exercise

Food for Life – Habits of Diet

by

My, what a winter this has been! So many records broken and it is still possible that it will continue in the same way. But isn’t this prophecy? Just what does the Spirit of Prophecy say about the last days and what we may expect? In Last Day Events, 18–31, Sister White has chapters entitled Signs in the Heavens, Signs on the Earth, False Prophets, Gluttony and Intemperance, Deeds of Violence, Wars and Disasters, Earthquakes and Floods, Crimes, Famines, and Pestilences. However, despite all that has happened, we know that God has a purpose in all these calamities, and these events are in His hands. We should never fear or be distraught, but look up, for our redemption draweth nigh!

This month, we are going to look at what inspiration has to say about food preparation on the Sabbath day and the importance of temperate eating habits. The following excerpts are taken from The Ministry of Healing, 307–309:

“We should not provide for the Sabbath a more liberal supply or a greater variety of food than for other days. Instead of this the food should be more simple, and less should be eaten in order that the mind may be clear and vigorous to comprehend spiritual things. A clogged stomach means a clogged brain. The most precious words may be heard and not appreciated because the mind is confused by an improper diet. By overeating on the Sabbath, many do more than they think to unfit themselves for receiving the benefit of its sacred opportunities.

“Cooking on the Sabbath should be avoided; but it is not therefore necessary to eat cold food. In cold weather the food prepared the day before should be heated. And let the meals, however simple, be palatable and attractive. Especially in families where there are children, it is well, on the Sabbath, to provide something that will be regarded as a treat, something the family does not have every day.

“Where wrong habits of diet have been indulged, there should be no delay in reform. When dyspepsia has resulted from abuse of the stomach, efforts should be made carefully to preserve the remaining strength of the vital forces by removing every overtaxing burden. The stomach may never entirely recover health after long abuse; but a proper course of diet will save further debility, and many will recover more or less fully. It is not easy to prescribe rules that will meet every case; but, with attention to right principles in eating, great reforms may be made, and the cook need not be continually toiling to tempt the appetite.

“Abstemiousness in diet is rewarded with mental and moral vigor; it also aids in the control of the passions. Overeating is especially harmful to those who are sluggish in temperament; these should eat sparingly and take plenty of physical exercise. There are men and women of excellent natural ability who do not accomplish half what they might if they would exercise self-control in the denial of appetite.

“Many writers and speakers fail here. After eating heartily, they give themselves to sedentary occupations, reading, study, or writing, allowing no time for physical exercise. As a consequence, the free flow of thought and words is checked. They cannot write or speak with the force and intensity necessary in order to reach the heart; their efforts are tame and fruitless.

“Those upon whom rest important responsibilities, those, above all, who are guardians of spiritual interests, should be men of keen feeling and quick perception. More than others, they need to be temperate in eating. Rich and luxurious food should have no place upon their tables.”

Health – Living in Circadian Rhythm

by

We are designed to have 24-hour rhythms to our physiology and metabolism. Our bodies have an internal clock that we refer to as our circadian rhythm. This internal clock is influenced primarily by light exposure during the day and darkness during the night. Ideally, sunlight at sunrise “sets the clock” while darkness after sunset “winds the clock down.” We have a wake cycle, activated by light exposure, during the day and a sleep cycle, activated by darkness, at night. Many organs show daily changes in their function based on circadian influences. Genetic expression, which genes are turned on and which genes are turned off, is also directly influenced by circadian rhythms. In fact, thousands of genes change their expression according to circadian rhythms throughout the day and night.

Sunlight synchronizes all cells and organs in the body and influences cell energy production. During the day, we need to be awake, energetic and active. In contrast, sunset and darkness initiates a sleep and repair cycle via the release of melatonin, so we rest and recover to allow repair processes to occur throughout our cells and organs.

This is how we are designed and there is no escaping it. We are meant to be awake and active from sunrise to sunset and to be recuperating and resting after sunset. In essence, we have a built-in schedule each day; there is a time to eat, a time to sleep, a time to digest, a time to repair, basically a prime time for everything. When we live in accordance with our internal rhythms we optimize health. … Of course, with our modern lifestyle and 24/7 workload, light exposure, computers, television, travel and constant access to food, it is unfortunately way too easy to disrupt our internal clocks. Too often we are eating when we should be fasting, awake when we should be sleeping, exposed to light when we should be releasing melatonin and winding down for the night. Our modern world with all the breakthroughs, benefits, and conveniences, can be damaging to our health in myriad ways.

Circadian rhythm disruption accelerates the aging process while circadian rhythm synchronization slows the aging process.

