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Day 2 Have a health check

[My dear friend Gaius], I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 John 1.2

No one pays much attention to the fact that the writers of the letters in the New Testament were very concerned for the physical health of the people to whom they were writing, as well as their spiritual health. Paul gave some very practical advice to his young protégé Timothy. Knowing that the purity of the water supply in Ephesus was unreliable, he recommended that his friend kept himself pure by drinking ‘a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses’. It is not the same advice that we might give to someone who had just got underway on a detox, but it had the same purpose! He had previously reminded Timothy of the value of exercise, before adding that it is more important to work out spiritually than physically, because this has an impact on ‘both the present life and the life to come’.

When John prayed that his friend Gaius would have a body that was as healthy as his soul, it was in contrast to the philosophy of the ancient Greeks. They assumed the body to be an evil thing, trapping the all-important soul until it is released from its prison by death. But Christians have always viewed God’s creation, particularly the human body, as full of goodness. Paul calls our bodies ‘temples of the Holy Spirit’. There could hardly be a bigger contrast than between a prison and a temple. Honourable behaviour is required in a temple, and that should have an impact on the way we treat our muscle and bone. A godless view of the body sees it merely as a vehicle for reproducing more life through as much sex as possible. A Christian view of the body sees it as something to cherish.

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. 1 Corinthians 6.19–20

Jesus dignified the human body wonderfully by choosing to inhabit one when he walked and talked on our planet. That has implications for the most basic activities of our lives. It means that sex is more than just an animal urge, but something to be enjoyed imaginatively and passionately in a unique relationship of love. It means that eating and drinking are more than cravings to pour salt and fat and sugar down our throats, but are activities that can sustain our bodies in a balanced way. It means that exercise and relaxation are more than leisure pursuits, but are methods that God has given us to be comfortable inside our own skin.

This 40 day detox begins with your body because if you feel fitter and more energetic because of the attention you are paying to your physical circumstances you will be in a much better position to make life-enhancing changes to your spiritual circumstances. How do you know that your body needs a detox? Some of the tell-tale signs are blotchy skin, swollen eyes, breath that doesn’t smell fresh, unexplained mood swings, an uncomfortable neck or aching muscles, too many trivial, sniffly illnesses and an irregular digestive system. Severe instances of any of those, of course, need the advice of a doctor. But minor, irritable instances may simply be symptoms of treating your body like a prison, not a temple.

Be careful to preserve your health. It is a trick of the devil, which he employs to deceive good souls, to incite them to do more than they are able, in order that they may no longer be able to do anything. Vincent de Paul, philanthropist, 1580–1660

The writer of the Proverbs in the Old Testament recommended that the way to achieve health is to look to age- old wisdom that served previous generations well. ‘When I was a boy,’ he wrote, ‘in my father’s house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, he taught me and said, “Lay hold of my words with all your heart . . . for they are life to those who find them and health to a person’s whole body”’ (4.3, 4, 22). This is in the same spirit as the advice of those who write in health magazines today about the impact of toxins on our well-being. They point to the fact that industrial chemicals are stronger, food is more highly refined and pollution levels are higher than they were 50 years ago. Sometimes they send us back to the ways of our grandparents’ generation for solutions. By doing this, the self-healing and self-cleansing techniques that God has designed as part of the way he created our bodies will have an opportunity to work as he meant them to before the amount of toxins we inhale and ingest become too much for our systems to deal with.

The piece of grandmotherly advice that all experts agree on is that we should drink more water. Choose it as an alternative to sugary drinks or coffee. Refined sugar and caffeine both enter the bloodstream very quickly and have, in their own ways, negative or addictive impacts, so they are best regarded as treats rather than necessities that get you through the day. Experts also recommend choosing wholemeal bread instead of white. The scientific reason for this is that the refining process steals valuable nutrients from the grains, but grandmotherly wisdom would add that it steals most of the flavour as well. The same logic applies to other foods that are naturally good for us – fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, unsalted nuts and seeds, food that has been cooked by steaming or grilling rather than frying.

Look to your health and, if you have it, praise God and value it next to a good conscience. For health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of – a blessing that money cannot buy. Therefore value it and be thankful for it. Izaak Walton, writer, 1593–1683

However, nutritionists set their recommendations about eating in the context of advice about taking the active option wherever there is a choice (such as using the stairs instead of a lift, and walking rather than using a car for short distances), countering stress with times of dedicated relaxation, talking openly to friends, and making sure that your work is interrupted by proper breaks and fresh air. This holistic attitude that brings together body, mind and emotions is entirely in keeping with the ancient advice in Proverbs that you should ‘above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life’ (4.23). It seems to have done the world of good for Timothy, Gaius and my grandmother, so I’m ready to give it a go!

Detox: Bring to mind things that have been nagging you about your physical health, and set a target of doing something about them by the end of this 40 day detox. Make an appointment to see a doctor if necessary. Organize some exercise and stretching. Relax and breathe deeply. Book a neck and shoulder massage at a reputable health centre. Replace some or all of the caffeine and alcohol you drink with plenty of water. Get some fresh air, particularly if work or parenting require you to be in an office or at home for long periods.

Lord Jesus, when you chose to become a human being you gave such dignity to the body. Show me how to treat my body with the respect it needs and deserves. Amen.