Eight Laws of Health

From Chaos to Calm: Day Forty-Five

The Eight Laws of Health

Scripture Memory: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” Genesis 1:29

 

In the garden of Eden, before sin, God created Adam and Eve in His image. They were perfectly formed. They were strong and beautiful. And they were vegetarian. Obviously, in a world without sin, nothing would die and no one would eat meat. We will all be vegetarian in heaven!

The Creation Diet leads to good health, a longer life, and more energy. For instance:

- Live 8-10 years longer than meat eaters.
- Lower cholesterol.
- Decreased risk for Diabetes.
- Decreased risk for heart disease – America’s #1 killer.
- Less risk for Colon cancer.
- And the list goes on and on…

The Eight Laws of Health

1. Nutrition – Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, or even cutting out meat completely, will promote good health, more energy, and a longer life.

2. Exercise – It is so important to get up and get moving! Exercise for 15 – 20 minutes at least 4 times a week to loose weight, strengthen your heart, and have more energy!

3. Water – Your body is made up mostly of water. When you do not take in enough water, your body dries up and cells begin to die. A healthy body is a hydrated body. Water cleanses the body by helping to eliminate waste and toxins. Drink 1 ounce per two pounds of body weight every day.

4. Sunshine – Spend time outside in the sunshine every day. The morning hours or the late afternoon hours are ideal. The sunshine provides needed vitamins and elevates your mood.

5. Temperance – Self control is so important in every area of life. Temperance means having a healthy balance between working, resting, faith, eating and drinking. It also means using self control to choose not to do things that are harmful such as drinking alcohol, doing drugs, or having promiscuous sex.

6. Air – Breathing fresh air is essential to good health. Breathing deeply fills the body with oxygen and can help to relax you when you are tense.

7. Rest –First, sleep is very important to maintain a healthy body. When you are exhausted and run down, you are more likely to get sick. Ideally, adults should get 6 – 8 hours of sleep every night. The hours before midnight are the most beneficial. Second, when God created the world, he sanctified the seventh day as His holy Sabbath. He knew how much we would need that time to rest away from the world and come to spend time with Him. By resting on the Sabbath, you will receive a Sabbath day’s blessing.

8. Trust in God – By trusting in God, we will receive the blessings of God. People of Faith are calmer, happier, and live longer that those who do not trust in God.

 

Ask God today to help you care for your health in a way that is pleasing to him. You will live a longer, happier life!

 

Exercise

From Chaos to Calm: Day Forty-Three

Exercise

 Scripture Memory: “She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.”  Proverbs 31:17

 Download the .pdf version of this article.

     Yesterday, we talked about water and how essential it is to our health. Today we are going to talk about the importance of exercise.

Exercising is one of the most important activities we can do to improver our health and the quality of our lives. Knowing that we need to exercise is not the problem. We all know we need to exercise. The problem is our own lack of self-discipline.

We have talked about self-discipline over the last few weeks. Exercising, for most of us, is just not on our top ten list of Fun Things to Do With Our Time.  I have gone from being a skinny Eat-Anything-I-Want sort of girl to being a Watch-Everything-I-Eat sort of Woman. It has not been a joyful experience. But I have learned a lot about what it means to take care of my health. When I had no issue with my weight, I had no real desire to be fit. (Yes, it is possible to be skinny and in bad shape.) So, whether you are as skinny as a rail or could stand to lose a few pounds, exercising is something you can do for yourself that will really make a difference in your life and maybe even the lives of those around you.

So, how do we find the will power or self-discipline we need to get moving 6 days a week? First, we go to God and ask for the strength and the motivation we need. Your Heavenly Father wants you to be healthy. You can trust that He will help you. Each day, as you wake up early and go to your prayer corner for your time with God, ask for help in this area. Add it to your prayer list. Be faithful to pray for yourself!

There are a few things you can do to help get motivated:

#1 Find a friend to exercise with. Having a partner to experience the joy and the pain of getting fit can really help! If you don’t have a friend who wants to get in shape, advertise! Place an ad in your local paper or post flyers at the park, library, and/or grocery store.

#2 Use a program you can enjoy. Join a group or start one! Pilates, Aerobics, or Strollercising are some fun ways to enjoy getting in shape. See what your area has available.

#3 Purchase workout clothes that make you happy. I love working out in my good looking yoga pants and matching tops. Instead of looking frumpy in a sweatsuit or sloppy shorts and t-shirts I can look stylish while I workout – even though I workout by myself. Workout clothes that are designed for exercising are comfortable to move in and will keep you cool. Yoga pants stretch and move with you. If you are comfortable and look good you will be more likely to keep it up.

