Are Good Nutrition and Exercise Enough to Be Healthy?

The motto of Loma Linda University and Medical Center, where I work, is "to make man whole". Our goal for students, staff, faculty, and patients is to help one another achieve a balanced, healthy life. However, in order to live in wholeness, several aspects of life have to be addressed. To be healthy and whole, it doesn't mean just eating properly. It doesn't mean just making sure you work out and exercise on a regular basis. On the other hand, it is just not nutrition and exercise together, and nothing else is needed. Other than nutrition and exercise, we can also add spending adequate time with family and friends, giving our best while at work, volunteering our time, and spending time with the Peacemaker.

Last month, Pastor Randy Roberts of Loma Linda University Church, gave a meaningful and encouraging sermon on peace. Click here if you would like to view and listen to his sermon. In his sermon, he talks about the importance of peace in our lives despite going through difficulty. I really appreciated his reminder of the verse found in Philippians 4:6 and 7, which says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus".

You can eat as healthy as you want 365 days a year and exercise 365 days a year, but if you live in a lot of anxiety, that can stress your body and cancel the effects of good nutrition and exercise. Excessive unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on our immune systems. This can then lead to illness.

I need the personal reminder of Philippians 4:6 & 7, because while working full time and working on a PhD, I can definitely break down, or have already broken down several times into tears. However, it is by the grace of God, leaning on Him, trusting in Him that is helping me get through life one day at time. When I focus on His blessings and thank Him for all He has done for me thus far in my life, the peace of God does come over me and relaxes me. True peace only comes from Him and He is willing to give you the peace that you want as well. We can have his peace even when things are going crazy around us in our personal lives. We can have his peace and the assurance that He will take care of our concerns.  In addition to eating well and exercising, allow the peace of God's love to make you healthy and whole.

At the end of Pastor Roberts' sermon that Sabbath, I sang "Let There Be Peace on Earth and Wonderful Peace" with my pianist, Kwasi Agyeman.The video clip was taken while we were putting the two songs together in one of our practice sessions.  Hopefully the words to parts of the songs will be a blessing to you. So, just to warn you, we're very informal here...and I was happy at the end that we were getting close to make this medley work.

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What does being whole mean to you?

Self-Control: An Important Key to Healthy Living

Achieving or maintaining your desirable body weight can be done. However, this does not happen by chance. We all have to intentionally do our part to have good health, which we know begins with an optimal weight that is appropriate for you. Well, I believe the Bible has some guidance on how to do this.

In Galatians 5:22, it says that "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control". There it is...self-control. Self-control can be applied to what you put in your body and how much food you put into your body. Of course, nutrition and self-control are a couple of the tools needed to achieve or maintain desirable body weight. Exercise is another tool that is a vital necessity for accomplishing this life long goal. There has to be a fine balance in these tools that are being used. Registered dietitians could give you the best advice on how to achieve your goal weight, but if you do not do your part in implementing self-control in your food choices as well as the frequency and portion of your food choices, then you will not ever get from  point A to point B. Exercising alone without making any dietary changes will not bring on life-long results. Dietary changes alone without regular exercise will not produce life-long results. 

While we are all entitled to be lazy from time to time after working really hard at work or school, we must also have self-control over how far we allow our laziness to go. Does this sound familiar? I'm too lazy to cook, I'll just go out to eat again. While it's not a bad thing to eat out once in a while, it is a healthier practice to prepare your own meals at home as often as you can. Have self-control over your laziness. On the other hand, we may be too lazy to exercise. Have self control over your laziness and get up and start moving! On a different hand, we may be too lazy to choose healthier food choices. Enjoy eating healthy 90% of the time, and allow yourself 10% of the time to enjoy those not-as-healthy choices. Have self-control over your laziness, and start making healthy food choices most of the time.

If you feel like you don't have self-control in the areas of food choices, exercising, and laziness, do not despair. God is always ever-ready to help you out. Partner up with God and ask Him to give you the self-control you desire to have in order to live healthy. When you have a relationship with Christ on a daily basis, this automatically results in having the Holy Spirit live within you. Having the Holy Spirit within you will result in the fruits of the Spirit in your life, which includes self-control. With God's help, you can achieve your goals.

Here's to a blessed and healthy 2012! Cheers!

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What are you health goals for 2012?