Participants:
Series Code: STW
Program Code: STW180007A
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00:19 Welcome again to Secrets to Wellness,
00:22 my friends. 00:23 We are studying principles of wellness 00:26 that will help you to live longer, 00:28 healthier, and happier. 00:30 And we've studied the first one on water, 00:33 and I hope you're drinking your water every day, 00:37 the amounts that we need. 00:39 And then exercise, and love, and lifestyle, and nutrition, 00:44 and now we are studying environment. 00:48 And our planet was perfectly designed 00:51 to promote optimum health. 00:53 In fact, our loving Creator 00:56 made this world's environment perfect. 01:00 Eden was so beautiful with colorful flowers, 01:04 and majestic lofty trees, and rivers of flowing water. 01:09 Eden was so beautiful, my friends, 01:11 with all those colorful flowers and lofty trees. 01:16 And the earth's atmosphere was unpolluted, 01:19 its air was fresh and clean. 01:23 And, my friends, 01:24 the more we live in harmony with God's original plan, 01:27 the healthier we will be. 01:29 And so environment is also important 01:33 for our health. 01:34 In fact, it is vital to our health. 01:38 It's either health restoring or it is health destroying. 01:44 And pure air refreshes the body, 01:46 making it strong and healthy. 01:49 So we need that good fresh air, 01:52 and fresh air is especially important 01:55 even if you're sick. 01:57 So if we're well, we need good fresh air, 02:00 but if we're sick, 02:01 we also need to get out in the sunshine and fresh air, 02:05 it is so important. 02:08 And a 19th century health writer said this, 02:11 "The influence of pure, fresh air 02:15 is to cause the blood to circulate healthfully 02:18 through the system. 02:19 It refreshes the body, 02:21 and tends to render it strong and healthy." 02:25 So the influence of fresh air, my friends, 02:29 is going to help you to have a strong and healthy body. 02:33 "It excites the appetite, 02:35 and renders the digestion of food more perfect, 02:39 and induces sound, sweet sleep." 02:41 Look at all of the things 02:43 that fresh air does, my friends. 02:45 It actually is going to stimulate your appetite, 02:48 so you're going to feel more ravenously hungry, 02:52 and then it's going to even assist in your digestion, 02:57 and even help you to sleep better at night. 03:01 And, "The strength of the system is, 03:03 in a degree dependent upon 03:06 the amount of pure air breathed. 03:08 Air is the fresh blessing of Heaven, 03:11 calculated to electrify the whole system." 03:15 So good fresh air electrifies the entire system. 03:21 And fresh outdoor air has wonderful power 03:24 to build the immune system 03:26 and assists in the body's healing process. 03:30 We've been talking a lot about building the immune system, 03:33 and all of these principles of wellness 03:36 will help us to build a strong immune system, 03:40 and so is good fresh air very important. 03:45 In Ministry of Healing, page 263, it says this. 03:49 "Nature is God's physician. 03:52 The pure air, the glad sunshine, 03:54 the beautiful flowers and trees, 03:56 the orchards and vineyards, 03:58 and outdoor exercise amid these surroundings, 04:01 are health-giving and life-giving." 04:04 Have you ever thought about the fact 04:06 that nature and good fresh air actually is like a physician? 04:12 Well, it is, my friends. 04:14 And we need that air, that good fresh air 04:19 because it is that breath of life. 04:23 In fact, one of life's most overlooked, 04:26 but most precious health gifts is pure air. 04:32 But today, the quality of our air 04:35 has dramatically changed. 04:37 It's not so fresh. 04:39 We have polluted outdoor air 04:42 where people are actually wearing mask 04:44 because it is so polluted. 04:46 And we also have polluted indoor air. 04:50 We have a lot of polluted air everywhere, 04:53 fumes from vehicles, toxins from factories, 04:58 toxins from tobacco smoke, 05:00 and damp uncirculated air even indoors. 05:05 In fact, many people use air conditioners constantly 05:11 and rarely getting any good pure fresh air. 05:17 Our lifestyle habits can significantly impact 05:20 our ability to breathe in pure air. 05:25 And so let's look at some of the hindrances 05:27 to the body's oxygen supply. 05:30 What are some of those things that hinder us 05:33 from getting good body's oxygen that we need? 05:38 Well, tobacco smoke is one of them. 05:41 We talked about that in our lifestyle presentation. 