessed in every way, and the favor of God shine upon you. May you be filled with everlasting joy.

Great effort is needed to end the uncontrollable desire for food. For that reason, develop your fighting skills to conquer compulsive actions.

This battle is for freedom; refuse to fail. You can feel intense emotions and choose not to give in. Tell yourself, “I refuse to quit. I refuse to give in. I refuse to fail.” During the emotional windstorms caused by temptation, ask yourself, “what do I really want?” Eating to relieve stress is not what you want. What you really want is to be at peace. Eating out of anger is not what you want. What you want is to resolve the issue. Eating to relieve fear is not what you want. What you really want is the courage to face it. Eating in the place of boredom is not what you want. What you really want is a challenge that will stir some excitement within you.

Do not fight obsessive thoughts, but deflect them into positive thoughts and activities. Use mini-breaks to change your mood and break cycles of obsessive thinking. Do something you enjoy for a few minutes until the emotions diminish. Play an instrument, exercise, go for a short walk, or do some stretching. Not only will you be fighting obsessive thoughts, but improving your life one mini-break at a time. Do not give in to an urge; each time you do, the pleasure will create a craving to repeat it. Remind yourself that junk food is artificial pleasure that steals from your body. If you do not feed a craving, it will die. If you become anxious take a slow, deep breath, holding for one second, and then release, think peace. Let go and let God.

Create the feeling of revulsion to the point of nausea: finger nails scratching a blackboard, a hair in your soup, dog vomit on your carpet, a wet fur ball on your bed, or a bug in your shoe. Find what image best works for you. Use negative labeling. Bacon is burned strips of cholesterol and fat. Make up your own negative labels for the foods you are trying to quit. Play the mental tape to the end; look at the big picture. Don’t look only at the pleasure, but focus on all of the negative consequences.

When we discipline ourselves, we feel as though we have lost something, and feel deprived. Fight that feeling with the fact that you have what you need to be happy. Challenge the feeling of loss.

Remind yourself of the bad qualities of the food you hate. Refuse to eat them. Avoid triggers like donut stores and bakeries. Avoid spending time in the kitchen or at the dinner table when you start to feel tempted. Plan your meals. Have fruit or vegetable snacks ready.

The first few days can be the toughest. If you feel weak and out of it, it will be difficult to discipline your thoughts. Discipline is work, and feeling toxic creates an ‘I don’t –care’ feeling. It will pass once the blood clears of toxins. Do the best you can during these times to remain resolute.

This is a 30-day program to fight obsessive eating. This program is called the raw food diet.

We recommend 30 days on raw fruits and vegetables. Raw food is used by sanitariums in the healing of disease because it is similar to a juice fast in detoxifying the body. The process is slower, but the effect is the same; you will be revitalized. If you stick to this program, you will experience an exhilaration that you have never known. You will feel vitally alive. As your blood clears of all addictive substances, you will feel great. Any health conditions will be noticeably improved or even healed. Your sinuses will clear of mucus and you will be able to smell even the faintest of scents. You will be able to breathe deeply, feeling each breath enter the lungs. The mental fog will lift and your mind will become more alert. Your skin will soften and feel sleek. You will feel 10 years younger and look like it.

Raw food is loaded with enzymes, vitamins and minerals. For the first time in your life, your body is functioning free of heavy proteins, milk fats, animal fats, cholesterol, mucus forming starches, trans fatty acids, food additives and high doses of salt and sugar. You have given your body a time of rest and healing.

The first week will be the hardest, especially the first few days, for that is the time when the body undergoes the most intense cleansing. As the weeks progress, you will feel better and better.

Although juice fasting is superior in its healing effect, the challenge of a raw food diet is better than juice fasting at developing the skills to control food intake. When a compulsive eater juice fasts, he feels free from food addiction, but as soon as he starts to eat, hunger triggers all the compulsive desires and distorted thinking patterns that were never dealt with. The result is a binge. The benefit of a 30-day fast can be lost in three weeks of indulgence.

Juice fasting has more amazing benefits than a raw food diet, but first you must develop the skills to combat compulsive eating. By occasionally replacing meals with fresh-made juice, you are gaining the benefits of juice fasting while battling compulsive eating. For this reason, juice is an important component of the raw food program. Try to have freshly made juice each day.

