At the time I applied for Medi-Share, I was already using a popular weight loss program. I was losing weight and considered my eating choices to be very healthy compared to “most people” and my health to be “very good for my age”. Frankly, I was shocked when Medi-Share required me to join the Health Initiatives program. My lab work was all within normal levels and I thought I knew how to eat well for my body’s needs. My initial reaction was that I didn’t want someone to tell me what to eat and do. I know that reaction wasn’t a good sign in itself, so I asked the Lord to help me change my attitude. He showed me that my health, apparently, wasn’t as strong as I thought and that I now had a unique opportunity to work with a personal “health coach” to strengthen my health, longevity and even my finances (no big medical bills). So I warily entered the Health Initiatives program.
My metamorphosis began while I was watching the videos. When one of the speakers said that I could actually choose to be free from heart problems, diabetes and many cancers, I was startled. I was used to reading about all the good foods or exercise that will reduce your risk of heart attack by x%, but I never heard anyone say that you can essentially choose to eliminate the risk. I said out loud to the TV screen and to God, “I want to make that choice!”
I learned from the Eat to Live book that my dietary choices were not nearly as healthy as I thought. True, I made better than average choices, but not the best choices. I had always believed that I needed lots of protein and translated that into being a primal carnivore – consuming lots of meat and trying to make it healthy be eating mostly poultry, fish and some “lean red meat”. I didn’t think that my body could function well or actually be content with less than 8-12oz. of meat a day. I thought that my joint and body aches were “normal arthritis” for my age. I managed them by taking over-the-counter pain relievers almost every night and occasionally during the day.
The program encompasses an entire healthy lifestyle of which healthy eating is a part. I especially like the daily records of my lifestyle – not only what I eat and don’t eat, but how I’m managing my life in other areas essential to good health – and relationship with God and others by doing relaxing, enjoyable things.
The website is a good resource for many things – recipes, information and lots of exercises. When I started on the program, I had struggled with a painful shoulder for a few months. I used a couple of Dr. Evans’ exercises on the Health Initiatives website and the pain disappeared after a few weeks!
I don’t believe that I would have or could have made the dietary changes without God’s grace, God’s power, the achievable health goal in the video, the plan and charts in the Restore materials, and the accountability and encouragement of Bill Tanner, my Health Consultant. I have been greatly blessed by having all those things and now I have better health too! I not only don’t eat meat everyday – I hardly miss it and don’t crave it – I rarely take a pain reliever. Rarely. I don’t wake up stiff and sore in the mornings. That “normal arthritis” seems to have disappeared. I had no idea that meat was doing that to me.
I am grateful for the life change that Health Initiatives had guided me into. I’m not through with the program, I’m just established in it and I’m grateful! Thank you so much for putting all these good things together!
My cholesterol had been over 200 since I can remember – over 25 years. In 2001 I developed high blood pressure. After arguing with my doctor for months, he finally convinced me that I needed medication and put me on two pills for cholesterol and two more for blood pressure. My weight for all of those years was about 178. I’m right at 5’9” so it wasn’t terrible, but still overweight. In the meantime, I lost a great job after 30 years and was paying $800 a month for medical insurance and another $150 a month for medication. This past June I went in for a yearly check-up and my cholesterol was 170. My triglycerides, however, were 280. So my doctor prescribed yet another pill.
Just before my doctor appointment in June, I heard a commercial on the radio about Christian Care Medi-Share. I applied for membership but had not been accepted at the time of my appointment. I had, however, been counseled by a number of folks at CCM and had already been introduced to Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book “Eat to Live.” I started the six week diet in late June and except for a seldom few meals, have stayed on it since. I also started exercising, diligently, almost everyday, for 1½ to 2 hours daily. In mid July I was accepted by CCM on a probational basis (in other words, get my numbers in order). In late August I went in for blood work. I was really apprehensive about how the results might come in. By now I had lost about 23 lbs. I was eating strictly vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains. I had been off all meat and dairy for over six weeks and I was walking/jogging 4 miles everyday in addition to some weight lifting and stretching exercises. When the results came in, I was pleasantly surprised. My cholesterol was 120 (LDL was 60) and Triglycerides were at 133. I never started taking that fifth pill and now I’m off all cholesterol medication and have cut my blood pressure dosage in half.
I can’t believe how easy it was. I spent all those years living with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and expenses for medication and insurance, when all I had to do was eat right and exercise. The book “Eat to Live” should be motivation enough, hopefully before we every get to the point of being overweight and unhealthy. In addition, my wellness consultant provided even more motivation, more information and lots of encouragement and prayers. What a blessing she has been!
That’s not all though. As I was starting my program with CCM, I began telling several others (friends and family) about the program. I even bought and gave some of them a copy of “Eat to Live”. Even though they were not members, they adopted the six week diet, for the most part, and increased their exercising. My oldest son at 5’8” has trimmed down from 240 to 185. My middle son has gone from 202 down to 185. Another close friend, only 23 and developing high blood pressure, went from 242 down to 198 and his blood pressure is back to normal. My wife exercises faithfully with me and has lost about 16 lbs. We have all been blessed by the ministry of CCM and by the people that work there. It is obvious that they have a passion for helping others. There are many others with whom I’ve shared, because now it’s truly a passion of mine as well. My wellness consultant encouraged me with a letter one day. I will not repeat it all, but this part is really good:
“We are in the army of God. As a good soldier of Christ Jesus…I want to encourage you to prepare your body for battle. This is a war; the enemy of our souls would love for us to destroy ourselves…and often this goes unnoticed and even worse, people are eagerly doing this with their own fork!
