These days, society has become very lax and inhibited. Though we have advanced in technological and medical fields, we have become lazy about our health and fitness. We have become so dependent on the presence of growing fast food chains. Today, two of the leading indicators for poor health are low personal fitness and obesity. These two concepts go hand in hand. The lack of physical activity brings on obesity which ultimately is the root cause for heart disease and health problems.

As Christians, we have a responsibility to our bodies. Paul tells us to glorify God in our body, as well as our spirit. "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Question: "Should Christians exercise? What does the Bible say about health?"

Answer: 1 Timothy 4:8 informs us, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Notice that the verse does not say that exercise has no value! It says that exercise is valuable, but it upholds the right priorities by saying that godliness is of greater value. Apostle Paul also mentions physical training in illustrating spiritual truth. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 2 Timothy 2:5 says, “Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 4:7 states, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Clearly, there is nothing wrong with a Christian exercising. In fact, the Bible is clear that we are to take good care of our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Ephesians 5:29 tells us, "After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it..." The Bible also warns us against gluttony (Deuteronomy 21:20, Proverbs 23:2, 2 Peter 1:5-7, 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 2 Corinthians 10:5). At the same time, the Bible warns against vanity (1 Samuel 16:7; Proverbs 31:30; 1 Peter 3:3-4). What does the Bible says about health? Be healthy! How do we achieve that goal? By engaging in moderate exercise, maintaining proper weight and nutrition and eating reasonably. That is the Biblical pattern for health and exercise 1.

Weight Loss: All common sense weight loss tips start with healthy eating. Giving up sugary sweetened soda pop is a great place to start. Moderate amounts of exercise will speed up the metabolism and help your body burn food as fuel in a more efficient manner.

Weight Loss Ideas:
Try taking a walk after dinner, going for a swim, or taking up a sport. If you like bowling or playing golf, tennis, soccer, basketball, or almost any active sport, then give it a try. Aerobic exercises such as running and stationary bicycling are better for fat loss while excessive aerobic training may cause you to lose more weight. Exercise is an essential part of losing weight and should be included in your weight loss plan.

Weight Gain:
Exercise is also important for healthy weight gain. Resistance training exercises such as lifting weights will help to increase your muscle size. Resistance training can be done at a health club, gym or at home with the proper equipment. Remember that it can take a while to gain the weight you need, but be patient and continue to choose healthy foods until you reach your goal weight.

Weight Gain Ideas: Here are some simple steps to how to gain weight:

A: Count how many calories you eat in a normal day. Don't change anything, just eat like you normally would and count how many calories you consumed. This is an extremely important step, so try to be as exact as possible. Also, weigh yourself.

B: Starting the day after you counted calories, eat 500 calories MORE then you normally do. So, let’s pretend that the day you counted calories you counted 2000. For the rest of the week, you would now eat 2500 calories a day. Instead of eating 3 big meals a day or eating all day all the time, spread those calories out over 5-6 smaller meals.

C: Weightlifting! Get in the gym and lift! This is another important step to how to gain weight, so make sure you are doing it correctly.

D: At the end of that week, weigh yourself. You'll notice you're gaining just after one week! Gaining anymore then 1 or 2 pounds a week is unhealthy and means you're putting on way to much fat. So look for 1 or 2 pound gains at the end of the week. Doesn’t sound like much? You can be gaining 5-8 pounds a month!

Guidelines For Exercising At Home

Home exercise programs are a great way to keep fit and lose weight. Along with proper diet and nutrition, an exercise program can help speed your metabolism and burn calories faster. There is no need for expensive gym memberships or extravagant exercise equipment. It's a good idea to check with a health professional and ask their opinion before undertaking any exercise, especially if it has been a while since you have undertaken any fitness program or exercise.  Start off gently, and work within your comfort zone,
 Increase your effort gradually over several weeks.
 Maintain regular breathing throughout the exercises. Try not to hold your breath - your muscles need oxygen!
 Try to a keep strict form with control, not using momentum.
 Do not undertake any exercise if you are in pain or feeling unwell. If you feel faint, dizzy or unwell while exercising, stop immediately.

