Easter, Hope and Health. 5 Ways It’s All Connected

For Christians, Easter is a Holiday of an amazing hope.

First, there was hope lost for early Christians when Christ was crucified. Then, unimaginable hope when they found Him resurrected!

Now, we have the hope through Christ, for this life and the next. Both are beautiful gifts from God.

But, do you realize how this gift of hope can affect our health? Amazingly, it can manifest both mentally and physically.

No matter where you find your current state of health, there are many benefits to hope, especially hope if God!

What Is Hope?

The Bible says “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  (Romans 11:1).

Medical experts and scientists who study the effects of hope often describe it as “a positive motivational state…derived sense of successful goal-directed energy and pathways to meet goals” (1).

This Easter, think about the hope that’s been offered to you. Then, carry this hope throughout the year.

God has provided faith and hope. Most importantly, this means salvation.  But while in the flesh, amazingly, God’s hope affects health as well.  Here’s how:

5 Ways Hope Affects Health

1. Hope is A Natural Pain Reducer

We will all feel physical pain during our lives. Unfortunately, some deal with it more than others.

Hope can act as a natural antithetic and reduce your perception of pain. And inversely, hopelessness can compound physical pain.

In fact, there is a hypothesis about how this works. It’s called the “cognitive mediation hypothesis.” This hypothesis describes the connection and influence of psychological factors, such as depression and hopelessness, and their relationship to physical pain.

One study of 164 male patients with back pain supports previous findings that hopelessness has a direct like depression, and depression can increase physical pain (2, 3).

Our Spirit, mind, and body connection is amazing, and all need care!

2. Hope Increases Resilience

When faced with a grim health situation, those with hope often display more resilience.

They can see difficult circumstances and obstacles to be overcome. Those who feel hopeless, often cannot see over, around, or beyond them.

In fact, studies have found that the level of hope in young patients with breast cancer significantly predicted premature mortality. (4, 5).

Another showed that hopeful and optimistic head and neck cancer patients had greater survival rates a year after diagnosis than those who were pessimistic (6).

Of course, this is no way implies a lack of hope when health doesn’t improve. We trust in God for that. It only implies that having faith and hope can have health benefits, no matter the current state.

In studies, scientists see a trend of longer life with these diseases in those who are more hopeful. They also see a better quality of life in the hopeful, including less depression and fatigue in those living with AIDS (7).

3. Hope Increases Adherence to Healthy Habits

In both children and adults, hope influences adherence to healthy habits.

In fact, those with hope are more likely to do what a health practitioner instructs.

What’s more, those who are hopeful often report a better diet, higher levels of physical activity, and overall healthier lifestyle than those who feel hopeless.

4. Hope Reduces Stress

In the brain, hope can act as a buffer against stress and anxious thoughts.

What’s more, hopeful people report that they laugh and smile more than those without hope.

This may be obvious.

But, did you know that the physical act of smiling and laughing, even when not sincere (forced), can reduce stress, both physical and mental?

In fact, laughter can alter dopamine, serotonin, and endorphin activity (8).

Our brains respond to positive physical changes in our body, including those that come with moving our facial muscles to smile and laugh.

5. Hope Improves Aging

Hope affects us throughout our lifecycle. It even helps us age better.

In fact, as discussed in 7 Steps to Healthy Aging, healthy eating, exercise, and sleep are all key components of healthy aging.

Hope affects all of these.

First, hope helps our motivation to eat well and stay active.

Next, it can reduce our stress response, which in turn improves our health.

And, lastly, those with hope sleep better than those without it.

One study of 156 women with breast cancer found a link between hope and depression, and these emotions and sleep quality (9).

Other studies have found links between hopelessness and insomnia. And then, sadly, this insomnia and suicidal ideation (10).

Simply put, our bodies need sleep to function day to day, and throughout life as we age. Hope is a gift from God that can improve our well-being, even through sleep.

Bottom Line

No matter if you’re facing health difficulties or not, your God-given gift of hope affects health by reducing stress, reducing pain, motivating you towards healthy habits and healthy aging, and improving your determination and resilience.

This Easter, bask in the hope of Christ’s resurrection. Carry it with you year round.

And for your Spirit, Mind, and Body, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

The post Easter, Hope and Health. 5 Ways It’s All Connected appeared first on Dr. Don Colbert.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is keto the right choice for you?

Investigating what is "right" for you and your journey means making a deliberate choice to ask hard questions and do your research. This is why the keto diet is so popular and has been for so many years. It is widely believed to provide health benefits beyond just weight loss.

Ask yourself, what are my health goals? What are my health goals? Do I want to lose weight or improve my mental clarity? Keto can be a good place to start, even though there is no universal method.

Keto is a way to limit the amount carbohydrates that you consume. We recommend consuming 20 grams per person each day. This pushes our bodies into a biochemical state known as nutritional ketosis - basically using fat as our energy source instead of sugar or glucose. It may be difficult initially to adhere to this strict carb limit, but you will eventually get used to it.

As long as you maintain strong nutritional quality and intake of certain healthy fats, such as Omega 3 fatty acids and other beneficial mono/polyunsaturated fats found in avocados, salmon, or nuts, you should see beneficial metabolic effects from following a ketogenic diet, whether you want body composition changes or general internal health improvements.

When balanced with the proper nutrient intake, keto can be sustained. So make sure you eat whole foods that are in their natural state. Don't underestimate portion sizes! You can make keto work for you, if done correctly. Take the time to research and learn about keto from reliable sources before you take any big steps forward (or backward).

What happens if your keto diet includes more than 20 carbs?

You might be wondering what the consequences could be if you consume more keto carbohydrates than you should. It is important to weigh the potential consequences of consuming too many carbs on keto.