Our mission is to slow the deterioration in our health that occurs with aging so we can extend our healthspan – the number of years that we live in a healthy state – rather than struggling with disease and degenerative conditions.

The key is to feed, train, and rest our body as originally designed.

Our anti-aging lifestyle, focusing on sleep, nutrition, movement and stress levels, can modulate the aging process. We strive to have a lifestyle that is congruent with our internal clocks to allow us to extend our healthspan.

Everything we do with our lifestyle is meant to restore harmony in our bodies so we can ignite our internal antiaging mechanisms, while simultaneously combating accelerated aging forces. Optimizing our anti-aging mechanisms, such as stem cell activation, genetic expression, DNA repair … requires that we restore this internal harmony with our circadian rhythms.

Our bodies are constantly adjusting to maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is a healthy state preserved by incessant refinements of biochemical and physiologic pathways in response to external and internal stimuli.

Homeostasis is our body’s ability to listen and immediately respond to what we do, think, eat, as well as how we act and react. As examples, if we perceive stress, real or imagined, our stress response is switched on. If we relax or sleep, then our stress response is turned off and the relaxation response is activated. If we move or exercise, the body reacts positively and builds. If we are excessively sedentary, the body responds detrimentally and breaks down. When homeostasis is disrupted we have suboptimal function and accelerated aging.

Circadian desynchronization results in chronic stress, leading to accelerated aging, muscle and bone loss, increased fat storage, cognitive impairment and immune dysfunction.

With delicate precision our circadian rhythm impacts our metabolism, physiology, energy level, hormone levels, mood and pace of aging.

So how do we live in balance with our circadian rhythm?

We must balance our:

  • Sleep and wake cycles.
  • Eating and fasting intervals.
  • Stress and relaxation.
  • Exercise and recovery periods.

Sleep

Quality sleep is imperative for physiologic stress reduction as well as brain and body repair. Cells repair, memories consolidate, and hormones balance while we sleep. Sleep deprivation, all too common with our hectic schedules, leads to rapid aging, cognitive decline, weight gain and muscle loss.

It is crucial to maintain a consistent sleep/wake cycle to optimize restorative sleep. Go to bed every night at around the same time, keeping the same schedule on weekends. Strive for 7–9 hours of continuous sleep at night. Turn down bright lights. Too much light at night may make one unable to fall asleep at bedtime. Protect against blue light emitting screens and phones in the evening by wearing blue light blocking glasses or utilizing blue light screen protection on your phones and computers. Blue light exposure decreases melatonin release disrupting sleep. Turn off devices at least two to three hours before retiring. Sleep in a cool, dark, quiet environment. We build collagen, repair DNA, release restorative hormones, and activate stem cells during high quality sleep.

Intermittent fasting/Time restricted eating

The body has established schedules to perform functions such as digestion and nutrient absorption at certain times of the day. If daily routines and schedules do not match the body’s schedules, an imbalance may occur which can lead to fatigue, weight gain, stress, and even illness. To have proper nutrition, 50% depends on the correct choice of food and the other 50% depends on when and how it is consumed. Eating at the wrong times interrupts the circadian rhythm, which alters the ability to have a healthy metabolism and a powerful autoimmune response. Breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day with the smallest meal being consumed at dinner.

Restrict your eating window each day to 6 to 12 hour intervals with intermittent fasting. Our digestive tract, digestive processes, and metabolism are affected by circadian rhythms, so close the kitchen at night! Eating late at night strains organs involved in digestion forcing them to work when they are supposed to be repairing. Simply not eating a late dinner, for example, can help with weight loss and digestive issues such as heartburn and irritable bowel symptoms.

Relaxation

Elicit the relaxation response with deep breathing techniques, walking, relaxing music, or whatever your preference. Chronic stress, with the resulting continuous release of destructive stress hormones, overwhelms homeostasis, impairs digestion, increases blood sugar levels and fat storage, while simultaneously breaking down muscle and bone. When we activate the relaxation response we decrease cortisol, lower inflammation, slow telomere loss, and halt this erosive impact of chronic stress on our health and pace of aging: Relax, to reset your health.

Diet

Focus your diet on real food sources such as nuts, seeds, berries and vegetables. Avoid pastas, cakes, cookies, sweet breads, candy, corn syrup, soda, juices, processed oils and refined carbohydrates. Processed foods accelerate aging. Real foods slow aging: Eat clean for health!

Love/Gratitude

Break the cycle of chronic stress by being present, mindful and by living your life with love and gratitude. We all have much to be thankful for. Enjoy your family, friends and pets each day. Share cherished memories with your loved ones: Be present!

