Volume 3, Number 9: Is There More?

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 9

Is There More?

By Allegra Tschappler

Are there any more ways to get and stay healthy besides exercise? There most certainly are. Exercise is only a small part of getting and remaining healthy, and it's especially hard to do during the long, winter months here in Colorado, although we get more good days in the winter than most places.

One way to get healthy is to eat healthy foods. Not a terribly complicated idea, but still hard to do. God has given our tongues four types of taste buds: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Even when we were babies, however, we preferred sweet things to the other tastes. And we still do, if we're anything like the average American. But even if sweet things taste good, so can sour, salty and bitter tastes. It depends on your taste, though. (Sorry for the pun) Some like sour things like pickles, while others like my little sister really, really like salty things like french fries. I think that a majority of adults also like bitter tastes because so many drink coffee. Actually, I like it too!

So, what healthy foods can we eat that also taste good? It seems like most are made with tofu, raisins, or carob powder, which don't taste all that great. In fact, some people might say they are downright nasty! But God gave us healthy food because He doesn't want us to misuse our body by constantly eating junk food. If God gave us healthy food, there must be some way to enjoy eating healthy food because He doesn't make all good things taste or appear bad.

Here's an idea: after exercising for an hour or so before breakfast, go inside and eat something like oatmeal with honey on top. You can even put raisins (yes, I know, healthy!) or cinnamon on it. There are all sorts of interesting ways to spice up something really boring-tasting like oatmeal or grits. And the best part is, it's good for you! (And it lowers your cholesterol.)

For an extra-special snack, you can drag out the blender, some bananas, some strawberries, milk, orange juice concentrate and a cup for testing. It makes a super-good snack, it's filling, and it's healthy. Best of all, you now know how to cook (somewhat).

So try eating more healthy foods and cutting back on those not-so-healthy foods. You will be surprised at how good you feel when you don't eat things you know you shouldn't and do eat things that will build your body for God's work.