May You Be In Good Health!
It’s surprising how few people make the connection between nutrition and spiritual well-being, but it makes sense that what we put into our bodies should affect everything about us.
An interesting way to think about nutrition is that every living cell in your body is replaced with new cells every seven years, on average. What do they become replaced with? Well, the food and drink you put into your body, of course. So you literally are what you eat.
The road to self-awareness leads us to the understanding that our body is a temple and should be properly cared for. The connection between our mind, body, and spirit is undeniable. When you have a clear mind and a healthy body, your spirit is able to thrive.
Studies have been done on the link between food and well-being. An overwhelming number of people have reported a marked improvement in their mental health when they avoided foods such as sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. They also reported the same improvement when they increased their intake of water, vegetables, fruit, and oil-rich fish. These dietary changes also created a surge in physical energy and stamina, as well as a decrease in sickness and disease. Avoiding toxic junk foods will benefit your health both mentally and physically.
Helpful tips for eating healthy:
Educate yourself on how to choose the right foods to maintain balance in the body. (Hosea 4:6 “My people perish for lack of knowledge”)
Stay away from fried foods and use fat sparingly. * use healthy oils such as “olive oil”
Replace white flour products with whole grain cereals, breads and pastas.
Add more beans, lentils and legumes for fiber and protein into your diet.
Be sure to keep a balance between foods grown above and below the ground.
Eat organic fruits and vegetables when possible to avoid use of pesticides and toxins.
Eliminate white sugar and sugary products from your diet.
If making such a huge commitment to modifying your diet seems too overwhelming, start by taking baby steps. Make small changes and then monitor the spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional benefits that you receive from them. As you reach your smaller goals, move on to more challenging ones. Making changes that you believe in and that suit your lifestyle are changes that will stick. So evaluate your life and see where you can make sensible adjustments.
There is no secret to weight loss. There is absolutely no secret, no magic pill, and no trick to losing weight.
Eating a healthy diet is not rocket science. It never has been and it never will be. You don’t need a degree in nutrition, a PhD or an MD to eat well. All you need is basic, simple, common sense rules that are easy to remember and easy to put into action.
Next time you consider going on a diet, think about a more appealing alternative, a lifestyle that incorporates healthy eating. Change your perspective and see the power it has on your overall health and well-being - not to mention, your waistline!
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and
be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
- III John 2