More than 40 years ago I read a booklet titled The Seven Laws of Radiant Health. It contained seven principles of healthful living that I found helpful. I have learned more about health since then and am still learning. My modified version of the list of seven principles is as follows:
Healthful Food and Clean Water
Positive Mental Attitude
Avoid Bodily Injury
Cleanliness and dress
Sunshine and Fresh Air
Sleep and Rest
Exercise
Positive Mental Attitude
Avoid Bodily Injury
Cleanliness and dress
Sunshine and Fresh Air
Sleep and Rest
Exercise
Healthful food and clean water
"You are what you eat" is an aphorism that illustrates a truth about our physical bodies: Every cell is composed of chemical elements derived from material that we ingested. The statement that man was formed "from the dust of the ground" matches quite well with where the elements in the physical body come from.
This is not to say that every atom in our bodies comes from what we eat. They can also come from substances inhaled into the lungs or absorbed through the skin. Nevertheless it is generally true that we are what we eat. Our bodies come from the earth, and we rely on planet earth for our physical sustenance.
Miniature civilizations
Each of the approximately 100 trillion cells in the adult human body is like a miniature civilization complete with factories, power plants, and a transportation system. (The video Unlocking the Mystery of Life (www.unlockingthemysteryoflife.com) uses computer animation to give a glimpse into that miniature civilization.) Since the raw materials come from the food we eat, our physical lives are tied inextricably to the earth that we live on.
What we put into our mouths affects the functioning of our cells. If we eat a wholesome, balanced diet, our cells tend to function well. Wellness reigns in the miniature kingdom. If we eat junk food on an ongoing basis, negative consequences result.
This is not to say that every atom in our bodies comes from what we eat. They can also come from substances inhaled into the lungs or absorbed through the skin. Nevertheless it is generally true that we are what we eat. Our bodies come from the earth, and we rely on planet earth for our physical sustenance.
Miniature civilizations
Each of the approximately 100 trillion cells in the adult human body is like a miniature civilization complete with factories, power plants, and a transportation system. (The video Unlocking the Mystery of Life (www.unlockingthemysteryoflife.com) uses computer animation to give a glimpse into that miniature civilization.) Since the raw materials come from the food we eat, our physical lives are tied inextricably to the earth that we live on.
What we put into our mouths affects the functioning of our cells. If we eat a wholesome, balanced diet, our cells tend to function well. Wellness reigns in the miniature kingdom. If we eat junk food on an ongoing basis, negative consequences result.
Positive mental attitude
Your state of mind can effect your health. A positive mental attitude promotes good health. A negative attitude promotes bad health.
Scientists at UCLA have even identified a mechanism whereby stress can affect the body's immune system. See "UCLA study identifies mechanism behind mind-body connection" at www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/uoc--usi071508.php.
Wise King Solomon wrote a number of proverbs about the mind-body connection:
Scientists at UCLA have even identified a mechanism whereby stress can affect the body's immune system. See "UCLA study identifies mechanism behind mind-body connection" at www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/uoc--usi071508.php.
Wise King Solomon wrote a number of proverbs about the mind-body connection:
- "Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad." (Proverbs 12:25 NKJV)
- "A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones." (14:30)
- "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." (16:24)
- "A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones." (17:22)
Avoid bodily injury
Avoiding bodily injury can have a powerful impact on health. For example, falling off a roof or being involved in a motor vehicle collision can have a devastating impact. Environmental pollution--everything from sulfur dioxide in the air to DDT and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in the soil to mercury in ocean water and fish--also can harm the human body.
Some of the negative influences on our health are not so obvious. Some may be controversial, but they are what they are. See the following topics in the Links section of this website:
Some of the negative influences on our health are not so obvious. Some may be controversial, but they are what they are. See the following topics in the Links section of this website:
- Genetically engineered food
For example, genetically engineered soy has elevated levels of an allergen called trypsin inhibitor. Dairy products in the U.S. are often tainted by use of genetically engineered bovine growth hormone that has been outlawed in Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and all European Union nations. - Artificial sweeteners
See the Links section of this website. - Electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation
Concern about the long-term effects EMF radiation and evidence that it may not be good have developed in recent years as the use of wireless communications devices has proliferated. Avoiding all EMF radiation is pretty much impossible on 21st century Planet Earth. However, we subject ourselves to additional EMF radiation when we use cellular telephones frequently or operate wireless routers in our homes. See the Links section of this website.
Cleanliness and dress
In connection with health, cleanliness refers to basic personal hygiene. During the Dark Ages, Europe neglected basic sanitation and hygiene and was overwhelmed by leprosy and Black Death. This is discussed in the book None of These Diseases by S. I. Macmillan, M.D.
Dress as a health factor refers to avoiding clothing that is overly tight, restricting the body's blood flow. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11 World English Bible).
Dress as a health factor refers to avoiding clothing that is overly tight, restricting the body's blood flow. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11 World English Bible).
Sunshine and fresh air
Sunshine, so long as it is not overdone to produce sunburn, can contribute toward good health. Sunshine is a source of Vitamin D.
Fresh, clean air contributes toward good health. We human beings need air to live. Our bodies consume oxygen and produce carbon dioxide just as green plants consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
Fresh, clean air contributes toward good health. We human beings need air to live. Our bodies consume oxygen and produce carbon dioxide just as green plants consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
Sleep and rest
The human body needs sleep and rest to rejuvenate itself. According to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (www.nigms.nih.gov/publications/factsheet_circadianrhythms.htm), living creatures have a circadian rhythm that involves physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment.
Exercise
"Use it or lose it" is a common expression. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/ataglan.htm):
- People who are usually inactive can improve their health and well-being by becoming even moderately active on a regular basis.
- Physical activity need not be strenuous to achieve health benefits.
- Greater health benefits can be achieved by increasing the amount (duration, frequency, or intensity) of physical activity.