Daniel 1: 11-15
“Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.”
I’ve read this verse every year for the last 20+ years. I still remember the first time I read it and understood the significance of what Daniel chose to eat – vegetables and water. It happened about the same time I was learning about the significance of plant nutrition in our daily diet and how we should be eating fruits and vegetables in abundance. I was also reading and re-reading the research on Juice Plus+ and putting the pieces together about the significance of Juice Plus+ for our family’s health.
This month as I read this same verse again, I saw for the first time that it only took ten days for Daniel and his friends to look healthier and more nourished than those that ate the royal food (aka the standard American diet.) It made me think about our Shred10 program. We’ve experienced first-hand what can happen when we focus on our health for only ten days…eating an abundance of plant-based foods, and shredding the toxins, foods, and habits that are not serving us.
Yes, I know that these verses have a meaning far beyond what Daniel and his friends are eating for ten days, and yet at the same time there is significance in the fact that we are created in such a way that when we eat as God intended…even for as little as ten days, we are better equipped to honor Him and serve others.
Start your new year with a commitment to staying focused on your health for 10 days…join us for our next Shred10 on January 7th!