Exercise

HIIT, High-intensity interval training, alternating short bursts of activity with quick recovery periods, is a remarkable antiaging modality via several mechanisms, including stimulating HGH (growth hormone) release, increasing BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), our brain fertilizer, and activating stem cells. HIIT is a time efficient exercise technique that optimizes brain and body health while avoiding the excessive stress of prolonged exercise sessions: Exercise to optimize.

Since fasting acts as an exercise mimic, we can accrue additional antiaging benefits when we exercise while fasting: To really optimize, go fast while fasting!

Keep your schedule on track as much as possible. This can make a crucial difference in how your internal clock functions and how you feel.

Dr. Frank Comstock, M.D., ABAARM, FACEP.

Excerpts from www.lifestylespectrum.com/blog/living-in-circadian-rhythm

“The mind does not wear out nor break down so often on account of diligent employment and hard study as on account of eating improper food at improper times, and of careless inattention to the laws of health. Irregular hours for eating and sleeping sap the brain forces.” Mind Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 388.

“There should be regular hours for rising, for family worship, for meals, and for work. And it is a religious duty … to maintain this by precept … by a firm example.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 327.

Exercise for Mind and Body

by

Do you remember learning in school about the second law of thermodynamics, the law of entropy? Basically, entropy is the physical world’s way of always moving toward states of greater disorder. Natural systems tend to move to the lowest energy state possible. Does that sound like you? Shoelaces untie, ice cream melts, and people end up on the couch.

Up to half of all American adults are sedentary.1 Other countries’ statistics may vary, but Americans surely cannot be proud of their behavior! Life provides many distractions and excuses not to exercise. Television, computers, bringing home work from the office, and video games, are a few of the major culprits.

Why should I exercise? Think flabby muscles and failing organs. Regular exercise keeps the blood flowing. Blood is the transportation system for all the nutrients, oxygen, and water our cells need, from our brains to our toenails. Lack of exercise weakens the circulatory system causing blood to pool, thus oxygen and nutrients cannot get to their destinations. Organs are not getting the fuel they need for proper functioning. No wonder lack of exercise contributes to heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity, to name but a few.2

Exercise also helps prevent osteoporosis. The bones and joints require weight-bearing exercise to stimulate the body to make more osteocytes-bone cells. Sedentary lifestyles lead to porous, brittle bones.3

With depression and anxiety major health concerns today, it is no wonder that a link between emotional well being and exercise has been found. You may have heard about endorphin, which is a substance naturally produced by the body that is hundreds of times more potent than morphine.4 Exercise causes your body to release endorphins and perhaps serotonin which causes an individual to feel a sense of well-being. Not to mention that having a more fit body can make anyone feel better about themselves.

Exercise not only strengthens your cardiovascular system; it reduces the amount of harmful cholesterol (LDL) in your blood and actually can help reverse atherosclerosis— hardening of the arteries. Insufficient physical activity is a known risk factor leading to ischemic heart disease and stroke, that together account for more than 40% of deaths in the United States.5

What is considered exercise? Sorry, channel surfing is not on the list. Aerobic-or oxygen providing-exercise is considered any exercise that raises the heart rate, and keeps it up, for a minimum of 30 minutes. This can include, but is not limited to, brisk walking, bicycling, swimming, and rowing. Aerobic exercise is recommended five or more times a week.

Today, obesity is not only a problem in adults for even childhood obesity is on the rise. Exercise burns off calories and when we burn more calories than we eat, we lose weight. Also, after exercising, your metabolism speeds up, making you feel more energetic and burns calories faster for the remainder of the day. Being at an ideal weight reduces the likelihood that you’ll have heart disease and is very beneficial in preventing and treating diabetes.

You now know that exercise leads to greater health and prevents disease. Exercise is your weapon for combating the law of entropy and moving toward greater states of health instead of disease and disorder. You know who you are, get off the couch!

  1. No Leisure-time Physical Activity Among Adults, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1998
  2. Ibid.
  3. Fitness Basics, Theodore Berland, Reviewed by Jeffrey L. Tanji, MD, American Medical Association, 1997
  4. Ibid.
  5. Cardiovascular Diseases, Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors, CDC Report, 1996

Restoring the Temple – Nutrition, Eat Well and Live Well, Part II

by

“In all labour there is profit” Proverbs 14:23

Do you remember learning in school about the second law of thermodynamics, the law of entropy? Basically, entropy is the physical world’s way of always moving toward states of greater disorder. Natural systems tend to move to the lowest energy state possible. Does that sound like you? Shoelaces untie, ice cream melts, and people end up on the couch.

Up to half of all American adults are sedentary.1 Other countries’ statistics may vary, but Americans surely cannot be proud of their behavior! Life provides many distractions and excuses not to exercise. Just the normal routines of daily life make little time to fit in exercise.

