For in him we live and move and have our being.

Recently, I listened to a ​business podcast​ titled, “Do not pander.” The message of the podcast was not to cater to the whims of other businesses and to the algorithm. Those of us in the online space have to deal with changing algorithms and then try to figure out what kind of posts, etc. that Facebook and Instagram are “rewarding” and looking for. By doing this, you can easily get caught up in chasing success and people-pleasing only to lose yourself in the process. All this leads to burnout. But what the podcaster said next had me not only thinking about business but also about our approach to healthy living:

Burnout is not doing enough of what you love.

Oftentimes, we think of burnout as doing too much, being too busy. In fact, dictionary.com says it’s fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity. Instead of staying tired and frustrated, how about we ask ourselves what we love to do and if we’re doing enough of that.

Why is it that people can start a diet or extreme exercise program at the beginning of the year only to fizzle out by February or March? They’re tired and frustrated. They’re either not getting results, or they’re over what it is they must do to get the results. They didn’t take into consideration what they liked to do. They didn’t ask themselves how they like to move or what food they like to eat. Instead, they signed up for a random plan, no questions asked. Now they’re realizing they don’t really like eating according to a clock, two-a-day workouts are exhausting, or drinking a gallon of water a day just makes them feel water-logged.

When you start honoring your body the way God uniquely created you, you can sustain the way you choose to care for it. Yes, it’s important to move regularly. Yes, you’ll function better when you’re filling your body with nourishing foods. Yes, drinking plenty of water is essential for your body to function and feel well. But only you know you. And you were created with unique tastes and preferences. Start there.

• How do you like to move?
• What foods leave you feeling satisfied and energized?
• How much water does your body operate best on?
• Do you like the way you eat and move and spend your days? What are your favorite things to do?

This scripture in Acts reminds us that all we do is in Him. It’s by His power that we move and that we even exist. He uniquely created each of us, and we must honor that. This chapter in Acts reminds us that we are God’s children, created in His image. He knows all the details about you, and He created you the way you are for a reason. Don’t try to be someone or do something that doesn’t align with the Lord and the way He made you. He loves you, and He wants you to love and embrace the life He has planned for you. 

If your current healthy living approach is leaving you tired and frustrated, ask yourself the questions above. When you start doing more of what you love in regards to how you care for your body, you’ll start feeling better. You’ll want to do those things. It’ll be easier to continue that approach for a long time to come.

Do something you love today!

Action Step

Ask yourself the questions above. Are you honoring the unique body God entrusted to you? Choose to honor God by making healthy decisions that honor your unique body.

The post Do More of What You Love appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

John 10:10 ‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.’

We live life to the fullest when we are serving out our purpose in Him:

Jeremiah 29:11: ‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’

By looking after our body, spirit and soul we are putting ourselves in the best position for God to work through us as our bodies are the home of God.

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 ‘Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honour God with your bodies.’

As a team of Health Professionals (Doctors, Nutritionists, Coaches, Personal Trainers etc.) we know that God is not a killjoy; He knows the pressure that our body, spirit and soul will face in life (tiredness, stress, ageing, illness, injury, and more).

• It can be harder to hear from God when we are tired, stressed and worn down.
• It can be hard to value ourselves as God does when we feel rubbish about ourselves and also harder to love others.
• It can be hard to make space to listen when we feel overwhelmed and overburdened.

We want to be vibrant, energetic and passionate to run our best race so that Jesus can do what he wants through us.

We know that we can do anything we want with our body, spirit and soul but we also know that not everything is recommended!

1 Corinthians 10: 23 ’I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.’

We need to make wise choices about what suits our body, spirit, and soul so that we can live our best life. We want freedom and balance in this area and we want to support others with this too.

JOIN US ONLINE

At Fitfish we have a large online community for support and encouragement, regular insightful videos and blogs about all kinds of topics.

For those who want to become members, we have online exercise and recipe packs and the popular Healthy, Whole & Free Course which supports Christians to break free from dieting and get healthier in a natural and balanced way.

