Nourishing the mind, body, and soul is so important for living a happy, healthy, abundant life.

Nourish by definition means to sustain with food or nutriment; supply with what is necessary for life, health, and growth. It also refers to cherishing, fostering, keeping alive, strengthening, and building up.

We must be intentional about taking time to nourish our mind’s, our body’s, and our soul’s regularly. Neglecting any part can rob us of the abundant life God wants us to live, because we are left feeling emotionally drained, physically exhausted, and spiritually empty.

That my darling friend is no way to live life.

I recently underwent a root canal. No fun and entirely my own fault. For weeks I simply kept putting off going to the dentist, offering myself one excuse after another. I don’t have time, I’m can’t take the day off work, the kids need this or that, and honestly I have a slight fear of the dentist. Eventually, the pain became so unbearable I had no choice. Neglecting myself lead to four weeks of antibiotics and prescription pain medication that left me in a fog most of the day.

As I sat in the endodontist’s office last week I thought to myself, this could have been prevented if I would have taken action sooner. Instead, I blatantly neglected myself for no valid reason. As I thought about this more I realized that over the past few months I’ve really pushed myself to the back burner. I’ve skipped more workouts than I’ve completed, I’ve stopped paying attention to my diet, I rarely sleep more than six hours, and I’m finding myself mentally and physically exhausted daily. I’m constantly trying to rush through one task to get to another. My personal time with God has been sporadic and rushed. I’m going through the motions of life, but I’m unnourished, and the end result is a woman who feels drained mentally, physically, and spiritually.

That is not who I want to be.

That is not who God made me to be.

It is very difficult to pour into others, if we are drained ourselves.

After giving it some thought I’ve come up with a few ways to nourish myself on a regular basis. I’m hoping to apply the following practical applications to my own life daily, to help me get back on track. I want to nourish my mind, my body, and my soul, because I’m worth the investment and I want to live a happy, healthy, abundant life. Are you well nourished in these areas?? If not, I’d like to encourage you to come along with me, there’s no better time than today to start investing in you! Understandably everyone’s body is different, and what works for me, may not work for you, but the overall ideas can be individually tailored to meet your specific needs.

4 Simple Ways To Nourish the Mind, Body, & Soul

FOOD/DRINK: 

I believe it is important for us to keep our bodies healthy by fueling them properly. I feel like crap when I eat like crap. When I am intentional about fueling my body with healthy foods I feel good! I notice when I select healthier options and keep my body well hydrated, I have more energy and my mind feels more alert. I also notice when my diet has a variety of nutrients and vitamins I tend to avoid those pesky common colds. God blessed me with this body and I want to be intentional about taking care of it, because this body is responsible for taking care of others. I need to have enough energy and strength to live the life God has prepared for me. I truly believe with all my heart that God wants us to be healthy strong women, full of life. We are not meant to be sluggish, wore out, sick individuals struggling to make it through the day or to the next pot of coffee.

Practical Applications:

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Enjoy salads daily, as a meal or as a side. Have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies on hand for snacks. Choose a variety of colors daily, this will provide different nutrients and vitamins. I love to make up little snack sized portions of mixed veggies and fruits for the week, this helps my family grab healthy options! Convenience is a huge factor.
2. Eat more lean proteins
3. Choose whole grains, such as brown rice, whole wheat pastas, and breads
4. Cut down on processed foods, sugars, salt, saturated fats, and fast food
5. Drink water to hydrate and flush toxins out of the body
6. Avoid gluttony, and enjoy everything in moderation
7. Plan meals out a week in advance and have a grocery list ready for shopping-being prepared is half the battle

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

Genesis 1:29 

Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

Genesis 9:3

Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Proverbs 23:20-21

EXERCISE:

Exercising regularly has major health benefits. For me personally it helps me to feel more confident, which in turns means I’m happier overall with myself. I have more energy, and I understand that by adding regular exercise to my life I am reducing risk factors for multiple chronic diseases and helping maintain a healthy weight. Exercising is good for the body, but also strengthens the mind as well, increasing focus, thought process, and creativity. Exercising helps me release positivity, reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, which leads to an overall happy, healthy, abundant life.

I read a great article recently and I would like to share it here with you, because if you’re not already aware of how great exercise can be for you and how much it can improve your quality of life, it would be a great source of information. Check out The Top 10 Benefits of Regular Exercise.