“Whatever their business and inclinations, they should make up their minds to exercise in the open air as much as they can. They should feel it a religious duty to overcome the conditions of health which have kept them confined indoors, deprived of exercise in the open air. Some invalids become willful in the matter and refuse to be convinced of the great importance of daily outdoor exercise. . . they persist, from year to year, in having their own way and living in an atmosphere almost destitute of vitality. It is impossible for this class to have a healthy circulation.” Counsels on Health, 173

If Ellen White were able to observe modern life she may indeed classify the lot of us as invalids!

Why should I exercise? Think flabby muscles and failing organs. Regular exercise keeps the blood flowing. Blood is the transportation system for all the nutrients, oxygen, and water our cells need, from our brains to our toenails. Lack of exercise weakens the circulatory system causing blood to pool, thus oxygen and nutrients cannot get to their destinations. Organs are not getting the fuel they need for proper functioning. No wonder lack of exercise contributes to heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity, to name but a few.2

Exercise also helps prevent osteoporosis. The bones and joints require weight-bearing exercise to stimulate the body to make more osteocytes—bone cells. Sedentary lifestyles lead to porous, brittle bones.3

“The chief if not the only reason why many become invalids is that the blood does not circulate freely, and the changes in the vital fluid, which are necessary to life and health, do not take place. They have not given their bodies exercise nor their lungs food, which is pure, fresh air; therefore it is impossible for the blood to be vitalized, and it pursues its course sluggishly through the system. The more we exercise, the better will be the circulation of the blood. More people die for want of exercise than through overfatigue; very many more rust out than wear out.” Counsels on Health, 173

With depression and anxiety major health concerns today, it is no wonder that a link between emotional well being and exercise has been found. You may have heard about endorphins, which is a substance naturally produced by the body that is hundreds of times more potent than morphine.4 Exercise causes your body to release endorphins and perhaps serotonin which causes an individual to feel a sense of well-being. Not to mention that having a more fit body can make anyone feel better about themselves.

Exercise not only strengthens your cardiovascular system; it reduces the amount of harmful cholesterol (LDL) in your blood and actually can help reverse atherosclerosis– hardening of the arteries. Insufficient physical activity is a known risk factor leading to ischemic heart disease and stroke, that together account for more than 40% of deaths in the United States.5

What is considered exercise? It is recommended that one get at least 30 minutes of accumulated exercise on most or all days of the week. This includes many activities of daily living such as doing the laundry, walking the dog, and gardening. But for optimal health, aerobic exercise must become part of your exercise regime. Aerobic—or oxygen providing—exercise is considered any exercise that raises the heart rate, and keeps it up, for a minimum of 20–30 minutes. This can include, but is not limited to, brisk walking, bicycling, swimming, and rowing. How can you determine whether or not your exercise is intense enough to transport oxygen to all of your body systems? Calculate your target heart rate with the formula provided (your heart rate during exercise should fall between the minimum and maximum rates). Another more general guideline is that it should be possible for you to speak a few words during exercise but the activity should be intense enough that you are unable to carry on a conversation. Aerobic exercise is recommended three to five times a week.

Today, obesity is not only a problem in adults for even childhood obesity is on the rise. Exercise burns off calories and when we burn more calories than we eat, we lose weight. Also, after exercising, your metabolism speeds up, making you feel more energetic and burns calories faster for the remainder of the day. Being at an ideal weight reduces the likelihood that you will have heart disease and is very beneficial in preventing and treating diabetes.

You now know that exercise leads to greater health and prevents disease. Exercise is your weapon for combating the law of entropy and moving toward greater states of health instead of disease and disorder. You know who you are, get off the couch!

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.” Psalm 23:4

Target Heart Rate Formula

To calculate your Target Heart Rate, first find your pulse or your resting heart rate (best when taken just as you get out of bed in the morning) and count the beats for one entire minute. Use this number in the following formula.

Minimum Exercise Heart Rate:

220 – age______ = ______ – resting heart rate______ = ______ x .5 + resting heart rate______ = _______

Maximum Exercise Heart Rate:

220 – age______ = ______ – resting heart rate ______ =______ x .85 + resting heart rate______ = ________

Example: (age = 20, resting heart rate = 70)

220 – 20 = 200 – 70 = 130 x .5 + 70 = 135
220 – 20 = 200 – 70 = 130 x .85 + 70 = 180

Food For Life – Exercise to the Glory of God

by

Here it is the middle of summer! Can you believe time goes this quickly? What are you doing for exercise? Did you realize that exercise in God’s open air is one of the eight laws of health? And that you cannot have perfect health without it? So, let’s go to the Word of God and see just what He says about this fundamental rule of health.