Hundreds have passed through this course and here are some thoughts from a couple of them:

“I have incorporated changes to my diet and lifestyle that have improved my health, fitness and relationship with God. By just committing to turning up and implementing the advice given my health continues to improve. My strength, fitness, energy levels, mental health and sleep have improved! I can now tie my shoelaces again and my Diabetes diagnosis has been reversed!” – Caroline

“The difference Healthy, Whole & Free has made to me has been really significant and fulfilled my hopes for lasting change. On holiday I loved knowing I was lighter and healthier and felt so much better about myself. Usually, we really overeat on that sort of holiday but this time we were able to have sensible quantities of treats, and even exercised together 6 times in the fortnight in our hotel room! All of this would have been unthinkable a year ago! Many thanks to you and of course all praise to God!” -Gill

JOIN US AT OUR RETREATS

We also run retreats which enable Christians to step away from their normal surroundings and experience a programme of worship, talks, workshops, exercise, prayer, 1:1 consultations, great food, company and surroundings.

Here are some comments:

“I return home tired but happy and healthier”

“The retreat reminded me that in all situations God is there. Pause. Praise. Pray!”

“I love the holistic experience that helps me to focus on my mind, body and spirit.”

“An amazing experience that everyone should try”

“Fitfish has been instrumental in helping me get fit and eat more healthily”.

“Fitfish weekends are always brilliant. God knows what we need and the team are brilliant at helping us receive it!”

We are incredibly blessed to serve God in this way and witness what He is doing in people’s lives through Fitfish.

The post Fitfish Online And Retreats Support You In Every Area Of Life appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

According to Harvard Health, “The heart beats about 2.5 billion times over the average lifetime, pushing millions of gallons of blood to every part of the body.” And Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Needless to say, the heart is an essential component of physical and spiritual health. Heart disease and a hardened spiritual heart impact our ability to live and experience all that God has in store for us so we must be intentional about caring for it.

STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART THROUGH MOVEMENT AND STILLNESS

Remember exercise doesn’t have to be complicated. Consider a brisk walk during your lunch break, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or try a low-impact exercise. We strengthen our spiritual hearts by spending time with God. Yes, both movement and stillness are needed for heart health. Ps 73:26, says, “My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Setting aside time to be still with the Lord not only offers strength but transformation as well.

CONSUME GOOD FOOD

Sometimes this is easier said than done considering some communities have food deserts and other barriers to accessing healthy foods. Diets vary from person to person so a great starting point is real food over processed food when possible. We also, consume things other than food that we take in through our eyes and ear gates. Our thoughts affect the health of our hearts so let us be mindful to think on those things things that are lovely, pure, just, and lovely.

REDUCE STRESS TO PROTECT YOUR HEART

Studies suggest that reducing stress may lower the risk of heart disease. Some ways to destress can be as simple as unplugging from social media, reading a book, journaling, or practicing mindful movement. The Bible also addresses stress and anxiety. Ps 94:19 says, When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. And Ps 119:143 says, “Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight.” Spending time reading and meditating on God’s word properly positions us to shift our focus from stressors to our savior and that makes all the difference for our physical, mental, and spiritual health and well-being.

If you are interested in a low-impact exercise try this 15-min Chair yoga class for heart health.

More from Sherrell Moore-Tucker

Read more articles by Sherrell in Faith & Fitness Magazine. To access services, events and much more go to Sherrell’s website.

The post 3 Ways To Care For Your Heart appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could get the Nutrition Facts of your holiday meal just by taking a picture of the entire feast? There’s always another holiday just around the corner. At least it can seem that way – all year long. Each one has specific edibles (whether that be meats, vegetables, fruits, dairy or — candy!) that are customary to eat. “Eat” is putting it mildly. We indulge with big portions frequently. “Holiday nutrition” to most of us seems to be an oxymoron or at least something that just can’t be. This article we think can equip you to make HEALTHIER holiday nutrition your reality.

There are plenty of healthy eating Bible verses that can be used to condemn just about every yummy holiday goody you’ll encounter. Using the Bible to force change during the holidays can be a spiritual setup that Satan uses to cause strife and problems. Here at Faith & Fitness Magazine we want to help you take some simple steps toward honoring God by making a commitment to BETTER holiday nutrition.

HEALTHIER IS DEFINITELY BETTER

The macaroni, stuffing, sweet potato and other baked recipes are often high in carbs. Add a whole stick of butter or two to make it really decadent and you just loaded up with lots of fat too. Yeah and a good amount of salt really brings out the flavor. Plus some sugar! Honestly, that beautiful garden salad you make with lots of raw veggies and just a light splash of vinaigrette is going to be the real holiday nutrition. Eat a big serving of it and you get an immediate 100 bonus points so to speak. But come on, those carb dishes — if you’re like most people during the holidays, you’ve gotta’ at least sample a spoonful or 2! What can you do?