05:45 And tobacco smoke damages the lungs, 05:48 and limits the circulation of the blood, 05:51 and pollutes the body. 05:53 So tobacco smoke even for the non-smoker 05:58 pollutes the air. 06:00 And from Smokefree.gov, it says this. 06:05 "Smoking causes inflammation in the small airways 06:09 and tissues of your lungs. 06:11 This can make your chest feel tight 06:13 or cause you to wheeze or feel short of breath. 06:16 Continued inflammation builds up scar tissue, 06:20 which leads to physical changes to your lungs and airways 06:24 that can make your breathing hard." 06:26 So smoking, my friends, 06:28 causes inflammation in the small airways 06:31 and tissues of our lungs, 06:33 so that's why we need to get away 06:36 from even the people who are smoking 06:38 and try to get into some good pure fresh air. 06:43 And another thing 06:44 that actually hinders our breathing is alcohol. 06:48 Alcohol impairs circulation and limits our breathing. 06:53 In fact, alcohol affects nearly 06:56 every major organ in the human body, 06:58 including the brain, the heart, liver, pancreas, 07:02 and kidneys. 07:04 But a team of researchers from Loyola University 07:07 has found it can also make it harder 07:10 for the lungs to breathe. 07:12 In fact, binge drinking may be the reason 07:15 it's hard to catch your breath. 07:17 And they say, "Alcohol appears to disrupt 07:21 the healthy balance in the lung," 07:23 said the study's lead author Dr. Majid Afshar, 07:28 a pulmonologist 07:29 at Loyola University's School of Medicine. 07:33 And there are other factors as well, my friends. 07:36 A high fat diet. 07:38 A high fat diet reduces the oxygen level in our blood, 07:41 making the blood thicker 07:44 and causing it to flow more slowly. 07:47 And so there are other factors. 07:49 There are so many factors that hinder this oxygen 07:55 and help us to not breathe as well as we should, 07:59 and dehydration is one of those. 08:02 Drinking too little water keeps the blood from flowing freely. 08:07 Have you ever thought about the fact 08:09 that just not drinking enough water 08:12 keeps you from your blood flowing freely? 08:16 Well, there is another thing, too, 08:18 and that is tight clothing. 08:20 Tight clothing that restricts healthy circulation, 08:24 inhibits the lungs from expanding, 08:27 and actually decreases the oxygen supply. 08:31 So we need to keep our clothing 08:34 a little bit more loose on our bodies 08:37 that will keep us from having our lungs restricted. 08:42 And then poor posture prevents the lungs 08:46 from expanding fully, 08:48 so we need good posture with our head erect 08:52 and our shoulders back, 08:54 especially when we're not only walking, 08:57 but also when we're sitting, we need good posture. 09:01 Sometimes we have a tendency to slouch down 09:04 in that easy chair. 09:06 And then, incorrect breathing. 09:10 We need to learn to take those deep breaths, 09:14 so that we get that oxygen in our lungs. 09:17 And so we inhale deeply and the diaphragm contracts 09:22 and the lungs expand, 09:24 and then when we exhale, the diaphragm relaxes. 09:29 So we need to inhale and exhale 09:33 and practice that, actually, regularly. 09:36 Ministry of Healing, page 272 says this. 09:41 "Full, deep inspirations of pure air 09:45 which fill the lungs with oxygen, purify the blood. 09:49 They impart to it a bright color, and send it, 09:53 a life-giving current, to every part of the body." 09:58 It's amazing. 09:59 Deep inspirations of pure air 10:02 are going to fill the lungs with good oxygen. 10:06 So we need to be taking, my friends, those deep breaths. 10:10 There are many, many health benefits of fresh air, 10:14 good pure fresh air. 10:16 So let's look at them. 10:17 Well, 10:19 serotonin can significantly lighten your mood 10:22 and promote a sense of happiness and well-being. 10:25 So pure air can actually promote happiness. 10:29 Have you ever wondered why you feel so good 10:32 when you're out in the fresh air? 10:35 It's because of that serotonin that you get 10:38 when you're in some good pure fresh air. 10:42 And according to a group of studies published 10:45 in a 2010 issue of the "Journal of Environmental Psychology," 10:50 research participants reported 10:53 actually feeling happier, and healthier, 10:56 and more alive when they spent time in nature. 11:00 It might be a good idea, my friends, 11:04 to get outside in that good fresh air 11:08 and sunshine. 11:10 Pure air also improves digestion. 11:14 What a wonderful thing pure fresh air is 11:18 even to help us digest our food better. 