“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.“– 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The above verse points out that our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit. In addition, we are to use our bodies to glorify GOD.

If we believe this to be true, then shouldn’t we be thoughtful of how we treat our bodies? If “yes” then this must include what we eat. After all, what we eat is the foundation of health and is often the determining factor in whether our health will be good or bad.

Vanity and an unhealthy focus on our bodies is, of course, to be avoided. Even exercise can get out of control when we place a greater emphasis on it, than on spiritual matters.

“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” – 1 Timothy 4:8

However, if our bodies are the “temple” which the Holy Spirit resides in,then we ought to care for our bodies accordingly – not in an obsessive way that would place a higher importance on physical care than on our spiritual needs. But in a way that is proper and pleasing to Creator God.

When we consume GMOs (genetically modified foods), junk food, food that is laden with chemicals/antibiotics, and copious amounts of sugar, then our bodies respond with inflammation, pain, and the beginning stages of dis-EASE and dis-ORDERS. In fact, many of the items being consumed, today, shouldn’t be thought of as food.

The book of Genesis explains that Adam was made from the dust of the earth…and it is things that grow from the earth that our bodies respond best to.

One of the simplest ways that we can honor Creator, in our bodies, is by consuming food that He approves of. But where do we begin? What does God think about food? Does He really care about what we eat? In the Genesis account, Adam was given the following instructions:

“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” – Genesis 1:29 (KJV)

Creator God was even very specific about what the animals would be permitted to consume:

“And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.” – Genesis 1:30 (KJV)

From the very beginning, God points out what IS for eating and what is NOT for eating. Can you imagine living in paradise, surrounded by myriads of beautiful, delicious, eating options? Adam, and his wife, were given an endless supply of perfectly created food.

Although we cannot, and will not be able to, recreate the conditions needed for a Garden of Eden we can honor Creator God by doing our best to eat food that is as pure as possible. Avoiding genetically modified food (GMO’s) is one of the ways we can do this.

It should go without saying, although sadly it must be said, that “organic” is also the way to go when choosing foods as well.

Health, and wellness, begins with proper nutrition. What we eat not only feeds our stomachs – it also feeds our cells. When our nutritional choices go against what we need, our bodies suffer at a cellular level.

Our bodies were created to heal naturally. Eating things that were never intended to be food, leaves our bodies unable to respond correctly to illness. In fact, oftentimes, our bodily systems go into dis-EASE mode due to a lack of nutrients and an inflammatory environment produced by incorrect nutrition.

Embrace the fact that your body is a temple by making healthy, healing, nutritional choices. Small choices now, will help build a foundation of health for life.

Shalom to you all – Dr. Karen Michelle Ricci ND