Build your health on a solid foundation
By Mary Voogt · Jan 20, 2025
Part 1 of 3.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25, NIV).
This familiar passage from Matthew reminds us that Christ must be our solid foundation in all we do. It’s a simple yet profound principle we can carry into other aspects of our lives, including our health.
As a nutritional therapist, I help my clients have better health outcomes using diet, lifestyle, nervous system regulation, and targeted supplements. But I always emphasize that they can’t use secondary supports like supplements unless they already have the foundations.
Trying to resolve unwanted symptoms with supplements alone is like the foolish builder: You’re building your health on shaky ground. You must build your health and steward your body with a solid foundation.
First and foremost, that foundation is God’s Word. It actually has a lot to say about nutrition and health!
The second foundational layer is what we’ll discuss next. These are all the diet and lifestyle habits that will help you achieve your health goals. You don’t need to go to extremes. These don’t cost a lot of money. They are simple, doable steps that will set you up for success.
This month, we look at hydration and nourishment.
Hydration
The first foundation of good health is hydration. Water is mentioned so many times in Scripture. Jesus provides us with living water. Water heals. And water is essential for a healthy body.
Water has many significant roles in the body. It:
- removes toxins
- removes waste
- puts nutrients where they belong
- keeps body temperature stable
- improves oxygen delivery to cells
- moistens oxygen for easier breathing
- prevents your tissues from sticking
- improves how your cells talk to each other
- empowers the body’s natural healing process
- allows electrical signals to pass between cells
- cushions bones and joints
Without sufficient water, you can become dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration include:
- fatigue
- cravings
- headaches
- anxiety
- irritability
- cramps
- heartburn
- back pain
- migraines
- constipation (water helps remove waste)
- colitis
- joint pain (water cushions joints).
One of the best things you can do for your body is to drink enough clean water daily. How much will depend on the individual, but a good starting point is half your body weight in ounces daily. You can adjust up or down as needed.
Minerals are a key component of drinking water that is often overlooked. It’s hard to absorb water if it lacks sufficient minerals, so I don’t recommend reverse osmosis water or bottled water. Both have been stripped of all minerals. Some refer to this as “dead water.”
It’s also important for water to be clean. Filtering your drinking water helps you avoid toxins.
Finally, you can add minerals to your water in the form of mineral drops, electrolyte powders, coconut water, or by making your own hydrating drink.
The important thing is that you are hydrating your body daily.
Nourishing, whole foods
What you put in is what you get out. You can’t put spoiled meat and rotten vegetables in a pot and expect it to make a delicious soup. In the same way, you can’t put ultra-processed, poor-quality food into your body and expect it to result in good health.
Your body is God’s holy temple. To steward it well, you must focus on eating real food that supplies all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
This does not mean extreme diets or restrictions. This means fueling your body with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, quality animal protein, and healthy fats.
Prioritize cooking your own food and sticking to single-ingredient foods. The more variety, the better!
Next: Your sleep habits are essential to your health.
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes and is not meant as medical advice. It is the opinion of the writer. The information is not meant to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health professional.