Fight the good fight in all areas of life. Whether eating or drinking…do all to the glory of God. Examine everything…read your labels. Use wisdom and discernment as to whether or not it is good; rather than eating on automatic pilot.”
She finished it with this verse:
“No soldier in active duty entangles himself with the affairs of this world so that he may please the one that enlisted him as a soldier.” – 2 Timothy 2:4
Thank you Christian Care Medi-Share for changing my life, and the lives of some people that are very close to me, in some really big positive ways.
Society seems to have a renewed interest in being healthy. However, many health programs encourage physical health for the purpose of being physically pleasing to others. The Christian Care Health Initiatives Restore Program is different. This program encouraged physical health for the purpose of being physically AND spiritually pleasing to God. This program placed as much importance on the health habit of 1 on 1 time with the Lord as the physical activity of aerobic exercise. Participating in a program that encouraged me to be in God’s Word and be obedient to God’s Word has been wonderful. I have been encouraged to be healthy, not for me but for my Creator. Angela Dodson, my personal consultant, repeatedly reminded me that being healthy was not all about me. She would often quote 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you?” Because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, my body houses a most special treasure, the Spirit of God. Being healthy is my gift to Him for such a special treasure. The incentive to be healthy must come from within. I must desire to be healthy because he desires me to be healthy. This program is an example of brother and sister in Christ encouraging each other. Encouraging each other, first to have a healthy relationship with the Lord, and second, encouraging each other to do good works. The good work of lowering my cholesterol has been accomplished. By using the Daily Health Tracking Chart, I learned how to identify the foods that contributed to my problem of high cholesterol. I was able to choose foods more wisely. During the six month Restore program my cholesterol dropped 43 points. As I graduate from the Restore program, I have found two Scriptures that I know will encourage me as I continue my journey to be healthier.
1 Timothy 4:8, “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” To really be healthy, I must make God’s Word my first priority. Knowing and obeying Him must always be first – but I must also remember exercise is also beneficial.
1 Corinthians 10:23, “Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible but not everything is constructive.” There are many choices of food and it is okay to eat anything I want. However, I must remember that not all food is beneficial or constructive toward good health. Making wise choices will keep me on my journey to good health and my goal of being a pleasing temple for the Spirit of God.
I am grateful for a ministry that encourages and expects Bible-based lifestyles because that is what God expects. I am grateful for my new friend, Angela. Her friendship, encouragement and support were a true blessing. I am thankful for the opportunity to participate in the Restore program which encourages physical health for spiritual reasons. I would encourage anyone interested in a Bible-based health plan to participate, if given the opportunity, in the Restore Program.
I am very thankful for the Restore Program. Before, I had given up thinking I couldn’t lose the weight that I so desperately needed to lose. When I would “diet”, I would lose a few pounds only to gain back more than I lost. I would feel sick and would suffer from headaches and I told myself I needed meat proteins all day long. If I did not have them I would suffer from headaches. I have learned to eat so much healthier. I have lost 35lbs and the exciting thing is that I have felt great doing it – no headaches and no hunger. I actually find I am very satisfied eating less because what I am eating is meeting my body’s nutritional needs. The Restore program also got me exercising – a very good thing! I did not realize how out of shape I was until I began. It was so good to have the consultant hold me accountable and encouraging me to keep pressing forward. I am very grateful! Thank you so much!
MediShare has been such a blessing to me!! I so very much appreciate the information, tools and personal help that the Health Initiatives team members have put together. After moving cross-country and adding a few more children to our family in the last five years, I’d begun to settle into thinking that it would be a while before I’d be able to focus on my own health or weight gain. As a pastor’s wife and a blessed mother of fine children all under the age of six, I know the importance of being healthy as well as the example that my life is to so many others.
Thank you so much for pushing me to start toward keeping my health a priority! I still have a ways to go but have lost 30 pounds quite easily these last few months. I feel so much better and notice a considerable difference outwardly as well. You are a blessing and such a help!
May the Lord richly bless and reward you daily as you seek after Him with all of your hearts! Thank you for your ministry!
I would rather have been in better shape when we entered the Christian Care MediShare Program, but I really valued my participation in the restore program. I worked with Angela Dodson for six months. At the start, my blood pressure was in the 134/84 range and my cholesterol levels were 200 total, 105 LDL, and 69 HDL. After six months, these all dropped to 113/68 for blood pressure, 158 for total cholesterol and 83 for the LDL.
I would not call it a diet. It is a new way of thinking creatively about exercise and what you eat. When I messed up (e.g. ate red meat) it was usually more a matter of convenience than craving because I felt Angela has helped me change the way I view food.
I feel better, people have noticed the weight loss, and my clothes fit better.
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