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"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" Hosea 4:6 |
Health Page
The Seventh-day Adventist church believes in healing the whole person; body, mind, and spirit. The Lord tells us in 3 John 2 that He wants us to be in health. The body and the mind are interrelated to a much higher degree than many of us think. The links below tell us about various aspects of health and the components to health. There is a specific page for links to health calculators and interesting web sites on measuring your own fitness.
Many years ago the World Health Organization gave a definition for health as follows: Health is a condition of physical, mental, and social well being, and not just the absence of disease. They neglected one aspect of a human being; the spiritual. And, it is the most important.
There are natural laws, ordained by God, that deal with our health. We break these laws at our own peril. However, most people routinely break these laws and the results are apparent in today society-drug abuse, obesity, alcoholism, heart disease, strokes. The list goes on and on. We don't ultimately break God's laws. They break us.
The following are laws of health:
Nutrition Proper nutrition is the foundation of good health and recovery.
We would never think of putting water in our car's gas tank, but what some of us put into our bodies is a whole lot worse. Just because we have always done things a certain way is no sign that it is good for us.
Exercise Action is a law of life. Muscle tone and strength are lost without exertion. Exercise improves the health of body, mind, and spirit. With today's sedentary lifestyle, we are much more likely to rust out than to wear out. Vitality is increased with exercise, and, as a consequence, our health improves.
Water Because the body is 70% water, keeping well hydrated and knowing what and when to drink are essential to health. Brain impulses are transmitted in a liquid medium. Blood is mostly water. Water is critical in digestion. The list goes on. One should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
Sunlight The sun is the established energy source ordained by God to sustain the cycle of life for plants and animals.
Temperance Using good things moderately and avoiding the bad is obviously wise, yet often hard to practice. Temperance is a gift of God, a "fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22, 23).
Air Humans can live weeks without food, days without water, but only a few minutes without air. Fresh air is necessary to think clearly. Many well-known diseases are causes by pollution of some kind.
Rest Your ability to work depends on your capacity to rest. Restoration requires rest because sleep allows the body to renew itself.
Trust The essence of trust is resting in the goodness of God. When trying to sleep, a clear conscience is better than the softest pillow.
The following are laws of life:
Cause and Effect Galatians 6:7-9 One of the laws of motion says that an action in one direction causes an equal reaction in the opposite direction. Laws in the physical world do follow predictable paths. Human beings don't want to admit that the same is true in the moral world. Regardless of one's view of God, certain things are true. If you drink alcohol, you do destroy brain cells. If you are on a "seefood" diet, (you see food and you eat it) you will eventually be overweight. If you don't wear seat belts when traveling in a car, you drastically increase your chances of severe injury in an accident. You cannot defy moral laws without consequences any more than you can defy physical laws without consequences. People do a lot of magical thinking. Bad things happen to others, but I can indulge myself, and bad things won't happen to me. This sounds childish, but how many adults do it? We live in a "me-first" generation.
Not all disease is preventable. There is also heredity to contend with. Many people suffer from conditions that are hereditary; diabetes, hemophilia, and heart disease to name a few. However, most diseases are preventable. We must learn some basic prevention techniques to avoid them. "Burning the candle at both ends" does not cause death in a week, but sets in motion the possibilty of an early death. Dr. Lester Breslow, while holding the position of dean of the UCLA School of Public Health, said "You can live in such a way that you may feel 20 years younger in physical health than some others your age." Cited in Pacific Union Recorder, February 25, 1974.
We should take note of this quote because Dr. Breslow studied 85 percent of the adult population of Alameda County, California. The study analyzed the physical, mental, and social health of the population. As a result,
seven health habits were found to definitely increase longevity.
- Control of weight so that one is neither overweight or underweight
- Regularity of eating habits (no snacking between meals)
- Habitually eating breakfast
- Refraining from abusive use of alcohol
- Seven to eight hours sleep each night
- Moderate and consistent exercise
- Not smoking
The researchers found that people ages 45 who practiced at least six of the health habits would normally live 33 more years; those who practiced only one or two of the habits could expect to live only 22 more years.
Activity Activity is important in all dimensions of life; the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Use it or lose it. You have heard it for years. If muscles aren't used, they atrophy. That is to say then weaken and get flabby. Activity is important. The physiological aging process cannot be stopped, but it can be slowed down. Exercise actually keeps one young. There are roughly 640 muscles and 100 joints in the human body. The muscles need exercise in order to remain strong. That, along with proper intake of vitamins and minerals, will keep muscles, bones, and joints strong. Our modern era of labor-saving devices has actually worked to our detriment in this area. We don't labor in fields to produce food, we perform manual labor less and less in our jobs, and then buy exercise gadgets and go out on a weekend and try to get in shape. Three times as many Americans died of heart disease in 1998 as died in battle casualties during all of WWII (292,131). In 1998, a total of 2,338,075 people died in the United States from all causes The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2001, p. 875. 724,269 of these died from heart disease. This figure constitutes 31% of all deaths. Of course, there are many reasons for heart disease. But, one general reason is neglect of the laws of health!
Balance The story is told of a father and his son. The father was getting older, and the son was always in a hurry. They lived on a farm and had to go to the big town on business. They started out early, and the boy was walking very fast. The father said, "Son, take it easy, you will last longer." On the way, the father had to see a sick sister. The boy complained, because he wanted to get to town. The father said, "Take it easy, you will last longer." Along the way, the path went by an uncle's house. The father stopped and talked about old times, and had a good time with the uncle. The boy was impatient. Once again on their way, the path split and they could take a scenic route, or a more direct path. The father decided to take the more pleasant path. The boy complained, saying "Don't you have any respect for time?" The father said, "Take it easy, you will last longer." Then they came upon a man with an ox in a ditch and stopped to help. The boy didn't want to stop, but the father said "Relax son, you'll last longer. They finally got to the crest of a hill where they could look down on the city, and they saw a mushroom-shaped cloud billowing up from the city from the destruction below it. The city they were visiting was called Hiroshima!