In the book Counsels on Health, page 52, we read: “Another precious blessing is proper exercise. There are many indolent, inactive ones who are disinclined to physical labor or exercise because it wearies them. What if it does weary them? The reason why they become weary is that they do not strengthen their muscles by exercise, therefore they feel the least exertion. Invalid women and girls are better pleased to busy themselves with light employment, as crocheting, embroidering, or making tatting, than to engage in physical labor. If invalids would recover health, they should not discontinue physical exercise; for they will thus increase muscular weakness and general debility. Bind up the arm and permit it to remain useless, even for a few weeks, then free it from its bondage, and you will discover that it is weaker than the one you have been using moderately during the same time. Inactivity produces the same effect upon the whole muscular system. The blood is not enabled to expel the impurities as it would if active circulation were induced by exercise.

“When weather will permit, all who can possibly do so ought to walk in the open air every day, summer and winter. But the clothing should be suitable for the exercise, and the feet should be well protected. A walk, even in winter, would be more beneficial to the health than all the medicine doctors may prescribe. For those who can walk, walking is preferable to riding. The muscles and veins are enabled better to perform their work. There will be increased vitality, which is so necessary to health. The lungs will have needful action; for it is impossible to go out in the bracing air of a winter’s morning without inflating the lungs.

“Those who are always busy, and go cheerfully about the performance of their daily tasks, are the most happy and healthy. The rest and composure of night brings to their wearied frames unbroken slumber…

“Exercise will aid the work of digestion. To walk out after a meal, hold the head erect, put back the shoulders, and exercise moderately, will be a great benefit. The mind will be diverted from self to the beauties of nature. The less the attention is called to the stomach after a meal, the better. If you are in constant fear that your food will hurt you, it most assuredly will. Forget self, and think of something cheerful.

“Many labor under the mistaken idea that if they have taken cold, they must carefully exclude the outside air, and increase the temperature of their room until it is excessively hot. The system may be deranged, the pores closed by waste matter, and the internal organs suffering more or less inflammation, because the blood has been chilled back from the surface and thrown upon them. At this time, of all others, the lungs should not be deprived of pure, fresh air. If pure fresh air was ever necessary, it is when any part of the system, as the lungs or stomach is diseased.” Counsels on Health, 52, 53.

Health – Benefits of Physical Exercise

by

Ellen White wrote at length about the need for and benefit of physical exercise. Consider the following counsel:

“The first and constant care of parents should be that their children may have firm constitutions, that they may be sound men and women. It is impossible to attain this object without physical exercise.” Christian Education, 16.

“Those of sedentary and literary habits should exercise the physical, even if they have no need to labor so far as means is concerned. Health should be a sufficient inducement to lead them to unite physical with their mental labor.” Ibid., 19.

“Without physical exercise, no one can have a sound constitution and vigorous health; and the discipline of well-regulated labor is no less essential to the securing of a strong and active mind and a noble character.” Ibid., 69.

“When the weather will permit, those who are engaged in sedentary occupations, should, if possible, walk out in the open air every day, summer and winter. The clothing should be suitable, and the feet well protected. Walking is often more beneficial to health than all the medicine that can be prescribed. For those who can endure it, walking is preferable to riding; for it brings all the muscles into exercise. The lungs also are forced into healthy action, since it is impossible to walk in the bracing air of a winter morning without inflating them.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 100, 101.

“More people die for want of exercise than from overwork; very many more rust out than wear out. In idleness the blood does not circulate freely, and the changes in the vital fluid, so necessary to health and life, do not take place. The little mouths in the skin, through which the body breathes, become clogged, thus making it impossible to eliminate impurities through that channel. This throws a double burden upon the other excretory organs, and disease is soon produced. Those who accustom themselves to exercising in the open air, generally have a vigorous circulation. Men and women, young or old, who desire health and who would enjoy life, should remember that they cannot have these without a good circulation. Whatever their business or inclinations, they should feel it a religious duty to make wise efforts to overcome the conditions of disease which have kept them in-doors.” Ibid., 101.

“Physicians often advise invalids to visit foreign countries, to go to some mineral spring, or to traverse the ocean, in order to regain health; when, in nine cases out of ten, if they would eat temperately, and engage in healthful exercise with a cheerful spirit, they would regain health, and save time and money. Exercise, and a free, abundant use of the air and sunlight,—blessings which Heaven has bestowed upon all,—would in many cases give life and strength to the emaciated invalid.” Ibid., 160.

