Health – Till Plains Adventist Fellowship

HEALTH

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

"Health is a treasure. Of all temporal possessions it is the most precious." - Ellen G. White

Seventh-Day Adventists believe in 8 Laws of Health.

Long before the culture around them embraced vegetarian diets, the search for vitamin D and the elusive goal of a good night's sleep Seventh-Day Adventists had staked their lives on health principles laid down by their founders more than 150 years ago. Ellen White who wrote scores of books summarized the "Eight Laws of Health" in the 1860s.

But it's the longevity of Adventists that has garnered them attention in recent years.

A landmark study by Dan Buettner identified Loma Linda, Calif., with its high density of Adventist residents, as one of the world's five 'Blue Zones', where the number of centenarians (people who live 100 years or longer) is 10 times that of the United States.

An Adventist health study of 34,000 California church members found that, on average, men lived 7.3 years longer and women 4.4 years longer than their fellow Californians. Researchers identified five behaviors embraced by Adventists for more than 100 years, that could increase life span by up to 10 years: not smoking, eating a plant-based diet, eating nuts several times a week, regular exercise and maintaining normal body weight.

The point of aspiring to wellness is not simply to live longer, but to serve God more effectively.

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 2lbs 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 – 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. 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.