The Foundation of Wellness

Let’s review wellness as presented in Scripture.
I encourage you to study these verses in context, and other verses as well, to discover the plan that God laid out for us for wellness. I firmly believe that He designed us and equipped us for perfect wellness, and any shortfall in our wellness is the result of the fall of Adam and Eve, followed by a general wandering away from the path that God had designated for men to follow.
In the Beginning…
Genesis 1:29 every plant yielding seed … shall be food for you
Genesis 1:30 to every beast, bird – every green plant for food
Genesis 2:9 God caused to grow every tree good for food
Genesis 2:16 from every tree you may eat freely
Genesis 2:17 but not from the tree of knowledge of good and evil
Genesis 3:1-7 desire for the forbidden (food/knowledge) led to sin
Genesis 3:17-19 eat of the plants of the field in toil, by sweat
Genesis 3:22-24 driven out of the garden lest he eat life fruit and live forever
My understanding of these verses (in context) is that we, man and animal alike, were created perfectly to consume a diet of plants. We (man) were created in the image of God, without sin, with free will to choose to obey. The rules were simple: every plant yielding seed was available to Adam for food, except that one tree was off limits.
Adam and his new bride were content with their choices until Satan tempted them. Unlike Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Eve and her husband yielded to the temptation – they wanted that knowledge that would make them like God and accepted Satan’s lie that they would not die. Perhaps Satan was aware that it would take almost a thousand years for them to die, but he knew he was lying anyway.
After the fall and before the flood, there was no change in the dietary instruction, (eat plants!) but now man would have to work for his food. Because there were still plants (the tree of life) that would enable them to live forever, Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden.
We can not undo the fall. We can not reverse history to go back before man wandered away from the way God had planned for him. But we can start from where we are and move closer to what will restore our wellness. The steps are simple: find out what paths lead to wellness; choose one; follow it. The only hard part is to have the internal motivation to choose and follow the path you have determined to be right for you.

Putting Wellness in Perspective

My view of wellness is that it is just one aspect of total Stewardship. When man was created, he was assigned the steward or manager of all creation (Genesis 2:19-20).

Here are some of the Facets of Stewardship as I see it:

Time -- Each of us has the same amount of time, and responsibility for how we spend it. How well we use our time is a significant measure of our ability as stewards. Eph 5:15-16 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

Talent -- I am responsible to use wisely whatever ability I have. My talents are unique, and if I don't do what I am able to do well, there may be no one else available who can do it half as well as I could have.
Lu 12:48 … And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
I Pet 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Treasure -- Giving is one of the greatest blessings of life. I can enjoy the remnant far more after giving generously to others.
Mal 3:8-10 10 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed Thee?’ In tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

Temple -- This is where wellness comes in. If I neglect my wellness, I am allowing my temple to fall into disrepair. To make matters worse, neglecting my wellness also hampers my ability to use my talents effectively, and probably diminishes what I can give.
I Cor 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

Talk -- It seems obvious that I am responsible for what I say, yet many folks spend their lives saying things that get them into trouble.
Mt 15:11 “Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”
Mk 7:20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.”
James 1:26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
James 3:2 … If any one does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
I Pet 4:11 Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God … .

Thought -- This may take a little thought to work through, but the concept is that what I think sets the course for my life, so is a matter of significance. What I think about influences what I say, and my words influence what I do.
Pr 23:7 For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
I Pet 1:13 Therefore, gird your minds for action … .

Team -- Whatever team I join becomes my responsibility, at least in part. Each player on a sports team bears some responsibilty for winning. Each member of a family will contribute to its effective functionin
I Cor 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
I Tim 5:8 But if any one does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has defiled his faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Although the practice of stewardship is not our ticket to enter heaven, it is clear in Scripture that the mature believer who truly loves the Lord will practice wise stewardship in all aspects of life.

