Do Seventh-day Adventists live Longer than most persons?
Why do Seventh-day Adventists live Longer and why are they Healthier than most people?
The longevity of Seventh-day Adventists could be attributed to their healthy lifestyle and Christian practices. National Geographic featured “Blue Zones” in one of their productions and explained that these were areas where people lived extremely long and healthy lives. One of these blue zones is featured in Loma Linda, California, which mostly comprise of Seventh-day Adventists. These Adventists live well into their nineties and even into their hundreds consistently. They like other Seventh Day Adventists around the world, understand the passage of scripture in 1 Corinthians 6:19 and 20 which says “ Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s”. They also understand that God wants his children to prosper and be in health, even as their souls prospers. (3 John 1:2).
With these texts in mind, the Seventh-Day Adventist’s lifestyle is based on the eight laws of health; Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest and Trust in God temperance, which form the acronym “NEWSTART’. Adventist believe that these laws of health are biblical principles which are to be followed, have been proven to improve the quality of life and add to longevity.
Proper Nutrition is the foundation of good health and recovery. Each organ requires its share of nutrition, in order to maintain good health, a sufficient supply of good, nourishing food is needed. As such, Seventh-Day Adventist practice eating the right type of food, prepared in the right manner, with the right servings. Seventh-day Adventists have a great affinity to a plant-based diet, a shift experts have shown, which helps reduce the chances of lifestyle and deadly diseases. Genesis chapter 1 verse 29 and Leviticus chapter 11 are the biblical texts which highlight the foods which should and should not be eaten and Adventist seek to follow these biblical principles.
The second health law which help Adventist live longer and healthier lives is Exercise. Adventist believe that daily physical exercise is necessary to the enjoyment of health. If a person neglects exercise, they may develop health conditions. Inactivity of any organ of the body will be followed by a decrease in size and strength of the muscles and will cause the blood to flow sluggishly through the blood vessels. Exercise improves the health of the body and mind.
The use of water is another law which helps Adventist live longer and healthier lives. Studies show that the human body is made up of us to 70% water. The body can only survive a few days without drinking water. Water is also the best liquid possible to cleanse the tissues in the body. Water is important to every part of your body. Not only will hitting your daily recommended intake help you maintain your current state of being, it may even improve your overall health.
Sunlight is the fourth law. Sunlight is very important to the human body. Most of the vitamin D needed in the body is gotten from exposure to the sun. Vitamin D deficiency is an
unrecognized epidemic among both children and adults in the United States. Vitamin D
deficiency not only causes rickets among children but also precipitates and exacerbates osteoporosis among adults and causes the painful bone disease Osteomalacia. Adventist therefore time to spend some time in the sun, maintain the levels of vitamin D necessary to avoid the above-mentioned diseases.
Adventist also practice the health law of temperance. Advent advocate for the moderate use of things which are good, and total abstinence from the things which are not good. Temperance in eating and drinking is of utmost importance as it promotes the acid-alkaline balance of the blood. Temperance is not something that can be bought or sold, but is a fruit of the Spirit and any human being who wants to make it to the kingdom of God, must be have temperance.
Another health law followed by Adventists is the importance of fresh air. Air is the most important resource needed by the body. More important than food or water, proper breathing and pure air are fundamental to good health. Oxygen-filled air purifies the blood as it passes through the lungs. Therefore, it is important to breath fresh air, for if you cannot breathe you will surely die.
Rest is the penultimate health law which Adventists adhere to that cause us to live long and healthier lives. Restoration requires rest because sleep allows the body to renew itself. Many types of rest are important for health, but the sweetest rest follows labor. “Early to bed and early to rise” is a vital NEWSTART principle, and a healthy lifestyle makes this principle easier to maintain.
The final health law is one Trust in God. Adventist understand that God is the creator and he understands the human body better than anyone. In Proverbs 3:5 and 6, the bible says that we should “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths”. In order to have perfect health, our hearts must be filled with the love of God. Trust in God minimizes and virtually eliminates stress.
These 8 laws of health promote the maintenance and restoration of the blood stream. The blood is the life of the body and is the fluid medium that makes cell nourishment and cell cleansing possible. Diseases find it difficult to thrive in a clean bloodstream. Therefore, the health of an individual is dependant upon the condition of that person’s blood. Once one follows these laws carefully, the right conditions will be established in the body and prevent impurities in the blood from flourishing, thereby minimizing disease and supporting health.
These are the laws Seventh-Day Adventists follow that make us live long, healthy lives, and so can you.