Knowledge Today

Modern medical science supports the counsel of God’s messenger:

Regular exercise can help protect you from heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, noninsulin-dependent diabetes, obesity, back pain, osteoporosis, and can improve your mood and help you to better manage stress.

For the greatest overall health benefits, experts recommend that you do 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle strengthening activity and stretching at least twice a week. However, if you are unable to do this level of activity, you can gain substantial health benefits by accumulating 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, at least five times a week.

If you have been inactive for a while, you may want to start with less strenuous activities such as walking or swimming at a comfortable pace. Beginning at a slow pace will allow you to become physically fit without straining your body. Once you are in better shape, you can gradually do more strenuous activity.

How Physical Activity Impacts Health

Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States.

  • Reduces the risk of dying prematurely.
  • Reduces the risk of dying prematurely from heart disease.
  • Reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
  • Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.
  • Helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure.
  • Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
  • Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.
  • Helps control weight.
  • Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
  • Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.
  • Promotes psychological well-being.

Specific Benefits of Physical Exercise

Heart Disease and Stroke

Daily physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure, raising your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (good cholesterol) and lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (bad cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing your heart’s working capacity.

Heart Disease and Stroke

Regular physical activity can reduce blood pressure in those with high blood pressure levels. Physical activity also reduces body fatness,which is associated with high blood pressure.

Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes

By reducing body fatness, physical activity can help to prevent and control this type of diabetes.

Obesity

Physical activity helps to reduce body fat by building or preserving muscle mass and improving the body’s ability to use calories. When physical activity is combined with proper nutrition, it can help control weight and preventobesity, a major risk factor for many diseases.

Back Pain

By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular exercise helps to prevent back pain.

Osteoporosis

Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation and may prevent many forms of bone loss associated with aging.

Psychological Effects

Regular physical activity can improve your mood and the way you feel about yourself. Researchers also have found that exercise is likely to reduce depression and anxiety and help you to better manage stress.

“God has blessed human beings with nerves, organs, and muscles; and they are not to be allowed to deteriorate because of inaction, but are to be strengthened and kept in health by exercise.” Child Guidance, 124.

Food – Helps for Digestion

by

For several months we have discussed the anatomy and physiology of the digestion system and the importance of eating based on the way God designed our body. The following is a review and listing of items important for good digestion:

  1. Meal time should be a pleasant, unhurried time to allow for good digestion.
  2. Digestion, both mechanical and chemical, begins in the mouth, so our food should be thoroughly chewed. There are no teeth in the stomach!
  3. We should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and supper like a pauper. The breakfast should break our overnight fast, and is critical for the start of a productive day. The stomach, like all organs, needs rest. We should go to bed with an empty stomach, allowing the stomach and all of the organs of digestion and the brain to be relieved of digestion during the sleeping hours.
  4. We should avoid liquid drinks at meal times. Drinking liquids at meal times can interfere with the delicate balance of temperature and chemical regulation necessary to digest food.
  5. Our diet should be composed of as many raw foods as possible. Raw foods have the active components necessary for good nutrition. When we do cook our vegetables, it is best to lightly steam them and then use the water in soups and stews.
  6. We should allow five hours between meals to allow one meal to be processed in the stomach, and the stomach emptied before the next food is consumed. Studies have been done that demonstrate that eating between meals can result in breakfast food remaining in the stomach until nightfall when eating between meals is practiced.
  7. Adequate water is essential to health, digestion, and elimination and should be consumed between meals. An excellent formula to use to determine how much water you should drink daily between meals is to take your weight, divided by 2, and the number of ounces of water that you should drink is the result. (140 lbs. divided by 2 equals 70, so a person of this weight should drink approximately 70 ounces or nine 8 ounce glasses of water per day.)
  8. Light exercise after a meal improves digestion.
  9. From our instruction at creation, through the diet history in the Bible, through modern epidemiology, and through our anatomical design at the hand of God, man’s health would be best enhanced by a vegetarian diet.

Food for Life – Exercise

by

According to the time line in Genesis, man was put in a garden after his creation and his work was ascribed to him. “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” Genesis 2:15. God designed our body to be physically active. This is apparent from looking at the physiology of our bodies. The body is clearly designed for movement. This is seen in the skeletal frame that contains joints for movement and by the muscular covering of this frame. The muscular covering is complemented with ligaments and tendons to attach the muscles to the bones and cause movements as the muscles contract and release. We also have thumb and finger opposition which is ideal for the manual dexterity required for gardening and other manual activities in Eden. We are told, “Exercise in the open air should be prescribed as a life-giving necessity. And for such exercises there is nothing better than the cultivation of the soil.” The Ministry of Healing, 265.