Stretching:
Stretch specific muscles for an exercise is great; including all muscle groups in a stretch, however, will help you to prevent damage or tearing to a great extent . A good 15-20 run is the ideal warm up and stretch exercise. Examples: (hold each stretch 15-30 seconds)  Hands Interlocked Over Head
 Hand Down Spine
 Bicep-Wall Stretch
 Upper Back Prayer
 One Arm Against the Wall
 Lying Trunk Twists
 One Leg Over
 Lying Straight, Leg to Chest
 Calf Stretch

Ten Simple Exercises you can do at Home (especially good for busy people)  Body weight Squat (upper legs)
 Climbing stairs (upper legs)
 Calf raises (lower legs)
 Hip Extensors (hip)
 Superman for back muscles
 Bicep curl with 1 gallon milk jar
 Dips on chair (triceps)
 Prone cobra (upper back)*
 Press ups (chest)
 Everyone’s favorite exercise abdominal crunches (for our flat tire)

Aim to run through all of the exercises for a combination of 15 - 25 repetitions, and try to perform a home circuit 2 - 3 times per week (lasting 20 - 30 minutes each time).

Cool down:
On completion of your workout or sporting activity, it's important to bring your heart rate back down slowly and gradually prior to easing into a number of suitable stretches (see above stretches).

* Lie face down on the floor, with your hands by your sides, feet kept on the ground throughout the movement. Smoothly raise your upper body only a few inches of the floor, extended your hands upwards and to the rear, whilst maintaining a straight back, with your head inline with your spine. Hold in the upper phase for 2 - 3 seconds prior to lowering down to the ground

Other sites to visit :  http://gotquestions.org/

For more info:
Tom Thomas, MS, ATC, ACSM-HFI, EMT
TEAM SPORTS & PERSONAL TRAINING
"Sports Specific Training & Personal Training"

Over 10 Years of sports specific and personal training experience
Head Athletic Trainer: Pro Baseball, Athlete in Action Basketball, and High School
201-314-2481
Tomthomasatc@gmail.com

Eating healthy and exercise are two controllable factors that we have when it comes to maintaining our health. Too often, we focus on “becoming skinny” or “getting muscles” and not on being healthy. Each person must have his or her own personalized action plan set with realistic weight goals and practical eating habits. Concentrate on having a balanced diet, correct portion sizes, and more exercise. All three factors go hand in hand to maintain or improve your health.

What is Biblical Nutrition?

Before mankind sinned, their first diet was given in Genesis 1:29. "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."

From what we understand today, these are foods that God prescribed.

Every Seed Bearing Herb/Plant:
(a seed plant which does not develop woody persistent tissue)
 Grains: wheat, corn, rye, barley, rice, oats, millet, etc  Seeds: sunflower, sesame, flax, pumpkin seeds, etc.
 Legumes: soybeans, lentils, peas, peanuts, other beans, etc.
 Succulent Foods Containing Seed: eggplant, okra, bell peppers, squash, green beans, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, etc.

The Fruit of a Tree Yielding Seed:
(a woody perennial plant, shrub, or bush).
 Fruits - citrus fruits, sweet fruits, palm fruits, etc.
 Nuts - almonds, pecans, cashews, Brazil walnuts, etc.

This diet is rich in good fats, complex carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants, and plant protein. Notice that green vegetables are not included as these were given to the animals first; man was allowed to eat them only after fall.

After the flood, man was permitted to eat meat with certain guidelines. God lists several unclean animals which are typically scavenger animals that are high in saturated fat (think pork, shrimp, oysters, catfish, clams, etc). In Acts, Paul writes about these food laws and their role in our faith. It is important to understand that Paul does not discount the validity of these laws; he only says that we are no longer saved (spiritually) by following them. Christ alone can save us, but our physical bodies do benefit when we avoid or limit these “unclean” foods.

