{"id":6638,"date":"2017-01-19T13:41:03","date_gmt":"2017-01-19T21:41:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lifeandhealth.wordifysites.com\/?p=6638"},"modified":"2017-05-05T16:34:56","modified_gmt":"2017-05-05T23:34:56","slug":"journeys-to-health-jose-rivera-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/lifestyle\/journeys-to-health-jose-rivera-2\/136638.html","title":{"rendered":"An Incredible Journey to Health: Jose Rivera"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story was relayed to me by Jose.<\/em><\/p>\n

Where I was:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Sept<\/a><\/p>\n

The highest my weight has ever been was 300 pounds<\/strong> (136 kg), shortly after high school. Since then, I had tried a multitude of things to lose weight; even losing 50 pounds by going on the famed Atkins diet. The weight loss never lasted long because my motivations for losing weight were all wrong, and I had never developed a lifestyle of overall health. Discouragingly, I quickly gained all of my weight back.<\/p>\n

In addition to being overweight, my overall health was terrible. Even though I was hardly 20 years old, I had high cholesterol<\/strong>, sleep apnea<\/strong>, and my blood pressure was consistently in the hypertensive<\/strong> range (greater than 145\/90). I was always stressed<\/strong> because of various issues, so I also took a lot of aspirin. This did a number on my stomach lining and I ended up with a stomach ulcer<\/strong>, as well as chronic indigestion<\/strong> and acid reflux<\/strong>. I couldn\u2019t sleep on my back at night without vomiting<\/strong>. In fact, I had to sit up in bed just to sleep. I frequently had heart palpitations<\/strong> and had to wear a heart monitor for a month. I had anxiety<\/strong> and would wake up drenched and shaking in a cold sweat<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Where things changed:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I was at church one day when a church member, Dr. Jason Shives, challenged me to try something called a \u201cDaniel Challenge\u201d.<\/p>\n

This is what the Daniel Challenge is:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a method of fasting; rather, a partial fast<\/em>, meaning that some foods are eaten and others are restricted.<\/p>\n

The Daniel Challenge is based on the fasting experiences of Daniel, a figure in the Biblical Old Testament. Daniel was among the best and brightest of the Israelites of his time. In the book of Daniel in the Bible, the backdrop is set: King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had seized Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah, and had taken King Jehoiakim captive and overrun God\u2019s temple.<\/p>\n

As the victor, King Nebuchadnezzar had the power to select and \u201cenlist\u201d young Israelite men to serve in his Babylonian palace, and he wanted only the best. So, he chose young men from wealthy, influential families who are strong, handsome and intelligent, and who demonstrated strong leadership qualities.<\/p>\n

Daniel and three of his friends were \u201cenlisted\u201d in a three-year training time prior to entering the king\u2019s service. The scenario looked like this: Daniel and his friends\u2014men of deep faith and devoted to God\u2014were placed in a pagan palace to be trained up to serve a pagan king, a process complete with a prescribed diet of food and wine from the king\u2019s own table. Daniel, being a man of conviction, asked the following:<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.\u201d \u2013 Daniel 1:12, NKJV<\/em><\/p>\n

It took some convincing, but Daniel\u2019s request was granted, and after ten days, Daniel and his comrades were brought before the king. The results? Their health and appearance \u201cappeared better than all the young men who consumed the \u2018best\u2019 food of the land from the very table of the king.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their test of faith had proven them to be true to God.<\/p>\n

I took up the challenge.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>I took up Dr. Shives’ challenge and in ten days, I had already lost 10 ponds. After that, I determined as Daniel had to eat nothing that would defile myself. It was a long struggle, but again like Daniel, I relied on the power of God to overcome my years of bad habits.<\/p>\n

Little by little and step by step, I started to make significant changes to my life:<\/p>\n