I personally would encourage you to find a style of exercise you like, and have fun with it. I enjoy being outside, so walking, jogging, and hiking are my favorites. I’m also down to complete anything that tones, strengthens, and stretches my body. I love exercise when it is a family affair. My girls enjoy bike riding, basketball, and jumping on the trampoline. Playing like a kid can be very refreshing.

Find what works for you. Make sure you enjoy it and look forward to it. Adding regular exercise to our lives is like giving ourselves a gift that keeps on giving, because we are truly nourishing our minds, bodies, and souls.

Practical Applications:

1. Commit to some type of exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
2. Try new routines on a regular basis to avoid boredom and keep things fun.
3. Find a friend to keep to stay accountable
4. Have a playlist ready of positive and encouraging Christian music for workouts! Praise God while nourishing and refreshing the soul at the same time. (I’m all about multi-tasking!)

She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

Proverbs 31:17

REST/SLEEP:

Everyone is so busy. Running from one place to another, completing task after task, the hours in our days seem to be incredibly over full. I find myself struggling to find time to let my body and my mind rest. How about you? What’s even worse is that when I do find time to sit down and relax, guilt washes over me, because I feel like I should be doing something more productive. However, I am coming to realize that in order to keep my mind, body, and soul well nourished I need rest and sleep. Rest renews and strengthens our minds, our bodies, and our souls. Adequate amounts of sleep are vital for our bodies to function at their best. God intended for His people to have a full day of rest, that is why Christians were given the Sabbath day, but I believe we can also find rest for our minds, bodies, and souls by seeking Him daily.

Practical Applications:

1. Schedule a set bedtime and make sure your body is getting the adequate amount of sleep to function properly. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep a night for the average adult. For me that’s a bedtime of 10:00pm, because I’m up by 5:00am every morning.
2. Honor Sunday as a day of rest, give yourself one day a week to just enjoy life and rest.
3. Find rest in God’s Word daily. I absolutely love resting in Gods Word daily. My goal is always 30 minutes, curling up with my Bible and a hot cup of coffee in the morning after my husband has left for work and my girls have gone to school. It’s my personal time to sit in the presence of God, filling my soul with His promises and resting in Him before I tackle the day. I encourage you to examine your own schedule and find time to rest in His presence daily. Reading scripture, praying, meditating, and journaling are all great ways to nourish your mind and soul while resting your body in His presence.

So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

Hebrews 4:9-12 NLT

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Psalm 127:2

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

FEED THE SOUL:

While all three of the area’s above will nourish our mind’s, body’s, and soul’s I want to be intentional about focusing on our soul’s. I mentioned above that it is hard to pour into others when you are spiritually empty. We are called to shine bright as Christians, but if our soul’s are drained and we are spiritually empty our light becomes dim. Focus on your soul daily. Find nourishment for your soul in God’s Word as you read the promises He gives you. Surround yourself with positive Christ centered individuals that pour into you and help you grow as a Christian. Find a church to call home and join in fellowship. Don’t neglect your soul, the spirit of Christ lives within you. Keep it alive and healthy, pure and holy. As you nourish your soul, you will strengthen your relationship with God, becoming more Christ like and less like the world. I believe that to live a healthy, happy, abundant life we must take time to nourish our relationship with God, because it is the most important relationship in our lives.

Practical Applications:

1. Listen to teachings and sermons on-line. I love listening to Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Joyce Meyer teach the word of God. Or follow certain churches on-line such as Elevation, Life.Church, and 3trees Church. YouTube has so many options, these are just a few of my favorites.
2. Join a Bible study
3. Keep yourself rooted and firmly planted in a local church you love
4. Volunteer to serve others often, through church and community
5. Read and follow Christian blogs to gain encouragement and inspiration
6. Play worship music often to create an atmosphere that is Christ centered. (for tips on how to do this read Five Areas to Bring Worship Music into Your Day)
7. Apply 5 Simple Ways to Strengthen Your Faith to everyday life

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

3 John 1:2

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

In my personal life I will need to take these areas of focus one day at a time, and some days will be better than others. I want to live a happy, healthy, abundant life, where my mind, body, and soul are well nourished. In order to reach this goal I’ll have to make decisions daily that keep me focused and on track. I will need to be intentional. I believe by following the practical applications above  I’ll be able to obtain my goals.

I encourage you my darling friend to think about your mind, body, and soul.

Are you lacking nourishment in any of these areas?

If so maybe it’s time to make your own list of practical applications, or start applying some of the ones above, moving forward day by day into the happy, healthy, abundant life that God intended for you!

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