In our book, God’s Banquet Table, you will find juice recipes, fruit recipes, blender recipes and raw vegetable recipes that will make your thirty days a pleasurable experience. The book also includes raw nut recipes, grain recipes and bean recipes and, although these are healthy in moderation, wait until the thirty days are over before adding them to the raw fruit and vegetable diet.

Thirty days of raw food is a challenge that will powerfully affect your life. These diet restrictions are difficult to face, but in doing so; you will bring about healthy changes that will benefit your body and mind. Healthy changes are an investment in your future.

The raw food diet includes:
1. Raw fruits and vegetables
2. Fruit and vegetable juices
3. Herbal teas
4. Honey and natural sweeteners
5. Frozen juice concentrates
6. Frozen fruit

Overeating can be controlled and substituted by abstaining from food simply called fasting.

No more getting pushed around by those evil munchies; now you are in control. As you flex your new muscles of discipline, you will face hunger, just for the fun of it, and shrug off its demands. Oops! I forgot to eat!

The body enters the fasting state.

In the fasting state, you are forcing the body to use fatty tissue and glycogen reserves.The good part is that you will lose pounds of ugly fat and cleanse toxins from the body.Years of drug residues, junk food, chemicals, environmental toxins, rancid oils and fats do not leave the body comfortably. Expect to experience headaches, weakness, dizziness or light-headedness. You may chill more easily and feel more sensitive. This is not harmful, just part of the process of cleansing. Toxins in the bloodstream cause the eyes to glaze, the tongue to become coated, and the breath to become fowl. When this waste is removed, you feel years younger and full of life. This cycle may occur several times during a long fast.Each time you feel toxic expect to feel amazing once the toxins are cleansed form the system.

Fasting is easy because you lose all desire to eat. Food looks like rubber. It is nauseating even to look at it. No food can tempt you. When your body enters the fasting state, it wants to finish the work. Hunger can disappear for weeks at a time. Cleansing the body takes time; it will take a 30-day juice fast to completely rejuvenate the body. Something we thoroughly recommend. There are only a few health conditions that restrict juice fasting, as the body is receiving an abundance of calories, enzymes and nutrition. It is not starving because your body has 3,500 calories stored in each pound of body fat. We are carrying around a backpack full of groceries.

If you lose all desire to eat, and the cleansing has become discomforting, there is a simple solution. Eat a little more or drink juices from a juice extractor. The added calories will slow the cleansing process.

Eating 100% raw fruits and veggies will start the process of cleansing. Using the mental skills in this book will cleanse negative thoughts from your thinking. Every cell of your body and millions of neurological pathways are being readjusted. There will be periods of feeling out of balance. You may occasionally become irritable and edgy. Your endurance will be tested. If you are intent on being determined and persistent, you will have the fortitude to meet every challenge head on. Know that what you are doing is right before God. In heaven, Christ looks down, smiling at a star in His universe.

Overcome compulsive eating by controlling one’s craving and eating right.

We are the only creatures on earth that cook food. Cooking kills not only the enzymes. The effect is slow and gradual, but inevitable. Cooking alters protein and fiber, destroys vitamins and minerals, and kills all enzymes. Nutrients we desperately need are being destroyed. But it kills us.

Raw food is the key to health. As those natural fibers enter the stomach, it lets out a sigh of relief. “Finally, a meal easy to digest.” Stomach enzymes discover the rich abundance of nutrition supplied by the hand of God. No pizza sludge, no dead animal parts, no chemicals, no grease, no sticky white flour goo, just a gold mine of nutrition. Happily, the stomach enzymes release their precious cargo into the blood. It’s Christmastime for the 3 trillion cellular residents of the body.