Making Choices for Life

In the Bible we learn that first Aaron (Numbers 20:23-29) and then Moses (Numbers 27:12-14, Deuteronomy 34:1-8) died at the time set by God. God curtailed the life of each of them because of an error they had made (Numbers 20:6-13). One lesson I see in that Scripture is that although Moses was 120 years old, “his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated.” Moses was still in full strength to do the Lord’s will, but it was time for him to be “gathered to your people.”

As we follow Moses and Aaron through the exodus, we see two men who were focused on obedience to God, with only occasional exceptions. They lived according to the Word of the Lord day by day, without consideration of what amenities might be missing from their lives. I imagine that they had enjoyed the pleasures of Egypt when they had lived there, but gladly gave up all that without feeling any loss in order to walk in close fellowship with the Lord. To them, it was not a sacrifice to eat manna instead of meat – it had been provided by God for their nourishment and was fully sufficient for their needs.

I see the same kind of thing happening today. There are some people who have gladly given up whatever might interfere with their wellness in order to be wise stewards of the health that God has given them. They have studied and learned that many of the enjoyable foods available to us are actually slow poison, feeding disease rather than wellness. By guarding their health, they will be available to obey the Lord when many others will have fallen victim to the “diseases of affluence” that result from our rich diet.

I encourage each one who reads this to investigate the power of nutrition to support wellness, or, alternatively, the power of poor diet to destroy wellness. As many will testify, it is no loss to give up those parts of our lives that undermine our ability to serve the Lord. It is not a matter of longer life, but of availability to serve while living. I want to be ALIVE as long as I live!

Choose the Good!

Psalm 103 (excerpt)

Of David.

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

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What a loving God we serve! His plan is to forgive all our sin and heal all our diseases! He satisfies our desires with good things so that we are continually renewed.

Why, then, are we surrounded by so much illness? Why are we seeing an epidemic of diabetes? Why is there so much cancer? Heart disease?

I believe the culprit is in our definition of the word Good in verse 5. What is “Good”?

My conclusion after decades of study is that Good has come to mean “tastes good”, in the sense, “If it feels good, do it.” We have bought into the concept of “get all the gusto” without considering the consequences.

On the other hand, many people have chosen to forego taste, as our culture defines it, in exchange for true Good. By avoiding food and activities that are harmful, they achieve greater satisfaction, truly enjoying what is most beneficial, and enhanced wellness. I believe that Good is what enables us to be wise stewards of the wellness God entrusted to us. As we practice the Good, we develop taste for true Good and do not miss the cultural “good” that has trapped so many in ill health.

For a more detailed view of this concept, pull out your Bible and read Exodus and Numbers, focusing on what the people of Israel ate and how they thought about it. Given the perfect food, Manna, they grumbled and complained until God gave them quail – and died with the meat still in their teeth (Numbers 11). Choose the Good!

In Search of Healthy Bones

No one wants to have brittle bones. As my mother aged, her bones were so fragile that for her to reach into the cupboard to get a piece of china put her at risk of fracturing a vertebra. My sister-in-law has bones so weakened that her medical provider is injecting something like superglue to hold her spine together. It is terrible to lose bone strength that severely! How can we prevent it?

It is common knowledge that we don’t get enough calcium. Every health food supplier has a special form of calcium supplement that provides the form of calcium and associated ingredients that are sure to maintain healthy bones forever; we just have to take these calcium supplements in ever-increasing quantities as we age. The dairy industry continually stresses the urgent need to drink lots of milk so we can keep our bones strong. The “got milk?” campaign has sold a lot of milk, but has it really strengthened anyone’s bones?

What is not so widely known is that the people who consume the most calcium also have the worst record of bone fractures. Whether we consider groups of people or select individuals, those who drink the most milk have the weakest bones (my mother drank no coffee nor tea, but lots of milk). Another little noted correlation is how closely the ratio of animal to plant protein in the diet tracks how weak the bones are. This is not something discovered just yesterday – it was suggested -as long ago as the 1880s and documented as early as 1920, and studied in detail since the 1970s. But it does not fit the advertising program of the dairy council or the meat lobby, so it is conveniently ignored.

