9^th September, 2016.

Scripture Reading:   DANIEL 1: 3-15, PSALMS 103:5

Memory verse for the week:    Ecclesiastes 12:1

“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”(NKJV)

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth”  3 John 1:2

“Grandma, you are 75 years old but you are looking 50, what is the secret?” Lydia asked. Grandma replied, “My child the secret is God’s grace, good food, and adequate exercise.”

 In those days, we eat more of fruits and vegetables, legumes (beans, groundnut, soyabeans) and whole grains (wheat, corn, hulled rice) etc. I also ensure that I do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise everyday in order to keep fit, unlike you children of these days that are fond of eating junks like meat pies, egg roll, doughnut, soft drinks, ice-creams, etc, with little or no exercise. “Habits die hard,” Grandma concluded.

All these fatty foods will later in life hamper your health because they build up in your arteries thereby causing a heart attack, stroke, quick aging etc. That is why you hear some old men and women have a heart attack or stroke. It didn’t just start in a day. They must have indulged in one or two junks when they were much younger and the fat in those foods built up in their blood vessels consequently, hindering the free flow of blood in and out of the heart and brain respectively.

My child, the main concern with these junk foods is that they are often higher in calories, fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium and lower in vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, calcium, iron and zinc which are needful for your growth at this stage. A particular problem with some teenage girls is that they replace milk with soft drinks so they may not consume enough calcium needed for the formation of bones thereby increasing their risk of bone loss later on in life. Some teenagers even engage in drinking alcohol thereby making some to end up committing suicide or committing different vices unacceptable by the society.

ACTION WORD: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.              

PRAYER POINT:

1. I receive wisdom for healthy living, in the name of Jesus.
2. Holy Spirit, empower me to be discipline in my choice of food and drinks in Jesus name.