According to Ecclesiastes 5, man is to rejoice in his labor as being a gift from God. One of the benefits of exercise is that the laboring man will have sweet sleep, which is seen in verse 12. A good day working in the sunshine and fresh air will do much to help us get a good night’s rest.

Ecclesiastics 9:10 cautions man, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest.” God asks us to do all things to the best of our ability because once this life is over, we cannot change from the grave what we have done in life.

“There are but few who realize that, in order to enjoy health and cheerfulness, they must have an abundance of sunlight, pure air, and physical exercise.” Daughters of God, 175. If you do not have a regular exercise program, won’t you start one today?

Recipe – Esau’s Pottage

1 cup rice (uncooked)

2 cups lentils (uncooked)

4-6 large garlic cloves, minced

1 large diced onion (to taste)

1 to 1 ½ Tbsp chicken-style seasoning

1 tsp cumin (to taste)

Cook rice and lentils in separate containers for about 45 minutes. Add salt to taste. While these are cooking, in a large frying pan, sauté the garlic cloves and onion. Add the cooked rice and lentils to the garlic and onion. Then add the chicken style seasoning and cumin. Adjust salt, seasonings, and liquid as desired. Simmer for about an hour to blend flavors. Serve and enjoy.

Restoring the Temple: Physiology of Digestion

by

Respect paid to the proper treatment of the stomach will be rewarded in clearness of thought and strength of mind. Your digestive organs will not be prematurely worn out to testify against you. We are to show that we appreciate our God-given intelligence by eating and studying and working wisely. . . . We are to appreciate the light God has given on health reform, by word and practice reflecting clear light to others upon this subject.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 101.

“God holds you responsible to obey the light He has given you on health reform.” Ibid., 102.

Clogs the Machinery

“You indulge your appetite by eating more food than your system can convert into good blood. It is sin to be intemperate in the quantity of food eaten, even if the quality is unobjectionable. Many feel that if they do not eat meat and the grosser articles of food, they may eat of simple food until they cannot well eat more. This is a mistake. Many professed health reformers are nothing less than gluttons. They lay upon the digestive organs so great a burden that the vitality of the system is exhausted in the effort to dispose of it. It also has a depressing influence upon the intellect; for the brain nerve power is called upon to assist the stomach in its work.

“Overeating, even of the simplest food, benumbs the sensitive nerves of the brain, and weakens its vitality. Overeating has a worse effect upon the system than overworking; the energies of the soul are more effectually prostrated by intemperate eating than by intemperate working.

“The digestive organs should never be burdened with a quantity or quality of food which it will tax the system to appropriate. All that is taken into the stomach, above what the system can use to convert into good blood, clogs the machinery; for it cannot be made into either flesh or blood, and its presence burdens the liver, and produces a morbid condition of the system.” Ibid., 102, 103.

Digestion Aided by Moderate Exercise

“Exercise is important to digestion, and to a healthy condition of body and mind. You need physical exercise. . . . Healthy, active exercise is what you need. This will invigorate the mind. Neither study nor violent exercise should be engaged in immediately after a full meal; this would be a violation of the laws of the system. Immediately after eating there is a strong draft upon the nervous energy. The brain force is called into active exercise to assist the stomach; therefore, when the mind or body is taxed heavily after eating, the process of digestion is hindered.” Ibid., 103.

Aided by Pure Air

“The influence of pure, fresh air is to cause the blood to circulate healthfully through the system. It refreshes the body, and tends to render it strong and healthy, while at the same time its influence is decidedly felt upon the mind, imparting a degree of composure and serenity. It excites the appetite, and renders the digestion of food more perfect, and induces sound and sweet sleep.” Ibid., 104.

Avoid Very Hot or Cold Food

“The stomach is greatly injured by a large quantity of hot food and hot drink. Thus the throat and digestive organs, and through them the other organs of the body, are enfeebled. . . .

“Food should not be eaten very hot or very cold. If food is cold, the vital force of the stomach is drawn upon in order to warm it before digestion can take place. Cold drinks are injurious for the same reason; while the free use of hot drinks is debilitating. . . .

“Many make a mistake in drinking cold water with their meals. Food should not be washed down. Taken with meals, water diminishes the flow of saliva; and the colder the water, the greater the injury to the stomach. Ice water or ice lemonade, taken with meals, will arrest digestion until the system has imparted sufficient warmth to the stomach to enable it to take up its work again. Masticate slowly, and allow the saliva to mingle with the food.

“The more liquid there is taken into the stomach with the meals, the more difficult it is for the food to digest; for the liquid must first be absorbed.” Ibid., 106.

Caution to Busy People

“Take time to eat, and do not crowd into the stomach a great variety of foods at one meal. To eat hurriedly of several kinds of food at a meal is a serious mistake.

