But one thing I've learned in this process is that, sometimes, you have to do things that you know are good for you, even if they don't feel good at the moment.
Have you ever tried to do something you knew was good for you but failed? Maybe it was an exercise plan, a spiritual discipline, or a career goal. After you failed, how did you feel? Did you try and try again? Or did you fall flat on your face defeated? For me, recently, it was the MRT LEAP diet. This week marks my third attempt.
The MRT LEAP diet stands for Modified Release Testing & Lifestyle and Eating Performance. It's a fairly simple blood test that measures the IGG and IGA reactivity of the immune system's response to over 100 foods. The purpose of the test is to identify food sensitivities (not allergies) that may be causing harm to the body.
Foods are ranked by three colors and levels, green (non-reactive), yellow (moderately reactive), and red (reactive). None of these foods are necessarily "bad" for you, and a "reactive" score doesn't mean you can never eat that food again; it just means that particular food has some type of reaction in your body.
While some people can see improvements in their health by eliminating all the red and yellow foods, this can also be problematic. If we eliminate them simultaneously, we might feel better, but we won't know which items were actually causing the issues. This is why most nutritionists and dieticians (including mine) recommend a full-elimination diet instead.
How MRT Works
In this process, you only eat non-reactive foods on your list for the first two weeks. Everyone's diet is different based on their results, but it always includes the rawest form of every food possible. That means no processed food. After two weeks, individuals start reintroducing single foods at a time from other reactivity levels. The entire process can take up to 6 months. But the restriction is temporary. The goal is to get back to enjoying most foods, minus those that cause you issues (and this is why tracking as you go along the diet is important!).
Katie, a Certified LEAP Therapist at Clem & Thyme Nutrition and Wellness, explains the benefits of the test this way: "I always tell my clients, 'It’s not about what you’re reactive to, it’s what you’re not reactive to.' By eating only foods that were tested as non-reactive, we can eliminate also any foods that could be causing symptoms that weren’t tested. Let me give you an example so this makes more sense: Cilantro isn’t tested. What if you are highly reactive to cilantro (and don’t know it because it’s not tested) and you eliminate only tested reactive foods (which means you might be eating cilantro)? You may continue to experience symptoms even though you eliminated all tested reactive foods! For this reason, the first phase of the diet includes only foods tested as non-reactive. What sets LEAP apart from many other elimination diets is that it’s personalized based on your immune system and the goal is to reintroduce foods to the point where all things can be enjoyed except a few foods or chemicals that trigger symptoms."
Despite knowing the benefits and value of the test, having a meal plan, cooking from scratch, and creating homemade recipes, I have greatly struggled. Sometimes, no matter how great the results and satisfaction are, there will be things that we struggle with. This includes our daily walk as Christians.
A Spiritual Comparison
In Galatians 5:22-23, we learn that the Fruits of the Spirit are as follows: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law" (NIV).
The Fruits of the Spirit are fruits and not gifts. This means that like fruit growing and ripening on a tree, it takes time and tending to cultivate them. They are not gifts simply given to us but spiritual practices we mature into over time. These fruits require painful growth, practice, and discipline.
The MRT Diet was prescribed to me because of my intense GI issues. It was the surgeon who completed my surgery for Stage 2 Endometriosis that recommended it. According to her, an enormous amount of trapped air was in my intestines. She could see it was causing me additional distress (and she would be right). She also believed a food sensitivity test could help my stomach and relieve additional symptoms from endometriosis.
When I graduated college in 2019, I got severely ill. Almost overnight, I went from a normal and healthy-functioning young adult to a chronically ill one. I was admitted to the hospital numerous times for severe abdominal pain and eventually diagnosed with a list of 10+ mental and physical health conditions. Today, I still fight to live. I fight to function. I wrestle to eat "normal" food without getting sick and having my stomach blow up like a balloon.
By the grace of God, I have hope that my healing will come. It could come through the medical team I'm working with, medication, therapy, or even this diet. God could also choose to miraculously heal me. I'm believing and praying for all things. But one thing I've learned in this process is that, sometimes, you have to do things that you know are good for you, even if they don't feel good at the moment. What a great analogy for spiritual disciplines in our lives. What a great representation of the Surgeon of our hearts, saying it's time for an operation.
The Benefit of Hard Things
Taking numerous medications and vitamins isn't fun, but it helps my body get the nutrients it's lacking.
There is nothing pleasant about getting my blood drawn monthly, but it ensures my thyroid is functioning properly.
Working with a counselor week after week can get old and frustrating, but it builds knowledge and endurance the more I go.
Attempting a diet for the third time feels frustrating and defeating, but I'm learning that discipline now will reap benefits later.
In the Fruits of the Spirit, most of us probably find it easy to love, be kind, do good, and remain faithful. When the Scriptures mention joy, peace, and forbearance, however, maybe you get a bit more uncomfortable. I know I do.
Let's look at forbearance, for example.
An Example of Forbearance
As a former teacher, I would say I had forbearance. Students would ask me the same question at least 500 times a day and I did my best to respond with a gentle smile and reply. I knew I was the only Jesus many of them would ever see. By the time I got home, however, I was often depleted. I'd snap at my husband more than I'd like to admit, and I still wrestle to exemplify forbearance with him.
Other translations of forbearance define it as patience or longsuffering. Longsuffering stands out to me because it's composed of two roots: long and suffering. Nothing sounds fun or pleasant about long or suffering. Put them together and you've got an awful combination. But the Bible challenges us to see longsuffering in a new light and for our good. It's one of the Fruits of the Spirit, after all!
Longsuffering is the Greek word for long-tempered or patient. It's someone who shows restraint when angered or frustrated and patiently endures increasingly challenging situations. A person of longsuffering doesn't want to endure the trial but goes through it anyway with grace and truth because they know what's waiting on the other side. They patiently forbear, refusing to give into quick thoughts or angry speech. This is just one example of a spiritual discipline that takes time.
Learning how to stay silent when someone says something you disagree with is hard, but it builds character and resilience.
Learning to see suffering for the beauty and not the pain is a practice that takes time and endurance.
The ability to be loving, kind, patient, and good to all people, even those who hurt you, is a skill and not a lesson you can learn in one sitting or overnight.
When You Feel Worse Before You Get Better
I'll be honest, just like this diet, sometimes things feel worse before they get better. There will be times you aren't patient, you do fly off the cuff, you aren't kind, and you forget to be good to all people. But that's why these are fruits. Again, they take time, cultivation, growth, and persistence.
This week, I'm working on patience—just one of the many Fruits of the Spirit I need to work on. I'm also working on sticking to my diet. While I don't know if I'll stick to the original plan or need to modify it, I know I'm going to hold tightly to the plan for patience.
Learning to listen before I speak and hold my tongue are qualities I want to uphold and bear. But, I know this is a fruit. It's going to take time. I need to be patient and loving, even with myself. And you probably do, too!
What experience has taught you about spiritual disciplines? What spiritual discipline are you practicing this week?
Agape, Amber
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