11:21 Pure air improves the blood pressure 11:25 and the heart rate. 11:26 Some people have high blood pressure. 11:29 And did you ever think about the fact 11:31 that just getting out in the good fresh air 11:35 will actually help lower your blood pressure? 11:40 "A 2008 study 11:43 published in the "Journal of Biological Regulators 11:46 and Homeostatic Agents" recruited participants 11:50 to spend time walking forest and city areas 11:54 to evaluate the impact of walking in the fresh air 11:58 on blood pressure and heart rate." 12:01 So they took these two groups 12:03 some in the forest, out in nature 12:06 and some in the city. 12:08 "And according to the research, participants showed 12:12 more physical signs of relaxation, 12:15 including lower blood pressure 12:18 and lower amounts of stress hormone cortisol, 12:21 when they spent time in the forest 12:24 rather than in the city." 12:26 So it is so important to get out there, 12:29 especially if you live in the city. 12:32 Find some park or someplace where you can go out 12:35 and take in that good deep fresh air by the trees. 12:40 Pure air increases your energy. 12:43 In fact, not long ago, 12:45 my husband and I climbed the mountains in the Swiss Alps 12:50 with our friends Ted and Nancy. 12:52 And wow, it was amazing just to get out there 12:56 in those beautiful Alps, 12:58 it actually increased our energy, I know that. 13:02 And pure air cleanses 13:04 and improves your lung function, 13:07 so your whole lungs are going to function better 13:10 when you get out in the fresh air. 13:12 But you know, just as we are a sedentary nation, 13:15 we tend to be living indoors a lot, 13:19 but we need to get out in the fresh air 13:21 and the sunshine. 13:23 And in a book called Child Guidance, page 339, 13:28 it says, "By active exercise in the open air every day, 13:33 the liver, the kidneys, and the lungs 13:36 also will be strengthened to perform their work." 13:39 Amazing. 13:41 Even the liver, the kidneys, and the lungs 13:44 are going to function so much better 13:46 as we get out there in the fresh air. 13:49 Have you ever thought about fresh air 13:51 as being such a remedy to help your health 13:54 and to help you to live longer, healthier, and happier? 13:57 Well, it even helps our mental health 14:01 because pure air improves the brain power. 14:05 And pure air fosters mental health 14:10 from Harvard University Medical School, they reported, 14:13 "Researchers at the University of Essex in England 14:17 are advancing the notion 14:19 that exercising in the presence of nature has added benefit, 14:24 particularly for mental health." 14:27 So our mental health even improves in the fresh air. 14:31 And, my friends, 14:32 we've been talking a lot about building the immune system, 14:36 and pure air enhances the immune system, 14:40 so that you feel so much better 14:42 and you can live longer and healthier. 14:46 And so here are some benefits of how it actually improves 14:50 the immune system. 14:52 It can improve our happiness, it improves our digestion, 14:57 and even our blood pressure and our heart rate goes down. 15:01 Get those elderly people, my friends, 15:05 out there in the fresh air. 15:07 Many elderly people tend to be indoors 15:11 when they need to be outdoors, breathing that good fresh air. 15:16 And it improves the energy. 15:18 I know that my energy level goes up when I am outside. 15:22 And it improves the lung function, 15:25 improves brain power, 15:27 and improves mental health, and, best of all, 15:31 it's going to improve your immune system. 15:33 So there are many, many benefits 15:36 to good fresh pure air. 15:39 Well, let's look at some tips 15:41 for getting good pure fresh air. 15:45 Exercise in nature. 15:47 My husband and I will get on our bikes 15:49 and go through those trails. 15:51 In fact, one of the things that I love to do 15:53 is just walk through the trails even, singing, 15:58 listening to the birds sing, and talking to my Creator. 16:02 So exercise out there in nature, 16:05 it's going to improve your health, my friends, 16:08 I know it will. 16:09 Well, living in the country is the ideal, 16:12 but not everyone can live in the country. 16:16 It's not possible for all of you 16:19 to move to the country. 16:21 So what are some things that we can do? 16:23 Well, wherever you live, 16:25 find someplace in nature to exercise. 16:28 I know recently, we were in Bulgaria, 16:32 and I thought, "How can I get my exercise 16:35 and get some good fresh air?" 16:37 Well, we found a beautiful park, 16:40 not far from our hotel, 16:41 and every day, we were out there walking and exercising. 