How does our Keralite way of eating measure up to Biblical nutrition?

The typical Keralite diet incorporates several Biblical guidelines for good nutrition. Because all food groups (fruits, vegetables, diary, protein-plant and meat, carbohydrates, fats) are included, it becomes a nutrient-dense diet (when followed with proper portion sizes and a limitation of fried or sugary foods). Due to our current, fast-paced lifestyles, most Malayalee American families are eating more “ready to go” foods (such as fast foods, restaurant food, chicken nuggets, hotdogs, frozen dinners) or processed foods (bacon, sausages, etc) which are high in saturated fat and sodium, and low in fiber. On the other hand, our Keralite diet has certain pitfalls as well. For example, since rice is our staple food, our carb intake is high. Previous generations matched this high caloric diet with high physical activity. Plus, they used brown rice which is rich in fiber. Unfortunately, most of us do not move much during our day and we use white rice. If we continue either way of eating, we will face obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. A change must be in order!

What should I eat in given day and how much?

To best answer this question, I would have to sit down with each of you and create a personal daily meal plan (based on your food likes, dislikes, habits, schedule, etc). Since I can’t, I will give you general guidelines. Try to incorporate the food guide pyramid into your daily diet. As a young adult, this means that you should eat according to the following serving sizes and food groups in a given day:

 Carbohydrates: Remember, the less white carbs that you consume, the better! So try to find brown or whole wheat products—or combine the white carbs with leafy veggies (example: rice and spinach thorren).

Examples: Rice, bread, pasta, cereal, starchy vegetables (corn, potatoes)
Servings: Six
Serving Size: 15 grams (one slice of bread, one scoop of rice, a medium-size chapathi)

 Protein: Eat lean animal protein and add plant protein.
Examples: Fish, chicken, beef, lentils, beans, dahl, nuts, eggs
Servings: Two
Serving Size: 3 ounces (think the palm of your hand or a deck of cards)

 Veggies: All green and leafy vegetables (non-starchy) that are rich in fiber. If you’re eating salad, be careful with salad dressing as well as cheese, bacon bits, boiled egg yolk, etc.
Examples: Celery, Bell Peppers, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Spinach, Pavakya, Pyrera
Servings: Three to Four (minimum)
Serving Size: if cooked, ½ a cup; if salad, 1 cup

 Fruits: All fruits are included. Remember, fruit juice counts as a serving, so limit consumption to one 6 oz drink a day.
Examples:
Servings: Two or Three
Serving Size: Medium sized fruit (about a tennis ball size) or ½ a cup of mixed fruit. For bananas, ½ of one is one serving.

 Dairy: Dairy products are high in saturated fat, but have important nutrients such as calcium for bone density. Choose 1% or skim milk.
Examples: milk, yogurt, cheese
Serving: Two to Three
Serving Size: 8 ounces

In conclusion, an unhealthy body does not result from eating poorly once in a while; it comes from eating unhealthy and not exercising on a daily basis. Exercise is not limited to just the gym. Be creative and find ways that will force you to move more. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park your car further away from the entrance of the grocery store. Go outside! Walk your dog.

When it comes to eating better, remember that it’s never too late to change your habits. Read your food labels. Avoid or limit empty calories (soda, lemonade, sweet tea, coffee, sugar-dense juices, koolaid) to just two 8 oz servings a day. Rather than three big meals, eat three small meals and two healthy snacks. Do not skip meals! Skipping meals lowers your metabolism, and causes you to eat more at other meals. Avoid fad diets (Atkins, South Beach), because like fads, the weight will go and come back! When you eat out, check out low-fat items, share a meal with your friend, or take half home and eat it for a later meal. Try to avoid eating after 7PM, because you’re less active after that. Enjoy foods that are rich in fat, salt and sugar in sensible portion sizes. Remember eating is a pleasure! Just don’t overdo it!

For more information, contact me at alicebjacob@hotmail.com.

ALICE B. JACOB, MS, LD, RD