Another disturbing factor weighing against drinking milk or taking calcium supplements is that excess calcium consumption may impair the body’s ability to control its use of calcium. The body has a finely tuned mechanism for maintaining balance of calcium and other minerals. When in good health, the body can regulate how much of the calcium it needs from food and discard the rest. But too much calcium over too long a period of time may inhibit the ability of the body to maintain that balance, and may lead to osteoporosis.

The primary culprit that supports bone loss is not mineral, but animal. The consumption of excess animal protein results in excess acidity in the body, and the body reacts to maintain a healthy pH by neutralizing the acidity; it does that by extracting calcium from the bones. Those who choose to forego animal protein, or who are forced by scarcity to do without, and substitute plant protein, are the people who have the strongest bones, without the need for calcium supplements. The calcium we require for wellness is present in a balanced diet of plant-based foods. Both the quantity of calcium and its bio-availability are thoroughly adequate for wellness.

Here is the list suggested by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., in The China Study:

· Stay physically active. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, go for walks, jogs, bicycle rides. Swim, do yoga or aerobics every couple of days and don’t be afraid to buy barbells to use once in a while. Play a sport or join a social group that incorporates exercise. The possibilities are endless, and they can be fun. You’ll feel better, and your bones will be much healthier for the effort.

· Eat a variety of whole plant foods, and avoid animal foods, including dairy. Plenty of calcium is available in a wide range of plant foods, including beans and leafy vegetables. As long as you stay away from refined carbohydrates, like sugary cereals, candies, plain pastas and white breads, you should have no problem with calcium deficiency.

· Keep your salt intake to a minimum. Avoid highly processed and packaged foods, which contain excess salt. There is some evidence that excessive salt intake can be a problem.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s. A dreaded word in every family. Who doesn’t know of someone affected by this terrible affliction? Over four million Americans are affected, and twice that number worldwide.

What is the cause of Alzheimer’s disease? Is it inevitable for some unfortunate souls? Has it always been this way? Is there anything we can do to prevent or avoid it? Let’s consider what the “experts” say, then see what else may be helpful.

Some of the common risk factors listed by representative authorities are Age, Gender, Family history, and Cardiovascular disease. Although some genetically-linked occurrences begin at younger age, the typical age at onset is 65 years or older. By age 85, as many as half the population may be afflicted. More women than men are affected, although it is not clear how that compares with the greater longevity of women. Some families have a number of members affected, but it has not been well defined how many are the result of genetics and how many occur because they live in the same environment. The cardiovascular factor is the focal point for a number of environmentally related items: smoking, lack of exercise, high blood pressure, diabetes, high homocysteine levels; all of these can be influenced by appropriate attention.

Some lesser factors mentioned are head injury, small head size, low economic level, low education, alcohol use, hormones, stress, and depression. Living in a rural area and having less than six years education has also been mentioned.

I need to do more research on the history of Alzheimer’s. I have the impression that this is a growing problem in the same sense that autism is – relatively unknown some time ago, but growing worse now. If you have a reference that answers that, please let me know; I would appreciate the support.

Are we doomed to Alzheimer’s? Are certain individuals destined to be affected as they grow older and others sure to be kept free? I doubt that anyone can answer that question now; certainly I can not. But I can share my opinion that Alzheimer’s is a form of unwellness. Although I can not diagnose nor treat – much less heal – disease, I can do much to maintain my personal wellness.

One of my sources, The Alzheimer's Association, lists a number of actions that one can take to minimize the risk factors for the disease. Details are available at http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_causes_risk_factors.asp,
with specific steps to support Brain Health at http://www.alz.org/we_can_help_brain_health_maintain_your_brain.asp

I consider prevention of Alzheimer’s to fall within the general heading of maintenance of wellness. If I do all that I know to do to guard against diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, and other bodily ailments, I believe that I am also doing much to guard against Alzheimer’s disease as well. Wellness is wellness; if I am truly well, then I do not have disease of any type, whether brain, bone, or blood. Some basics of my approach to wellness are listed in The Wheel of Wellness. (available at http://wellnessismyconcern.blogspot.com/2007/10/wheel-of-wellness.html) I welcome inquiries as to the details of my personal wellness plan, from recovery from cancer to successful aging.