Make the holiday dishes you prepare with better holiday nutrition in mind. For example if the recipe calls for a stick of butter, reduce that amount to 3/4 or even 1/2 of a stick. AND – back off the amount of salt you put in it too. It’s still a carb dish with fat and sodium but it’s a bit healthier and that is definitely better.

In other words the holidays are definitely not the time to try to get everyone to be vegan, lose weight and build muscle. If they go away from this meal having eaten more vegetables, not gained as much weight as they usually do and being a bit more active than last year then you can celebrate that you brought better holiday nutrition to the holiday gathering.

Here’s some more ideas to make the holidays healthier:

• Typically people try a little this and a little that. So make more smaller healthier dishes so they can try more “healthy”. Sure, maybe you were asked to only bring 1 side dish – and it just so happens to be the really rich pie for which you’re famous for making (before you got serious with your faith and fitness lifestyle). Go ahead and make it amazing and then also bring a couple small healthier dishes to add to the already huge buffet table. Tell ’em, “I saw this recipe. It looked delicious and I just had to try it for the holiday.”
• Push the water in a fun way. Make a water bar with exotic and flavorful additives such as fruit, herbs, juice and bling (like fancy drinking glasses, straws and more). Better holiday nutrition means that when you think about the drinks you rethink water. God gave us a great beverage. Drink it.
• Eat smaller portions. But what a kill joy that is, right?! You know that everybody wants more and more and MORE. So have the to-go containers ready with a marker and bags and encourage people to have seconds for tomorrow and the next day and for even giving to others.
• USE THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW TO POST YOUR HEALTHIER IS BETTER IDEAS.

BEYOND THE MEALS: SNACKS, APPETIZERS, DESERTS AND LEFTOVERS

SNACKS: Holiday nutrition isn’t just about focusing on the big meal. Everyone wants to cheat and snack both before and after the meal and throughout the whole day. Be ready to make snack time a healthier cheat. For starters you can revert to raw. Veggies that are raw are straight up healthy nutrition as only God can package it. Raw whole cranberries dipped in raw honey. It’s different and daring right? Get the kids to do a contest with this “snack”. The winner gets a prize. And – as the kids try it the adults too get a chance to try something healthier. So, maybe everyone is a winner.

Snacks are considered a cheat (and everyone is going to cheat during the holidays) so making your snacks healthier may be one of the best ways to improve holiday nutrition.

APPETIZERS: Here is where you can perhaps make your healthiest impression. While charcuterie boards traditionally have preserved meats (high in sodium) and cheese (high in fat) you can make a healthier charcuterie board that will have everyone talking. The appetizer is an ideal part of the meal to tap into God’s great spice rack and highlight some specific herbs and seasonings that are your favorite.

DESERTS: In contrast to the many healthy ventures you can take with appetizers, you may feel it is particularly challenging to make a healthier desert. But – you can. Some of the best deserts are the simple one’s. So some vanilla ice cream topped with blueberries is an awesome way to do both simple and healthier. The ice cream, unless it is vegan ice cream, is pretty high in fat but the blueberries deliver the healthier benefit. Blueberries, loaded with nutrients, are considered a super food. These delicious antioxidants may help reduce blood pressure and reduce heart disease. If you’re not into berries but prefer chocolate you’ll be happy to know that it too is a super food.

LEFTOVERS: As mentioned above, instead of “stuffing” yourself at a holiday meal, portion your seconds into to-go packages for leftovers for the next few days. Just make sure the food is refrigerated properly and that you eat it before it goes bad.

But – leftover time is the time to add your even healthier sides from home. In addition to the leftovers, include a side salad, some whole grain cracker or bread, some extra fresh raw veggies or fruits. Nobody ever wants to eat JUST leftovers, so adding the healthy extras you have at home is a total holiday nutrition win!

The post Holiday Nutrition appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

Get The Book – Learn Lessons God Has For You

We can’t fully appreciate the fitness God intends for humanity until we understand AND EXPERIENCE our own weakness and the brokenness of those around us.

