The Genesis Prescription
The more I study health, the more it takes me back to the Bible. Food is enormously important, but there are other inputs we need to create a well body.
I’ve been reading about the influence of light: how it affects hormones, mood and overall health. And what’s the first thing I thought of?
And God said, “Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good….” -Genesis 1:3
It dawned on me, the Creation Story presents the most basic, but most important, needs for our overall well-being. We were created along with the sun and moon, water and land, plant and animal. Our bodies work in tandem with these elements.
Can you get more holistic than that???
I could go way deep in details with this but for now, check this out…
What’s the first thing God made? Light.
People seriously underestimate the importance of LIGHT on your body. Light and dark, day and night, sun and moon establish our circadian rhythm, our body clock.
Light and dark have major influence over our hormones, metabolism, detoxification and digestion. Sitting under artificial or “blue” light all day is so bad for you.
Get some sunshine in your eyes first thing in the morning to help set your cortisol pattern. And a little sunshine on your skin helps you make Vitamin D.
Red and infrared light are two types of natural light our bodies crave but we just don’t get enough of! Our ancestors would have gotten them through daily sun exposure, but our indoor and sedentary lifestyles make getting enough difficult.
That’s why I LOVE my Joovv light therapy device.
Want to know the deets on the Joovv? Click HERE for more info.
Next up HE CREATED Water and Land.
Did you know the Earth is about 70% water and our bodies are about 60% water? Clean water is critical to our outer environment and our inner environment. Drink your water. Aim to get half of your body weight in ounces each day (i.e. 150 lbs would mean 75 oz of water).
Water quality is an important thing to consider. I recommend the Berkey water filter, which removes chlorine, heavy metals, and other impurities from your water. It can also remove fluoride from your water. We want our water to be as close to the way God made it as possible! You can learn more about different water filter options in this post from Wellness Mama.
As far as land goes, there’s this new frou frou term called Nature Bathing which in real people language means get your butt outside and play - breathe in the fresh air, get your hands and feet in the dirt which is great for promoting good gut bacteria and reducing inflammation.
You can learn more about the benefits of Nature Bathing here in this article from TIME Magazine.
Another reason why the land is so important?
We are made from the dust of the Earth. From dirt. And what lives in dirt? Bacteria. Our bodies are mostly bacteria because that’s how God made us. Essentially we are a bag of bugs!
To achieve our best health, we want to have more good bugs than bad bugs in our bodies.
if you’re not already getting outside and gardening, walking barefoot, being exposed to animals or getting plenty of good bacteria through fermented foods, you might consider supplementing with a soil-based probiotic (pro = good, biotic = life).
You can learn more about my favorite soil-based probiotic, Just Thrive, HERE.
THEN, God created plants and animals
God gives us both plants and animals as sources of food and medicine. Only eating one without the other won’t give you the full spectrum of amazing nutrients He created to nourish our bodies. Eat Plants, Eat Meat.
God made man and told us to be fruitful and multiply- which is important too.
Human beings were created to live in community with one another, to be part of a tribe. Despite the popularity of “social” media- and even maybe because of it- so many of us have become isolated from true connection with others.
The first step to building community in your outside world is being fully present for your people.
And lack of community isn’t an isolated problem (See what I did there? 😉). Loneliness is a huge contributor to poor health and it can affect anyone, anywhere. This podcast from Ben Greenfield explains the WHY behind loneliness’ impact on our health and offers 6 steps to help you build community.
AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY HE RESTED.
And finally, rest. Our mighty Creator took time to rest and so should we. Sleep plays an enormous role in how our body functions. It goes back to that circadian rhythm, our body clock and the way it messages our hormones, metabolism, detoxification and digestion. You must get enough sleep if you want optimal health. Discover the importance of sleep in this article from The Paleo Mom.
And there you have it, what I would call your Genesis Prescription to good health. There is no better holistic approach to health than the one God has laid out for us here.
Which part of the Genesis Prescription do you need to focus on in 2019?
I’d love to hear from you in a comment below.
XOXO,