A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
This month the New Hope Health Ministry will begin blood pressure screenings every third Sunday of the month from 10am to noon. All are welcomed to stop in the church office on the third Sunday of the month to have their blood pressure checked. Many of you know or have heard of the importance of keeping your blood pressure within normal levels (below 120/80). It is well documented that high blood pressure (hypertension) contributes significantly to heart disease, heart failure, kidney disease, stroke, as well as a host of other medical conditions. There are some factors that influence whether or not we develop high blood pressure that we simply cannot control. These factors include our race, our gender, and our genetics. However, there are many more factors that influence our blood pressure that we do have control over. We can take control over maintaining a healthy weight, adopting a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy products and limiting our salt intake. We can control whether or not we get regular aerobic activity, whether or not we smoke tobacco, and how much alcohol we consume. The most recent clinical guidelines for high blood pressure treatment contained an interesting study result: "The most effective therapy prescribed by the most careful clinician will control high blood pressure only if the patients are motivated". Our motivations influence how we choose to take care of our physical body. God cares for your body as much as He cares for your soul. Will you allow Him to help motivate you to engage in activities that will promote a healthy body as well as a healthy spirit?
In Christ's Peace,
Amy Powell, RN/PN
Source: 7th Report of the Joint National Committee (JNC 7) on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. December 2003. National Institute of Health/ National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. NIH Publication No. 03-5233
