Health and Faith

*Please note some information is taken from 'Focus Magazine.'

There's a lot of information today in the media about being 'healthy.' Nowadays most people try and have a daily intake of their 'five a-day' as some call it. And there are a lot more people exercising than ever before! Physical fitness is essential for anyone who wants to have an improved life. The bible often talks about eating healthy and promotes certain foods to eat and avoid, all for our benefit.

For instance

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New International Version)

¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Okay so what does this mean? When Jesus died for you it was a loving priceless gift. And because of this He wants us to be careful what we do to ourselves, He doesn't want us to harm ourselves with what we eat. Ideally we should try and eat healthier foods that will help us be the people God wants us to be. The Holy-Spirit then can guide us and when we face tempting situations especially when we decide whether to eat that apple or mar's bar, we wil be impressed to eat the apple!

There is an abundance of evidence between having a faith and being healthy.

BBC'S Horizon program featured a number of studies that revealed people who go to church regularly live longer. How...you may think? Well like you, I was surprised at what it said next.

Tuesday 19 February 2008 findings from a thirty-year research study by scientists Drs Bradley and Craig Willcox should three communities where people live the longest in the world.

This they called the Blue Zone. Seventh-day Adventists from Loma Linda, California, were studied as a faith group who experience significant health benefits linked to their faith practice.

 It stated there was a correlation between the strong religious beliefs of those who practised their faith and the positive response to stress that they demonstrated.

Researcher Dr Kelly Morton, interviewed on the program stated, "There are many stressors in life that we cannot control...Connection to something higher than oneself, connection to the sacred, connection to a tight-knit religious community allows you to modulate your reactions, your emotions, to believe that there is a broader purpose and therefore your body can stay in balance and not be destroyed by those stressors and traumas over time."

So there you go. Maybe you aren't religious, or you don't know what to believe. It shows though when you do believe in something (God) you have an improved quality of life. That seems to be fact not opinion. I for one can agree that my life has changed for the better. Them little and big things we get stressed over, I ask God to help out and He does.

You should try it and the results will be amazing!