HEALTH and FITNESS

Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and God has commis

1 sioned us to care for them well and faithfully. Jesus paid the ultimate price to make us His own, so we should show our gratitude by investing in our health. Taking good care of our bodies and health is a natural outgrowth of loving ourselves and appreciating the gift of life that God has given to us.

You might be tempted to feel that you can’t afford to tune in to these tips, either because it costs too much or takes too long. I feel that way sometimes too. But ultimately, working to stay in good health can prevent a breakdown in your health, which could be far more disruptive and costly.

Let’s look at five starting points for good health and fitness. Of course, there will always be differing opinions when it comes to health matters, and each of us must make our own decisions based on what works for us and our body, taking into account our particular circumstances and health needs.

Number 1. Make healthy choices.

One of the keys to maintaining health and fitness is the food you eat. There have been many popular diets and eating philosophies over the years, but with additional research, some of the previous recommendations for healthy eating have been reconsidered. For example, there used to be a lot of emphasis on lowfat diets, which resulted in people eating a lot more sugar and processed foods and grains (such as bread, pasta, etc.), with poor overall results.

Generally speaking, if you want to make well-balanced food choices, you would:

• Eat a wide variety of foods that you or someone else prepared. This means avoiding processed foods and ready-made meals.

• Avoid sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners.

• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, in a variety of colors.

• Eat healthy oils with omega-3s, such as those from nuts, seeds, and