Godly Health:
Hello and Welcome to Truth
Triumphant Ministries' Health Page! On this page you will find a modest introductory outlook on health and wellness; the way God intended! Please feel welcome and free to peruse Wonda's Cookbook for recipes and remedies! We will add more and more as
this new section grows. Also, don't forget to download Rodney and Katie's Intro. to Veganism for an entire delicious cookbook!
Trust
Trust is probably the most important health principle of all. Trust is faith, without it, we might as well throw in the towel. The whole Christian experience is about learning NOT to trust in our own strength, but in the strength of God. This goes along with our health concerns also; are you struggling with eating properly, eating the right amount, sticking to a consistent schedule? Why not stop leaning on you own strength and lean on His Righteousness! Our bodies are His Temple (1 Cor. 6:19), and as such, it ought to be our prerogative to glorify God in our bodies (1 Cor. 6:20; 10:31). God is interested in our health too! And He will help us, if we put our faith and confidence in Him. This is done in the mornings and evenings. When we wake up, the first thing we should do is get on our knees (if possible) and pray for God to take control of our lives--asking for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Next, we should spend time with God in His word through devotion time, about an hour, morning and evening. Guard this precious time with God.
fresh air
It almost sounds too simple that "fresh air" would be a bona fide, life changing health principle, but think about it: We all need good air don't we? Oxygen is the very essence of strength to the blood and organs. Have you ever spent a day in a stuffy room? How did you feel? How about a day out in nature? Compare that day in nature with the day in the stuffy room and it is easy to see how applicable this principle becomes. Moreover, think about times past, almost everyone worked outside on farms all day; and even enclosed home climate-control is a fairly new concept. Everyone got fresh air all the time, even at home. Which is why this principle has become so very important today; many just do not get out much anymore. We work indoors, we play indoors, we sleep indoors, indeed, we live indoors. Getting out is an art we must learn once again. Yes, this means going outside, indoor air is usually almost 2x more polluted than outdoor air (Konrad Kail et al., "Allergy Free", p. 359). Indeed, through practice of this simple, free, and easy-to-do activity, you will notice significant difference in alertness, energy, and well-being. Truly there is healing in the God's open air.
Exercise
Yes, we know we need exercise and we know the many health benefits that we can get from this practice. However, we always seem to find excuses not to do it, don't we? Either "we don't have time" or we set unrealistic goals, perhaps too harsh or too strict. But think about it? Exercise benefits blood circulation (Bruning & Sturek, "Progress in cardiovascular diseases," 2015), processes toxins through sweat, strengthens our hearts (Groehs et al., 2015), speeds up our metabolisms (Walhin, Dixon, Betts, & Thompson, 2016), increases happiness and clear thinking (Kudryavtsev, Kopylov, Kuzmin, Ionova, & Yermakova, 2016), and ensures a deeper, fuller sleep (Tal-Krivisky, Kronfeld-Schor, & Einat, 2015). Can we afford not to do this? Again, let's appeal to the "old days"--people worked outside, people walked everywhere. Jesus walked up and down Galilee and Judea in his day; the Apostle Paul traveled through mountain passes and long distances over Asia Minor and Europe; Abraham was nomadic. Indeed, many characters of the Bible are extreme hikers! So let's do this: Let's set realistic goals, and progress if necessary. Start with this: agree that you will go for a walk, 3 times a week, for 30 minutes. If you don't have time, make time. However, when you walk, walk fast enough that you breath heavy throughout the walk--that way your heart is involved and you work up a healthy sweat. If you prefer to workout, doing labor outside (like farming, etc.), or jogging, then do that; but please for God's glory and your health, do something. Increase, as necessary, but please friend, do not neglect this wonderful free wonder-cure for wellness.
sunshine
The Sun is powerful thing, it is the substance of life for the plant and animal world; indeed for us also. Plants produce their food through photosynthesis and the entire cycle of life on this planet follows. It is easy to see why those who do not know God have thought to worship this celestial body, such as the pagan religions of the past, and deceptions of today, such as Sun-day worship. However, God is the one to be worshiped and praised, and the Sun used as the wonderful tool it is. Did you know that the sunlight we receive will positively impact our sleeping habits? Moreover, it increases our serotonin levels, making us less susceptible to depression and anxiety (for both facts: Trivier & Anderson, "Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide", 2002, p. 375). It is very easy to couple this activity with our daily jobs (if possible), exercise, or a nice walk in the evening or morning.
rest
Rest is something many adults never get a good dose of unless on vacation; but it should not be so. Again, appealing to the Bible, it is clear that God wants us to be healthy. What happens to our devotion time with God when we are utterly exhausted--the Bible becomes boring because we cannot muster the energy to focus on it without falling asleep again. I know many are thinking, "but I'm just too busy to sleep or rest more." I would say beware friend, we cannot afford to miss out on needed rest. Prolonged periods of sleep deprivation have been shown to result in neuron damage (Trivier & Anderson, "Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide", 2002, p. 375). We are literally killing our brains when we deprive ourselves of sleep! As adults we should be getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night, as college students or youths, 8-9 hours may be necessary. However, this does not just go for sleep only, periods of rest and recreation are important for each individual; that is one aspect of Sabbath after all isn't it? God wants us to know that we are more than work--we are His children. If your life is cluttered, prayerfully ask God to help you unclutter it so you can have consistent sleep and periods of rest. Keep in mind also not to eat within 4 hours of going to bed, because your stomach may still be working while you are sleeping, robbing you of proper rest.