Understanding the interaction of carbs with your body, and how fast you process them, is essential to solving the problem of how much can be too much.

When following a low-carbohydrate diet like the ketogenic, it is important to not eat too many processed carbs. The rule of thumb for a ketogenic diet is to not exceed the body's energy requirement. This means that your daily carbohydrate intake should be no more than 20g. This number is critical to maintaining ketosis. Excessing this amount can cause imbalance in the body and slow down progress.

For optimal health, and the best possible results when it comes to tracking macronutrients in your food, it is worth sticking within the limits of ketogenic eating. Doing this will increase the efficiency of your body's breakdown of these macro components to fuel energy production. This is a crucial step in achieving a sustainable weight loss and physiological equilibrium.

Can I eat a dairy free keto diet?

Absolutely! While dairy products are a staple of a keto diet plan, these tips will allow you to enjoy delicious dairy-free options and still maintain your ketogenic lifestyle. A keto diet plan should limit carb intake and increase your intake of healthy fats. However, there are plenty of plant-based alternative options to choose from to stay within your chosen guidelines.

First, choose the right fats and proteins for your needs. You can substitute butter with coconut oil, avocado oil and tahini. You can also use meat substitutes like tempeh and tofu as a source of protein. Nuts, seeds and nuts provide great crunchy textures.

When it comes to sweets creamy coconut milk, plant-based yogurts and heavy cream can be substituted for. Cheese lovers may try vegan cheese made from cashews or macadamia nuts to replace dairy cheese.

Finally, don't forget other seasoning options when making your dishes stand out! You can flavor foods with herbs, spices or vinegar. As long as you remember the principles of the ketogenic diet while simultaneously recognizing tasty solutions around those food restrictions, you'll be able to maintain a successful dairy-free keto plan!

Statistics

• But, a 1-ounce slice of cheese delivers about 30% of the Daily Value for saturated fat, so if you're worried about heart disease, consider portion size when eating cheese. (eatingwell.com)
• When following a ketogenic diet, carb content is between 5–10% of calories consumed, though looser versions of the diet exist (7Trusted Source (healthline.com)
• Carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of energy, but on a strict ketogenic diet, less than 5% of energy intake is from carbohydrates (learn more in our beginner's guide for the ketogenic diet). (eatingwell.com)
• It typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbs (9Trusted (healthline.com)
• Proteins should account for around 10–30% of energy needs, while carbs are usually restricted to 5%. (healthline.com)

External Links

[TAG63]

• Is butter good for you, or bad?


• The Fat-Soluble Vitamins, A, D. E. and K

[TAG66]

• PubMed: Implementing a ketogenic, low-carbohydrate diet to control type 2 diabetes mellitus


• PubMed: [Eggs do NOT increase the risk for cardiovascular disease and can safely be eaten]

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• Diets with high-fat cheese, high-fat meat, or carbohydrate on cardiovascular risk markers in overweight postmenopausal women: a randomized crossover trial


• Meta-analyses of the evidence on dietary components and risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease: A review of the evidence

[TAG72]

• FoodData Central

How To

How to Know if the ketogenic Diet is Working for You

Understanding the power of your diet starts with exploring potential benefits. With the right diet, you can experience better physical and mental well-being and get your body functioning in a balanced, healthy state.

The ketogenic diet may be one option that can provide positive results. But how do you determine if it is working? As someone considering this eating approach, you need to be able to accurately measure whether or not it's affecting your health and lifestyle.

One way to do that is by tracking your responses after following this diet plan. You can track how much energy your body has throughout the day. For instance, does it feel like your stomach is fuller? Has your digestion improved? Is it better or worse for your sleep quality? Does one activity increase or decrease the discomfort?

These are important considerations. It is important to think about what issues are still unresolved and to track these points. You can then see if you make improvements as time goes by, depending on your personal needs. You should also monitor your metabolic levels, such as blood sugar and cholesterol. This will help you to determine whether the ketogenic plan is helping or hindering your progress towards your desired goals.

Last, make sure to check your body composition. Are there any visible changes in fat and/or muscle gain. If the progress seems slow but continues to improve over time, it is likely that the ketogenic Diet is beneficial.

Resources:

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[TAG94] This Greek Cauliflower Rice Bake with Red Pepper, Onions, and Feta is a perfect low-carb side dish or a meatless main dish with Greek Flavors! And I love this

[TAG95] Improve Your Sleep With Infrared PEMF Mat Therapy The Importance of Quality Sleep Let’s talk about weight gain and sleep deprivation. Are you having trouble

[TAG96] Sausage, Mushrooms, and Feta Baked with Eggs is one of my favorite combinations for a delicious low-carb breakfast. And this tasty low-carb high-protein

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[TAG98] These 20 Cauliflower Rice Casserole Recipes have some delicious options, including some of the most popular casseroles on my blog! And there are a variety of

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[TAG100] Find out why your constant hunger may be hindering your weight loss efforts and learn how understanding the different types of hunger can transform your eating

[TAG101] I love the way cabbage gets meltingly tender in soup and this low-carb Instant Pot Ham and Cabbage soup is such a winner! If you prefer to use the slow cooker

[TAG102] The ULTIMATE Weight Loss Challenge Are you looking for help and inspiration on your health journey? I have the ULTIMATE challenge for you! Not only can you WIN

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[TAG104] Happiness is a superpower that anyone can cultivate. Discover the simple steps you can take today to be happier, improve your health, relationships, and

[TAG105] My sister Janet’s Easy Mustard Chicken is so tasty and quick that it’s perfect to make for a low-carb dinner the whole family will like! And everyone who likes

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