8 Laws of Health
NEW START
1. Nutrition
“Those who eat a plant-based diet lower their risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other health conditions. Research also shows that a plant-based diet can be less expensive than an omnivorous diet.”
Most people should be able to get all of the required nutrition from a healthy balanced plant-based diet.
“All the elements of nutrition are contained in the fruits, vegetables, and grains.” {The Review and Herald, May 8, 1883}
Here are some tips to help you ensure that you’re getting enough nutrition:
1. Avoid eating the same foods everyday.
You may have heard that health experts from around the world recommend that you consume 30 different plants per week. This is because in 2018, a group of scientists published results from the American Gut Project which is a collaboration of researchers and over 10,000 citizen scientists from the US, UK & Australia. The study showed that participants who ate a wider variety of plants had more diverse gut microbiomes. Participants who ate 30 or more different plants per week were more likely to have certain “good” gut bugs than those who ate just 10. It should also be noted that the 30 plants guide is not limited to just fruits & vegetables. This list also includes: nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, herbs, etc.
This isn’t to say that it is mandatory for you to consume 30 different plants a week in order to be considered “healthy” because studies still suggest that eating 5 portions of fruits and vegetables a day can have a positive impact on your long-term health.
When planning your meals, remember to “eat the rainbow”. Try to include foods with a diverse range of colours. Consider trying foods you’ve never tasted before & explore different recipes.
“The meals should be varied. The same dishes, prepared in the same way, should not appear on the table meal after meal and day after day. The meals are eaten with greater relish, and the system is better nourished, when the food is varied.” {Life & Health, July 1, 1905}
“By eating fruits and vegetables of different colours, you are very likely to achieve a good range of vitamins and minerals for maintaining health and wellbeing. Certain colours are especially rich in protective compounds and each fruit or veg varies in different vitamin and mineral contents (eating 5 of the same colour still only counts as one portion so try to mix it up).” {NHS Trust, Are you getting enough?}
2. Balance macronutrients
Ensure your meals have a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
“Optimal sources of carbohydrates, such as wholesome vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, are high in fiber and nutrients. Refined carbohydrates from sugars, flours, and other processed foods can lead to mal-nourishment and promote illness.” {Plant-Based Diets: A Physician’s Guide, Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT}
“Fine-flour bread does not impart to the system the nourishment that is to be found in unbolted wheat bread. Its common use will not keep the system in the best condition.” {Christian temperance & Bible hygiene, page 46}
“Protein is readily available throughout the plant kingdom, but those foods that are particularly rich in protein include legumes, nuts and nut butters, seeds and seed butters, soy foods, and intact whole grains.” {Plant-Based Diets: A Physician’s Guide, Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT}
“Ideally, a healthful diet is loaded with wholesome carbohydrates, moderate in fat, and temperate in protein. The emphasis must be on the quality of the totality of foods coming from whole plant sources as opposed to calculations and perfect ratios.” {Plant-Based Diets: A Physician’s Guide, Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT}
3. Familiarise yourself with food sources of each required nutrient.
Having knowledge on the nutrition content in foods and using this information to help plan your meals better can be helpful in preventing nutrition-related diseases. You can use this page [INSERT NUTRITION DOC] as a rough guide to help you learn where you can find sources of each required nutrient.
“Much tact and discretion should be employed in preparing nourishing food to take the place of that which has formerly constituted the diet of those who are learning to be health reformers.” {Counsels on Diet and Foods, page 474}
4. Read nutrition labels
When purchasing food be sure to check the ingredients list & labels for information on calories, serving sizes and nutrient content. Try to be aware of hidden sugars, unhealthy fats and excessive amounts of sodium.
In the UK, some food products use a colour coding scheme to highlight the amount of fat, saturates, sugar & salt. (Red = high, Amber = medium, Green = low).
Any food & drink with red labels should be limited. Aim to consume these foods less often and in smaller amounts.
Everyone’s nutritional needs are different. You should learn what type of foods are best for you depending on your lifestyle & climate.
