Commit to a Healthy Lifestyle

Commit to a Healthy Lifestyle

When a physician says it’s just minor surgery, you can take it to the bank that it’s major.  What the surgeon told me would only take a few days of recovery time, took more like three weeks! Two of which were spent rolling in agony on my bed, praying to Jesus to either heal me NOW or take me home!

Then a friend showed up on my doorstep. The bearer of good gifts and healing remedies. At the time I wasn’t so sure. Now, after 18 years, I know these healthy concoctions actually do work, if you stick at it. With a big grin on her face, she proudly explained, “I’ve whipped up some fresh carrot juice with pear for you. I’ll bring you some every day and we’ll see if you recover faster.” She then instructed me to drink the pint of juice within 48 hours, since it would turn rancid after that. I did as she said, and discovered that carrot juice wasn’t that bad. By the end of the week, I was feeling better and actually craving the stuff! I was hooked.

I still am. If I go for more than two or three days without juice, I can tell a difference in my energy level and overall wellbeing. My body thrives on the raw, natural juice. I usually drink 16 ounces a day, one glass in the morning and one in the afternoon. If I am treating an ailment, I drink more. Along with the juicing, I eat raw salads, fruit, and nuts. In the evening, I eat some cooked foods along with salad. Raw foods make up about 80% of my diet. I also drink distilled water throughout the day and try to walk or use the rebounder at least three to four times a week.

Here are some tips I have learned over the years concerning healthy living. Perhaps, they will help you, too.

Healthy living comes as a total package.  

While juicing and eating primarily raw foods is commendable, it cannot replace other aspects of a healthy lifestyle, such as a consistent exercise program, social interaction with like-minded friends, immersion in God’s Word and prayer, and emotional wellbeing. Take one of those factors away and the entire house of cards can come tumbling down. God created us a total package: body, soul, and spirit. One hinges on the other. It is vital to keep that in mind when addressing your health.

For example, if you refuse to forgive another person, you may eventually experience physical symptoms. That may very well be part of what Jesus was saying in Matthew 18:34 when he refers to the unforgiving man being delivered over to the torturers. In this day and age, the torturers can be poor health, guilt, bitterness, and anger. The way of peace is the way of forgiveness. Every day. Proverbs 3:7-8 encourages us to “fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.” In another Proverb, Solomon reminds us that a merry heart does us good like medicine.

Set yourself up for success.  

It all starts with a plan. Take a sheet of paper and make four columns across the top, one for each area: physical, spiritual, emotional, and social. Under each category write down one or two goals you would like to work on. For instance, under physical, you may decide to set aside 30 minutes four times a week for a brisk walk. You may also write that you will research juicing and raw foods. I have listed some good resources for you at the end of this article to get you started. Under spiritual, you may write that you will spend at least 20 minutes six times a week meeting with God through His Word and prayer. You get the idea. Keep the goal within your reach. Better to start out slow and build, then aim too high and miss the mark.

Assess your progress routinely.  

An accountability partner is good here, someone who can help keep you on track. It may even be someone who has committed to doing a particular program with you. For instance, a friend who walks and does Pilates with you twice a week. Decide what isn’t working and what is working and make adjustments as needed. Don’t be discouraged if you fall off the horse once in awhile. Just get back up in the saddle and start riding again.

It all starts with commitment. In this New Year, commit to a healthy lifestyle by researching, setting goals, and monitoring progress.

Resources to get you started:

Hallelujah Acres Back to the Garden www.hacres.com (800) 915-9355

God’s Way to Ultimate Health, A common sense guide for eliminating sickness through nutrition by Dr. George H. Malkmus

Recipes for Life from God’s Garden by Rhonda J. Malkmus

Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices, What’s Missing in Your Body? By N.W. Walker D. Sc.