“In order to secure healthy digestion, food should be eaten slowly.” Ibid., 107.

Limit Variety

“For those who can use them, good vegetables, prepared in a healthful manner, are better than soft mushes or porridge. Fruits used with thoroughly cooked bread two or three days old will be more healthful than fresh bread. This, with slow and thorough mastication, will furnish all that the system requires.” Ibid., 108.

“Do not have too great a variety at a meal; three or four dishes are a plenty. At the next meal you can have a change. . . .

“There should not be many kinds at any one meal, but all meals should not be composed of the same kinds of food without variation. Food should be prepared with simplicity, yet with a nicety which will invite the appetite.” Ibid., 109, 110.

War in the Stomach

“Disturbance is created by improper combinations of food; fermentation sets in; the blood is contaminated and the brain confused.” Ibid., 110.

“It is impossible for the brain to do its best work when the digestive powers are abused. Many eat hurriedly of various kinds of food, which set up a war in the stomach, and thus confuse the brain. . . .

“When fruit and bread, together with a variety of other foods that do not agree, are crowded into the stomach at one meal, what can we expect but that a disturbance will be created?” Ibid., 111.

Fruits and Vegetables

“There should not be a great variety at any one meal, for this encourages overeating, and causes indigestion.

“It is not well to eat fruit and vegetables at the same meal. If the digestion is feeble, the use of both will often cause distress, and inability to put forth mental effort. It is better to have the fruit at one meal, and the vegetables at another.” Ibid., 112.

Sugar and Milk

“Far too much sugar is ordinarily used in food. Cakes, sweet puddings, pastries, jellies, jams, are active causes of indigestion. Especially harmful are the custards and puddings in which milk, eggs, and sugar are the chief ingredients. The free use of milk and sugar taken together should be avoided. . . .

“Sugar and the milk combined are liable to cause fermentation in the stomach, and are thus harmful.

“The less that condiments and desserts are placed upon our tables, the better it will be for all who partake of the food. All mixed and complicated foods are injurious to the health of human beings. Dumb animals would never eat such a mixture as is often placed in the human stomach. . . .” Ibid., 113.

Afflict the Stomach, Afflict the Soul

“If men and women would only remember how greatly they afflict the soul when they afflict the stomach, and how deeply Christ is dishonored when the stomach is abused, they would be brave and self-denying, giving the stomach opportunity to recover its healthy action. While sitting at the table we may do medical missionary work by eating and drinking to the glory of God.” Ibid., 111.

Food – Psychological Benefits of Exercise

by

The time spent in physical exercise is not lost. … A proportionate exercise of all the organs and faculties of the body is essential to the best work of each. When the brain is constantly taxed while the other organs of the living machinery are inactive, there is a loss of strength, physical and mental. The physical system is robbed of its healthful tone, the mind loses its freshness and vigor, and a morbid excitability is the result.” Adventist Home, 494.

Over the years I stand amazed that science continues to find supporting evidence for the writings of E.G. White. Although the results have not been 100% consistent, many scientific studies of the effects of exercise upon the psychology of the mind document positive benefits. One such study showed improvements in fatigue, and total mood after 10 minutes of exercise, with progressive improvements in mental function over 20 minutes. A large study in Finland including over 3,000 people indicated a consistent association between enhanced psychological well-being of individuals who exercised at least two to three times a week. These people reported significantly less depression, anger, cynical distrust, and stress than those who exercised less frequently or not at all. (MEDLINE Abstracts: Psychological Benefits of Exercise from Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing e-Journal.)

Aerobic exercise has been shown to be helpful in stress reduction and maintaining a positive disposition. When you are stressed, it is important to get enough sleep. People who exercise regularly actually go to sleep faster, are more refreshed, and have sharper memories. Exercise increases the blood flow to the brain, bringing extra sugar and oxygen, which can help with concentration and stress reduction.

Aerobic exercise has also been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. It offers a distraction from worry and introspection. Burning excess fat and toning up can help boost anyone’s confidence and reduce depression.

Many of the benefits of exercise are a result of little chemicals called endorphins, which are produced by our body when we exercise. The chemicals bind to receptors in the brain and have four key effects on the body: they relieve pain, they reduce stress, they enhance the immune system, and they postpone the aging process. Endorphins are also triggered by deep-breathing, meditation, eating spicy food, and deep laughter. (Psychological Benefits of Aerobic Exercise, By Ciara Carruthers.)

Finally, “light and pleasant physical labor will occupy the time, improve the circulation, relieve and restore the brain, and prove a decided benefit to the health.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 555. So if you want good mental health, try exercise!