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 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-being1. 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! 1Dynamic Living: How to Take Charge of Your Health, Aileen Ludington, MD, Hans Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, Review and Herald Publishing Assn, 1995, p. 142. |
         Nutrition Proper nutrition is the foundation of good health and recovery. Action is a law of life. Muscle tone and strength are lost without exertion, but exercise improves the health of body, mind, and spirit multiplying vitality and health. Because the body is 70% water, keeping well hydrated and knowing what and when to drink are essential to health. The sun is the established energy source ordained by God to sustain the cycle of life for plants and animals. 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). Humans can live weeks without food, days without water, but only a few minutes without air. Your ability to work depends on your capacity to rest. Restoration requires rest because sleep allows the body to renew itself. The essence of trust is resting in the goodness of God. When trying to sleep, a clear conscience is better than the softest pillow. |
