Lose weight. Have more energy. Look younger.

By M. Head, Submitted by Wellness Committee

December 10, 1998

What a new diet and exercises plan? No, this one's been around for a long time. Does it work? Absolutely. It is tried and true and backed up by recent medical research. It's not complicated, and you don't have to buy a November magazine or hit the shelves of Barnes and Noble to find it. In fact, you probably already have the book. What is it? And where can you find it? All you have to do is open the scriptures, study, and apply them. To aid the success of your finding and following THE PLAN, the same highlights have been provided with generous portions of commentary.

Stay away from wine, strong drink, tobacco, or hot drinks (i.e. coffee and tea) (D&C 89:4, 7-9). Most of us know about the alcohol and tobacco, but recent research at Duke University linked coffee consumption with increased blood pressure and chances of stroke.

Eat fruits and vegetables with prudence and thanksgiving (D&C 89:10, 16). The "grapefruit diet" definitely doesn't fit the idea of prudence. Fruits and vegetables give us vitamins and antioxidants. They clean out our systems, ward off cancer, and do much more. Five servings a day of them.

Eat meat sparingly (D&C 89:12). For all the "meat and potato" eaters (you know who you are), you need to be having more of the potatoes. Two 3-ounce servings a day is plenty. That means a Big Jud Burger would provide all the meat you need for about a week. The high protein diet fad isn't healthy, and thirty percent of calories from protein is not "sparingly."

Grain is. . .to be the staff of life (D&C 89:14, 16, 17). The scriptures are pretty clear that a high carbohydrate diet is where it's at. The food pyramid also lays it out. The base of the pyramid is grains, around 6-11 servings a day.

Food is to be used with judgement, thanksgiving, and not to EXCESS (D&C 59:20, 89:11). This is where the instruction on cake, ice cream and twinkies come in. IT is probably one of the most frequently ignored commandments. For most of us not drinking alcohol is not hard, but not overeating, that's a challenge.