“Not all foods, wholesome in themselves, are equally suited to our needs under all circumstances. Care should be taken in the selection of food. Our diet should be suited to the season, to the climate in which we live, and to the occupation we follow.” {Life & Health, July 1, 1905}
When following a plant-based diet it’s important to also make sure that meat is substituted for other foods so that you don’t lack any essential nutrition. For example, you can replace meat with other sources of protein and iron such as: beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
“The proper cooking of food is a most important accomplishment. Especially where meat is not made a principal article of food is good cooking an essential requirement. Something must be prepared to take the place of meat, and these substitutes for meat must be well prepared.” {Counsels on Diet & Foods}
It should also be noted that when adopting a plant-based diet you may need to take a regular B12 supplement. This is because there are not many plant-based sources of B12. However, if you’re not a fan of taking supplements in the form of a tablet you could also search for foods that have been fortified with B12 such as: cereals, vegan yoghurts, nutritional yeast, etc. You can learn more about B12 here.
“Half of the plate should consist of vegetables and fruits in accordance with the US Department of Agriculture, American Cancer Society, and American Heart Association, because they are filled with fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate, and vitamins C and A—almost all of the nutrients that tend to run low in the American population, according to the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.”{Plant-Based Diets: A Physician’s Guide, Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT}
“The evidence indicates that of all cancer-related deaths, almost 25–30% are due to tobacco, as many as 30–35% are linked to diet, about 15–20% are due to infections, and the remaining percentage are due to other factors like radiation, stress, physical activity, environmental pollutants etc. Therefore, cancer prevention requires smoking cessation, increased ingestion of fruits and vegetables, moderate use of alcohol, caloric restriction, exercise, avoidance of direct exposure to sunlight, minimal meat consumption, use of whole grains”, etc {Cancer is a Preventable Disease that Requires Major Lifestyle Changes, Pharmaceutical Research 25, no. 9: 2097-2116}
2. Exercise
Exerecise “can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%.” {NHS}
“Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, clinical depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.” {NHS}
“Adults should do some type of physical activity every day. Exercise just once or twice a week can reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke.”
They also suggest that adults should aim to:
- Do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week.
- Do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.
- Spread exercise evenly over 4 to 5 days a week, or every day.
- Reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity.
You can also achieve your weekly activity target with:
- Several short sessions of very vigorous intensity activity
- A mix of moderate, vigorous and very vigorous intensity activity
What counts as moderate aerobic activity?
Moderate activity will raise your heart rate, and make you breathe faster and feel warmer. One way to tell if you’re working at a moderate intensity level is if you can still talk, but not sing.
Examples of moderate intensity activities include:
- Brisk walking
- Water aerobics
- Riding a bike
- Doubles tennis
- Pushing a lawn mower
- Hiking
- Rollerblading
What counts as vigorous activity?
Vigorous intensity activity makes you breathe hard and fast. If you’re working at this level, you will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath.
In general, 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week can give similar health benefits to 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity. Most moderate activities can become vigorous if you increase your effort.
Examples of vigorous activities include:
- Running
- Swimming
- Riding a bike fast or on hills
- Walking up the stairs
- Skipping
- Aerobics
What counts as very vigorous activity?
Very vigorous activities are exercises performed in short bursts of maximum effort broken up with rest. This type of exercise is also known as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
Examples of very vigorous activities include:
- Lifting heavy weights
- Circuit training
- Sprinting up hills
- Interval running
- Running up stairs
- Spinning classes
What activities strengthen muscles?
To get health benefits from strength exercises, you should do them to the point where you need a short rest before repeating the activity. There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether you’re at home or in a gym.
Examples of muscle-strengthening activities include:
- Carrying heavy shopping bags
- Pilates
- Lifting weights
- Working with resistance bands
- Doing exercises that use your own body weight, such as push-ups and sit-ups
- Heavy gardening, such as digging and shovelling
- Wheeling a wheelchair
- Lifting and carrying children
You can do activities that strengthen your muscles on the same or different days as your aerobic activity – whatever’s best for you. Muscle-strengthening exercises are not always an aerobic activity, so you’ll need to do them as well as your 150 minutes of aerobic activity.
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Try to exercise outdoors if you can, because “Those who combine useful physical labor with study have no use for the gymnasium. The benefits of physical labor in the open air have the advantage tenfold to that obtained within doors. The mechanic and the farmer may both labor hard, yet the farmer is the healthier of the two. Nothing short of nature’s own sweet air will supply the demands of the system. We should consider that the organs of the body are not a lifeless mass, but the living, active instruments of the soul.” {HR September 1, 1873, par. 5}
In a study published in JAMA Network Open, it was discovered that those who exercise have lower risks of hospitalisation across a broad range of health conditions. Namely 9 out of the 25 common conditions (gallbladder disease, UTIs, diabetes, venous thromboembolism, ischemic stroke, pneumonia, iron deficiency anemia, diverticular disease, and colon polyps) examined. They also stated that “Substituting 20 minutes per day of sedentary time with 20 minutes per day of MVPA [moderate to vigorous physical activity] was associated with significant reductions in risk across a broad range of conditions, and we estimated that increasing MVPA time would yield 3.8% to 23.0% lower hospitalizations for some conditions.”
