Healthy Eating and Mental Wellness: The Importance of Treating Our Bodies Like a Temple

Treating our Bodies like a Temple

Our mental health is serious, and we should be actively taking care of it. It can be easy to split our lives into three separate areas: physical wellness, spiritual wellness, and mental wellness, but I am here to argue that they are all connected. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body.” (ESV).

With life often being stressful and chaotic, my hope and prayer is that we can start to understand how feeding our bodies the right vitamins and nutrients will not just have an impact on our physical health, but our spiritual and mental wellness as well.

The Impact of Food on Our Bodies

To start to understand how the food that we put into our bodies can have an impact on more than just our physical health, we must first understand the impact that food has on our brain. Our brain is in control of our thoughts, movements, breathing, heartbeat, and all of our senses when we are both awake and asleep.

Continuing with the fuel analogy, if substances from “low-premium” fuel get to the brain, it has little ability to get rid of them, and can even cause long-term problems such as memory issues, chronic fatigue, cognitive decline, and an increased risk of dementia. Some examples of the “low-premium” type of fuel for our brain would include foods high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and processed foods.

Now, treating yourself to fast food or some sugary candy is just fine, but all in moderation. A healthy, balanced diet can improve mood, cognitive function, and overall mental wellness, while an unhealthy diet can contribute to mood swings, anxiety, and depression (NIMH, 2023). Some examples of healthy foods that have a positive impact on our brain and body would include:

• Fish (rich in Omega-3 Fatty acids)
• Berries (contain antioxidants that help improve memory)
• Nuts and Seeds (provide healthy fats and are high in nutrients for brain function)
• Whole Grains (high sustained energy for the brain)
• Coffee (improves overall alertness and focus)

Mental Wellness and Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are a real issue in America, with The Eating Recovery Center estimating that 9% of the US population (28.8 Million Americans) will statistically have an eating disorder in their lifetime (Eating Recovery Center, 2024). Whether or not there is a mental health disorder present, Eating affects all people in many different ways.

Some people may struggle to eat healthily and may find themselves in a battle to lose weight. Others may struggle to even eat a single meal during the day, and find satisfaction in being chronically underweight. Regardless of which issue is present, it is still essential for all human beings to make sure to have a healthy, balanced diet.

Mental Wellness and a Balanced Diet

If you are like me, who has heard this phrase his whole life but never truly understood what it entailed, then let’s take some time to break down what a true balanced diet is. For a Balanced diet to be complete, all five food groups must be included. The five food groups are: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy.

The daily goal should be to get all five of these food groups in some combination of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some practical ways to ensure that all five food groups are being hit would include:

• Planning meals ahead of time to make healthy choices and to avoid impulsive, unhealthy meals
• Be cautious when reading food labels to make sure you truly know what you are putting into your body
• Practice cooking home-cooked meals more often due to the amount of unhealthy ingredients that fast food restaurants put into their meals.

Understanding the impact of a healthy diet is important; however, at times, our mental health can get in the way of our perspective of food and eating. There are several types of eating disorders, the most common being: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED) (Eating Recovery Center, 2024).

Eating is a necessity in life, and since our mental health has such a powerful influence on our physical health, people may start to starve themselves of what they need, or may even fall into the trap of taking in too much food and increasing the risk of heart attacks, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Having a mental health disorder that involves eating is difficult and often causes the individual to also experience Anxiety and Depression.

Individuals with eating disorders are still loved by God, and as Philippians 4:13 tells us: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (ESV). There is always hope in Christ as He is a God of restoration. If you or a loved one is currently struggling with an eating disorder, book an appointment today, and we can start creating a healthy atmosphere for eating.

Other Factors that Impact Health

We owe it to ourselves to have healthy bodies, and there are more ways than just eating to achieve this. Some other ways to remain healthy would include consistently exercising, prioritizing a good sleep schedule, and practicing good hygiene (National Institute of Mental Health, 2023).

Exercise is a general term that can include a lot of things. Whether you focus on a specific muscle group in the gym 4-5 times a week or if you walk your dog on a nightly basis, keeping a conscious effort to improve your cardiovascular health through moving around keeps a healthy heart and blood vessels.

The next area in our lives that we should be attentive to is our sleep schedule. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the average adult should be aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep per night (National Institute of Mental Health, 2023).

Some of the side effects that will occur when someone is not getting enough sleep would include: negative impacts on their mental abilities and emotional state, weakening of their immune system, effects on both their short and long-term memory, as well as decreases in productivity.

Lastly, maintaining good hygiene is essential for living a healthy life. Good personal hygiene involves regularly cleaning your body, maintaining oral health, and practicing preventive measures like frequent handwashing to prevent the spread of germs. This includes taking showers, brushing and flossing teeth, washing hands, and covering coughs and sneezes.

Next Steps

All in all, Scripture calls us to treat our bodies like a temple, and there are many areas in which we need to be diligent with this task. God has sent His Holy Spirit to assist us, and all we need to accept Christ’s help. If you or a loved one is struggling with your image or body, book a session today, and together we can find restoration!