Mind + Body + Spirit
We are these three, in one. Created in the Image of God, Who is Mind (God, the Father), Body (Jesus Christ), and Spirit (the Holy Ghost), the human embodies the tri-nature of its Creator.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19,20)
Disclaimer: These thoughts stem from a question my brother-in-law asked me after I had been discrediting the ingredients in a carton of sugar-free ice cream, "Does not eating all that stuff make you happier?" At first, I was annoyed at the question, because for one, I don't "worry" about it. I aspire to be intentional with how I feed my body, but I know that if I take care of it, it will be resilient against the occasional serving of Splenda ice cream. I didn't have an immediate answer for him. I knew that it doesn't make me unhappy! But as I continued to ponder on it, I realized that yes, caring as best you know for your body does promote happiness. This is a sort of accumulation of my own reasoning and ideas as well as that of what I've read and/or heard from others. It is not exhaustive of the topic, and I am also open for correction if anything seems erroneous.
Back at the top, I wrote how we are three-in-one. We are mind: we think, speak, act, breathe because of mind. We are body: we work, play, eat, rest because of body. We are spirit: we pray, worship, love, have emotions because of spirit. Each of the three has needs of nourishment and exercise to be healthy. My main focus in this writing is going to be on food (nourishment for body), but for the sake of example and making clear its importance, I will include some ideas for each of the three.
For the Mind:
Nourishment for the mind could be pure thoughts, a practice of gratitude, interaction with others, and creativity. I personally have found all of these things to be extremely replenishing and uplifting to the mind. (Philippians 4:8; Romans 12:2)
Exercise for the mind might look like learning a new skill, solving problems, playing games that involve strategy and competition. These activities will improve the elasticity of your brain and protect against Alzheimer's, Dementia, and other brain or mental disorders.
There are things that are obviously detrimental to the health of your mind. Dwelling on shameful thoughts, fretting about the future or what others are thinking about you, reading or watching impure material--these things should guarded against.
For the Body:
Nourishment for the body is not only food, but also sunshine, hydration, and restful sleep. Here's where I want to expound some. All food should be nourishing, but by no means is everything we call food nourishing. Remember, mind-body-spirit, all one. We know that for a healthy mind we should not allow it to consume nasty material and think untrue thoughts. What makes you think your body should be treated any differently? What if filling your body with right, clean, fresh foods helps you think right, clean, fresh thoughts? And vice versa: if your mind is bent on wholesomeness, won't you choose wholesome foods to eat? I've heard the argument that "if it's being sold on the shelf, it must be edible." Well, certainly it won't poison you, right away. But you could say the same thing about the book store or internet content when it comes to taking care of your mind. "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient. 1Corinthians 6:12" I do not think this means we can never enjoy a doughnut or ice cream cone (especially if it's homemade!), in the same way that it isn't a bad thing to read a fluffy novel from time to time. Another thing to remember is that all the thousands of options of ready-made foods are loaded with ingredients that improve shelf stability and enhance flavor (they want it to be addicting). These consumables were developed because people are lazy and think they'll be happier if they can spend less time growing and preparing their own food and do "fun" things instead. Alas, see what has happened to the overall health and happiness of the nation?? It continues to plummet. Fertility problems are more prevalent than ever as well. When you truly think of how your body is a temple for the Lord, what you put in it is no more of a laughing matter than how you clothe and adorn it. A body that is deeply nourished will be calm, rooted, warm, and energetic. This does not need to be an obsession for it to be present in your life. God gave us a deep knowing of what's good for us in all areas of life, and I believe this definitely includes the foods we eat. Don't we all want to be the best version of God's image that we can be? Doesn't He want us to glorify Him in that way? Let's not undermine how taking care of our bodies plays a significant role in that.
Exercise really is just a form of nourishment, but some things that will improve your temple are walking, plenty of hard physical labor, lifting heavy things. To assist those and stay pain-free, do some stretching and practice good posture and form: toes pointed straight ahead, arches held high, hips moving slightly behind your ribs, hinging at your hips and knees rather than bending your back, shoulders erect but loose, head floating high with eyes horizon-ward.
For the Spirit:
Nourishment for the spirit is surely the most important, but you will find it flows much more easily when mind and body are in a nourished state. Reading the Holy Word of God and church worship are obvious forms, but time in nature is certainly important for the spirit as well. The earth was made beautiful so that when we see it we think of its Creator.
Exercise for the spirit... perhaps meditation, prayer, and journaling qualify as this, and especially looking for God. I have seen God in an almond blossom, heard Him in the song of a finch, tasted Him in the burst of a fresh strawberry, smelled Him in the pungent rose, and felt Him in the strength of a giant ponderosa. He's all around, but you have to choose to experience Him.
I am aware of how some of these topics can be sensitive areas to some, and how an imbalanced mind might obsess over certain aspects. We should all make honest efforts to be intentional with our choices of "food" for all three parts of ourselves. You can trust your God-given knowing to guide you and tell you when to fully enjoy the candy bar or comic book and when you should opt for something else. Fear and anxiety of what "bad stuff" you might be ingesting when you are out in town, et cetera, will do you more harm than good. Our bodies were divinely designed to heal and to be resilient against disease; they will take care of us if we take care them.
Amen