March/April 2012

Swap It Out

“...But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these…since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” – Colossians 3:8-10 (NIV)

I recently downloaded an app for my iPhone called “Eat This, Not That!” It’s the official app for the bestselling weight loss book series by the same title, which offers simple food and drink swaps we can make when eating out, grocery shopping and cooking. While not all of their swaps are necessarily “healthy.” they are always better options than the popular choices listed.

Life is full of choices—far too many, if you ask me—especially when it comes to food. Don’t believe me? Just take a walk down the cereal aisle at your local supermarket.

That’s why the concept of making food and drink swaps is fantastic—and critical. But the key is the word “swap.” Every time we stop eating something we crave that’s bad for us, we need to find a healthy alternative or we’ll be less likely to maintain the change. But with hundreds of food choices in every category, making swaps can be complicated. We face dozens of menu items at restaurants and countless health claims at the store. Determining the best options can be confusing!

Based on general knowledge, we all find some wise swaps to be intuitive. For example, almost anyone can discern that a baked potato is healthier than an oily French fry. But many other swaps are tricky. In order to start making better decisions, we should examine the following six nutritional components of our foods and beverages:

1. Total calories – Based on the average recommended 2,000-calorie diet (which varies for everyone), a person should consume 500 calories or less at each meal, which is tougher than we think! The average American eats more than 1.5 times the food they need, so we need to check the calories per serving on each item we choose. It is always a good idea to read labels and to avoid drinking calories when possible!

2. Grams of sugar – Refined sugar is a health killer. It not only causes spikes in blood-sugar levels, it also sparks inflammation and facilitates weight gain. When possible, we should swap high-sugar items with lower-sugar alternatives.

3. Grams of fiber – Fiber helps prevent fat storage while also controlling cholesterol. We should aim for 30 grams or more per day.

4. Grams of saturated fat – While certain fats are good for us, saturated fat increases stroke-inducing cholesterol levels and makes a huge caloric impact with little nutritional benefit.

5. Milligrams of sodium – While salt isn’t entirely bad for us, too much of it is. Regularly consuming more than 1,000 mg per day can increase our blood pressure and our risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.

6. Artificial chemicals and sweeteners – We often think diet options are better, but research has shown that people who drink diet or sugar-free beverages actually risk gaining more weight than those who don’t. Beyond the scale, many artificial sweeteners have been linked to a variety of health risks, including cancer.

Spiritually speaking, Scripture shows us that our God Himself is actually a God of swaps. Throughout the Bible we are encouraged to make swaps regarding our way of thinking, our perspectives, our emotions and even our very nature. (See Matthew 23, Colossians 3 and Philippians 4 for examples.) And let us never forget the ultimate swap God made by trading our death for eternal life through Jesus Christ. He always swaps out the worthless for the absolute best.

This month, let’s allow God to help us make positive, life-giving swaps—specifically regarding our diets—that will ultimately lead us closer to the full and abundant life He promises. Who knows? The changes we make might just be our tickets to health and healing in more ways than one!

Live a fit life. C’mon—you can do this!