How to Maintain Good Health

Eat a vegetarian diet

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.  They will be yours for food (Gen. 1:29).”  This is God’s dietary guideline for us.  The vegetarian diet is found to be adequate in all of the nutrients.  

Limit intake of refined sugar

High blood sugar level weakens the immune
System. Only 100 g of refined sugar intake can decrease the function of the white blood cells by 40%.

No to tobacco and secondhand smoke

Active and second-hand smokers do not 
only have an increased risk for viral infections but also for bacterial infections. Smoking affects the immune system by either worsening the immune response to disease-causing microorganisms or reducing the effect of immune defense system. 

No to alcoholic beverages

Excessive alcohol consumption was associated
with adverse immune-related health effects such as susceptibility to pneumonia; increased risk to acute respiratory stress syndromes, sepsis, alcoholic liver disease, and certain cancers; higher incidence of postoperative complications; and slower and less complete recovery from infection and physical trauma, and poor wound healing.

Exercise

It is recommended for adults for all age groups to exercise for at
least for 30 minutes, five days a week at a moderate intensity level. Add 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity spread across the week, and muscle strength activity for at least 2 times a week.  It is also recommended for adults 65 years and older to include activities that improve balance and coordination. Remember to warm up, do endurance exercise, flexibility exercise, resistance training, and cool down.

Sleep/Rest

Adults should sleep 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. Sleeping 
less than 7 hours per night on a regular basis is associated with adverse health outcomes, including weight gain and obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke, depression, and increased risk of death. Sleeping less than 7 hours per night is also associated with impaired immune function, increased pain, impaired performance, increased errors, and greater risk of accidents.

Manage stress

Stress hormones can overstimulate or suppress the immune responses which can result in harmful consequences.

Develop healthy relationships

God created us to enjoy relationships and He craves to enjoy a relationship with us.

Trust in God

Trusting in God is associated with lower levels of anxiety and lesser symptoms of depression. Trusting in God improves mental health and physical health.