#4 Get a puppy. Walking is one of the most effective and easiest forms of exercising. I love walking my Labrador Retriever every morning. He makes it fun! Walking is also a good time to reflect on what God has planned for your day. Enjoy the nature around you!

#5 Exercise with your children. My daughters love to exercise with me. They gain a healthy

body image and get in shape while developing a good habit that will serve them well as they become adults.

Exercising daily should be a priority. It doesn’t have to take long. A 15 minute walk each day is enough to help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol, prevent heart disease and more! We all have 15 minutes. Just schedule it in.

 

Living Water

From Chaos to Calm: Day Forty-Two

 Living Water

 Scripture Memory: “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? …Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:10-14

Download the .pdf version of this article.

Part of being a homemaker is caring for the health of our family. Health is something precious. Often though, we take for granted that we will always be healthy until one day we realize we aren’t. Health, how we take care of ourselves, is an important part of our faith.

In the Scripture Memory above, we are told that Jesus is the Living Water. By drinking of Him on a daily basis, our spiritual health will be renewed each day. A major part of this challenge has been making our prayer time a priority each day.

Notice again what Christ said, “…the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” When we focus our eyes on Christ; when we drink from His cup everyday, He tells us that it will be like a “well of water springing up” into everlasting life! This spring never dries up! It is always there for us to drink. However, it is up to us to go to the well!

Water is essential to life. Just as the Living Water is vital for everlasting life, pure water is essential to our bodies for life on this earth. Without water our bodies dry up and begin to slowly die. Water helps to cleanse our bodies of waste and toxins. It feeds our cells to rejuvenate and moisturize. Drinking water can even help you lose weight!

You have heard, I am sure, “drink 8 glasses of water a day.” This is good, but there is an even better formula for discovering how much water you should drink each day. Take your weight and divide the number in half. This is how many ounces your should drink each and every day. For instance, if you weigh 130 pounds, you should drink 65 ounces a day. With this formula you can also figure out how much water your children should drink! A 50 pound child should drink 25 ounces of water each day.

When you do not drink water, your body retains water and you actually end up feeling bloated and weighing more than if you drink the proper amount each day. I have known young people who drank only sodas or coffee. It is terrible for your health! Without water, your body is not able to cleanse itself of all the bad stuff it doesn’t need. By drinking water you will reduce and even prevent illnesses.

If you are not used to drinking water, or don’t really like the taste of water, you will find that the more you drink, the more you crave. Very much like our morning devotions – the more we pray, the more we look forward to praying! What I like to do is add fresh lemon or lime juice to

my water. It makes it so refreshing and I just love the taste! Also, tap water is really not something you want to drink. I suggest purchasing spring water or a water filter. We get our spring water right out of a pipe in the side of the mountain. If you live near a spring in the mountains, check to see if a free source is available.

In the morning, a nice ritual to have is Lemon Tea. Simply cut a lemon in half and each half into halves or fourths. Pour almost boiling water over a piece of lemon in a mug. Allow it to steep for about five minutes and drink! This is very beneficial to your kidneys and is cleansing to your body.

To help you in your goal, you can get a nice large jug or bottle and put your name on it. Fill it up each day and work toward drinking it all. You can even buy fun sports bottles for your kids. Fill them up in the morning and challenge them to see who can drink it all!

Ask Jesus to fill you with the Living Water today… and everyday!

 

The Creation Diet

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Nine

The Creation Diet

Scripture Memory: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” Genesis 1:29

Download the .pdf version of this article.

In the beginning when God created man, He intended for His people to eat a diet of fruits and vegetables. Since nutrition plays such an important role in our health and our overall health often determines how we feel during the day which in turn can either make or break the daily tasks. When we feel good and have lots of energy we work diligently and accomplish more than when we feel sluggish and sickly.

A diet full of healthy fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, and nuts will help you to prevent disease and illness. Living foods are always better than dead foods.

A vegetarian diet has been proven over and over again to promote long life. Concerns that a vegetarian does not meet nutritional requirements are raised by some, however, by eating a balanced diet and a wide variety of foods, a vegetarian meets the nutritional requirements suggested by ADA and provides numerous health benefits:

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.” (1)

Not only is a vegetarian diet a healthy way to eat, it is also God-honoring. An animal does not have to die. God cares about his creatures! It prepares for the Kingdom to Come – we will not eat meat in heaven! And God will bless you with better health.

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

“And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

“Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel,

Cooking in the Kitchen

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Seven

Cooking in the Kitchen

Scripture Memory: “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.”  Philippians 3:19 (NIV)

 

Download the .pdf version of this article.