Have you ever lived through a garbage strike? Garbage is everywhere. Every corner and crevice becomes a storage spot. Flies and putrid odors abound. It’s a sigh of relief when those guys go back to work. Eating raw food ends the ‘garbage strike’ within the body. In the stomach, organs have been overloaded. Every day it has endured forced labor, carrying loads of toxic fat, cholesterol, animal flesh, additives and foods saturated with salt. Sickness is the bodies’ garbage strike. It is protesting against being overworked and underpaid nutrient-wise. sugar

The cells cheer the first meal of raw food. No more heavy digestive work. Lots of high-paying nutrients. The strike is over. Every cellular resident goes on a garbage cleanup, removing the leftover pizza sludge, chocolate bars and cola residues. The T-cells molecules into the blood to be removed. You feel like garbage because your bloodstream is overloaded with toxic waste. After feeling bad for a day, and possibly suffering a headache, the toxic mucus slime of overindulgence is gradually removed from the body.

Remarkable things start to happen: periods of exhilaration, energy and clarity of mind healthy.But this is only the first experience of the greater benefits yet to come.

Weakness, headaches or dizziness are common symptoms of detoxification. Even one day on fruit can cause bloating, gas, diarrhea, indigestion and a feeling of weakness. Your faith and patience will be tested. It is so easy to return to one’s former diet, thinking, “raw food hydrochloric acid needed to digest meat. The stomach will have developed a thick coating of mucus to protect the lining from hydrochloric acid that is so strong it can eat through metal. Then you change your diet.Instead of eating a steak, you eat three peaches and some grapes. Although fruit is easy to, it requires very different digestive secretions than a steak. Your body reacts by sending you to the bathroom for most of the day. As you eat more raw food, the body will, over a few weeks, increase the cells needed to comfortably digest fruit. The fruit will then digest without gas, diarrhea, or any discomfort whatsoever. does not agree with me.” Realize that your body has adapted its enzyme secretions to whatever you have been eating. If you ate a high-meat diet, you will have demanded the body to create a large number of cells that produce

If you eat a large steak after 6 months of eating a light diet of raw food, the steak will sit in the stomach like a lead brick, as the stomach has become adjusted to lighter eating. Eating a heavy starch meal will fill the sinuses with mucus. Eating cheese will cause constipation. A greasy meal will cause headaches, tiredness and oily skin. The body is reacting to your old diet as if it were poisonous.

If you are eating the standard North American diet, your body has been functioning abnormally. The blood, digestive secretions and the biochemical balance of the body have become adjusted to function as best it can under a barrage of toxic food, caffeine, saturated fats and heavy proteins. Change that balance and the body reacts as it would to any addiction. It will crave salt, sugar, coffee, tea, white flour, chocolate, tobacco, pepper, meats, fried food, or whatever foods have become the mainstay of your diet. In this state, your body will never crave fruit or vegetables. You will never be caught in the refrigerator toxic foods. at three in the morning, raiding it for cantaloupes, because you are addicted to

Man makes food to be addictive. The industry profits as your health deteriorates. God makes food satisfying, nourishing and cleansing. Money is useless in heaven. He cares about your health because He loves you.

When cravings hit, it’s time to hang tough and have faith. The body will rebalance and the desire for that favorite junk food will disappear. We recommend 30 days of eating nothing but raw fruits and vegetables as a way to regain control over food. By the end of this period, all unnatural cravings will have disappeared and you will discover a health and well being that will surprise you. Eating raw food for thirty days is a true challenge, but if you use your newly discovered skills, you will joyously succeed. And when you do, the gain will be a blessing to you for the rest of your life, a gift of God.

You can develop a healthy lifestyle by doing the following:

Compulsive Eating Program Check List

1. Buy nutritious foods.

2. Know the triggers and the weaknesses and have a plan to deal with them.

3. Decide on an exercise program.

4. Write your reasons for quitting.

5. Take steps to make first few, hassle-free days .

6. Share your intention with a friend.

7. Have quiet times to strengthen your resolve.

Making A Daily Journal

In your journal, write the lessons you have learned, the good that you do, the good that happens to you, any insights, your successes, and your mistakes. Consider each day then review to see how you are doing. Each day, encourage yourself with your successes and bring the mistakes into perspective. Observe patterns and look for ways to change those patterns. Recovery is not a straight line process. If you were to chart your progress, it would look like the graph of the stock market. Just when you think you are doing well, the graph takes a dip. So expect it. Writing in a journal will give you a better perspective in life. It helps you look at a bigger picture and see how you are getting there, one step at a time. It will remind you of all the little things you have accomplished.