Focus on
Health and Fitness
by Bernard Moore, CFS
from December 2002
Caller
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Focus on by Bernard Moore, CFS |
December, as we all know, brings us to yet one more Holiday that's been called by some the most wonderful time of the year. And amid the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping for this gift and that to trying figure out what to prepare for the big Christmas dinner, you may have been able to squeeze in a few thoughts of New Years resolutions. In case you have, I can think of none that are more important than resolving to take better care of our bodies. The Bible teaches us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit that is in all of us, which we have from God. We honor Him by taking good care of our temple. Here are just a few resolutions we all can make to help get our New Year off to a healthy start:
Resolve to get more exercise: Research has confirmed the Surgeon General's Report from 1996 that by exercising most days of the week diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease, just to name a few, can be reduced or eliminated. Heart disease, the number one killer can be reduced by 50% by starting an aerobic exercise of running. Even those of you who walk can reduce your risk by 30% walking ten blocks per day.
Resolve to drink more purified water: Our bodies contain over 70% water. To get our minimum requirements, drink at least 1/2 of your body weight in ounces everyday. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs. half of that is 75 (ounces) divided by 8 ounces (1 cup) gives you 9.3 cups of water per day. Of course this figure increases during physical activity or consumption of caffeinated beverages.
Resolve to eat more nutrient-dense foods: These are foods created by God, not man. Among the best of these foods are fruits and vegetables. They contain all the nutrients we need in balanced amounts. God said in Genesis 1:29 every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. If your doughnuts and Twinkies do not yield seed, I would suggest cutting back on them. Try to eat balanced meals each day by including the macronutrients protein, fat and carbohydrates. Stay away from diets that eliminate either one of these macronutrients. Vitamin supplementation may be needed if you're finding it hard to get a balanced meal.
Resolve to get eight hours of sleep: I know this is a hard one but our bodies need rest. We encounter stress on a daily basis and our bodies need to rejuvenate for the next day. If we continually deprive ourselves of the rest and sleep we need, we become very irritable and we may miss out on a wonderful moment we could have with our kids or our spouse all because we were just to tired and run down. God does not want us to live this way. I will always believe that He wants us to enjoy a wonderful and vibrant life. We need a healthy and properly functioning body so that the Holy Spirit that resides in us can do His perfect will. This New Year when you start your quest for vibrant health, reaffirm from Psalms 139:14, ... I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works Yes, no matter how you look or feel, we are all wonderfully made. Christmas is a most wonderful time of year to spend with family and friends. Please enjoy.
May all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year and May God bless you with vibrant health.