Do you enjoy cooking? I love to cook. I am always on the hunt for new recipes to try. My favorite shows to watch on TV are on the Food Network! Cooking for my family is very time consuming. Of course, we have five children living at home. The bigger they get the more food they eat. I also regularly feed my step daughter and her family. They live right down the street from us, so we are always asking them to eat with us – sometimes 4 or more times a week! So, there are ten of us regularly around the table. Holidays and other family get-togethers mean cooking for up to twenty– five people!

I suppose it is a good thing I enjoy cooking! I think that part of enjoying cooking is knowing how to cook. I mean, it wouldn’t be much fun if I was always ruining a recipe or burning the food. I love to eat, and I know what I like to eat. I am not afraid to change a recipe if I don’t have all of the ingredients.

When I left home, years ago, I really didn’t know how to cook very much. I had to learn. If you struggle with preparing food for your family, or if your recipes are the butt of many family jokes, perhaps it is time you really took the time to learn to cook.

The foods you prepare and serve to your family – and friends – will leave a lasting impression on them. Food that is lovingly prepared stamps a seal of love on the hearts of those eating it. When people come to my house, they know they will enjoy the food and get plenty to eat. I don’t want anyone to leave hungry!

Food is also about tradition. Traditions play such an important role in the day to day interaction of family members. Children thrive on tradition. During the holidays, I always make the same recipes – wonderful cheese crackers, date balls, snowball cookies, spiced pecans, and pumpkin pies. I also incorporate new recipes each year and favorites are repeated. But it is not just during the holidays that your family can enjoy food traditions. Make Saturday night “Taco Night” or invite family and friends over for Dad’s Famous Salsa and Monday Night Football can be a treat. It doesn’t really matter the food or the reason, just that it is familiar and comforting.

As a wife and mother, food also plays a vital role in the health of your family. If your children are overweight, if you and your husband are overweight, or even if you were blessed by the “skinny gene,” your heart and health and their heart health is directly related to the foods you choose to serve. If you eat healthy but your husband doesn’t want to, you can greatly improve his health by learning to cook foods he likes in a healthy way. It is possible!

Today, I just want to encourage you to really consider what you are preparing for your family every day. It is up to you to teach your children to eat healthy! Whole foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains are essential to good health. You want to serve indulgent foods in

moderation. Processed foods give very little in the way of good nutrition, and should be avoided as much as possible. I recommend learning to cook as much as possible from scratch.

If you are unsure of what to do, get a good basic cookbook. Just start practicing! Schedule time each week to learn a new recipe. List areas that you might need to change:

- Cooking from scratch

- Eat more vegetables

- Eat less fat

- Eat less food

- Eat regular meals

- Cut out snacks

- Cut out late night eating

Now, you may be saying, “This is too hard!” I know. It can be a great challenge to change our patterns of eating. Today, I just want you to begin thinking about it. But for now, just think about it. Pray about it. Ask God to help you overcome any struggles you have with your appetite.

 

The Sabbath Day

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Two

The Sabbath Day

Scripture Memory: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

Download the .pdf version of this article.

Today, I want you to reflect again on what God’s holy day means to you. Is it just another day for catching up on chores or do you set aside that time solely for worshiping your Creator?

The Sabbath is not just a day for holy convocation. (1) It is a real 24 hour period in which we are called to put aside worldly cares and spend time with God. The fourth commandment begins saying, “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.”

The fourth commandment in all its beauty is still relevant today! One of the most famous evangelists of all time, D.L. Moody said, “The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. This fourth commandment begins with the word ‘remember,’ showing that the Sabbath already existed when God wrote the law on the tables of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this one commandment has been done away with when they will admit that the other nine are still binding?” (2)

By not setting aside the Sabbath as holy, we as Christians lose a tremendous blessing! There are many ways to keep the Sabbath holy and still enjoy the day. The Sabbath is a perfect day to enjoy being with your family while at the same time helping your children to learn more about God.

Some of our favorite activities (3) for Sabbath include:

Afternoon walks

Going door to door witnessing

Visiting a park to enjoy God’s creation

Playing games such as Bibleopoly or Bible Trivia

Have a picnic and feed the ducks

 

The Sabbath should bring you joy! Make a list of things you would like to do with your family this Sabbath.

“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” Isaiah 58:13-14

 

Footnotes:

1. Leviticus 23:3 tells us: “Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.”

2.  D.L. MOODY, Weighed and Wanting, page 47.

3.  Making the Sabbath a Delight: 100 Ways to Keep the Sabbath: avirtuouswoman.org/2005/08/15/making-the-sabbath-a-delight/

 

 

Walking with God

From Chaos to Calm: Day Sixteen

Walking with God

Scripture Memory: “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:12

Download the .pdf version of this article.