“In this cohort study of UK Biobank participants, those with higher physical activity levels had lower risks of hospitalization across a broad range of health conditions. These findings suggest that aiming to increase MVPA [moderate to vigorous physical activity] by 20 minutes per day may be a useful nonpharmaceutical intervention to reduce health care burdens and improve quality of life.” {JAMA Network Open, Nutrition, Obesity, and Exercise, February 16, 2023}
“More people die for want [lack] of exercise than from overwork; very many more rust out than wear out. In idleness the blood does not circulate freely, and the changes in the vital fluid, so necessary to health and life, do not take place. The little mouths in the skin, through which the body breathes, become clogged, thus making it impossible to eliminate impurities through that channel. This throws a double burden upon the other excretory organs, and disease is soon produced. Those who accustom themselves to exercising in the open air, generally have a vigorous circulation.” {Christian temperance and Bible hygiene, page 101}
If you live a sedentary lifestyle and you want to start exercising, going for a short 20 minute walk each day. You can also look towards healthy lifestyle swaps such as walking or cycling instead of other methods of transport, try using the stairs instead of the elevator. As you start to get used this you can slowly increase the intensity. But as you increase the intensity please avoid “ego-lifting” & over working your body so that you can prevent injury.
“In the gymnasium many youth, by their attempted feats of strength, have done themselves lifelong injury.” {Counsels on health, page 189}
3. Water
The amount of water needed to drink per day varies from person to person depending on their lifestyle. (E.g. an athlete will require more water than a sedentary person). However, in the UK the eatwell guide recommends that people should aim to drink 6-8 cups of fluid per day.
You may need to drink more water if you’re:
- In a hot environment
- Physically active for long periods of time
- Recovering from an illness
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
According to the NHS “Children should avoid sugary fizzy drinks, squash and juice drinks completely. Children who drink a lot of sugary drinks are more likely to become overweight. The added sugar in these drinks can also damage teeth.” {NHS}
In case you were wondering: “Juice drinks are products that contain less than 100% fruit juice and often contain added sugars, flavorings, sweeteners, and additives. Typically juice drinks are nothing more than sugar water with a small amount of fruit juice and other ingredients added in. Juice drinks have less nutrients than 100% fruit juice.” {The University of Maine}
Signs of dehydration are visible in your urine. Dark and strong smelling urine is a clear sign that you need to drink more fluids.
Here are some tips to help increase water consumption:
- Carry a reusable bottle with you when travelling.
- Incorporate drinking water into a routine. E.g. drink before you leave your house, drink water as soon as you wake up, drink water before you go to sleep, etc.
- Flavour your water. E.g. add a few slices of your favourite fruit to a jug/pitcher of water (Lemon, cucumber, apple slices, etc).
- Remind yourself to drink a glass of water every hour when you’re at work.
- Determine how much water you need per day & try to track it.
- Consume more foods with a high water content (E.g. Cucumber, celery, watermelon, soups, etc).
- Sip water throughout the day.
Fruit juices and smoothies can also boost your hydration levels as well as provide with some extra vitamins & minerals. However, these drinks can be high in sugar and low in fibre so the current advice in the UK is to limit the consumption of these drinks to 150ml per day.
Plant-based milk alternatives can also boost your hydration levels. Try to aim for those that are low in sugar and are fortified with calcium, vitamin D, B vitamins & iodine.
4. Sunlight
Sunlight exposure is believed to increase the release of serotonin (a hormone that helps a person feel good, calm and focused), and without enough exposure to sunlight, your serotonin levels can dip which could lower your mood.
In addition to this, exposure to the sun’s rays causes a person to create vitamin D. The amount vitamin D produced can be restricted by clothing, excess body fat, sunscreen and the skin pigment melanin. According to a 2008 study, a 30 minute period while wearing minimal clothing in the sun will make the following vitamin D levels:
- Most white individuals: 50,000 IU (1.25mg)
- Tanned individuals: 20,000 – 30,000 IU
- Dark-skinned individuals: 8,000 – 10,000 IU
To put that into perspective, the average 19-50 year old requires 600 IU per day.
