Two years earlier we were newlyweds at a mission hospital far away from home, trying to get used to the oppressive heat and humidity of our new tropical "home." After only a few minutes outdoors we were sunburned and wilted. We learned to move as little as possible and adopted a sedentary lifestyle for survival.
As a new husband Steve soon realized that being married to the only OB/GYN at a mission hospital meant he had to learn to cook. His first attempt at cooking produced a fine casserole of Kraft macaroni and cheese. Later he diversified by learning where to buy mangoes and pineapples in the open market and who sold the best bread.
During our second spring of mission service our son, Jonathan, announced his presence in me with intense nausea. Few foods stayed down long enough to provide any nourishment, and Steve tried nightly to cook up some morsel I could tolerate. He finally discovered one palatable entr�e, his old standby: macaroni and cheese. He became an expert at turning Kraft macaroni and cheese into a gourmet feast by adding extra secret ingredients. For months we lived on macaroni and cheese.
As people began to get hungry and run out of money, they began to get desperate, which led to a severe breakdown in law and order. As the strike continued into the second month, the situation became more serious, with demonstrations turning violent.
Our sense of insecurity and fitful sleep throughout the ordeal left us feeling drained. We comforted ourselves with double portions of macaroni and cheese.
In time we had to take refuge at the United States embassy. After our household belongings, including our passports and travel documents, were stolen, we knew we had to return to the United States.
Ah, the Good Life
We arrived home feeling stressed and bedraggled. Our friends and relatives welcomed us back with lots of good food, and we feasted. It was wonderful to feel safe again, and everything tasted so good! Yet there was little time to recover. Now it was time to look for a job and a place to live and prepare for Jonathan's arrival.
On top of that, Steve struggled with frequent bouts of diarrhea and fever. Some days he could hardly climb out of bed. The doctor looked him over and said, "Well, your cholesterol and triglycerides are a little bit high. You'd better watch it. Your blood pressure and weight are a little bit high. You'd better watch it. Your liver enzymes are also a little high. I suppose you're probably recovering from hepatitis or some other tropical bug, so you'd better watch it. Come back and see me in six months."
I was a little bit dissatisfied with this doctor's attitude. I had anticipated a pep talk on diet, exercise, and weight reduction. I knew that with our diet and sedentary lifestyle Steve was headed for a heart attack at 45, and I was destined to continue wearing maternity clothes forever. But we needed motivation.
Caught up in trying to find a job, moving to a new place, and adjusting to a new baby seemed to rob all of our attention and keep us in this unhealthful rut. I prayed that God would lead us back to a healthier lifestyle.
After I delivered our baby, my parents rejoiced over baby Jonathan but worried over us. We were much larger and looked much older than the two newlyweds who had departed to the mission field. After one look at us they gave us a generous offer. "We'd like to send you to Weimar," they said.
Weimar Institute is a health/conditioning center in the foothills of the Sierras, above Sacramento, California. It promotes a vegan diet and natural remedies. Steve was highly suspicious of anything labeled "healthy," especially food. As a man who loved to eat, he equated health food with "bad tasting," and he avoided it if at all possible. I didn't think he'd go for the Weimar idea.
"What a great idea!" Steve was surprisingly enthusiastic. "I just want to feel good again. I'm willing to give it a try." On our way to Weimar we stopped at a Burger King for what Steve labeled his "last good meal."
What a pleasant surprise met us in the Weimar dining room that noon. The food was delicious.
We gorged ourselves on that first meal, for fear the next meal would be horrible and we would surely starve. But not so; each meal was as good as the first. By the end of the week we were back to eating normal portions and still loving the food. Any further reservations we might have harbored were quickly loved away by the staff.
As we hiked scenic trails, ate good food, and enjoyed therapeutic massage, we felt our energy returning. Then as our muscles relaxed, our minds opened to the nightly health lectures. The lecture about mad cow disease convinced Steve to become a vegetarian. I was delighted. Perhaps he would live to see Jonathan grow up.
I never doubted that the NEWSTART program would work. What amazed me was how fast it worked. After only 10 days Steve's cholesterol and triglycerides dropped dramatically and his liver enzymes returned to normal, as did his blood pressure. This brought his cardiac risk down from two times the national average to average. Both of us ran significantly longer on the treadmill. After only leisurely walks through the woods and after eating as much as we both could hold for 10 days, we had collectively lost 10 pounds. On top of that, we felt terrific!
The strength of Weimar's NEWSTART program lies in its solid scriptural foundation, reinforced by scientific evidence and empowered by the influence of the Holy Spirit. We watched the Spirit's gentle breezes working among our fellow seekers and felt Him stirring our own hearts as well. Each day we were pointed to the one who says, "I am the Lord, who heals you" (Ex. 15:26, NIV), and reminded of the promise "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13, NKJV).
After the baby, the demonstrators, and the macaroni and cheese, we needed a new start. Weimar was a good place to begin. We came away changed and blessed.
For more information about Weimar Institute, visit its Web site: www.weimar.org.
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Faye Whiting is a gynecologist in private practice in Manchester, Kentucky.
h, I feel like a lizard," Steve moaned as he flopped down on the recliner. "I can't believe that anyone as young as us could feel so old!" I glanced over at our wedding picture, taken just two years earlier, and saw two thin energetic youngsters smiling back at me.
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