hydration/Hygiene
The Website medicaldaily.com reported that 75% of Americans are "chronically" dehydrated (Ericson, medicaldaily.com, 2013). Did you hear that? 3 out of 4 American are ALWAYS dehydrated. That is a scary statistic considering that dehydration causes poor mood (Armstrong et al., Journal of Nutrition, 2012), fatigue (Ganio & Armstrong et al., British Journal of Nutrition, 2011), and cognition and memory deficiency (Benton, Nutrients, 2011). Our Bibles won't do us much good if we cannot remember anything we read! Moreover, if we are irritable, how will that impact our patience with others in presenting the Gospel? Since we are made up of over 70% water, and it is the lubricant for our organs, metabolism, and circulation, it is a wonder that so many neglect hydration. We cannot afford it anymore. Remember, hydration is NOT gatorade or soda or juice; it's water--good, wholesome, abundant, water. God's natural health provision. A good rule of thumb for water intake is to take your weight, divide it by 2, and that is the amount of ounces you should intake everyday; obviously there is room for error here, if you workout hard or are outside all day, you may need more, so do what works best for you. Also remember that as we absorb toxins, they are excreted from our pores, so equally important to hydration is using water to clean ourselves. Moreover, their are many natural remedies for a variety of ailments that can be treated with water. Truly, water is the essence of health and life!
temperance
All things in moderation. It is a phrase we are all familiar with. But when it comes to application, many are succumbing to the disregard of temperance in everyday life. We see it throughout the world. Obesity is up, and all the diseases which follow: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, to name a few. People are addicted to food. And this is a tough one, which may cause us more prayer and faith in God than the others, because of its subtle tendency to ensnare us over and over. Unlike drugs and other addictions we can simply quit and never touch the ensnaring substance again; not so with food. We have to eat! So we have to learn temperance. It is good for the stomach to rest as we delight in rest. Snacks should be utterly avoided. Those who have sedentary vocations should try to implement a 2-meal-a-day plan, three for those that have labor-intensive jobs, but with approximately 5 hours between meals. We should chew thoroughly, eat slowly, and eat only as much as is needed without overdoing it--of course discretion is key. Let the Holy Spirit lead you as to what you should do in this department. Maybe some of the things I have said seem "too hard" to implement, but that is okay. You do not need to implement them all at once--again let God lead you, and remember that health is "progressive"; we will get better with time. There is a secondary aspect to this principle: temperance means to moderate in what is good and abstain completely from what is bad. Things we should abstain from include drugs, caffeine, alcohol, unhealthy and/or processed foods/drinks, and immoral forms of sensuality. This being a summary does not permit space to go into all the reasons for this, but I will say: no one should be a moderate heroine user right? That's a no-brainer! Therefore we should not do, or put into our body things that are known poisons or debilitating. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor. 10:31). If we wouldn't do in Christ's presence, or for His glory, we should not do it!
diet
Diet is another area, similar to temperance, that consistently provides struggle. Moreover, this being a summary calls for brevity. Let's think about this for a second though; we know what we should eat. We know that McDonald's is not a good option in comparison with fresh food. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains--in their most organic form as possible--is the best option. One of the great concerns in the western civilizations today is the amassing of diseases and weight, which has transpired in the last 60 or so years. Well, think about it, what has changed in the last 60 years? Today, we eat more processed foods, out at restaurants, and microwavables than ever before. In fact, I know of numerous individuals that cannot cook at all--they are completely reliant upon the frozen and quick meals, or fast food and restaurants. Of course, it is ok to eat out at a restaurant, but everyday? We need to relearn the beauty and art of home cooking. If possible, we should buy the freshest ingredients possible. Eat fruits and nuts straight from the vine, and maintain proper portions controls. Furthermore, meats and cheeses should be removed entirely from our tables. Remember friends, we are preparing to meet Jesus face to face; we are preparing for heaven, where there will be no death. There will not be chicken wings on table at the wedding feast in heaven! It's high time we got back to the diet of Eden. Look up Leviticus 11 to see a list of clean and unclean foods. Some of the "foods" we consider delicacies are abominations in the Bible. If you are not sold on the idea of giving up meat please watch the documentary "Forks Over Knives" and "What the Health" and see some of the correlations of meats with diabetes, heart disease, and cancer--it is astounding the work done by Dr. Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn. Moreover, find a complete biblical outlook on these principles in the books Counsels on Diet and Foods, Ministry of Healing, and Counsels on Health by Ellen White. Truly this was a prophet of God! She warned of the hazards of tobacco over 100 years before the mainstream scientific circles accepted this fact. In her books you will find good reasoning, biblical and logical appeals for diet reform. A few other rules of thumb are to have no more than 2 or 3 different kinds of foods at one sitting, thoroughly chew, wait at least 5 hours between meals, abstain from eating late and immoral and unhealthful habits, and maintain consistent eating times.
In Summary: If this general list appears daunting to you, fear not! It is not for any person to apply every single thing mentioned here at one time. Again, let the Holy Spirit lead you. Find the perfect dietary and healthful practices for your body and schedule. If you feel you need encouragement, equip yourself through by watching the documentaries listed above. More importantly, read Ellen White's writings, which will endow you with a deep understanding of health practices and the practical reasoning behind them. Don't expect to apply everything at once; apply what you can. Remember: "health is progressive," thus we progressively get better over time. God will walk this path with us friends! In the end, we want to be ready for God when He returns to take His people home. The health of our bodies will reflect in the health of our minds, which in turn is a determinant factor in our spiritual lives. Indeed, the physical food we eat directly affects our ability to intake spiritual food. Praise the Lord that He cares so much for us to think to equip us ideal health practices!