Some helpful references:

http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/alzheimers-disease/risk-factors.html

http://alzheimers.about.com/od/diagnosisissues/a/alz_risk_factor.htm

http://www.alzinfo.org/alzheimers-research-causes.asp

Wellness is more than the absence of symptoms

Some guidelines toward wellness

Following are some of the conclusions I have formed from the variety of sources I have discovered. Although they do not all agree with medical industry practice, there are many medical doctors who concur – they are my primary source of information.

I welcome your challenge to these observations. But rather than just disagree, please provide evidence to support the challenge. I am still learning and intend to do so as long as the Lord gives me breath.

POSITIVES:

First and foremost, nourish your body as it was designed to be fed. As Hippocrates said, “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food”

Learn to eat for wellness rather than for taste.

Unless you have found a garden plot that is fully supplied with all the vital trace minerals (I haven’t), supplement your diet to be sure that you have all the essentials that you need for wellness. Some commonly missing nutrients are vitamin A (mixed carotenoids), vitamin E (mixed tocopherols), Vitamin D (sunshine is the best natural source), and omega 3 oils (such as DHA). Among the minerals depleted from our farmland is selenium, and it is critical to wellness.

Include generous servings of fresh, raw, preferably organic produce in your daily diet.

Buy local when possible. It will be more nutritious because there is less need for green harvest.

Include variety in your diet. The combination of a variety of plant sources will supply all the nutrition you need for wellness.

Prepare meals from pure ingredients, using organic when possible. Processing and preservatives do not support wellness.

Drink water as your most common beverage, preferably Wellness Water. (Ask me.)

If you can’t get Wellness Water, at least use purified water. Distilled or reverse osmosis water is OK for short term use (cleansing), but leaches minerals over the long term.

Feed infants as they were designed to be fed – mother’s milk is their primary food. Cow’s milk has been linked to ear infections, excess mucus production, and much more. Other infant formula is no better; only mother’s milk is properly suited to the needs of an infant.

Take beta glucan to boost your immune system. Ask me for a specific product.

Remove the heavy metals from your body – mercury from old fillings and a lifetime of immunizations; aluminum from food (baking powder!) and a lifetime of deodorants. Ask me for a product to accomplish that.

NEGATIVES:

Avoid, or at least minimize, all consumption of animal products, especially those considered “unclean” in the Old Testament dietary rules. They are all hazardous to your health.

Avoid prepared meals, sauces, soups, canned food, and the like. The processing destroys food value, and most have poisonous additives.

Avoid chlorinated or fluoridated water. Those are poisons to you as well as to microbes.

Avoid omega 6 oils – they suppress your immune system. Examples: corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, canola, and soy oils.

Minimize consumption of sugar – it suppresses your immune system.

Skip your flu shot; instead, work on boosting your immune system.

Absolutely avoid aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal). Besides the well documented link to cancer (esp. brain cancer), headaches, seizures, depression, obesity – it also has been demonstrated in lab animals to shrink testicles.

Avoid all forms of glutamate (e.g., MSG). Studies dating back to 1969 have demonstrated that it destroys the part of the brain that limits development of fat cells, so leads to gross obesity. Most glutamate is disguised or not even listed on food ingredients. Examples: most food bars and many “health” supplements have soy protein isolate as the first ingredient; that is glutamate.

Don’t eat commercial turkey – use only organic or range fed. The commercially available fowl has been soaked or injected with some form of glutamate.

Mothers-to-be: especially avoid MSG. The effect on the baby is disastrous; the effect is magnified in the small developing body.

Avoid childhood immunizations, but rather, provide the nutrition that makes such injections unnecessary. Too many studies have linked immunizations to autism and other similar conditions.

If you can’t find a way to avoid immunizations, at least space them out so the child has time to recover fully between them. Multiple injections or too-closely-spaced injections do not allow the immune system to respond as it should.