Before being introduced to Lyndsey Medford’s book, My Body And Other Crumbling Empires, I have followed Jimmy Peña for years. Jimmy is a former fitness director for Muscle & Fitness, a New York Times best selling author and the founder of PrayFit where he advocates for helping the many people who lack mobility and need respite. In 2013 Jimmy was personally introduced to chronic pain, suffering, and illness. I’ve worked with other groups and individuals all living out their faith in Christ through some aspect of fitness and wellness. I’ve highlighted many of them here in Faith & Fitness Magazine.

I received a copy of a small book by Sean DeMars simply titled, Does the Gospel Promise Health and Prosperity? I’ve not yet done an article on that book but I think you know the answer to that rather rhetorical question – NO!

It’s unfortunate but the faith and fitness community is rife with secular hype and attitude. Put even more bluntly by Paul in the New Testament book of Second Timothy, many have a form of godliness but deny the power. He wrote it from a Roman prison cell, (check out my article on being COMMITTED as a prisoner) a good place to get your eyes opened even more by God. Paul goes on to say, “stay clear of these people”. It’s no surprise that many people who don’t have a relationship with God often do exactly that AND then they stay clear of God too!

When life gets too good it’s easy to be deceived, distracted and ignore God. Unrestrained passion for health and the religious practice of physical fitness can lead to lust, arrogance, ignorance and idolatry. The Bible warning is clear: Do not be deceived. Yet we all too often and easily are deceived. Real positivity only exists in humble and total attribution to Christ. Everything else is counterfeit and lacks lasting power.

YOU CAN’T MAKE YOURSELF EXCEPTIONAL

Lyndsey Medford in her forward says this:

I’m fluent in multiple languages… In early 2009, without signing up for a course or traveling across an ocean I was plunged into the total immersion language program of chronic illness. In a matter of days, I started learning syllables I had never heard before. Burning. Throbbing. Stinging. Stabbing. I was twenty years old and a junior in college, and suddenly I could barely walk, hold a pen, open a book, or pray a prayer. The land of ease became a memory. The body I had implicitly used to make myself exceptional went on strike until I recognized her as more than a machine. – I started paying attention to parts of myself that Christians had taught me to fear, silence, cover up, and control.

-Lundsay Medford

Do you use your body to make yourself exceptional? Does your faith and fitness demand that anything and everything in your body and others that we ourselves can’t make and maintain perfect be feared, silenced, covered up and controlled instead of being wholly given to God?

Christ doesn’t call people to be exceptional. He invites you to be like Him. How do you do that? Check out the Bible for all the details.

COMMIT TO THIS – A CALL TO ACTION

Dear Faith & Fitness Magazine readers, the subtitle of this book is, Lessons for Healing in a World That Is Sick. Get this book. Read it. Pray deeply. Listen to your body in ways you’ve never done before. Find a way to put yourself in the presence of others who are tired, sick, hurting, disabled, confused and even those who are imminently facing death. Befriend them, listen to them, extend grace to them, walk with them and try to feel their pain and suffering. Then tell God, like you never have before, #hereIam

Commit to learning God’s lessons for healing in a world that is sick and you’ll gain a transformed understanding and appreciation for fitness as the true love and blessing from God that it is.

AN OVERVIEW OF MY BODY AND OTHER CRUMBLING EMPIRES

Sixty percent of adults in the U.S. live with a chronic illness. If we included mental illness and chronic pain, that number would be even higher. Autoimmune diseases in particular, including long COVID, are on the rise. 

Christian adults living with chronic illness may be left behind by the talk of “body positivity” or embodied theology, as they struggle to unequivocally name their bodies as good. They may have read books about healing through “lifestyle interventions” like diet or “detoxing,” but wonder if being unable to follow the recommendations or failing to heal means they don’t deserve to live with less pain. They are looking for ways to live gracefully within limitations they never asked for, and/or to understand their experience of chronic illness within a larger context of global burnout. 

In My Body and Other Crumbling Empires: Lessons for Healing in a World that Is Sick Lyndsey Medford points out the beauty, and ubiquity in limitations; the importance of accessibility, broadly construed; the interconnected nature of health and public health; and the badly-needed wisdom we have gained from living with our particular bodies. A recent review in Publishers Weekly raves: “Those suffering from chronic illnesses will find a compassionate friend in Medford, and those seeking to live a more justice-focused life, a willing guide. Her sharp insights will help readers re-imagine healing and wholeness.”