The vitamin D produced helps keep your bones healthy. Low levels of Vitamin D have been linked to diseases like rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
With this in mind, it’s also a great idea to draw back your curtains and invite the sunshine into your home when possible.
“Perfect cleanliness, plenty of sunlight, careful attention to sanitation in every detail of the home life, are essential to freedom from disease and to the cheerfulness and vigor of the inmates of the home.” {The Ministry of Healing, Page 276}
The bedroom “should have air and sunshine, and should be provided with some means of heating, to dry out the dampness that always accumulates in a room not in constant use. Whoever sleeps in a sunless room, or occupies a bed that has not been thoroughly dried and aired, does so at the risk of health, and often of life.”
5. Temperance
“True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful, and to use judiciously that which is healthful.”
A new meta-analysis published shows that mild to moderate drinking is not as protective as we once thought. This review examined a collection of 107 studies involving more than 4.8 million people. The authors found that when biases in reporting and other factors were controlled for (e.g. previous drinkers who have now quit drinking), the protective effects of even low and moderate alcohol disappeared. Drinking beyond moderation was found to increase the risk of mortality. In addition to this, research has found that even just 1-2 drinks a day was associated with negative changes in the brain (decreased brain volume, reduced grey matter in the brain and a poorer condition of brain connections), suggesting that there is no safe amount of alcohol that can be recommended.
“This updated meta-analysis did not find significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality associated with low-volume alcohol consumption after adjusting for potential confounding effects of influential study characteristics.” {SOURCE}
This is important to note because in the past researchers would publish conclusions like: “Light alcohol consumption at ~ 25 g/wk was associated with lower risk of CVD, cancer, and mortality than none or higher consumption in Chinese adults.” {Source} In other words, “drink a little bit of alcohol, it’ll make you live longer”.
The work of temperance also involves consuming healthy foods in moderation. For example, salt has many health benefits such as aiding the balance of electrolytes and fluids, regulating blood pressure, helping in the transmission of nerve impulses, etc. However, too much salt in the diet can lead to a high blood pressure, heart disease & stroke.
“Do not eat largely of salt” {Counsels on Diet and Food, page 344}
“Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease. Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which increases your risk of getting heart disease or having a stroke.” {NHS, Eating a balanced diet}
The work of temperance doesn’t just stop at what we eat and drink, it also involves being careful with other aspects of our lives (e.g. getting enough sleep, fresh air, sunlight, etc). As we all know, tobacco is a harmful poison to those that use it and those that breathe in secondhand smoke. If you are using tobacco, please try to create a plan that will help you overcome it. It’s never too late to quit.
Benefits of quitting smoking include:
- Improved sense of smell & taste
- Better mental & social health
- Reduced risk of smoking-related disease
- Better blood regulation to your heart and muscles which will make exercise easier
- Many more!
Source: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/benefits-of-quitting-smoking/
“Tobacco is a slow, insidious, but most malignant poison. In whatever form it is used, it tells upon the constitution; it is all the more dangerous because its effects are slow and at first hardly perceptible. It excites and then paralyzes the nerves. It weakens and clouds the brain.” {Ministry of healing, page 327}
“We found that smokers had a thinner cerebral cortex than non-smokers – in other words, smoking was destroying the grey matter in smokers. This is important because the cerebral cortex is a part of the brain that is crucial for thinking skills including memory and learning, so thicker is better…Although behavioral effects of nicotine had been recognized and described hundreds of years earlier, the physiological roles and importance of neuronal nAChRs in the brain were not widely appreciated until as recently as the early 1980s” – National Library of Medicine
In other words, smoking was found to thin the cerebral cortex, a crucial part of the brain for thinking skills like memory and learning, in smokers compared to non-smokers. The role and importance of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain was not understood until the 1980s.
Tips to help you quit:
- Remember why you want to quit. Write them down.
- Find an accountability partner. Let them and others know that you want to quit.
- Find out what triggers your habit and seek to avoid them.
- Seek specialist help.
- Distract yourself when you’re tempted, find something to do and tell your accountability partner.
- Don’t “just have one”.
- Remove all smoking reminders (lighters, ash trays, remaining cigarettes, etc).
- Set up milestones & reward yourself as you progress. (E.g. put the money that you’d spend on smoking aside and treat yourself every “smoke-free month”).
- Scroll down to law 8: Trust in God
6. Air
“To deprive the lungs of air, is like depriving the stomach of food.”
