Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions." Exodus 16: 4
DIET. I've never liked that word. Just look at it -- the first three letters signify the end of life. But maybe that's what this is about -- the end of a lifestyle which has led to as-yet undiagnosed yet very real illness. The end of a lifestyle that leads to the beginning of a new, healthy one.
It would take such a positive outlook and determined endurance to see THIS diet through. My course of care with Dr. Ford begins with a 30-day span of very limited food intake. It isn't the quantity that's limited, it's the elements. Everything that could possibly irritate or overstimulate my system is eradicated.
Do you think that would mean a bland, porridge and pudding type diet? If so, you would be very, very wrong.
No, this is basically pared down to meats and green vegetables, a few fruits, and no spices. Just a little salt and pepper for seasoning. No caffeine either.
The premise is that these 30 days will give my system a chance to begin healing, as it is deprived of irritants, stimulants, and possibly allergies that I have become so accustomed to that I don't even notice the effect they have on me. After the 30 days are over, I can begin to slowly reintroduce different foods, watching for potential reactions.
I'm looking at this phase, not so much as an extremely strict diet, but more as a pruning -- and it's definitely the season for that. Cutting away the dead or the life-draining parts, and making room for new positive, fruitful growth.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15: 1-2
March 18, 2011
"You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." John 15: 3-4
So, a day after beginning this new diet, or pruning, or whatever it's called, I step forward in faith as Dr. Ford orders blood drawn for testing. I have no baseline for him to go upon, and judging from my answers on his questionnaire, he needs to know -- and I need to know -- exactly what we're dealing with. What damage is done. What problems are brewing. Where to begin with the healing to come.
There is no backing out now. There will be answers coming, and the blood will tell all.
"For the blood she shed is in her midst: She poured it on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground where the dust would cover it." Ezekiel 24: 4
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