16:46 Taking those deep breaths, 16:48 and imbibing the good fresh air from the trees 16:52 because there's health-giving, life-giving properties 16:55 in those trees. 16:57 And so every day, we were walking in the park. 16:59 So find a park 17:01 where you can just get that good fresh air. 17:05 Walk out among the trees 17:07 because the trees actually purify the air. 17:11 Have you ever thought of that? 17:13 Just to put a tree even in your backyard 17:16 will help you to have good fresh air. 17:19 There are health-giving, life-giving properties 17:23 in the trees. 17:24 In fact, we are told that there are health-giving, 17:26 life-giving properties in the balsam of the pine. 17:30 So just a pine tree will give you 17:33 that good cleansing of your lungs. 17:37 And spend more time outside, take a walk after you eat. 17:42 So after you've had your lunch, take a good walk. 17:46 According to one government estimate, 17:49 the average American spends 90% of his or her life indoors. 17:55 Wow. That's only 10% going outside. 18:00 We need to have an outdoor life more than an indoor life. 18:04 God created us to be outdoors. 18:07 And fresh air is health promoting 18:10 while constant air conditioning, my friends, 18:13 is not the best. 18:15 So open those windows, 18:18 get that fresh air at night when you sleep, 18:21 open the windows, don't close them up tight. 18:24 Open the widows. 18:26 Open the windows and even the blinds. 18:28 So many people close their blinds 18:32 because they don't want that sun 18:34 to fade the furniture or get into the house, 18:36 but we need to open the windows and open the blinds. 18:40 And wherever you live, 18:43 keep the air in your house circulating 18:46 by just having the air flow through 18:48 by opening those windows. 18:50 And sleep with the windows open, 18:53 it's going to help you immensely. 18:55 Another little tip for you is to have some houseplants 19:00 because again, you're going to get that good oxygen 19:03 from those houseplants. 19:06 A study of 647 grade-schoolers found 19:10 that students who grew plants scored about 12% higher 19:15 on academic tests, compared with those who didn't. 19:19 So your children are even going to score higher 19:23 on their tests at school if you just give them 19:26 a little plant to put in their room. 19:29 And then, my friends, 19:31 don't allow smoking inside your house. 19:33 Just graciously ask, if someone is smoking, 19:37 "Would you mind smoking outside?" 19:39 Because according to the 2014 Surgeon General's Report, 19:43 there were more than 20 million smoking-related deaths 19:46 in the United States since 1964. 19:50 2.5 million were among non-smokers 19:54 who died from exposure to second-hand smoke. 19:57 We know that second-hand smoke is detrimental today. 20:02 And so we want to get rid of that smoke 20:08 even if it's second-hand smoke. 20:10 And then eat some wholesome nutritious foods. 20:13 What does that have to do with good fresh air? 20:17 Well, eating nutritious food, my friends, 20:20 helps to reduce the damaging effect 20:22 of pollution on the body, 20:25 so you can actually repair your cells in your body 20:29 by eating those good nutritious foods. 20:32 So what are the right kinds of foods? 20:35 Yes, we learned in one of our earlier sessions 20:38 that the right kinds of foods are colorful foods 20:42 like reds and greens and purples and oranges 20:46 and all those colorful... 20:47 What are those foods? 20:48 They are these beautiful fruits and vegetables 20:52 that are full of color. 20:54 So eat foods rich in color, and that's going to help us, 20:59 but every day, my friends, eat a variety of fruits, nuts, 21:04 grains, and vegetables. 21:05 And this is going to help you 21:07 to live longer, healthier, and happier 21:09 because you're going to expand your lungs 21:13 and improve your health. 21:15 So take those deep, deep breaths, 21:18 very important, every day, to take deep breaths. 21:23 Breathe deeply several times daily. 21:26 And when you feel tired, 21:28 stand up and take several breaths. 21:31 In fact, even in offices today, 21:34 they have some of these stand-up desks 21:37 so people can expand their lungs, 21:39 so just stand up if you're feeling tired 21:42 and take those deep breaths. 21:44 Deep breathing releases tension. 21:48 Deep breathing makes the heart stronger. 21:50 Deep breathing elevates moods. 21:53 And deep breathing improves your posture. 