Have you heard the phrase “you are what you eat?” Or maybe you’ve been told to think of your body like a car; if you don’t put in proper fuel, it won’t run right! March is National Nutrition Month, so this month is the perfect time to think about the value of nutrition, simple changes that we can make, and how we can honor our fellow Liberty HealthShare members with our choices!
First, why is nutrition important (outside of those catchy aphorisms)? Well, those catchy metaphors are true enough! Ask anyone who eats a healthy diet – the proof is in the pudding (or lack thereof)! According to the CDC, those who eat healthier diets are at a lower risk for a multitude of high-risk diseases. Furthermore, eating a balanced, nutritious diet can contribute to an overall improvement in your quality of life.
So, what are some small steps that you can take to make strides towards more holistic nutrition? The FDA and USDA have some great tips. First, you can plan ahead of time to ensure you have healthy meals, and the necessary ingredients for them, ready to go. Failure to prepare is preparation to fail! You can also learn how to read those pesky nutrition labels so that you’re not just looking at a list of random numbers, but rather making informed decisions about the foods that you buy. Finally, you can explore some healthy replacements to some of your favorite, and perhaps not so healthy, foods and ingredients. Little changes like these can go a long way!
Additionally, it’s important to recognize how each decision we make, and by extension how we handle various aspects of the holistic care of our bodies, influences each part of our overall health. 1 Corinthians 12:15-26 illustrates this point beautifully. Liberty HealthShare believes it is our spiritual duty to God, and our ethical duty to others, to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid foods, behaviors, or habits that produce sickness to others or ourselves. Just as our whole self depends on us taking care of each individual part, nutrition being a crucial part of that whole, we, as members of Liberty HealthShare’s sharing community, depend on one another to steward our health well for the benefit of the whole!
It’s important to remember that nutrition is not an instant, one-and-done thing. It’s a constant process that is buoyed by making the right decisions, no matter how small they may be, over a sustained period. I encourage you to take this National Nutrition Month to institute just one small change that I’ve talked about and start your journey to a healthier, happier you!