The post What To Do When Your Body Is A Crumbling Empire appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

I’d seen this phenomenon in others before, and after reading the symptoms, my suspicions of having a trigger finger were confirmed. Also known by its complex name, stenosing flexor tenosynovitis, trigger finger is a form of swelling in the pully system of the tendon. (1)

Really? A pully system to raise the fingers up and down? God’s design never ceases to amaze me. You and I are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Anyway, I was definitely swollen that morning instead of swell. It was a clear sign for me to take care of the stiffness in my hands and its underlying cause of inflammation for good.

GOOD, BAD AND UGLY INFLAMMATION

As you may already know, inflammation is either short-term and beneficial or it is long-term and causes problems. Being a nurse for over twenty years, and seeing inflammation’s profound effects on people, I suspected my body was responding to the long-term kind.

However, I wanted to understand the root cause rather than begin medications, get injections, or have surgery. Even though the condition can be due to carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis, I’ve been trained to see there is some type of invader triggering this response.

Let me explain what I mean more clearly.

God gives you and I the inherent ability to fight when attacked. This system of protection includes hormones to respond to danger and chemical pathways to fight infection. The body’s amazing power and authority to respond to invasion results in helpful, restorative measures causing short-term inflammation.

The battle begins when temporary invasions of bacteria and viruses stimulate white blood cells (WBC). They come in all their armor to defeat the enemy. Neutrophils and macrophages are the WBCs arriving to dismantle the invader and sweep up debris. They are followed by helper T cells and B cells who develop special skills to recognize and remember the intruders’ characteristics in preparation for a future invasion.

The resulting inflammation is appropriate and serves a purpose.

SNEAKY INVADER IS TEMPTING AND DELICIOUS

However, when the invasion is persistent from food sensitivities or junk food, chronic inflammation can result. Damage occurs in different bodily places at the cellular level. Common results of this slow building storm are disorders like arthritis, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. (2)

I’m not surprised to read 50% of all deaths are related to these chronic inflammatory conditions. (2) But what does alarm me is the way this enemy gets past my defenses.

He came in stealthily disguised as tempting and delicious. I fell for the holiday cookies, brownies, and cheesy dips like many others do. Studies show sugar is known to trigger inflammation throughout the body. (3)

Since the occurrence of this finger condition came alongside indulgences, I decided to do a little experiment.

What if I cut out all the excess sugar consumption and dairy for a few weeks and see what happens? Following an eating pattern filled with antioxidants and nutrients became key to returning my cells to normal. You can learn more about how to do this too in my blog post “15 Strategies to Begin Intentional Eating: Living the Life God Calls us to Live.”

Four weeks later, with no sugar and no dairy consumed, my trigger finger resolved on its own. Here are the four steps that helped me get past the swelling in my tendons:

1. Prayer to understand the cause and guide me to find answers to the root of the problem.
2. Limiting sugary foods with more than three ingredients to 1-2 times a week.
3. Enjoy more fruits and vegetables from the produce section of the grocery store.
4. Pickleball, walking, and a dance class are fun ways to help blood flow well to all extremities.

The steps were easy to implement and well worth the effort!

How about you? What steps do you take to help transform your body from swollen to swell? POST YOUR TIPS AND COMMENTS BELOW.

References:

Furman D, Campisi J, Verdin E, Carrera-Bastos P, Targ S, Franceschi C, Ferrucci L, Gilroy DW, Fasano A, Miller GW, Miller AH, Mantovani A, Weyand CM, Barzilai N, Goronzy JJ, Rando TA, Effros RB, Lucia A, Kleinstreuer N, Slavich GM. Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nat Med. 2019 Dec;25(12):1822-1832. Doi: 10.1038/s41591-019-0675-0. Epub 2019 Dec 5. PMID: 31806905; PMCID: PMC7147972.

Ma X, Nan F, Liang H, Shu P, Fan X, Song X, Hou Y, Zhang D. Excessive intake of sugar: An accomplice of inflammation. Front Immunol. 2022 Aug 31; 13:988481. Doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.988481. PMID: 36119103; PMCID: PMC9471313.

Merry SP, O’Grady JS, Boswell CL. Trigger Finger? Just Shoot! J Prim Care Community Health. 2020 Jan-Dec; 11:2150132720943345. Doi: 10.1177/2150132720943345. PMID: 32686570; PMCID: PMC7372603.

The post Why You’re Swollen Instead Of Swell appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

THE BIG CHANGE

In 2005 they had begun asking questions like “Would you consider sleeping with someone on the first date?” Compared to 2005, in 2016 every single demographic group was more likely to say “no”. Heterosexual women were the statistical leaders with 25% being less likely to say yes. When they were asked, “Would you date someone just for sex?” again, every single demographic group said no more than in 2005. There was an overall drop of 10% in 11 years.

More evidence that agrees with this trend is a large US national research study of over 3000 young adults and high school students that was released in 2017 by Harvard University. Its findings were that a large majority of young adults are overestimating how many other young people are hooking up. This study also showed that 85% of young adults would prefer other options over hooking up, such as hanging out with friends or having sex within a committed relationship.

THE COLLEGE SCENE

From the hookup culture frontlines, the colleges, more evidence of women’s true desires surface. In a study of 832 college students, only 26% of women, but a full 50% of men reported feeling positive after hookup. Of the same 832 students 49% of women and 26% of men had a negative reaction after hooking up.

In research on specifically 152 college women only, 74% had either few or some regrets after a hookup; 61% had a few regrets 23% had no regrets, 13% had some regrets and 3% had many regrets. In a related study, college women’s, but not college men’s depression symptoms increased as their number of sexual partners in a year increased.

In yet another study focused on college students the authors found that 78% of college students overestimated others comfort with hookup behaviors, with men especially overestimating women’s comfort with hookups.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE

Moving our examination to the young adult bar scene, in a study of 169 sexually active women and men in singles bars, only 32% of men said that they would feel guilty about having intercourse with someone they had just met compared to 72% of women. Complicating matters further, in a study of 118 freshman female college students, participants shared that in 64% of cases hookups followed alcohol use. The average number of drinks in these encounters was three. This combination of binge drinking in order to numb the feelings of impersonal sex has become characteristic of many college campuses.

Most upsetting of all is the relationship of hookup culture with sexual assault. In a study of 178 college men and women, the participants revealed that most of their experiences with unwanted sex occurred while engaged in a hookup. As a matter of fact, 78% took place during a hookup, 14% during an ongoing relationship, and 8% on a date. It can be seen that in reality, hookup culture in many cases enables rape culture. No woman I’ve known or even heard of would ever choose to have to suffer through this!

So, the picture is pretty clear that this common sexual pattern that people are enduring in the Western world has many profound downsides, and that is particularly true for women. So, what do women really want? From both my personal experience and extensive research I have found that a large majority of women want to return to a world where there is commonly a relationship of love and respect between men and women. This entails returning to a culture where sex is reserved for his proper place: marriage.

BACK TO ROMANCE!

Women express to me that they like it when a man displays chivalry toward them. They like to be treated like a lady. This is why Jane Austen books and movies are so popular with women. They want to return to traditional courtship, traditional marriage, and traditional family. In other words, they want the kind of life that they see their great-grandparents and grandparents in many cases had. In a phrase, they want to get back to romance. That’s why there is a ROMANCE REVOLT taking shape across Western societies.

What is the foundation of this? Well, I believe it goes back to the beginning of human history. From the very start God made human females one-man women.

“Your desire will be for your husband”

Genesis 3:16 CSB

What do women really want this Valentine’s Day? Their God-given, innate nature compels them want to get back to romance!

The post WHAT DO WOMEN REALLY WANT? appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

Some of these young people who had done this in some cases for over a year seem to be some of the most well-adjusted and mature young adults that I had ever had the honor to work with. With their choice to do this they had absolutely demonstrated consistency, intentionality, and faithfulness to their Christian beliefs. They seem to be very happy and in control of themselves after having taken their impulses under control and lived a life that was the polar opposite of most of their college friends for an extended period of time.

GOOD CLEAN FUN

One of their characteristics that really stood out was the way that when we were all in a group, we would all be laughing about some of the funniest morally clean things that happened to them on their journeys that I could imagine. There was something just really good about being able to laugh about these things that happened that demonstrated their strong commitment to ethics and morality but were at the same time, sidesplittingly funny circumstances among these young adults who were now in couples and navigating relationships. It was the old expression “just clean fun!”

I made a mental note of this, and beyond a strong admiration of what they had demonstrated, did not give it much more thought. That is, until my research brought me upon the concept of dopamine depletion. This is a widespread phenomenon in our 21^st century society. Basically, the problem is that as outlined in earlier posts, our lives do not match up very well with the lives of our ancestors. Here, we are having too many hedonistic pleasurable experiences in close succession and chronically. Our ancestors had very few of them and had to work very hard to get them.

