By: Christina McIntyre
I thought I was living the Word of Wisdom well enough, however I knew I ate too much sugar, almost daily, and for years I have thought about the part of eating meat sparingly. More specifically I have pondered often why the Lord said it would be pleasing to Him if we didn’t eat meat except in times of famine. I was teaching Daniel in the Old Testament at seminary 10 days ago. I felt inspired to give my class “The Daniel Challenge,” not knowing there was a true Daniel challenge that already existed in its fullness.
On my 5th day of eating only what was prescribed in Section 89 of Doctrine & Covenants, my friend Kristin Myres sent me the link to a modern “Daniel’s Challenge.” I had never seen such support for the Lord’s law of health. I was so excited I started the fasting portion to lose weight, eating only between the hours of 12 noon and 6 pm and drinking 8 glasses of water from morning until 8 pm. I have lost 6 pounds in 10 days and I am full and more than satisfied. I have had blessings, miracles, daily. The promise in the Word of Wisdom is real, health in the naval, marrow to the bones, and I have found wisdom and great treasures of knowledge which are truly hidden from the world. For one must follow exactly for all of these promises to be fulfilled. And the Lord says in D&C 82:10, “I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but if ye do not what I say you have no promise.”
I wish to share a couple blessings from the past 10 days. The first day I started I had the worst migraine headache I have ever had in my life and I had committed to take no medication. By the end of that day I was so nauseous I threw up twice. I haven’t thrown up in 20 years. It was almost like Joseph Smith in the grove when he was seized upon by some being from the unseen world. I felt in utter despair, and I see now the adversary was very much a part of it, for he knew what blessings awaited me if I could change my eating.
The miracle of following the Word of Wisdom is that once you begin and stick with it a few days, your taste buds change and food you thought disgusting before becomes delicious and satisfying, somewhat like the manna the Israelites ate for 40 years in the wilderness. I have rarely, since I was a teenager, escaped a weekend without pigging out on everything in sight sweet and fattening and unhealthy. My first weekend I was faced with two huge buffet parties with all kinds of desserts and meats and sides. I could not believe not one thing was tempting to me. There as one small fruit bowl and a veggie tray that I usually forego, but it tasted better than anything to me. I can’t even explain it.
At some points during the day I picture my favorite candy, red vines licorice, and ice cream and wonder how I am going to face the rest of my life here without those things. You have to know I love sweets so much I had a chocolate business a few years ago and ordered 500 pounds of chocolate a year which I made into my favorite chocolate caramels and 15 other varieties of filled chocolates. There was never a day I made them that I didn’t consume at least a dozen or more. When I shared these self-defeating thoughts with Kristin, she gave me the perfect advice for me, “Just take one day at a time.” And three days later I found myself at her home with others supporting this whole food, plant-based (WFPB) eating. And I tasted the best key lime pie ever that Kristin made out of WFPB ingredients.
Another miracle is my daughter Nicolette, 13. She has been doing this diet with exactness with me. Everyday she comes home with a blessing such as the highest scores in her class, 105 on tests, and advancing a chair in orchestra. But the biggest miracle of all is the added revelation that flows. I could go on for three more pages on this, but suffice it to say He has opened me the windows of heaven and there is not room enough to receive it all.
Christina McIntyre is 53 years old and lives in Double Oak, Texas. She is originally from Los Angeles, California and has lived in Salt Lake City, Utah and Boston, Massachusetts. Christina is married and has five children. She is a homemaker and teaches early morning seminary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
I don’t usually post stories from people who have only been doing WFPB for ten days, but this story was inspiring enough that I knew others would want to read it! Thanks for sharing your story, Christina! I look forward to featuring more of your journey in the future!
Thank you Jane for your tremendous support. Just received a text from my friend Carolynn Spencer who loves you and has been plant based for two years as you know. My life has never been better. The challenges that arise are always overcome with blessings. Love you Jane. You are an inspiration!
Thank you, Christina, for this sweet note and the kind words. I am eager to hear more of your journey as you move ahead. Much love to you, my new friend!
All I can say is Wow!!!! Absolutely awesome!!!!!
Thank you for your supporting comment Deb????????
The Lord surely keeps His promises…all of them.