21:57 So all of these things can happen 21:59 when we take those good deep breaths. 22:02 Breathing deeply of fresh air also helps our memory, 22:06 fosters sound, refreshing sleep, 22:09 aids in balancing our nervous systems, 22:12 and increases our energy. 22:14 Even your energy is going to be increased 22:17 by just taking some of those good deep breaths. 22:22 And have you ever thought about singing? 22:24 Actually, singing is an excellent way 22:27 of increasing oxygen, 22:29 so some of you may want to just... 22:31 Even if you're not some great musician, 22:34 you don't have to be. 22:36 You can just go out in the fresh air 22:38 among the trees and sing. 22:40 I do this at my home 22:42 when I'm out there in nature and walking the trails. 22:45 So sing, it's an excellent way of increasing oxygen. 22:50 Our environment and fresh air 22:52 is beneficial for our whole well-being. 22:56 And it can either contribute to sickness, my friends, 23:01 or it can contribute to health. 23:04 And what are we trying to do? 23:06 We're trying to increase our health 23:09 so that we can live longer, and better, and happier. 23:13 And so Counsels on Health, page 166 says this. 23:19 "Life in the open air is good for body and mind. 23:22 It is God's medicine 23:24 for the restoration of our health. 23:26 Pure air, good water, sunshine, 23:29 the beautiful surroundings of nature, 23:31 these are His means for restoring the sick 23:35 to health in natural ways." 23:37 What we've been talking about is ways 23:40 that we can restore our health, natural ways, 23:43 not through all of the medications 23:44 that people take today, 23:46 but these are God's natural remedies. 23:48 So every day, get exercise and fresh air, my friends, 23:53 out in the sunshine. 23:55 And so here is your prescription. 23:59 Walk in the sunshine with your head erect, 24:02 and your shoulders back 24:04 and taking those good deep breaths, 24:08 and this truly will help you to be healthier. 24:12 And so let's look at some teenie tips here. 24:17 Walk out in the sunshine, 24:19 walk out in the fresh air daily, 24:22 open those windows 24:23 and get good fresh air in your homes, 24:27 air out your bedding regularly. 24:29 In fact, this is very important 24:31 because when you sleep at night, 24:33 you want to sleep on a fresh, clean smelling pillow. 24:38 And so put those pillows and those blankets 24:41 and that bedding out in the fresh air 24:44 and the sunshine, it will help you as well. 24:48 And then practice deep breathing 24:50 until it becomes a habit. 24:53 So just practice taking those good deep breaths 24:58 because air, my friends, is the precious gift of heaven. 25:03 God has given it to us, 25:05 welcome it, cultivate a love for it, 25:09 and it will prove 25:10 a precious soother of the nerves. 25:14 So get that good fresh air and cultivate it 25:19 because this is God's health assurance plan, my friends. 25:23 All of these together are going to help us 25:26 to live longer, healthier, and happier. 25:29 Now before we go, I think we better go over 25:32 and take some good deep breaths. 25:36 So let's get out of our easy chair, 25:39 let's get out of off the sofa, 25:42 and let's take some of those good deep breaths. 25:46 So I'm going to have you stand up. 25:48 Those of you that are watching at home, 25:50 stand up because we're going to take 25:52 some good deep breaths. 25:55 So I want you to breathe in. 25:57 You're going to breathe in through your nose, 26:00 and you're going to breathe out through your mouth. 26:02 So breathe in through your nose, 26:04 and just shake your hands a little bit 26:07 and make sure you're plenty relaxed. 26:10 And breathe in through your mouth 26:14 and out through your nose. 26:18 And then breathe in through your nose 26:23 and out through your mouth. 26:27 Let's do it again. 26:29 Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, 26:34 and just relax 26:36 because when you follow these principles, my friends, 26:40 of just taking good deep breaths, 26:44 God is going to bless you 26:47 as you follow all of these principles of wellness 26:51 because these are the natural principles 26:54 that God has given to us 26:57 so that we can live longer, healthier, and happier. 27:01 So I know that you're going to incorporate these principles 27:06 in your life starting right now, starting today, 27:12 so God bless you, again, 27:14 as you determine to follow God's ways of health 27:19 because they truly are the very, very best ways. |
Revised 2019-03-07