Lethbridge SDA Church

December 2024 - Attitude of Gratitude

“Nothing tends more to promote health of body and of the soul than does a spirit of gratitude and praise” Ministry of Healing page 251.

Gratitude is a thankful appreciation or recognition of something that’s been done for us either by a person, by life itself, or perceived from God.

 

An Ounce of Gratitude is Worth a Pound of Cure

It turns out practicing gratitude can make you happier and healthier. An overwhelming body of research indicates you’re going to experience more joy, vitality, and inner peace if you notice whatever blessings are in your life and give thanks when you experience them.

Gratitude doesn’t make things feel better. It can also make things better. Gratitude is good for your physical, emotional and mental health. “The practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects in a person’s life”, explains Dr. Emmons.

People who express more gratitude have:

• Few headaches, gastrointestinal difficulties, and respiratory infections and sleep better.
• Improved mental health, happiness and reduced stress and cortisol levels during pregnancy.
• Better health outcomes for people with chronic diseases like heart disease.
• Less emotional exhaustion, more happiness, and better work life balance.

 

Can practicing gratitude really change your life?

In the study conducted by Dr. Emmons and his colleague Dr. Mike McCullough of the University of Miami, randomly assigned participants were given one of three tasks. Each week participants kept a short journal. One group briefly described five things they were grateful for, that had occurred in the past week, and the other group recorded five daily hassles from the previous week that displeased them. The neutral group was asked to list five events or circumstances that affected them, but they were not told whether to focus on the positive or the negative.

Keep in mind that these groups were randomly assigned and that nothing about their lives were inherently different other than the journaling they were doing.

People in the grateful group listed things such as “sunset through the clouds”, “the chance to be alive”, and “the generosity of friends”.

In the hassles group, people listed familiar things like “taxes”, “hard to find parking”, and “burnt by dinner”. After ten weeks, participants in the gratitude group reported feeling better about their lives as a whole and were 25% happier than the hassled group. They reported fewer health complaints. They were exercising an average of one and a half hours more per week.

In a later study by Dr. Emmons, people were asked to write every day about things for which they were grateful. Not surprisingly, this daily practice led to greater increases in gratitude than did the weekly journaling in the first study. However, the results showed another benefit: Participants in the gratitude group also reported offering others more emotional support or help with a personal problem indicating that the greatest attitude exercise increased their goodwill towards others and more technically their “pro-social” motivation.

 

Quiz question: What’s the healthiest part of Thanksgiving? Nope, it’s not tofu, the brussels sprouts, or the sweet potato casserole. The most health-promoting aspect of Thanksgiving is right there in the name, giving thanks. Practicing gratitude daily can improve our moods, our fortunes and our communities.

 

November 2024 - The Beginnings of Adventist Health Reform

Joseph Bates: A Pioneer in Health


• Joseph Bates was one of the earliest Adventist health reformers. He began his journey even before becoming a Christian.
• As a sea captain, Bates discovered principles of health reform and made life-altering choices including eliminating hard liquor in 1821, followed by wine, and tobacco soon after.
• His advocacy extended beyond personal habits, as he founded one of America’s first temperance societies in 1827, inspiring others to adopt healthier lifestyles.
• On his final voyage, at age 35, Bates banned alcohol among his crew. To his delight, the crew’s morale and productivity improved without alcohol.
• Upon retiring, he also abandoned tea and coffee, embracing a simpler, plant-based diet. His dedication to health principles allowed him to avoid many health issues that plagued early Adventist leaders, such as James White and John Loughborough.

 

Early Adventist Health Principles


• Though health reform wasn't fully embraced in the 1840s and ’50s, Adventists endorsed certain principles, particularly alcohol abstinence.
• By 1848, Ellen White discouraged tobacco, tea, and coffee use. In 1853, The Review and Herald took a stance against these substances. Ellen White advocated hygiene and dietary reform, encouraging whole foods over greasy, rich foods.
• A slow but steady dietary reform began to progress gradually.
• In 1850, the question of abstaining from pork emerged. James White, though not opposed, refrained from making it a church-wide rule. Ellen White, too, emphasized that God would make such matters clear to the church collectively, signaling the importance of personal conviction.

 

A Family Health Crisis: The Turning Point

• A health crisis in the White family in 1863 marked a pivotal moment.
• With a diphtheria epidemic sweeping the nation, their sons contracted the illness.
• Inspired by an article on hydrotherapy by Dr. James C. Jackson of Dansville Health Institute, James and Ellen White chose hydrotherapy over medication for their sons.
• Both boys recovered, and Ellen White later applied the same methods to aid a neighbor’s child.
• The success led to the article’s publication in The Review and Herald, spreading hydrotherapy knowledge among Adventists.

 

Continued Health Reform

Ellen White, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote several books in Health reform, including:

• Ministry of Healing
• Medical Ministry
• Counsels on Health
• A Call to Medical Evangelism and Health Education
• Counsels on Diet and Foods
• Healthful Living
• Testimony Studies on Diet and Foods

We have been blessed with all these resources to help us live a healthy life. We strongly encourage everyone to read and study these books.

Note: all books are available for free online at whiteestate.org

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. (3 John 1:2)

 

OCTOBER 2024 - PHYSICAL EXERCISE

What is physical exercise?

Exercise is defined as "a specific type of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repeatedly done to improve or maintain physical fitness”. Walking, running, cycling, or playing any sports such as soccer, tennis, and pickleball all count as physical exercise!

 

How many times should we exercise?

In general, research has shown that we start to see benefits when we regularly exercise. Health Canada recommends:

• Children and youth should get at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity involving a variety of aerobic activities.
• Adults, including seniors, should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week (30 mins, 3 times per week).

 

There are many benefits of exercise. It may help to:

• Create a good sense of well-being.
• Prevent or treat depression and anxiety. Did you know that many studies have shown that regular exercise (if done effectively), in some cases, may be as good as taking medications for depression!
• Increase brain sensitivity to hormones like to serotonin and norepinephrine. These hormones relieve feelings of depression and may also increase the production of endorphins, which help produce positive feelings and reduce the perception of pain.
• Prevent and treat many chronic diseases like hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis (especially for seniors), and cancer.
• Lose excess weight, burn fat, and increase muscle mass.
• Improve quality of sleep.
• Improve memory, prevent memory loss, and help to boost concentration.
• Increase energy levels and reduce fatigue.
• Improve efficiency of the heart and lungs.
• Reduce pain due to osteoarthritis (back & joint pain) and fibromyalgia.