Life style choices directly impacts our ability to process grief and sorrow

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 1 Corinthians 6:19

Grieving over the loss of a loved one takes incredibly hard work and in time this grief can take it's toll on our bodies. As we grieve we take less and less time for good things in life that keep us alive. We exercise less and we eat more of what I refer to as the 'comfort foods' of life. High starches, high sugars, high fats are some of the foods that momentarily give you a lift in how you feel, but over the long term they can aggravate your grieving process by keeping you feeling depressed.

Over the course of several months I have been touched by a number of people who regularly exercise and maintain a diet of natural foods like Vegetables, proteins, and fruits. To a person who is grieving and subsisting on a diet of processed foods those foods have very little appeal. Why? Because we have been taught that when we are 'blue' to eat a cookie, or a Mcdonald's hamburger with some french fries. We were that this was the way to processed bad feelings since we were little when our parents gave us a cookie to help us stop crying and begin to feel better about ourselves. Over time the accumulated effects of all these 'feel good' foods will impact our bodies in a negative sense.

I was inspired by my brother Tim and my brother in law Bill to make some decisions in this area of my life. It won't be easy and in the beginning eating more of what is healthy for me will seem so foreign, but if I stay the course and do what is right I know the healthy way of eating will have a lasting impact on the way I feel about myself and in the way I process my grief.

Life is for the living. Our journey is not finished if we are still breathing and moving around. God wants to use us to help others who come along after us with their own grief journeys. Choosing the right foods to eat and the right kind of exercise to perform is your way of telling God to use you to help others.