Amalickiah and The Evil Banana Chip

Amalickiah was a bad man. He came up with a plan to worm his way into the hearts of the powerful, destroy them and then take control of their positions.

Lehonti was a captain of a strong army and was wary of the man. Amalickiah tried three times to persuade him to come down and make a deal with him to join together, but Lehonti stayed strong, and followed his instinct. Not one to give up, the fourth time Amalickiah "found that he could not get Lehonti to come down off from the mount, he went up into the mount, nearly to Lehonti's camp" (Alma 47:12) Finally Lehonti consented. A deal was made that they would work together with Amalickiah as the second in command to Lehonti. To make the story brief, during their time together Amalickiah eventually poisoined Lehonti by degrees until he was dead and took over Lehontis army.

Here is where our stories merge, I have been done wrong by banana chips. I love dried fruit, it is easy to put in little bags and put in my purse, in my van, or in my kitchen. I buy dried peaches, mangos, apples, cherries, even pears, which are a sweet alternitive to candy but I always stayed away from the banana chips, I thought they were nasty. I "durst not" buy them, I ignored them all together. One day while at costco I found a large bag of combined fruit, which included banana chips. I hated those chips, but loved the others, so I invited the evil in with the good. After eating all the other fruits the yellow imposters and I were left alone. I ate a few. The next day I ate a few more, My chips promised me that they were health food, used by backpackers and granola heads. As days passed I started developing a taste for the things. Banana chips are cheap, and are found next to the fresh bananas in the produce section, in the bulk section and in the health food section of my grocery store - Such a reccomendation I thought.

Then it happened, my scale started to protest and give me higher numbers - in shock I analyzed my eating, the only thing that changed was the yellow cardboard chips. I wondered what was in those things, I looked up the nutritional information online. "Total Fat 34g - 51% of a daily diet, Saturated Fat 29g" They fry those things, In palm oil, and add banana flavoring. THIRTY FOUR GRAMS OF FAT????Stunned I realized I was basically eating a meal deal from McDonalds while not getting the benefit of taste.

Amalickiah wormed his way into the life of Lehonti until Lehonti felt safe and happy. Banana chips wormed their way into my daily diet, until I believed that I was doing something good, safe and healthy. I became so comfortable I let them become my favorite snack. Lehonti should have googled Amalickiah to find out just what kind of guy he was. Unfortunately for him he didn't - but I did. Googling what I eat, finding out the truth can save me. I am armed againgst banana chips, they no longer hold my heart. I can't even bear to look at the nasty creatures.

My lesson learned? Read labels, google information, read fast food menu information before you go out so you will not eat in ignorance. . . . Knowledge is the key to weight loss. A fat bottom side doesn't just appear, it gets put there by the evil things we invite inside. If our bodies are temples, then we must make sure that the foods we let in are reccomend worthy.

"And the truth shall set you free...."