Physical Health Does Make a Difference

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

I’m going to delve into the area of health again for this particular article because I believe it is extremely important to all of us, not just me. What I share here is not meant to provide medical information or even recommendations, as only doctors and medical researchers can do that. People need to consult with their physicians about any health concerns. Anything mentioned in this article and all previous articles dealing with health are simply provided as suggestions for readers to look into for themselves with medical advice from their own physicians.

One of the things that can happens to both men and women as we age is that our hormones start going awry. These are tricky areas and require the attention of medical people and even nutritionists trained to evaluate things and offer suggestions that may include medications.

The thing that’s annoying though is that our hormones, for both men and women are not simply “sex drive” hormones. They include that but are not limited to that. Many men who have andropause symptoms often feel “down” or even depressed, with accompanying lack of energy. The same happens to women. Generally speaking, our hormones help maintain our mental and emotional health.

I’ve been reading about this for some time because when I was severely overweight about five years ago (at 255 pounds, on my 5’7″ frame), I experienced many health issues, including Low T, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and my sugar levels were causing doctors to be concerned about me becoming a diabetic.

Most who have been reading this blog for any time know that God helped me to lose nearly 90 pounds over the course of about 4 years or so. Slowly, I noticed as I fine tuned my diet and eating habits and gradually began exercising moderately, the amount of blood pressure medications decreased from the original five different blood pressure medications I was on.

There is a great body of information dealing with supplementation and from some great sources. I’m learning about a number of them even beyond what I’ve already learned.

For instance, L-Arginine and Maca Root Powder (as simply two examples), apparently have tremendous health benefits for people. We’ll get into that in a minute. Vitamin D is also a wonderful vitamin, especially for people who simply don’t get outside enough to absorb the sun light. They’re also learning that Vitamin D may even help people avoid contracting CV-19. My own physician also recommends a combination of Quercetin, Zinc, and Vitamin D to help stave off CV-19 and to potentially reduce its symptoms.

Regarding L-Arginine, I’ve taken this before and didn’t sense any real difference. What I’ve learned now though is that L-Arginine may need to be taken at higher dosages than I was taking it. If you talk with people who workout routinely, many of them will testify to the benefits of L-Arginine. The supplement (also found in foods), is a “…semi-conditional amino acid with multiple benefits for muscle growth.” [1]

Believe it or not, according to the experts in that area, the average daily dosage of L-Arginine is between 2 and 18 grams. That’s grams, not milligrams. What that means is between 2,000 and 18,000 milligrams per day. If a person takes too much for their system, they may experience symptoms like nausea, diarrhea and/or weakness. This can happen if too much of any supplement is taken. Obviously, if that happens, then the person needs to back that way off.

The average daily dose is actually between 5-6 grams and can be adjusted up or down from there. A person would likely know pretty quickly if they need to adjust things. It’s like taking too much calcium or magnesium. Our bodies tell us when we are taking too much of these things.

But 2 to 18 grams per day sounds like a lot, but what does L-Arginine do? L-Arginine actually helps produce Nitric Oxide in our systems. Though our bodies produce both Arginine and Nitric Oxide, as we age, the ravages of time, pollution, eating the wrong foods and not enough of the good foods, will act on our systems so that they do not produce as much Arginine or Nitric Oxide.

Nitric Oxide is absolutely essential for good blood circulation throughout our bodies. It is also said that L-Arginine, which produces Nitric Oxide, also helps to produce human growth hormone. They’ve tried creating a synthetic human growth hormone but it’s really not that good from everything I’ve read even though some body builders swear by it. The best way is through the natural production in our own bodies.

Years ago, when I was obese, my doctors were concerned that I was developing a syndrome that would kill me sooner than later. What was interesting is that I actually got to a point where I was so sick and tired of being sick and tired that I literally begged God to “heal” me. He did this but chose to do it over a period of about five years and I’m convinced He did that so that I would benefit from knowing exactly what He was leading me through.

The people in Jesus’ day who suffered from numerous maladies were often healed in a moment. You’ll recall with me the man whom Jesus healed and He later said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14).

