In America, we long to be healthy. It's part of our nature. We are always pursuing ways to be better, healthy, and productive. Sometimes we think of health as just our bodies when our health starts emotionally. The inside affects the outside. Jesus paid the way for true health. Divine health.The word "sozo" in the New Testament means salvation. It's the word the scriptures use to describe our condition in Christ. When we break the word down further we realize some things.

Sozo- salvation of spirit, soul and body

The biblical suggestion is divine health of spirit, soul and body. That is the focus of our salvation. Jesus longed to heal "the whole man." He did. Through the cross, we have provision for divine health. A divine life.Health starts from the inside. Prayer and meditation in the word is obvious so let's talk about some other practical tips. Granted, they are not mysteries but health isn't supposed to be mysterious. Here are some tips.

1. Get great shut eye

Contrary to popular belief, many famous and successful men and women managed to get plenty of sleep in the midst of their productive lives. Among all the sleep charts I studied, the common theme was 8 hours of sleep. Albeit, the times they used were different. Consistent rest regulates mood, diet and the brain flushes toxins out of your body as we sleep. “Sleep services all aspects of our body in one way or another: molecular, energy balance, as well as intellectual function, alertness and mood,” says Dr. Merrill Mitler, a sleep expert and neuroscientist at NIH. When you’re tired, you can’t function at your best. Sleep helps you think more clearly, have quicker reflexes and focus better. “The fact is, when we look at well-rested people, they’re operating at a different level than people trying to get by on 1 or 2 hours less nightly sleep,” says Mitler.  “Loss of sleep impairs your higher levels of reasoning, problem-solving and attention to detail,” Mitler explains. Tired people tend to be less productive at work. They’re at a much higher risk for traffic accidents. Lack of sleep also influences your mood, which can affect how you interact with others. A sleep deficit over time can even put you at greater risk for developing depression. But sleep isn’t just essential for the brain. “Sleep affects almost every tissue in our bodies,” says Dr. Michael Twery, a sleep expert at NIH. “It affects growth and stress hormones, our immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure and cardiovascular health.” So, sleep regulates the processes of our body. From our skin, to our weight, to cognitive processes, it is all affected by how many z's you're having each night.

 2. The secret stuff is not so secret

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbaKze622Kg

As we all remember in the movie "Space Jam", Michael's secret stuff, though heavily endorsed by Bugs Bunny, was indeed water. Water is so important. Here are some of the things water will do for you. We should all be drinking 8 eight ounce cups of water. No chugging allowed. You should be sipping this stuff all throughout the day. It keeps you refreshed throughout the day. It's hard to chug the stuff. Just be consistent. Studies have proven that a consistent water intake for several weeks can even cause weight loss. 

- regulate body temperature
- control your weight and digestion
- develop heathy skin tone

3. Eat great

Okay, so this article is not gimmicky. It's also nothing new. Everyone knows the info, we just need a little help. So, let me go over the info quickly.

Some things to avoid:

Sucralose
Aspartame

These are artificial sweeteners(chemicals).These are commonly used in low sugar or sugar free products. Stay away from sugar free products. If you're going to indulge in sugar, have real sugar. Now, be moderate about your sugar use. Ingesting chemicals to replace sugar is not a great idea.One of these chemicals was formerly used in rat poison. Need I say more?

Some things to introduce:

Nuts(fiber)
Coconut milk
Almond milk
Blueberries(superfood)
Kale

If you can buy these organic more power to you but just the effort to make the change makes all the difference. Focus on protein rich foods as they fill you up more effectively than starch-filled foods. Leans meats and even some of the vegetables mentioned above have protein. Stop focusing on the food you need to cut out and focus on replacing it with something better. Eating healthy has been proven to elevate your food. When you eat good, you feel good.

4. Fitness

For all these tidbits of advice, it's important that you stay positive when you fail and keep affirming yourself mentally. The only way to establish healthy habits is to have grace on yourself. You can't build anything substantial on a negative. Let's get to work. Fitness begins in the mind. The self perceptions that we carry have to be renewed and replaced with a victorious mindset. 

Regular fitness as a lifestyle but for those who live crazy lifestyles, endeavor to cram in exercise whenever you can. Prioritize those moments where you could be productive and pound in a set of push-ups. Take advantage of certain workouts that require no weights and you can do them anywhere. For the guys, there's a particular YouTube channel that is helpful for home workouts. It's called six pack shortcuts and their strength is their routines. The workouts are hardhitting and time effective.

The most important thing in exercise is resistance and consistency. Make sure you are challenging yourself physically regularly.If you lift weights you want to use 70% of your capacity to really challenge yourself. Your body will adapt to whatever environment you place it in. What's the goal for your body? Then place yourself in that environment. Persistence pays off. You will start seeing results within weeks but it takes time. There are no shortcuts in life.

-Jorge Valenzuela