Start your year with NEWSTART
Follow Caleb Shetler's example and make sure to fit healthy habbits into your day. | PC: Jorrdan Bissell
The start of the school year provides both students and staff with the opportunities to start over and make new goals. Many times these goals involve achieving a healthier lifestyle, whether it be going to bed at a reasonable hour, exercising daily, or having devotions each morning before starting the day.
NEWSTART is a program that focuses on "preventing and reversing disease through natural methods." The name of the program is an acronym made up of each of their core values: nutrition, exercise, water, sunlight, temperance, air, rest, and trust in divine power.
NEWSTART's program believes lasting change doesn’t come from within, but rather, from God. Unlike many other health programs, NEWSTART encourages having complete trust in God as you try to change your lifestyle habits. It's important to keep God in all aspects of your life, for with Him we’re able to succeed and only with Him is change is possible.
Sophomore general studies major Tracii Vang says 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 keeps her motivated to stay healthy. This verse states, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
“This verse is more than me being healthy because I can acknowledge God better by being fully alert. That’s why God commands me to be healthy. Not just for myself, but also for Him, because He wants to be with me,” Vang explains.
NEWSTART offers hundreds of simple vegetarian recipes to help set you on the right track if you want to focus on nutrition. Creamy avocado pasta, lemon pineapple cream pie, and white bean and roasted garlic brochette are just a few of the recipes that they have to share. There are also recipes for those with food sensitivities, including nut-free, gluten-free and soy-free options.
Information on health expos and other community events that will be in your area can be found on NEWSTART’s lifestyle club website, as well as coupons for health products and codes for free online health seminars.
Although NEWSTART's offered classes can only be taken in Weimar, Calif., the main aspects of the program can be fulfilled right here in Lincoln, Neb. Online, the NEWSTART Lifestyle Club features videos and articles that go into further detail on how to work each of their core values into your daily life.
Signing up for NEWSTART's lifestyle club is free, and membership allows you to specify what health topics you're interested in. Their health calculator can assess your lifestyle and give suggestions on how you can improve.
Once a member, you're added to their email list that includes videos, articles, and recipes. Change doesn't come quickly or easily, but challenging yourself to slowly integrate each aspect of NEWSTART into your daily routine can help you to improve your lifestyle physically, mentally and spiritually.
NEWSTART website: http://newstart.com
NEWSTART Lifestyle Club: http://newstartclub.com
Amanda McCarter is a sophomore studying biomedical science.