March: Increase Energy

We have now set a solid foundation for this pursuit of health over the past two months.  In January we invited God into our plans of getting healthy by creating the habit of asking Him for help each and every day as we recognized that we can do NOTHING apart from Him.  (John 15:5)

In February we looked at our perception of our bodies and motivation for getting healthy as we created the habit of valuing our body as it is a gift and treasure to be cared for.  Viewing our bodies through this perspective addresses holistic health and creating such a solid foundation will be sure to produce the lasting fruit we seek.

To further illustrate what I mean by "fruit," think of it this way.  If someone came to observe me in my day to day routine, how much patience would they see?  How much gentleness?  How much love and peace and joy?  How much faithfulness and self-control?  To be completely honest, most days, probably not much.

This leads to our next healthy habit as we now get to move into the practical stages of physical health and focus more on the specific functions of these incredible bodies God has given us as it pertains to producing fruit in our daily lives.

This new habit came from a revelation: the more energy my physical body has, the better I feel, and the better I feel, the easier it will be to make life-giving choices in the daily moments and therefore choose to operate in this fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23.  Again, for the first time in my life I am not pursuing "health" for IMAGE but rather for FRUIT.  I am not trying to fit into a certain pant size but want to have more to give to my students, family, and friends this year.  I don't want to be skinnier or look better, I want to be kinder and more patient and more gentle with the people I encounter daily.

Habit: One major asset in this pursuit of more energy is our metabolism which works to break down food and convert it into this life giving fuel on which our bodies operate.  I want to learn more about how metabolism works this month and use my knowledge to my benefit by maximizing my eating based on when and how my metabolism is breaking down food and converting it into energy.  The overarching idea here is not to necessarily eat LESS, but to eat more INTENTIONALLY with metabolism in mind.

Challenge: While there are a variety of ways to maximize metabolism and therefore increase energy, such as cardio exercise, building muscle, drinking water, and sleep just to name a few, I plan to expand on many of those topics in future months.  This month I will change my eating habits to maximize my metabolism and therefore increase my energy. 

Two practical steps:
1. I will eat a bigger breakfast to kick-start my day with an abundance of energy.
2. After this energy boosting breakfast, I will eat smaller meals throughout the day.  This way I can constantly fuel my body with manageable portions rather than stuffing it full 3 times which will keep my metabolism working all day long, hopefully providing me with a consistent flow of energy.

The big picture goal this month is energy which I can then use to activate this incredible fruit of the Holy Spirit.  "The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23