Rest Rest is important. Your ability to work depends on your capacity to rest. We need to be able to rest physically and mentally. Sleep is very important in the balance of life. Hallucinations, poor decision-making, and irrational thinking can develop with prolonged sleep deprivation. Spiritual rest is important too. God wants us to rest in His goodness. That is one reason He gave us the Sabbath day. Exodus 20:8-11.
Cleanliness The term smog was first used in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1909, when atmospheric conditions caused smoke from many smokestacks to fall to the ground, and stay there for a couple of days. Deaths recorded total 1,063 from this event. The first incident in the United States was in 1948 in Denora, Pennsylvania. Twnety-two people died in this event. The worst smog crisis ever reported was in 1952 in London, when 4,000 died. This may be extreme, but certainly cleanliness and orderliness are required in our world. Archeologists have noted that the Sumerians had better drainage and sewer systems than the people occupying that same territory today1. As far back as the time of Moses, health codes were enforced to avoid contamination and disease. The Old Testament records successful efforts to contain communicable diseases, and personal and community responsibility for disease prevention. Of course there are many kinds of pollution in the physical world. But, there is also pollution of the mind in the spiritual world. When one fills the senses with sex and violence, scientists and criminologists can't help but wonder how this effects the violent nature of our society today.
1 Cited in The Golden Eight, Leo Van Dolsen, Review and Herald Publishing Assn, p. 56.
Temperance Temperance is not just avoiding that which is bad. It is the judicious use of that which is good for us. The Lord tells us in the Bible that we are His. Our bodies are His. We are commanded to observe health principles. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
Of course most people today pay no attention to health principles. They say that what they do is their own business. For many, the only exercise they get is jumping to conclusions. They think that the four major food groups are hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, and chicken nuggets. There is more to life than pleasing ourselves. The laws of health will add years to our life and life to our years. Being temperate in eating is a big part of a healthy lifestyle, but there are other areas of temperance as well. Temperance fits right into the idea of leading a balanced life too. The proper amount of food, at the right time, with the right frame of mind, will add to our health. We should eat to live; not live to eat.
For the Christian, the idea of resisting temptation is a serious topic. When do we feel like we can resist anything? Is it when our food has digested somewhat or right after eating a big meal when we feel like falling asleep? The point is, our physical state affects our thinking ability as well. So, all of these areas are interwoven. Our mental state is tied to our physical state and vice versa.
"The relation that exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. The condition of the mind affects the health to a far greater degree than many realize. Many of the diseases from which men suffer are the result of mental depression. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces and to invite decay and death". Quoted from The Ministry of Healing, E.G. White, P. 241.
Our diet plays a large role in our mood swings. Caffeine, for example, provides stimulation for short periods, but there is what is called a "rebound" effect. In other words, one can be more sluggish after the caffeine high wears off than before taking the caffeine.
Service The story is told of a man named George Boldt. George ran a small hotel in Philadelphia, which was often filled to capacity. During a convention, when his hotel was full, a plainly-dressed couple came in wanting a room. The couple obviously looked tired and worn out. He had no rooms available, but offered to sleep on a cot himself to give the couple his room. The weary couple that night were John Jacob Astor and his wife. In later years, Astor built the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel for John Boldt to operate. Suppose Boldt had not been inclined to give up his room? His whole life may have turned out differently.
In the area of mutual respect and interdependence, we are not faced with some of the situations of years ago. Most of us have ready access to water. There was a time when most people in the United States used pumps to get water from wells. There was always a cup of water sitting beside the pump. The purpose of the water was to prime the pump. If someone drank the cup of water, they could satisfy their thirst for a little while and leave nothing for anyone else. If they poured the water into the pump as they worked the handle, more water could be obtained to help the next person.
There is an inter-connectedness to life. If you do good things for others, generally it will be repaid. Of course, newspapers tell us that this is not always the case, but it is generally true. Jesus said, "For the measure you give will be the measure you get back." Luke 6:38. A contemporary writer, Ellen White, puts it this way in the book Desire of Ages p. 21 "....All things Christ received from God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father's life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficience is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life." This is the law of service, or the law of selfless love.
There is a higher law at work here than survival of the fittest. As we serve and minister to the needs of others, our bodies and minds benefit. When you do something special for a friend or loved one, think about how good you feel. By doing good to others, we receive a blessing as well. The Old Testament book of Proverbs tells us in Proverbs 3:9,10 ""Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine". Mutual respect and interdependence are an important laws of life.
Attitude Several years ago, a man named Norman Cousins was faced with a severe and crippling form of arthritis that was about to kill him. He decided, after consulting with a doctor, than he would try a revolutionary approach to find a cure. He watched Laurel and Hardy and Marx brothers movies, and took intraveneous megadoses of Vitamin C. And, he was cured. The laughter gave him pain- free sleep, which he hadn't had with regular medication. The chemical processes triggered by the laughter helped to cure him. He chronicled these findings in a book called Anatomy of An Illness.
It has only been in recent years that brain chemistry has become better understood. A generation ago the word endorphin was hardly ever heard. These chemicals can block pain, promote healing, strengthen the immune system, and produce feelings of well-being. Quoted from Dynamic Living: How to Take Charge of Your Health, Aileen Ludington, MD, Hans Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, Review and Herald Publishing Assn, 1995, p. 142. Medical science is making great strides today in understanding brain chemistry. However, the Bible recorded long ago in Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." A positive outlook is important!
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