The Christians Walk to Health and Wellness
Obesity is fast becoming the number one health problem facing the Christian community along with diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, and heart disease. Dr. Len Lopez begins teaching from a biblically perspective on how to become healthier this coming year and can be heard on OnePlace. com.
(PRWEB) January 25, 2005
It’s the start of the New Year and Christians like everyone else have made their resolutions – including those regarding health. Maybe your plan is to lose weight. Other goals might include having more energy, starting a workout program or simply reducing or eliminating your medications. No matter what your specific health goals might be, for most of us, losing weight is at or near the top of the list.
As Christians it may be easy to refrain from the use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco because in the back of our heads we have the verse from 1 Corinthians reminding us that our body is a temple and we should take care of it because the temple is where our Lord and Savior resides. But are we being hypocritical as Christians when we refrain from drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, yet have no problem consuming countless amounts of cookies, cakes, candies, chips, donuts, fast food, junk food, and sodas? These substances, while not associated with the same stigma and immediate harm as narcotics and tobacco, only serve to damage or destroy our temple.
I raise this question because recently I came across a university study showing that, as a group, the Christian community is the most overweight population of people. I couldnÂ’t believe what I was reading, but then I thought about it. Whenever there are meetings at my church, we donÂ’t exactly bring the healthiest foods to eat. Pizza, sodas, and desserts are easy to cater and easy to serve your family -- but they donÂ’t do anything positive for our waistlines or our health.
Obesity is fast becoming the number one health challenge today, with two-thirds of our nation overweight and one-third classified as obese. There are so many health problems that are complicated by obesity, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, fatigue, and menopause. Yet Christians seem to look the other way when it comes to food choices and the way these choices affect their bodies.
If we follow Scripture’s teachings, we know that we should be taking care of our “physical temple.” What is the first thing you think of when you think of a temple? I think of a beautifully manicured building that is well maintained and makes a statement. If you follow that analogy, what kind of statement do you present about your temple? No one would dream of housing our Lord and Savior in some rundown, shoddy-looking temple. Remember, Solomon built a magnificent temple that would be worthy to house Him. What kind of temple have you built?
Please don’t think I am asking you to start dieting and exercising to become the next Mr. or Mrs. America, but you need to think. What kind of shape is your temple in? Is it well maintained, beautifully manicured and worthy of Him? Or is your temple plagued by obesity, arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, irritable bowel, headaches, allergies, fatigue, menopausal difficulties, and insomnia? The list could go on, and don’t forget that our physical well-being can greatly influence – and even interfere with -- our spiritual walk. So, during this New Year, what are your plans to improve it?
If you have the right plan, you can restore your health, but you need to be aware that there is much misinformation on health and wellness and how the body heals itself. In fact, Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Listen to what people are being told: carbohydrates are bad, fats are bad, and we need to count calories and fat grams. People are looking for a magic bullet that is going to heal all their ailments or get rid of all their extra weight. Unfortunately it doesn’t exist! It’s going to take time, energy and effort to restore your health.
If your New YearÂ’s resolution is to get healthier, lose some weight and do it through a more natural, biblical approach you need to follow the advice given in Scripture. Remember, Jesus ate bread and grains -- those are carbohydrates -- so carbohydrates arenÂ’t the problem. We read in Genesis that we have dominion over all the creatures in the sea and we can eat anything that has fins and gills. Fish is a great source of essential fatty acids, (monounsaturated fats) which are known to be helpful for heart disease, arthritis, and menopause. Olive oil, garlic, aloe, nuts and many other herbs and spices are mentioned for there healing benefits.
Fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants, which slow down the free radical production that is linked to cancer, strokes, Alzheimer, Lupus, MS, cataracts, and aging. Moses wrote that we are given every seed-bearing plant to eat. Are you eating more foods that have a positive healing effect, or do you eat more foods that have a negative, destructive effect on your body? It was Isaiah who wrote, “Why spend money on what is not bread…eat what is good” (Isa. 55:2).
It’s your temple and you can choose to do what you want, but if you are doing a good job in your ‘spiritual walk’ and have been lax on your ‘physical walk’ this could be the perfect time to make that transition and apply some of the teaching Scripture gives us on health and wellness.
Dr. Len Lopez is a nutrition and fitness expert, and author of “To Burn or Not to Burn, Fat is the Question.” Dr. Lopez’ approach to health and healing is very simple, “treat the cause – not the symptom.” If you want to learn more about the biblical perspective on health and wellness tune in to “Action Steps for Health” hosted by Dr. Lopez on OnePlace. com or call (972) 458-0099 if you would like to schedule him to speak to your group or church.
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