Health for the Holidays by Deborah Ray

Fruit of the Spirit Health & Nutrition Advisor

As we begin the holiday season to celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, sent by our heavenly Father to offer eternal life for all those who believe and obey Him, it is a special time of year. The spiritual holiday is an important event in every congregation to learn of Jesus’ coming. It is also a time to give to others as we pour out our gratitude for God’s many blessings. We gather with family and friends at Christmas which makes it special indeed for the time to commune and enjoy their love. We also hear of the gifts of frankincense (boswellia) and myrrh (an herbal oil from the balsam family) from the Holy men to the baby Jesus in the manger.

Why were these precious oils, myrrh and frankincense, equivalent to the worth of gold offered to the baby Jesus? These oils were priceless medicines of their time used to treat everything from skin disorders, viral infections, cancer, and much more. Myrrh and frankincense are closely related species of balsams which originate in Africa and the Middle East. The essential oils of myrrh and frankincense are distilled from the resin is harvested from the small, knotted trees that are native to the area.

Myrrh was used in embalming the Egyptian pharaohs and is listed in one of the world’s oldest medical texts, the Ebers Papyrus (16th century BC). The Greeks considered myrrh a sacred substance. Those who could afford the resin used it to treat virtually every illness. Myrrh is the most oft-mentioned essential oil in Scripture because of its many uses and its ability to improve immune function.

Frankincense was used as holy anointing oil by the Christian church in ancient times and throughout the Middle Ages. Frankincense also known as boswellia has many uses in Ayurvedic (from India) and traditional Chinese herbal medicine. It is known to have important natural anti-inflammatory properties making it important for any condition related to inflammation including but not limited to:

• heart disease
• diabetes
• arthritis
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Obesity

The colors of the holy Christmas season remind us of the blessings of God’s colors. Rich green fir and bright red berries of Christmas have special spiritual significance but colors represent nutrients. Holidays equal stress to many of us who try to fit too much into a short period of time and added nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables bright with God’s colors provides us added nutrition to better able us to handle the stress of busy holiday times. Adding more servings of fruits and vegetables is key to keeping our immune system strong (yes, stress can diminish immune function).

For example, a fruit oft-mentioned in Scripture is the pomegranate with each beautiful red color akin to the Christmas season. Pomegranates became one of the first cultivated fruits over four thousand years ago. Throughout history, the pomegranate traveled the globe and impacted major civilizations most recently in the U.S. as buzz spreads about this “super food.” Science now studies the naturally occurring plant chemicals known as phytochemicals for their health benefits. One important class of phytochemicals is the polyphenols. Pomegranates are one of the only fruits that contain three members of the polyphenol family that are important antioxidants, anthocyanins,  punicalagin, and ellagic acid. These important antioxidant polyphenols found in pomegranates have many science-based health benefits. Did you know that pomegranates are superior to other antioxidants to protect the oxidized form of cholesterol known as LDL (some think of this as the bad cholesterol which we want to decrease) and their ability to increase the activity of the “good” form of cholesterol known as HDL. The science of pomegranates as a true blessing from God, a “super food” does not stop there. Published scientific studies document the ability of pomegranates to suppress inflammation and joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis, help repair the damage from UVB radiation on the skin,  modulate inflammation, help those with diabetes, optimize prostate health, modulate blood pressure through the nitric oxide process (explained by the 1998 Nobel prize in medicine), and much more. Truly, pomegranates are a blessing of what God’s cornucopia of plants can offer our health.

Less we forget that our immune system is composed solely of protein, remember to balance the wonderful alkalinizing fruits and vegetables with protein. Fish from scripture, beans, eggs, as well as sources of clean protein (free range turkey, chicken, and the like) to balance the good fats/oils and carbohydrates for optimal health to enjoy the Christmas season.

The perspective of “why we celebrate the Christmas holiday” helps us to enjoy joy and the peace of God’s love and the spiritual message of promised eternity for believing and obeying His word. Just as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the beautiful triune of our spiritual Father, the triune of physical, emotional, and spiritual health are a blessing of balance so that we enjoy optimal health to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

The balance of physical, emotional, and spiritual we can enjoy in our lives is earned by recognizing the power of our lifestyle choices. A walk with a family member or an evening visit may be much more special to them and to you than another gift/thing at Christmas. Volunteering at church gives to your spiritual family and back to you as well. Our health benefits from faith, hope, forgiveness, altruism, and empathy. These principles of Scripture are now confirmed by scientific study to benefit our health in many ways. Christmas is a special holiday to celebrate the gift of God’s love for each of us. Enjoy it in good health.

Written by Fruit of the Spirit Health Expert, Deborah Ray