MODERN DOPAMINE SPIKING LIFESTYLE

What am I talking about here? Well for one thing the way we typically eat. For example, the amount of sugar we consume per day now compared to the past. In 1700, the average intake of sugar per day was about 5 g. By 2009 the average had risen to 227 g per day. Sweet tastes spike dopamine levels. Every time dopamine spikes it crashes and lowers the baseline level. Eventually this leads to depression and the need to eat more and more sugar to get the same pleasurable high.

The same thing happens with sex. Hookup culture with its continuous casual sex to orgasm does the same thing to dopamine except more extremely. The same is true of porn use. Again, this is not Natural Lifestyle Matching in any way. Hookup culture and porn use can be looked at as behavioral addictions that are dopamine depleting. The dating abstinence that I have witnessed from the young adults I’ve had the honor of working with this year has the opposite effect. It is dopamine replenishing.

JUNK FOOD AND JUNK SEX

So, a hedonistic lifestyle, whether it be in the area of eating or the area of sex, is destructive to humans. One way we can think about it is that neither Junk Food nor Junk Sex is good for us. The Bible speaks to this:

“If you find honey eat just enough-too much of it and you will vomit.”

Proverbs 25:16 NIV

“Treat older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”

1 Timothy 5:1-2

          This clean, biblical approach to life allows us to relate to each other with a clean conscience and really become good friends that can have a great time together. When I saw these young adult women and men relating to each other in this way, it made me and them laugh!

The post MADE ME LAUGH appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

ROMANCE LOWERS TESTOSTERONE

It is extremely important that most young people get on a pathway that is going to lead to a happy and a lifelong marriage, for their safety and well-being sake, and this is especially important for males. Excess testosterone is the root of many young men’s physical, emotional, and mental problems. When a man romantically commits to a woman his testosterone drops. If they get married, it drops further. If the couple then has children his testosterone will drop even further. In some research fathers have shown testosterone levels that are 50% lower than unmarried men with no children. As we learned in Part 1, constant high testosterone levels are bad for any species of God’s creation. An example cited was deer who only have high testosterone and antlers during the fall rut each year.

In the past 60 years there have been forces in our society that have tried to push us away from a culture where premarital chastity was honored and reinforced by societal norms. In 1960 for instance, in our 20 to 29-year-old population, there were three times more that were married. For that matter in 1960, 75% of all of those over 18 and older were married. One other telling statistic is that in 1960, 5% of children were born out of wedlock. By 2010, 40% of our children were being born without the benefit of their parents being married.

FATHER PRESENCE IS HUGE

This situation where more and more of our children are growing up in homes headed mostly by single mothers (many of whom are doing a heroic job) is helping to lead to many of the negative social situations in our society. Children need both parents as strong role models. Because of the explosion of testosterone at puberty, especially at ages 13–15, during which it increases 30 times their boyhood levels, the need of males for strong male role models in their father’s is imperative. If they don’t experience it, then often times they will look for it elsewhere. The females in the family, and especially sisters, also provide important lessons on what girls behavior is like in everyday life. Young men whose first experience with similar age females is dating often do not know how to relate to them and are scared to even try. The family is God’s relationship training ground.

MARVELOUS AND MAGNIFICENT MARRIAGE TO THE RESCUE!

For all of these and many more reasons Marvelous and Magnificent Marriage acts as excellent therapy for Testosterone Trap Trauma and provides safety for the Male Danger Zone. Marriage is Testosterone Trap Therapy for males. It protects them from the Male Danger Zone through the aforementioned lowering of their testosterone levels, but it also focuses them on good things. Marriage molds men into producers, providers, and savers. Married men are more committed to the workforce, they have fewer addictions, they commit less crime, and they are less likely to become crime victims themselves. They also have better health and are less prone to accidents.

Then the Lord God said, it is not good for man to be alone, I will make a helper corresponding to him. Genesis 2:18 CSB

In Genesis we read that God recognized that it is not good for man to be alone. Being married helps a man on so many different levels. Brides bring with them into the marriage a natural ability to create and maintain social networks. Husband’s benefit from this mightily. When divorce happens that network generally goes with the wife. The result of this and many other factors makes married men have better immune systems, have lower levels of depression and stress, less likely to commit suicide or murder. In fact, married men are 250% less likely to die prematurely then divorced men from all causes! This is a great example of Natural Lifestyle Matching because this pattern of young men and young women finding each other, falling in love, getting married and having a family has repeated itself for thousands of generations.

