While this statement isn't entirely true, and you're not going to turn into a banana if you eat three bananas every day, there's a lot of meaning behind it that, sadly, gets ignored. Americans are stereotyped as being fat, as I've discovered after being asked several times why I'm NOT fat. There are plenty of people over here who are just as overweight as Americans are. I see a lot of girls my age who were fit a year ago when I showed up starting to put on weight as they stop growing upwards but don't stop eating as much and don't exercise enough. Our body is a temple and we need to take care of it.
We can't gorge ourselves on candy, chips, and McDonalds every day. Actually, most of us don't, but we'll have a piece of chocolate here, a handful of MnM's there, a coke now or then. I'm not saying don't ever touch any junk food ever, but we need to think about what we're putting in our body.
To consider another point of this, there is a passage in the Bible where Jesus talks about the inside and the outside of the cup:
37 When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. 38 But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.
39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?
Now, making sure your eating is healthy and you exercise enough is all well and good, but that's just taking care of the "outside" of the cup. The outside is your physical body; the inside is your spiritual, emotional, and mental being. What are you feeding your mind? Are you reading your Bible everyday? Are you listening to music that swears and elevates sex? Do you listen to your mentors and leaders, or are you following the way of tv shows, magazines, and giving in to peer pressure?
I challenge you to think about what you eat. What are you putting into your body - both physical and spiritual, and does it honor God?
A little background information: 1) My school year, in South Africa, begins in January, so as well as this time of year being the beginning of the whole year, it's also the beginning of the new school year for me.
2) I attend a private school, and as well as being required to wear a uniform, I'm also required to keep my hair pulled back and preferably up.
So, with these facts in mind, I've recently been looking for some new hairdos. I have medium length, thick, very straight (and frequently slippery!) hair, so finding hairdos that work well can be difficult. Below are pictures of my hair, as well as links to the tutorials I used online.
Fishtail braid:
http://www.runningonhappiness.com/2011/07/diy-fishtail-braid.html
Top Knot:
http://www.runningonhappiness.com/2011/09/how-to-top-knot.html
*Note: If your hair is still damp, this one may be a bit difficult. If you have the time, dry your hair completely, or, if your like me and can't be bothered, attempt it anyways!
Partially Pulled Back variation (aka Half French Twist):
http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/2011/08/half-french-twist.html
Braided Braid:
http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/02/you-asked-for-it/
