Helpful Hints for a Healthy New Year
by Mary Rettig
January 14, 2005
(AgapePress) - Looking for some ideas on how to have a healthier new year? A spokesperson from the Christian Medical & Dental Associations offers some tips on reducing stress, engaging in physical exercise, and correcting eating habits.Dr. Evelyn Jones of the Wellspring Institute in Paducah, Kentucky, says the number-one place to start living a healthy life is having a quiet time with God. She says spending time with God and reading the Bible reduce stress and its effects on the body. Why is it important to reduce stress?
"One of the whole body effects of stress is weight gain," Jones explains. "Several of the others are impaired memory, reduced immunities, heart disease, stroke, digestive problems, even depression and insomnia. These are all whole-body effects of stress."
In addition to reducing stress, Jones says physical activity is absolutely essential for a healthy lifestyle. Three types of activity are needed, she says: cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and stretching. But while people often will do cardiovascular exercises like running and biking, Jones says those same individuals sometimes shy away from strength training.
"Strength training is important because we know that that keeps our muscle, joint, and bone areas strong -- and that involves some sort of weight training," she says. "A lot of people have not trained with weights before; it's intimidating, [and] it seems unattainable to them. But using weights in a smart way is something that is critical for fitness."
The CMDA spokesperson says as people age, they lose flexibility -- and stretching exercises will keep those core muscles strong. She adds that a good combination of all three types of physical activities will help keep the body strong -- and will honor the temple God has created.
But how about food? And diets? According to Jones, fad diets may give some quick weight loss, but they cannot be sustained as people often resort to their former eating habits. But those habits, she emphasizes, can be changed -- by modifying how one perceives food itself.
"Number one, we decide 'I'm going to look at food as a fuel that my body needs to function at my peak performance' -- and not as something that I use to comfort me," she says. In addition, believers should allow themselves to be "totally satisfied with God and His Word." The result, she explains, is that one will then "look at food differently than many people in America have started looking at food."
Jones says a good idea is to plan healthy meals a week in advance -- and not to stray from it. She also says to stock the pantry with healthy food choices. It is not all about decreasing the quantity of food, she explains, but increasing the quality -- like more fruits and vegetables.
Mary Rettig, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