Even so, some young men having escaped the Testosterone Trap earlier, have a tendency over time to seek extramarital relationships. God’s wise design for Marvelous and Magnificent Marriage with all its benefits stands the test of time though. Males would do well to keep the wisdom of the Bible as their unfailing guide for their lives.

Let your fountain be blessed and take pleasure in the wife of your youth. A loving deer, a graceful doe-let her breasts always satisfy you; be lost in her love forever. Proverbs 5:18-19 CSB

As our Creator, God knows us, and especially our challenges, so well.

The post TESTOSTERONE TRAP THERAPY PART 2 appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

Testosterone Trap Trauma is related to marriage in that marriage solves a lot of the problems brought on by boys and young men living through the Testosterone Trap period in their lives. This is the time in a boy and then young man’s life, generally between ages 15 and 25 when they will experience the highest testosterone levels in their lives. Testosterone causes a great deal of acting out on the part of young males in this age group. Much of it is meant to be impressive to members of the opposite sex.

YOUNG AND RECKLESS MALES

It leads to a high level of risk-taking and sometimes life-threatening situations. Even before this adolescent time frame, because of the influence of testosterone on male brains before birth, boys experience near drowning nearly twice as frequently as girls and die from drowning four times as frequently as girls. For every girl that gets seriously burned by fire, three boys sustain similar burns, boys are injured and killed more frequently than girls while riding bikes, on playground equipment, and during sports activities. For every girl who is injured on playground, four boys are.

MALE DANGER ZONE 15-25

During the 15 to 25-year-old time phase of life that I call The Danger Zone, males have approximately a four times greater chance of death by homicide, suicide, drug overdose, and car accident than females of the same age. Most of this violence is practiced against males in the same age group. Men killing men occurs 30 to 50 times more often than women killing women. Males murdering other males occurs most from ages 18 to 25 and more frequently in unmarried rather than married men. Around two thirds of males killing males results from social conflict rather than crime. And here’s a very important point, more than half of these murders are related to status competition.

When young males get into a competition with each other their testosterone rises. It also rises when they are around attractive females. This is most especially true if the young men are not romantically committed to anyone. The winner of the competition continues to experience his testosterone rising and the loser experiences a drop. This unfortunate scenario plays out in gangs in cities around the world. The gangs provide a substitute for the family that the young man is missing coming from. There are very few positive male role models in many of these young men’s lives. This situation is a recipe for disaster for many of our young men. Also, think of the tragedy of school shootings. What percentage of the shooters are males 15 to 25 years old? I think we all know the answer to that question already. Having a place that boys and young men can call home and a traditional family is a huge advantage!

EXCESS TESTOSTERONE PHYSICALLY UNHEALTHY

Not only is excess testosterone bad for young men behaviorally, continued high levels of it is bad for them physiologically as well. Across God’s creation, male creatures only carry high levels of testosterone during their mating season. For instance, in the fall male deer sport antlers with which to fight other male deer in order to display dominance and be able to mate with the females in the herd. As soon as mating season is over their testosterone levels drop and they shed their antlers.

Testosterone it turns out, is an immune system suppressive hormone. A male creature has to be very fit and healthy to have even temporary high levels of it. Estrogen on the other hand is an immune enhancing hormone. That is one of the reasons that human females on average outlive males. This overall picture of male-focused harm is what I have named Testosterone Trap Trauma. Like Natural Lifestyle Matching, most people are unaware of this phenomenon to their detriment.

GOD’S REMEDIES

Fortunately, our maker God knows all about how we are made and how we function. In Part 2 we are going to learn about His wise instructions to young men in these areas. For right now, I will point out that Proverbs chapters 5 through 7 illuminates much wisdom that is focused on and communicated to young men in this area specifically. I am not aware of any other similar instructions given to young adult females in the Bible about their sexuality.

“Though the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey and her words are smoother than oil, in the end she is bitter as wormwood and as sharp as a double-edged sword” Proverbs 5: 3-4 CSB

At your convenience, please read those chapters of Proverbs and I believe you will see what I mean. We will also see in Part 2 how Marvelous and Magnificent Marriage, as God designed it, helps solve many of these self-destructive problems.

The post Testosterone Trap Trauma Therapy Part 1 appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.