What did Jesus mean? Some think the man suffered from sexual sin that brought about a sexually-transmitted disease. We don’t really know how the man got sick. We simply know he got sick. This was the man who had to be placed at the Pool of Siloam and wait for the waters to be disturbed and hopefully someone would place him in the pool. It was a superstition that many believed was efficacious. Jesus healed the man to prove that He was God in human form.

Jesus’ warning to the healed man should also be warning to us. If I went back to my old eating and drinking habits with high fructose corn syrup in it, I’d start to undo what I’ve done and my health would start deteriorating again. I’d soon gain tremendous weight and would start experiencing many of the same symptoms I had experienced before. I’d be back where I was before.

I have a neighbor like that. Over the years I’ve seen him pack the pounds on and in the worst possible place: his gut. He already has health issues that he shared with me a few years ago. Now, it’s worse due to his added weight. I’ve also noticed that his congenial manner has changed. He’s now much more apt to become angry and aggressive. He has little patience. He only wants to do the things he wants to do.

It hit me the other day, that he is hastening his own death and doesn’t even realize it. If I were to talk to him about it, he might say it’s none of my business, he might get angry or he might listen. But even if he listened to me, would that equate to actually doing something about it?

People have to want something for themselves badly enough before they’re willing to make changes. I had to get to that point and I’m glad I got there and did something about it with God’s help.

The other supplement I want to mention is Maca Root Powder. There are several different kinds based on colors: Red, Yellow and Black. They all allegedly have great benefits that have come down through history from eastern medicine. Tribes of people long ago have also used them throughout the world. They are also part of the American way of life long before modern medicine came into its own.

In a day and age where more people are popping pills for depression, Maca powder may have efficacious benefits for people with depression. There are allegedly many benefits of Maca powder but again, check things out yourself and consult your physician. Here are a few links that may help you on your way:

• 9 Benefits of Maca Root
• How Much Maca Should You Take?

Personally, I don’t like taking a lot of supplements because often supplements are made (whether pills or capsules), with lots of additives. For that reason, I try to take powder forms of supplements (or liquids), whenever possible or at least purchase supplements which avoid gluten, dairy, soy, yeast, non-GMO, etc. Organic is better of course. Normally, the powders are not adulterated with preservatives, whiteners, or things that help the pill to stick to its round form.

My health is really important to me. I want to do everything I can to take care of God’s Temple – my body. This doesn’t mean I avoid anything with sugar in it. I still eat desserts occasionally, but the sugar added is not high fructose corn syrup or “glucose syrup” or other names for the same thing. Glucose syrup can be okay depending upon how it’s made, but sometimes wheat is used to make glucose syrup so I have to avoid.

I like Simple Mills products because they use very few ingredients in their mixes and desserts and the sugar is usually pure cane sugar. Bob’s Redmill products are normally all organic. When I do drink a soda, I always make sure it is sweetened with pure cane sugar and often, I’ll simply drink half the bottle and save the rest. I also might drink Izze fruit drinks because they are sweet enough without having to add sugar since they are made from fresh fruits. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is also very key.

In this day and age, it is so important that we are aware of our own health, but so many people seem not to notice at all. They don’t exercise even moderately. They eat anything put in front of them, trusting that it’s “healthy.” They aren’t concerned about any supplementation that might help them gain/keep their health. In short, without even thinking, they eat processed foods because they believe that those foods are “safe” and FDA approved. Problem is that there are so many preservatives and other things added to those processed foods because they need to have a long shelf life. If they didn’t, those foods would be a great deal more expensive because they wouldn’t last long and constantly need replacing.

I firmly believe all Christians should take their health seriously and do all they can to ensure that they are eating and drinking in a healthy manner. Exercise – even fast walking – should be part of our daily life so that gain and keep a healthy status.

I also believe that because of the way my wife and I eat, we are rarely ever sick. We do not wear masks when we go out. We are not afraid to hug people or shake their hands. We do not social distance (unless the other person feels the need). Of course, each person needs to decide for themselves what they believe they need to do. But frankly, the same people who believe social distancing and masks are important are probably not nearly as concerned about what they are eating and drinking. Our health starts there. It does not end there.

[1] https://www.myfitfuel.in/mffblog/l-arginine-dosage/

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective