Jimmy Pena - The PrayFit Diet: The Revolutionary, Faith-Based Plan to Balance Your Plate and Shed Weight

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To Loretta: My love, my life, my wife. Any table feels empty without you.

Early Christians, in order to avoid persecution when they prayed in public, as well as to quietly identify themselves to other believers, would cross their fingers. Can you imagine if that was the only way you and I could share our faith? Its a subtle gesture, but it was a powerful one in those early days. In fact, by making that quiet sign, our predecessors risked their very lives.

What in your life says believer ? If you couldnt say a word, what in your life would be that silent symbol, alerting another Jesus-follower that you are one of them?

Its a question Ive been asking myself frequently over the course of the last few years, as Ive been doing a lot of speaking to churches and to communities, as well as interviews on the radio, spreading the gospel of health and wellness. In the course of my outreach, probably the most common question I get from people across the country is: Why are Christians known to be so unhealthy?

And honestly, that question always makes me pause and wonder. Is that our silent symbol? Is that how were identified by the rest of the world? Not by our love for one another, or even by our love of God, but instead by the way we risk our lives through neglect? My fingers are crossed that its not.

Recently my wife and I visited a new church. We sang praises. We listened to a sermon about the importance of praise. Then, through tithes and offerings, we offered even more praise. All good. All expected. All right.

But then the pastor returned to the podium, patted his stomach, and jokingly bragged about the oversized meal and ball game he was about to enjoy. He even prayed that it wouldnt be too healthy. With my head bowed and eyes closed, I found myself squeezing my wifes hand.

You see, my lifes work revolves around that fact that stewardship of our bodiesturning our heart toward our healthcan be an act of worship. I dont believe that faith and fitness are incompatible. In fact, I believe that eating well and exercising regularly are actually directives from God Himself. Its an idea Ive built the foundation of PrayFit.com upon, and Ive spent the last seven years sharing our message with millions of people all around the world.

The truth is, eating well is not just a good idea because of the health benefits it brings, though those benefits are plentiful. Ive seen firsthand how changing what you eat can change your life, whether youre a Hollywood actor (Ive had the honor of serving as the exercise physiologist to Tyler Perry, LL Cool J, and Mario Lopez) or one of the countless church-going believers who have expressed to me the joy of finally establishing healthier eating habits. Yes, eating a balanced, delicious variety of foods will make you feel great (and will probably help you lose weight, if thats what youre after).

The real message, though, is that eating well is a good idea because honoring God with our bodies was His idea in the first place. At the end of the day, were loved not because weve been successful at honoring Him with our bodies, nor because we plead forgiveness if we have failed at itHe loves us regardlessbut shouldnt we be doing one or the other? The crux of my message is this: your health is a means of praise. Its a simple truth, but it bears repeating. Life is not about the body, but our health is a means of praise.

Our health is a means of praise.

Its easy to say. It rolls off the tongue. But my motto is more than a line in a speech. Its more than a tweet or a Facebook status update. Of course, our body is only one part of our overall spiritual health. But as some of you have seen (and as I have certainly experienced firsthand), without our health, we just arent going to be as effective in all the aspects of our lives that God needs us to be active inour churches, our families, our jobs, our communities. Good health extends our ability to make an impact for the cause of Christ. Plainly said, God doesnt need our health to get His message around the world; we do.

Let me ask you something. What if nobody saw what you looked like? Would you work as hard as you do to keep your body in shape? Would you judge yourself as harshly when you looked in the mirror? Would you still watch what you ate, and would you make an effort to exercise? For some people, the answer is an easy yes. They have learned to love exercise for Heavens sake, and they dig into a plate of healthy foods with delight and anticipation.

And then there are those who find making healthy choices a daily struggle. For many, eating well can be a challenge, because they equate indulgence, fulfillment, and satisfaction only with a plate of greasy, gooey decadence. But Im going to show you a different way to approach eating and food. With the PrayFit Diet, youll learn a flexible, creative way to put together delicious, filling meals that will nourish not only your body but also your spirit. And whats more, youll find the resolveand, even more than that, the will and the desire to eat foods that will help you lose weight and gain health, because youll finally see the connection between faith and food. Just remember that the by-products of your effort dont determine the worth of that effort. What determines the worth of our objective to eat better for ourselves, our spouses, kids, and friends is the One for whom we eat.

Friends, Jesus gives our lives meaning. Hes the point of the story, the point of this book, and the point of our health we dont want to miss. Hes why . For that reason alone, we place our trust in Him, and we pledge to Him our time, our money, our precious loved ones. And, yes, we should also pledge to Him our health, our commitment to living a healthy lifefor His glory, not ours. The Bible reminds us that God sees only the heart. It also demands that we honor the body. Thats not a contradiction. Its a priority list.

Taking care of the body through balanced eating is only one way to thank the Lord for seeing only our hearts. Every believer has been called to fulfill his or her purpose, but not one purpose calls for a neglect of health; not one. But if possible, forget the idea that when were healthy, were better at work. Try to ignore the fact that when we take care of ourselves, were better for our families. Block all that out for a second. Focus on this short and simple command: Honor God with your body. Vain, you say? Petty? Too temporary? It would be if it were my idea. But it isnt. Its His. Once we realize that honoring the body is Gods will, the result should be an unwavering, lifelong commitment to achieving that goal. But how to do that has proven to be problematic for so many of us.

Now, when I say problematic, Im speaking from experience, because over the last few years my health has been a faith battle. In fact, a couple of years ago, I wrote this in my journal:

I never predicted such weeks like this. If I ever get up... if I ever hope and rise and stand... if I ever smile, truly smile and speak and write and encourage, make no mistake, it wont be because I kept fighting. It wont be because of my inner man, my deep faith or some gut-summoned passion of belief. No, I have none of that. If I ever get better, it will only be by the mercy and unbelievable, inconceivable grace of my dear God.