Whole-person wellness is mind, body, and spirit.
It’s eating healthy to honor and celebrate your body.
It’s finding movement that you enjoy and feeling confident in your own skin.
It’s quieting your heart and your mind, connecting with the Holy Spirit, and living a life that draws near to God and follows after Him.
When you aren’t feeling well- any one of these can feel like a goal that’s out of reach.
We are here to tell you that you are a whole-person- and to experience transformation- you have to address all three parts- the mind, the body, and the spirit.
The Disconnection
Have you ever been committed to an intense workout plan only to eat convenience foods and overindulge in sweet treats? You’ve never been able to remain self-controlled around food…and, instead of being proud of your increased strength and new found ability to run 3 miles- you beat yourself up for not being able to uphold a healthy diet and live in yoga pants to hide the feeling of being bloated every evening.
Or, maybe you’re eating healthier than you ever have- but, you’re also crazy busier than you’ve ever been- you have zero margin in your week for workouts, lunch dates, or fellowship after church. Should we mention that despite your love of veggies, you’re waking up constipated every morning?
Better yet, how about when the stars align!? You’re rocking it at the gym, meal planning like a pro, and feeling like a champ… except for the fact that you also dropped out of your bible study, your last journal entry was from three weeks ago, you’ve been hanging onto a grudge for the past 6 months that still makes you fume, and you can’t quite get to the bottom of your daily nausea and fatigue.
Yes, there is a disconnection here…
Health is more than eating healthy, having perfect attendance at your gym or passing your yearly physical exam with flying colors.
Nourishing your mind, body, and spirit is being grounded in faith-based practices, it’s eating nutritious foods and participating in movement simply because you deserve it, it’s feeling free to be you (because you love who you are), and feeling free to love others (because they are worthy and worth loving- just as they are).
Romans 12:1-2 brings meaning to this concept-
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God- this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
This could also be read with an RNT twist…
God is good and abounding in grace.
He intentionally made you and created you with purpose.
Out of love and devotion to Him, take care of your body as a precious gift and present it back to Him out of reverence.
Do not turn to social media to find your worth, or Google to inform you of the latest fad diet. But, renew your mind- read your Bible, pray, turn off the screens, eat nourishing-gut-loving-whole foods, participate in movement for 20 minutes a day, get 7-8 hours of sleep at night. (Yes, all of these will help you renew your mind!)
And, As you draw near to God with your mind, your body, and your spirit- you will be set up to follow after Him with a surrendered obedience and hear His voice calling you in the way that you should go.
Are you starting to grasp the connection between mind, body, and spirit?
Start With Your Mindset
When you’re gearing up and getting ready to implement any new health goals- our bet is that you’re focused on what you SHOULD eat, what you SHOULDN’T eat, and how you SHOULD move your body…
But, what’s going to make you successful in reaching these goals?
Your mindset!
And, what’s going to sabotage your goals- if you let it?…
Your mindset!
Take a few minutes and do a little assessment on these five mindset traps- can you relate? Do you see where these are keeping you from being as healthy as you want to be?
Toxic Thoughts
Toxic thoughts are likely the most overlooked form of self-destruction. They morph their way into diminishing self-worth, destroying relationships, and making goals nearly impossible to reach.
A thought as small as “I don’t have any self-control around sweets” becomes true when you’re eating half a batch of cookie dough before they were ever made into cookies, or you come home from a dinner party sick-as-a-dog because the hostess catered the event and had a table to bite-size petite pastries (they are still considered petite even if you eat 3 of each, right??).
What about thoughts that are based on painful experiences from your past? Thoughts that linger out of shame such as: “I’ll never amount to anything, I’ve never been smart,” or “Everyone always walks out of my life, I am not worthy of love,” how about “I’m too broken, I should quit trying.”
Toxic thoughts, no matter what they are based on or how big or large they may seem are just that- they are toxic. And, the first step towards freedom and transformation is identifying the thought so that you can put an end to it.
The Comparison Trap
Comparison can be another form of toxic thinking. There is no room for self- love or success when thoughts are spiraling out of control with-
“I can safely eat 5 foods! Why can everyone else eat whatever they want!?”
“If I spent 10 hours a week at the gym I would still never look that good.”
“How does she do it all? I’m exhausted and I’m doing half of what she is!”
“How can I be friends with someone who’s life is so picture perfect?”
All or Nothing Mentality
We are human. We have good days and we have bad days and we have days that are just “okay.” Everyone does, I promise. You do yourself a disservice when you think that you have to be operating at your full-potential, at all times.
Having thoughts of “I’m NEVER able to reach my goals” or “I ALWAYS screw up after 4 days,” sets you up for failure- just like “I HAVE to go to the gym and workout for 60 minutes everyday” or “I am NEVER going to eat sugar again!”
We are not robots to be programmed, we are humans to be nourished.
These thoughts don’t give room for being human. We are not robots to be programmed, we are humans to be nourished- and honestly as you may be starting to see, that begins with our thought life.
Fear
Fear is another form of toxic thinking- that quite honestly, is paralyzing.
“I’m afraid that I am going to mess up… so, I won’t try.”
“I’m afraid that I am going to get hurt again… so, I am unwilling to be vulnerable with others.”
“I’m afraid that I’ll feel like a failure if it isn’t perfect… so, I give up.”
“I’m afraid that there won’t be anything at the party that I can eat, so I just won’t go”
Life has too many things to fear- Praise God that he gives us over 300 versus in the Bible to comfort us and remind us not to fear.
Un-Forgiveness
Life is hard, relationships are messy, and hurt will happen. However, unforgiveness is a burden that will have a greater impact on your whole-person wellness than you may think. Not only are we called, encouraged, and shown the greatest act of forgiveness through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ- (for believers this is reason enough to forgive others who have hurt us)- but, research shows that un-forgiveness has a burdensome impact on mental and physical health.
We are not saying that forgiveness is easy and we know that it doesn’t happen with the snap of the fingers; however, understanding that it’s a process and acknowledging that you may need some help or guidance from your pastor or a professional counselor may give you a place to start.
Forgiveness keeps your heart soft and tender before the Lord and it physiologically decreases stress and the health consequences that are a result of chronic stress.
Stress, Mindset, and Your Gut
If you are someone who has a mindset trap or two (or ten) wreaking havoc on your life; I am afraid to tell you that it’s also wreaking havoc on your gut and likely working against all of your mind-body-spirit, health goals.
Toxic thoughts are stressful to think, to manage, and even to battle against inside of your head.
And, ALL of that stress is hard on your body- in ALL ways.
Stress contributes to:
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Inflammation
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Headaches
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Insomnia
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Weakened immune system
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Tense muscles
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Increases in blood pressure
It can also:
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Disrupt digestion
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Decrease stomach acid- which can lead to bacterial overgrowth
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Cause digestive symptoms such as: nausea, constipation, diarrhea (hello- IBS)
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Increase intestinal permeability (leaky gut) leading to: fatigue, brain fog, and multiple food sensitivities
If you need help sorting out destructive thoughts we 100% recommend talking to a professional counselor. They have helpful tools that will help you practice a new way of thinking.
We also recommend two powerful books-
“Get Out of Your Head” by Jennie Allen -and-
“Winning the War on Your Mind” by Craig Groeschel
Working through mindset blocks that are keeping you from healing and moving forward in your health journey is also a vital part of the work we do with our clients. Our signature program is designed to help you heal your gut, realign your body, and renew your mind so that you can finally be free from your symptoms AND experience energy and mental clarity.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of Nourishing Mind, Body, and Spirit!