We believe God created all things, including people. We believe God made the human creature in His likeness. We believe the body is the frame or vessel of the spirit and soul in the earth.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26, KJV)
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1. NKJV)
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]? You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, AMP)
You may think like the majority about their physical appearance: self-conscious, frustrated, discontent, or ashamed. You may want to change many things about how you look; but just as you are, right now, you are loved and accepted. You are not defined by your appearance. Your value is not based on your physical image. The acceptance that grace provides can alleviate the pressure stealing your energy and delaying your breakthrough. No true definition of anything continuously changes, so don’t look to the ever-changing images you see on billboards, in magazines, etc. for the definition of male or female beauty. Your body is a temple, to be nourished, cherished, and used for good. We must resist cultural ideas and temptations that do not align with our personal vision for health. When we make goals centered on biblical wholeness, we are freed from disabling societal and relational pressure and can experience transformation.
NUTRITION
Lifestyle
Wholly Healthy advocates this nutritional focus for all: eat real, diverse, nutrient-dense, clean food. We support clients as they write vision for their whole health. This includes body health goals which always consider nutrition. Clients build action steps to establish, advance, or rebuild their nutrition lifestyle. We believe the power of healthy eating and drinking is greater than the power of unhealthy desires!
Change
Oftentimes after clients set a significant pause on consuming their unhealthy “favorites”, we reintroduce them to their previously preferred foods and beverages, but in their cleaner form, without heavy processing or additives. They are usually willing to accept the change into their lifestyle because their mind and palate have undergone transformation! This happens when we renew the mind according to biblical truths, and train the body through metabolic programming. Clients testify of disappeared cravings, enjoyment of new flavors, loss of body fat, more energy, better skin, better sleep, better digestion, and better brain functioning!
Grace
Making lifestyle adjustments for health takes time, grace, and dedication. There is no aspect of performance on Wholly Healthy and all health goals are client-generated. If a client fails in pursuit of their goals, we celebrate what worked, acknowledge what didn’t and refocus forward.
Graze
We don’t solicit one particular nutritional lifestyle, or one approach to eating for all. Our clients eat plant-based, carnivore, pescatarian, vegan, vegetarian, etc. What we do suggest for the majority is grazing. We define this as eating small portions of whole foods every 2-3 hours. There are many benefits to this approach such as blood sugar regulation, energy, digestion, etc.
Corruption
Another aspect of nutrition we teach clients is how chemicals, artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, pesticides, herbicides, toxic contaminants, antibiotics, hormones, and GMOs have made their way into the food and beverage industry, into our favorite products, and many of our homes! We discuss the negative, short and long-term effects these ingredients can have on our soul and body. We equip clients to decipher the “ingredient code”, apply new knowledge, and shift their grocery decision-making to one of knowledge, authority, and intentionality.
Organic
We don't recommend clients fill their entire refrigerator or pantry with organic products, we know that is not practical for some and not desired by others. We do recommend buying organic products for the items recognized in the annual Dirty Dozen list which contain names of the dirtiest foods from a chemical perspective. The list below includes the foods that tested positive for a number of different pesticide residues.
Rationale
Consumer Reports published this article, that includes summarized data from studies that claims long-term pesticide exposure is linked to the following 13 health risks: ADHD in kids, Alzheimer’s disease, birth defects, Breast Cancer, Cancer (other), depression, fertility issues, immune system damage, low IQ in kids, Ovarian Cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, Prostate Cancer, and respiratory problems. If you want to decrease risk by purchasing organic food items, these are the ones to choose:
2024 DIRTY DOZEN
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale, Collard & Mustard Greens
Grapes
Peaches
Pears
Nectarines
Apples
Bell & Hot Peppers
Cherries
Blueberries
Green Beans
This list was obtained from the Environmental Working Group at www. ewg.org. Please visit their website for an updated list in the future.
MOVEMENT
For the first 20 years that I was alive, sports filled my days. I liked playing them, a lot. I liked them because when I moved my body, my mind would gather into a tunneled focus. I was mentally organized when playing sports and this felt comforting & empowering! I liked that sports provided structure (rules, points, lines, uniforms, etc.), so I didn’t have to. I learned how to become powerful, valuable, and creative within those boundaries. I developed a strong eye, and strategic presence. I liked building friendships as we shared a collective goal to grow in our craft. I liked being found dependable by my coaches-I liked being called higher through responsibility. I liked the short accounts sports had, a loss usually only mattered until two practices later. There was a lot I liked, very little that I didn’t. It was one part of my life where I undoubtedly flourished.
When I was 20, I experienced an accumulation injury in my body that changed how I engaged sports, entirely. Do I still like to play? Like to move? Like to focus? Like to excel? Yes, definitely. And I gage my liking of those things, now, not based on my memory of them, but from cultivating an active lifestyle of repairing my body, and engaging activity. That’s how I’ve discovered how I can enjoy sports, movement, & exercise without provoking significant pain.
It took time to grow the perspective that emphasized what I could do, rather than what I couldn’t. This required disciplining my focus on what strengthened my body and eased physical pain instead of trigger it. As this grew and I attempted many re-engagements with sports & exercise I was able to build new associations with movement, happiness instead of pain. This only transpired because I continued to move. I had to be willing to change how I moved, instead of stop moving.
Sometimes when we lose abilities, we give up, instead of finding the new. I get it, it takes courage and commitment. We also have to confront pain and weakness and grieve what we lost. It’s a lot, but it’s alive. When we give up, we cause greater loss than the original, and a part of us no longer receives life.
Have you found the new thing that you can do? or have you stopped moving because you can’t move as you used to without pain? There is newness for you, right where you are. You have an invitation to redefine exercise, and to move. This is an invitation to live!
I tell clients and people on our team that the best exercise regimen is the one you will do! Many want to set an ambitious goal of working out 7 days/week, then quit their second week in and stop exercising altogether. Any exercise or movement is better than none. So, just…move!