When indoors, you should aim to keep your windows open for as long as possible so that your room can remain well ventilated.
“The effects produced by living in close, ill-ventilated rooms are these: The system becomes weakened, the circulation is depressed, the blood moves sluggishly through the system, because it is not purified and vitalized by the pure, invigorating air of heaven.” {Healthful Living, page 48}
The British heart foundation says “poor air quality in your home can be harmful to your health, like polluted air outside. And many of us spend a lot of our time indoors. But there’s simple things you can do to improve the air quality in your home and reduce the impact on your health:
- Use solid or liquid cleaning products rather than sprayable ones.
- If you can, cook and heat your home with electric or gas instead of burning wood or coal.
- Open your windows a few times a day to refresh the air in your rooms, especially when you’re cooking or showering.
- Clean your floors regularly to avoid dust and allergens building up and going into the air.
- Use extractor fans in your kitchen and bathroom, fix any leaks or water damage, and keep your home above 19c in the colder months if possible. These things can all help to prevent water condensation which can cause mould and bad bacteria building up in the air.
- Don’t smoke indoors or allow others to smoke in your home. When you smoke indoors, it stays in the air. And toxins from breathing in second-hand smoke can harm the health of everyone you live with. If you smoke, taking steps to quit is the best thing you can do for your health.” {British heart foundation, air pollution}
7. Rest
Getting a good night’s sleep is just as important as eating a balanced diet and exercising. Everyone requires different amounts of sleep, on average adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per day. Below are some tips to help you improve your quality of sleep:
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday. Even on weekends
- Make sure that your bedroom is dark, quiet & cool if possible.
- Try to relax at least an hour before your bedtime (E.g. read a book, listen to a soothing audio).
- Aim to exercise during the day, just not close to your sleep time.
- Avoid caffeine especially at least for 6-8 hours before bed.
- Avoid bluelight (TV, smartphones, etc) before going to sleep.
- Avoid taking naps during the day.
- Avoid sleeping in after a bad night’s sleep and stick to your regular sleeping hours instead.
- Avoid large meals & alcohol before bedtime. Both can prevent deep and restorative sleep.
“The importance of regularity in the time for eating and sleeping should not be overlooked. Since the work of building up the body takes place during the hours of rest, it is essential, especially in youth, that sleep should be regular and abundant.”
“The stomach, when we lie down to rest, should have its work all done, that it may enjoy rest, as well as other portions of the body. The work of digestion should not be carried on through any period of the sleeping hours.” {Counsels on diet and foods, page 175}
An analysis in 2020 found that adults who slept fewer than 7 hours per night had a 41.2% increased risk of developing obesity. Whereas sleeping longer didn’t increase the risk. The effect of sleep on weight gain is believed to affected by numerous factors, such as hormones and the motivation to exercise. For example, sleep deprivation increases levels of grelin (the hormone that makes us feel hungry) and decreases levels of leptin (the hormone that makes us feel full). This may cause a person to feel hungrier and overeat.
“Studies showed that experimental sleep restriction was associated with increased levels of ghrelin, salt retention and inflammatory markers as well as decreased levels of leptin and insulin sensitivity.” {Source}
“Good sleep hygiene is crucial to maintain optimal functions of the neuroendocrine and appetite regulation systems. To date [2018], there is clear evidence in support of a causal relationship between sleep, circadian misalignment and cardiometabolic risk.” {Itani, O., Jike, M., Watanabe, N., & Kaneita, Y. (2017). Sleep duration and obesity in adults: A meta-analysis of prospective studies. Sleep Medicine, 40, 90-99.}
“Sleep exerts a wide range of physiologic functions, and, in this review, we have provided evidence that short sleep duration is associated with higher total caloric intake, higher absolute intake of fat, and diets with relatively higher fat and lower protein composition.” {Source}
Sleep is also known to be important for various aspects of brain function. Your cognition, concentration, productivity and performance can all be negatively affected by a lack of sleep.