I had a conversation with a 5 year old about the Word of Wisdom. Her parents have been teaching her about making good food choices, and she understands healthy food is packed with nutrition for our bodies, and sugary/salty snacks while high in calories have almost no nutrition. Her body has already developed a craving for salty/sweet snacks. She and I talked about all the choices we have to make everyday, and I explained the Lord has given us a promise in a scripture called the Word of Wisdom…the promise is physical and spiritual health when we eat within His guideline. She was intrigued because earlier that day she was crushed when at a school assembly she did not receive a perfect attendance award that several of her classmates earned by their efforts. She was so upset about not winning that she cried almost all the way to my home after school. When the thought came to me I began sharing what the Lord says in the WOW, about eating of all the good herbs, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and to eat meat sparingly. She told me the reason she misses school is because she is often sick…allergies to pollens…My suggestion to her was to test the Lord, and see if His promise to be able to run and not be weary, and to walk and not faint is true…I suggested she might be sick because her diet is lacking in nutrients, and/or is allergic to what she is eating…She thought about it for a minute, and said she wanted to try. She asked if she could eat “snacks” (for her this means salty/sweet) sometimes. I reminded her the Lord doesn’t tell us what we can and cannot eat, but He gives us a promise when we choose to eat within His guidelines. I reminded her He cannot bless us when we make choices outside of His guidelines. I also clarified that while I could not promise she would get perfect attendance for eating differently, I could promise her that if she obeyed the Lord’s commandments and kept the WOW to the best of her ability, she would benefit from everyone of those good choices???? I could feel her little spirit respond differently to this concept about pleasing the Lord, and receiving blessings for choices, as opposed to hearing more scientific facts about food science. I love the Word of Wisdom, and I know the promises found therein are for everyone who wishes to accept the Lords invitation. The Lord surely keeps all His promises????????????
What a miraculous experience Renée. Thank you for sharing.
Good for you, Christina. I hope you stick with it. After several years eating WFPB, I am rarely tempted any more. I too feel more spiritual benefits than physical, although the physical benefits are marked. I so happy to eat so as to please God. It’s simple and delicious. I’m rooting for you.
Thank you so much Ginger for your comments. It is amazing how much your words can be a strength to me. I just love this way of eating. Thank you
Good luck Christina you can do it I know you can your strong and you can stick with it and the Lord is by your side.
Chris Young
Christina, I was particularly impressed with the following you submitted to my eldest child, Jane Birch:
“Another miracle is my daughter Nicolette, 13. She has been doing this diet with exactness with me. Everyday she comes home with a blessing such as the highest scores in her class, 105 on tests, and advancing a chair in orchestra. But the biggest miracle of all is the added revelation that flows. I could go on for three more pages on this, but suffice it to say He has opened me the windows of heaven and there is not room enough to receive it all.”
My being a parent of nine children your obviously assisting your child to eat the Whole Food Plant Based way which as you already know, so very closely resembles eating the Word of Wisdom Way, really impressed me.
Jane Birch is my oldest and I’m so grateful to the Lord for inspiring her to write the book, “Discovering the Word of Wisdom,” which has helped so many people who have begun eating the Whole Food Plant Based Way of eating. She actually taught me to eat that way which has resulted in my not being sick in any way during the little over four years I have been very faithfully eating the “Word of Wisdom Way,”
May the Lord continue to bless you with your obviously strong commitment to continue to eat the way you are now eating!
Oh Neil,
You are an incredible encouragement for me and for your daughter. My mother is opposed to me eating this way and it is hard to talk with her without sharing the incredible health and spiritual benefits. She shuts me off and won’t discuss it. But I want you to know your strength , encouragement and support to your daughter Jane boosts her and has been a huge factor in her being the success that she is and blessing so many of our lives. Just got finished making a “cheesy sauce” that contains no cheese for macaroni and cheese replacement and my 11 year old son was just converted to one menu item that is exactly WFPB. This is so incredibly exciting and it just gets better. I have so few recipes but each week I add a few more and become even more converted. I had no idea there were so many ways to prepare healthy food. Thank you again Neil.
Christina, you are not alone about not having your mother’s support. I dare say I feel like an orphan since I have no support on my side of the family, but the Lord urges me through my Patriarchal Blessing to be “firm” in my choices, so I’m keeping at it and finding joy in the process. It is amazing how many “hidden treasures” are out there for the ones seeking for truth. Keep up the good work!
Beautiful Christina, I also will love to follow you through your process. Thank you also for supplying the link to the Daniel’s challenge. How many days did you do intermittent fasting? Or are you still doing that? Tell us your thoughts behind it. I would also love to hear Jane’s thoughts about it as well as her thoughts on the whole Daniel’s challenge philosophy. From what I can tell it follows her thoughts exactly.
HI Miriam:
I’m not a big fan of intermittent fasting on an on-going basis as a way to lose weight. I don’t feel going hungry is the right way to manage our weight as that can lead to bingeing and should be unnecessary on a healthy WFPB diet. If anyone can do it easily and enjoys it, I have no objections, but I don’t feel it is necessary or even helpful in the long run.
I do believe periodic fasting for spiritual purposes is a great practice.
Overall, I’m a fan of the Daniel’s Challenge by James Simmons, who I consider a friend!
Miriam, sorry so long to respond. I am still learning to maneuver on this website. The intermittent fasting I only did for 5 days and I wasn’t hungry but lost a sufficient amount of weight quickly and was satisfied and I have not since then fasted in that way. I do a true spiritual fast once a week and of course on fast Sunday’s as I have had an added measure of the Spirit in doing so.
What is a spiritual fast?
Can you share your friend’s Key lime pie recipe please?
This is a long lost friend of Christina’s. Beautiful article. Christina has always been had a beautiful heart. Miss you, my friend.