Almost every morning, around 7 a.m., you can find me walking around our mountain road. I set out early, while the town is still quiet, while the fog is still heavy, and while the air is still cool. I love these quiet morning walks. It starts my day off right. I am able, in the peace and quiet, to think about my day and lift up my cares to the Lord. I am able to breathe in deeply and determine to be cheerful and full of energy when I walk through the doors of my home.

I walk about 1 mile each morning. By walking briskly, I have found that extra pounds are shed away – and stay away! My cholesterol dropped dramatically when I first began walking. Walking is one easy way that we as women can stay physically fit.

I want to encourage you to begin a fitness routine. It may be hard to first get motivated, but once you realize how much better you feel, you will want to keep at it. You might want to find another woman in your neighborhood who would like to walk in the mornings (or evenings) with you. I prefer the mornings because I like the brisk mountain air where I live. You may enjoy a different time of the day, but the important thing is that you make a commitment to yourself and do it at least 4 times a week.

Losing weight, staying in shape, and having a healthy heart will lead to less stress, you will feel better and you will be better able to care for your family. When you exercise each week, your blood pressure lessens and your mood is elevated – always a good thing for a busy mom!

Bonus: By demonstrating a healthy way of life to your children you will be instilling in them a life long love of healthy practices.

Just as it is important to keep our bodies fit and healthy, it is important to keep our hearts healthy as well. Our memory verse for today tells us that we should “walk” or live our lives in a way that is worthy of the Lord.

We can all look at our own lives and find room for improvement. Perhaps your personal struggle is with entertainment or discontentment or bitterness. Maybe you have a bad habit of telling “little” lies. Perhaps you have been in control of your household and need to step back to let your husband lead.

Whatever the issues you have in your life, Christ wants us to strive for a better way – a higher standard. Do not allow yourself to stagnate where you are – continue to grow and allow the Holy Spirit to work in you.

So, I want you to do your best to add walking or your favorite exercise method to your routine at least 4 times a week – 6 is even better. Use your walking time to pray, plan, and find peace. Think about your upcoming day and plan to work on small goals to live a life worthy of our Master.

Doing this one day at a time – you will begin to see the benefits physically and emotionally!

 

My Detox Journal: Day 2

Well, I made it through the day yesterday and didn’t fudge even a little even though it was hard when my husband (bless his heart) cooked himself some veggie burger patties and a baked potato. This morning my daughter Sarah woke up with the desire to make homemade cranberry muffins. I didn’t eat any of them, even though they looked light and fluffy and smelled good!

My stomach was upset all night long and I didn’t sleep good at all last night. I also had a new boil come up on my thigh yesterday evening. Ugh.

So here is my plan for today:

Breakast:

Green Tea – steeped with 1/4 lemon, 4 drops Stevia, 30 drops of Kidney Cleanse Formula

8 kiwi fruit – helps remove excess sodium from body, antioxidant, Vitamin C, good respiratory system

Berry Tofu Smoothie (I drank 16 oz. of the recipe below and divided the rest between my four girls – it was a hit!)

Berry Tofu Smoothie

16 oz. Strawberry Silken Tofu

1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries (I had blueberries we put up in the freezer from last summer.) – antioxidant, cancer fighting

1 tbsp. flax seed – high in fiber, omega 3 fatty acid, good for intestinal health

1 tbsp. honey

1/2 – 3/4 cup soy milk (I used vanilla flavor)

Process in blender or Vita Mix until smooth. You can add a few ice cubes and crush if desired.

Lunch:

salad with lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and chickpeas

Green Tea – steeped with 1/4 lemon, 4 drops Stevia, 30 drops of Kidney Cleanse Formula

Snack:

16 oz. Bolthouse Farms Vedge Juice – Our juicer died and we have a new one on order, for now, this will do.

Supper:

steamed spinach – essential amino acids, lysine, arginine

raw broccoli – cancer fighting, good for immune system, beta carotene, Vitamin C, calcium, folate

raw carrot sticks – good for eyes, cancer fighting, Vitamin A, beta carotene, Vitamin B6 and B12, calcium, and more

hummus dip

The Source of Healing

Through the angencies of nature, God is working, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment, to keep us alive to build up and restore us. When any part of the body sustains injury, a healing process is at once begun; nature’s angencies are set at work to restore  soundness. But the power working through these angencies is the power of God. All life-giving power is from Him. When one recovers from disease, it is God who restores him.

Sickness, suffering, and death are work of an antagonistic power. Satan is the destroyer; God is the restorer.

The words spoken to Israel are true today to those who recover health of body or health of soul: “I am the Lord that healeth thee.”

The desire of God for every human being is expressed in the words, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

He it is who “forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies.”

- Counsels of Health, Ellen White, p. 168

Deuteronomy 7:9,13,15

“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations…

And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee…

And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.”

Next Page »