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?