There is a saying that “Every action is preceded by a thought.” If I do something unrighteous or just make a poor food choice, it is because the thought was in my mind way before it manifested into action. Many years ago, I would plan the time that I was going to pick up a pack of fries. It had to be a time when I could air out the car before picking up my daughter because she could always tell if I had some fast food.
Can anyone relate? It is rough when you have an 11-year-old who can police you about the food you eat. (Nevertheless, that is what happens when your child reads the book, “How to Eat to Live” at 11 and writes a summary of it. Now she is 21.) I drilled into her the fact that if we eat junk, it will reflect in our bodies, our skin, and our actions. Before we discuss food, we must reflect on the words we are feeding our brains first.
In the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s talk to the youth of our Nation during Saviours’ Day 2023, he discussed the impact of words and what we feed our brain. He said if we want righteousness, we must feed it into our thought pattern. We can start off with prayer, having Allah (God) on our mind throughout the day and reading the Qur’an.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, “The earth is full of food; but good health cannot enter our bodies until we have the proper food in the body and the proper food for thought. If we do not have the proper food for our way of thinking, we still cannot enjoy peace, good health, joy, and gladness of heart” (How to Eat to Live, Book One, pg. 57).
Minister Farrakhan urged us to clean up our lives during the 2023 Youth Saviours’ Day message because we should want our life to be clean recipients or vessels of God’s mind and spirit. The Minister is absolutely correct! We must stop making excuses about why we can’t do right, eat right, exercise, and take care of our bodies.
Let us use the discipline we gained during Ramadan and impose that discipline on ourselves throughout the year. The Minister said, “… the greatest of all disciplines is that which we imposed on ourselves (Ramadan: Fasting Strengthens Discipline, The Final Call, Aug. 25, 2009).
We need to discipline ourselves to “Think the way he thinks, the thoughts of good. Seek to be like Him, both physically and mentally” (How to Eat to Live, Book One, pg. 57).
The Minister said, “Your level of conversation helps you with the strength to win.” What are we saying to ourselves? Are you speaking negatively to yourself? Or are you reminding yourself about what our lessons say, “You are the Righteous, the Best and the Powerful.”
We will discuss more in Part II of “How to Build a Strong Mind and Body.”
May Allah (God) bless us all with peace, health, wealth, love, and happiness.
(Dr. Audrey Muhammad is an educator, aerobics instructor and the author of Get Fit to Live: Be Your Best You! available at www.virtuetodaymag.com. Please consult a physician before beginning any new exercise or dietary program).