“Vigilant attention is a major component of a wide range of cognitive performance tasks. Vigilant attention is impaired by sleep deprivation and restored after rest breaks and (more enduringly) after sleep.” {Source}
“Sleep is an important component of human life, yet many people do not understand the relationship between the brain and the process of sleeping. Sleep has been proven to improve memory recall, regulate metabolism, and reduce mental fatigue. A minimum of 7 hours of daily sleep seems to be necessary for proper cognitive and behavioral function.” {Source}
“When one sleeps, the brain reorganizes and recharges itself, and removes toxic waste byproducts which have accumulated throughout the day. This evidence demonstrates that sleeping can clear the brain and help maintain its normal functioning.” {Source}
This study on overworked physicians helps stress the importance of a good night’s sleep. It showed that overworked doctors with moderate sleep related impairments were 53% more likely to report clinically significant medical errors, doctors with high sleep related impairments were 96% more likely to report clinically significant medical errors & doctors with a very high related sleep impairment were 97% more likely to report clinically significant medical errors.
In addition, this study showed better quality, longer duration and greater consistency correlated with better grades.
“Overall, better quality, longer duration, and greater consistency of sleep correlated with better grades. However, there was no relation between sleep measures on the single night before a test and test performance; instead, sleep duration and quality for the month and the week before a test correlated with better grades. Sleep measures accounted for nearly 25% of the variance in academic performance. These findings provide quantitative, objective evidence that better quality, longer duration, and greater consistency of sleep are strongly associated with better academic performance in college.” {Source}
“Longer sleep duration the night prior to an examination was associated with higher course grades and semester grade point averages (GPAs)…Adequate sleep the night prior to an examination was positively associated with student course grades and semester GPAs.” {Source}
Lastly, in this study the participants who slept less than 5 hours per night were 4.5 times more likely to develop a clinical cold than those who slept more than 7 hours, and those who slept between 5-6 hours were 4.24 times more likely to develop a cold than those who slept for more than 7 hours. This shows that there could be an association between shorter sleep duration and susceptibility to the common cold.
8. Trust in God
As much as we may strive to be in perfect health by eating a healthy balanced diet, exercising, drinking enough water, and so on, only God can bless our efforts and keep us in good health. This is why it’s important for us to create a good relationship with Him by praying and reading the Bible.
James 4:8 (KJV) “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…”
Overcoming an addiction can be a tough challenge. However, building a strong relationship with God can make this challenge a lot easier because He can help you overcome your addiction if you place your faith and trust in Him.
Philippians 4:13 (KJV) “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) 5 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
A testimony from somebody who had an addiction to vinegar:
“There was a time when I was in a situation similar in some respects to yours. I had indulged the desire for vinegar. But I resolved with the help of God to overcome this appetite. I fought the temptation, determined not to be mastered by this habit. For weeks I was very sick; but I kept saying over and over, The Lord knows all about it. If I die, I die; but I will not yield to this desire. The struggle continued, and I was sorely afflicted for many weeks. All thought that it was impossible for me to live. You may be sure we sought the Lord very earnestly. The most fervent prayers were offered for my recovery. I continued to resist the desire for vinegar, and at last I conquered. Now I have no inclination to taste anything of the kind. This experience has been of great value to me in many ways. I obtained a complete victory. I relate this experience to you for your help and encouragement.” {25LtMs, Lt 70, 1911}
Suffering from a disease can also be a difficult trial to bear. However, having faith in God will give you peace during this trial. God can heal you from your disease, you just need to trust Him. He may not heal you immediately, but for as long as you stay faithful and obey His commands everything will be well with you and the trial will be to your benefit.
“Faith is a mightier conqueror than death. If the sick can be led to fix their eyes in faith upon the Mighty Healer, we shall see wonderful results. It will bring life to the body and to the soul.”
Romans 8:28 (KJV) “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.”
Exodus 15:26 (KJV) “…I am the Lord that healeth thee.”
To gain more faith you must read the Bible daily. By studying the word of God you will become more familiar with His character and learn more about His promises. The Bible is our only safeguard in the midst of tough trials.
Romans 10:17 (KJV) “So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Always remember that God promises us peace for as long as we continue to have faith and place our full trust in Him.
Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV) 6 “Be careful for (worry about) nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
John 14:27 (KJV) “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Psalms 31:24 (KJV) “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”
In Summary:
“Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power—these are the true remedies. Every person should have a knowledge of nature's remedial agencies and how to apply them. It is essential both to understand the principles involved in the treatment of the sick and to have a practical training that will enable one rightly to use this knowledge. The use of natural remedies requires an amount of care and effort that many are not willing to give. Nature's process of healing and upbuilding is gradual, and to the impatient it seems slow. The surrender of hurtful indulgences requires sacrifice. But in the end it will be found that nature, untrammeled, does her work wisely and well. Those who persevere in obedience to her laws will reap the reward in health of body and health of mind.”