A New Way to Look at Dieting
I have a confession to make. I have clicked on those
internet adds promoting weight loss and a happier healthier life in 10 days or
my money back… more than once.
Actually I just saw one that says I can lose 30 pounds without changing the way I eat.
All I have to do is sprinkle a special dietary additive on my regular intake of
calories and the pounds will melt away. I think it is called the Tinkerbell
Diet. The one that always gets my attention, for many reasons, is the one that combines colon cleansing with weight loss and dietary satisfaction. That really is too much information for me.
I know most dietary experts will advise people who are
interested in shedding a few extra pounds and living a healthier life to make
changes to both their diet and exercise habits. Just for the record; I am
committed to…exercise.
That is until now. Well, that is, until I went to Ft Portal, Uganda. I am still committed to excercise but I have a new way of looking at dieting.
I was in Uganda for a week in July. While I was there I discovered a very effective diet plan that really works.
I came home from Africa on July 3rd and since that time I have been closely but not strictly following the diet model I observed while I was in Uganda. I have combined this new diet with my regular regimen of exercise and as of today I have lost 7 pounds in less than one week. Really!
I want to say right here that this is not an ad; it is not
an endorsement of any product. I am not trying to sell anything to anyone; in
fact there is nothing to buy. I am just compelled to share with you something I
have learned that has changed my life on a couple different levels.
I was in Ft Portal visiting our home for children there when
I discovered, quite by accident, the idea for my diet. In Ft Portal we have a
home where 45 orphan children stay. There are about equal number of boys and
girls. I love going there in the mornings as they eat breakfast and prepare for
school and again in the evenings to hang out with them and tell them stories about God’s love and to occasionally share with them some special treats. I learned that they very seldom, if ever, have popcorn. So, one day I went to town and purchased all the ingredients to make tons of popcorn.
That afternoon I announced we would be having popcorn as an
evening snack. All the children protested, almost simultaneously, the idea of
popcorn in the evening. They all insisted that I wait until the next morning
and serve the popcorn for breakfast. I was a little shocked and disappointed because I wanted to make popcorn that evening, but I agreed to wait until the next morning. I also knew that this would mean I would have to get up very early and begin the popping procedure because all the meals are prepared in a small wooden hut over an open flame and I wasn’t sure how many tries it would take to fulfill my promise of serving the delicacy in the early morning.
I arrived early and the matrons had the fires stoked and
ready. I put half the ingredients (seeds, oil, and margarine) in a large pot
and set it over the flames. This lost but not forgotten method was very
nostalgic and brought back memories of camping and scouting. The smoky hut also reminded me why I like popping corn in a microwave now.
Fortunately, the method worked and all the kernels popped to
perfection. I could proudly serve the morning treat to the anxiously waiting
children. What happened next has inspired my new diet plan.
I took the popcorn into the dining room to be served. We had
poured the popped kernels into another cool pot and set it on the table from
where breakfast is normally served. On the table were two loaves of, not so
fresh, bread. There was also a large pot of African Tea which is a mixture of
tea bags boiled in water and then added in equal portions to warm milk.
Breakfast service went something like this. An average size
bowl was fairly filled with popcorn. A piece of dry bread was laid on top and
served with a cup of African Tea. That was it! When I asked about what else
they would receive I was shocked to discover that this is their regular
breakfast allotment…sans popcorn. I suddenly understood why they wanted the
popcorn for breakfast. It was yummy.
I also knew what I was going to do the next morning. But that is another story.
The image of 45 children eating dry bread and drinking one
cup of tea every morning has stayed with me. Now I get up each day and think
about those children and their tea and crumbling bread.
That image is the genesis of what I call the Ibonde Diet. Our home
there is called Ibonde Children’s home. It is a wonderful alternative place for
the children who would otherwise be homeless and begging on the streets. They
are loved and cared for every day. They do receive three meals of some
substance everyday which is a blessing. More could be done for them but only 22
of the 45 children in the home are sponsored. You could make a difference if
you would be willing to sponsor a child at Ibonde. Email me for more info.
douge@horizoninterntionalinc.com
Those children have made a difference in me. They inspired
my new diet plan. Since I have been home from Africa I have started every day
with a piece of bread and American coffee. Occasionally I will supplement with a small
yogurt. I also am reminded to pray for God’s children at Ibonde every morning. That
has had the biggest impact on me. It motivates me to join the children in their
struggle for the life God dreams for them.
The new way to look at dieting is really about a new motive to diet for me.
I am a little self conscious so I usually diet for … Me. Dieting is made necessary because I do a lot of eating for … Me. In fact I am realizing that I do most of what I do for … you guessed it…Me. This diet is working because I am doing it for the Ibonde Children.
I am reminded of a verse that says, “So then, whether you eat or not; whether you drink or not; do everything for the glory of God.”
I don’t know if you are interested in a diet plan but I know
you are probably interested in children. Would you join me in praying for the
children at Ibonde and consider sponsoring a child for $35 per month. I think
we would all be happier if our wallets were a little lighter as well.
