Christian Paths to Health and Wellness

Abraham and Moses were shepherds, Jesus was a craftsman, and other than the fact that they’re both biblical characters, they had one other thing in common; they lived in an age when there were no “sedentary lifestyles” or bad food. The average diet in those days was bread, goat cheese, dates, and olives, no processed meats or sodium-heavy canned soups. The only meat they would’ve had was goat, and even that was only eaten on special occasions. Today it’s not much different in some Arab countries; lunch for a Bedouin goat herder is bread and dates. He doesn’t sit at a desk all day, eating junk food because he’s bored.

Christian Paths to Health and Wellness is essentially about the American health crisis. On one hand we eat bad food and don’t exercise enough, while on the other hand, the rest of us are dangerously obsessed with our looks. In the case study My Struggles With My Appearance it shows you how if you’re too concerned with your body, it actually overrides your concern for real health. Young men often become so concerned with the perfect figure that they use steroids, and we all know what those do to you. There’s a reason why vanity is one of the seven deadly sins!

In some ways this book blames a lot of the problem in the constant pressure to win. In the chapter Emotional Health and Wellness, it discusses the massive stress we put on ourselves, along with selective listening. Fist, as St. Paul said in Romans 7:21, “some people think they accomplish nothing unless they accomplish all goals.” Now think of the man or woman who works long hours to pay for a huge house, cable TV, student loans, vacation in the Bahamas. Then there’s the high school athlete who pushes himself to win at the expense of his grades, his health, and his freedom. This is an example of the all-or-nothing mentality.

This line of thinking can even effect the company you work for-absenteeism, turnover, accidents with machinery or vehicles. Teenage suicide is discussed, along with obesity, nutrition, and picky eating. There’s a funny story in this book, where all-or-nothing creates a “town versus gown” struggle for a Christian college. The students all sign a petition to keep the college library open on Sunday, and it riles the administrators. But who’s even more riled? The locals! They say that the public library is overrun on Sundays with college students, and nobody else can get it. Even Christian college students get caught in the 24/7 workaholic war of desperation!

I recommend this book for anyone teaching health and hygiene to high school students. The illustrations are excellent for the topic. But a few more case studies or examples would be a little more helpful.