“Or do you not know
that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your
spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Today I continue my steps to natural living with a look at
taking care of the body. Most natural living methods I have seen are geared
toward producing a safer living environment or using safer products and foods
for improved health. I will jump into exploring these ideas next week (yay!)
but today I want to cover what I think is the optimal way to have a healthy
body naturally.
I believe it all begins with basic self-care we are all familiar
with: exercise, eat right and sleep
well. It just doesn’t make sense to me for a person to eliminate chemicals
and plastics from their life, if they are already ignoring these basics. So
before I blame over-processed commercialized products for my problems, I want
to make sure I’ve got ME covered.
Besides, these are things that are the most natural for our
body to take part in – all aspects were designed by God to use our bodies
(which He created) and the resources He provides to achieve balanced health. It
doesn’t get easier than that!
Here they are:
1) Exercise. I
believe exercise is essential for anyone who can move a limb. It doesn’t matter
how difficult the routine or how fast you go. It is about moving your body in
all the ways in which you can (don’t focus on the can’t!).
The thing is exercise is an amazing catalyst for getting so
many other beneficial processes in your body moving. We all know exercise burns
calories, which leads to weight loss. It also helps increase your metabolism so
you are burning calories when you are not moving. Plus exercise can help a
person’s body release endorphins (a type of neurotransmitter) that help you
feel good, relieve stress and benefit important processes in the body. Exercise
can also boost your energy level throughout the day and regulate the hormones.
Yup, looks to me like my body needs this slightly more than
it needs homemade dishwasher detergent. Right now I am working out about twice
a week….it’s time to step it up!
(By the way....MyFitnessPal.com and SparkPeople.com are great online tools for tracking exercise and diet goals!)
2) Eat Right.
This topic can include so many aspects. For me, eating right means eating
balanced meals of (good) fats, (good) carbs and protein. I also try to watch my
portion sizes so I’m not eating too much (even if I’m eating a good thing). And
I’ve recently started to work in more meals in my day, so I am eating smaller
meals more often. I believe all these things figure into a healthy metabolism, maintaining
a high level of energy throughout my day and it helps my body absorb the
nutrients I consume more efficiently.
One thing I didn’t mention was about the types of foods to
eat. I believe eating right includes choosing whole, fresh, unprocessed foods
more than convenience foods. And I do believe that natural/organic foods play
an important role in healthful eating. This is one of those topics I will be
learning more about and trying in the steps to come.
3. Sleep Well.
This is a lesson I learned the hard way. I used to consider myself a night owl
and stay up to the early morning hours. Then I would try to sleep in or catch
up on lost sleep on the weekends. I never felt truly rested and for good
reason.
The body uses sleep to restore, heal and mentally process
stuff (what stuff? I don’t know…but it does). Interrupting these activities
will eventually weaken everything good going on inside: the immune system,
mental clarity, mood and any amount of energy you might have had.
I learned to not fight my body’s prompting to sleep. Instead,
I attempt to protect that time of day (night). I know I am at my best when I am
going to bed and waking up at the same time every day; when I sleep for 8
hours; when I take time to rest before I sleep; and when my room is conducive
to sleep (no lights, comfortable temp, etc.)
Recently, Adam and I have been taking turns battling random
cold?…allergy?...(who knows) symptoms. So nights have not been the most
restful. Some days my body feels like it needs more sleep than others, so I am
not on a schedule like usual. But I think I should be able to work that out in
the next few days.
I am also considering a philosophy (some base it on
Scripture) that suggests our day really begins at sundown. I have not thoroughly looked into the theology behind that
yet, but I can see the benefit of that perspective. There have been a few
evenings that I remembered this thought and took time to pause, reflect, pray, then
set myself to prepare for what was to come in the day ahead. Interestingly, I
felt refreshed…I wasn’t trying to cram in as much as I could before bed, as
though my hours were running out. I felt the clock had reset and I had a chance
to gather myself, sleep peacefully and start the working part of my day with
great energy. Perhaps I’ll explore that more in the weeks to come…but for now I
count those times as blessings!
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Ok, so my basic inventory of spirit, soul and body is
complete. I am really glad I have spent a few weeks to prep myself in the
foundations of healthful living before starting a bunch of new regimens. I feel
like I can focus and prioritize better…and I’m confident in God’s leading
through the process.
Next week I will post about setting priorities based on our
budget – basically figuring out which changes are worth the cost (if any cost
at all). It should be interesting!
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