How Much Should I Weigh?
It is good to eat right and maintain a healthy weight. But, what really is a healthy weight? Is the current standard of weight the perfect thing for everyone? How much should we labor to meet that standard and should it be the focus of our health journey? In his book Temple Maintenance, Dr. James P. Gillis points out that God gave very specific dimensions for both the Tabernacle in the wilderness and Solomon’s temple. Our body is a temple too, the temple of the Holy Ghost. God knows our frame, and He surely knows just the perfect size for our body. (See page 9) As we eat right and take proper care of our body and keep ourselves active, we can ask God to show us what we should weigh and also ask His help in getting to that weight and maintaining it. Our body does belong to Him, and He can help us know just what it needs.
Things that Harm the Temple
There are several things that can harm this temple, our body. Three of these would be
Tobacco
Alcohol
Drugs
In what ways can these things be harmful to our bodies?
Smoking can increase the risk of developing several types of cancer, including lung cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer. It can also increase the risk of coronary artery disease and COPD. Second-hand smoke can affect the health of those around us. Chewing tobacco may result in a higher chance of developing cancer in the mouth.
Alcohol can damage the brain and the heart. It might also cause a person to be more susceptible to developing cancer. It can lead to the ruining of lives and the breaking apart of families. Alcohol is a form of slow self-poisoning, toxic to the body, mind, and quality of life of the person drinking and those closest to that person.
Drugs lead to all kinds of bad things – violence, accidents, homicide, anxiety, irritability, depression, suicide, and lower productivity. They also keep the user from being able to think clearly or have good judgment.
All three of these things affect our bodies, and two of them affect our minds and ability to use good judgment. All of them affect the people around us. We should keep our bodies and minds pure for God’s glory.
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Corinthians 10:31)
Healthy Tip:
Dehydrated citrus slices
Sprinkle lemon and lime slices with a mixture of powdered ginger and raw sugar and dehydrate until crunchy. Eat one in the morning and one in the evening to help boost the immune system and keep healthy, especially during the flu season.
Mix powdered ginger and sugar, about equal amounts. Put this mixture into a spice bottle with a shaker top that has little holes, maybe an empty glass spice bottle or maybe re-use a container such as an empty black pepper container.
Slice lemons and limes fairly thin. Lay them out on the dehydrating trays and sprinkle with the lemon and ginger mixture. Just a light sprinkle will do. Dehydrate until clear and crispy like chips.
If you do not have a dehydrator, lay slices on stainless steel baking sheets or glass baking pans. You could try silicone. I have not tried that. Sprinkle with the lemon and lime mixture. Put oven on just above the “warm” setting. Preheat it and put your pans in the oven and prop the oven open with the handle of a wooden spoon. You will want to turn the slices over every couple hours to keep them from sticking to the pan. If you dehydrate in the oven, the slices may turn brown, possibly because of the sugar. They are just fine and still taste delicious.
This recipe uses sugar, but the amount of sugar from one or two slices is very little, probably less than 1 gram, maybe even hardly measurable. Hope you enjoy!