by Inge Anderson

Much of the work of Christ consisted of healing people of their physical maladies while offering them healing of their spiritual disease, ¹ and His disciples did likewise. ²

As a church, we have been counseled that the [weaver_popup_link href=’https://ssnet.org/links/health-resources/health-message-right-arm/’ h=’1600px’ w=’1000px’ scrollbars=true]”gospel of health” should be the “right arm” of our message.[/weaver_popup_link] Accordingly, we are listing some selected health resources that actively recognize the relationship between Christ’s last message to the world and the “gospel of health.” These are intended to enable you to experience the “gospel of health” in your own life and prepare you to share it with others.

The Eight Laws of Health

Before listing resources, I would like to share that optimal health is based on following God’s Eight Laws of Health. They can be remembered by the acronym NEWSTART:

• Nutrition: Following a plant-based diet, eating modestly and regularly of the foods God created as close to their original form as possible.
• Exercise: Regularly moderate exercise, preferably in the fresh air. 
• Water: Sufficient water both inside and outside the body. 
• Sunlight: Regular exposure to sunlight will boost mood and immunity.
• Temperance in all things: Eating and sleeping on a regular schedule and abstaining from all things harmful, including overeating.
• Air: Enjoy fresh air both outdoors and inside the house. Open windows to let the fresh air in. 
• Rest: Regular hours of sleep are of high importance for optimal body and brain function. 
• Trust in God: It’s the remedy for one of the major causes of disease, namely negative stress. 

LifeStyle Matters

LifeStyleMatters.com  Developed by Vicki Griffin and Evelyn Kissinger, these programs seamlessly integrate physical and mental health. Vicki is quite unapologetic about the approach and shares how even atheists have been known to appreciate the programs. The programs are relatively inexpensive, ³ and come with detailed training materials.

Each program consists of four to six weekly evening sessions beginning with a “tasting and mingling” time. (No cooking demonstrations, per se, but cook books are offered for sale.)⁴  This is followed by a welcome message from the program director (you?) and a DVD or PowerPoint presentation on the subject of the evening. A lifestyle feature demonstration (such as how much sugar is hidden in common foods) is a favorite. Then there is a “Keys to Life” presentation, followed by round-table discussion groups, with a facilitator for each table of 6-8 people. This is where “homework” is assigned before folks are dismissed for the evening.

Following instructions creates an atmosphere that is friendly and low-key, encouraging the forming of relationships – which just happens to be the best way to connect with young adults of today, the so-called “postmoderns.” You can get a taste of the professional quality of the materials by ordering a set of Balance” magazines.  (Phone to get the lower postal rate. UPS is too expensive.) The programs are ideal as an introduction to evangelistic bible studies presented in a similar manner, including a light snack and follow-up discussions – which go over much better than the typical “evangelistic series” in today’s world.

The program is best presented by a minimum of three persons working together. Experience is not necessary, because the training is excellent. You’ll know just what to say, but you can say it in your own words if you prepare well enough. ⁵

The Nedley Depression and Anxiety Recovery Program

We have had excellent experiences with the The Nedley Depression and Anxiety Recovery Program  in our church. Attendees are extremely grateful. And the program lends itself well to integrating physical and spiritual wellness. The round-table discussions foster forming relationships. 

Check out an introductory video on Youtube (there are more there).

You may attend a residential program (scroll down), but it is also possible for churches to offer the program in their own communities. For this purpose, Associate Directors and Facilitators can get their training online (scroll down). They  will have all director and facilitator materials mailed to them (which explains the higher prices for international training – no matter where you are in the world).  (Some materials listed and available to order on website.) The program consists of 9 weekly sessions, with the last session being a “graduation banquet,” which is the high-light of the program. Attendees pay for their own materials and generally consider them cheap enough.

You can compare what’s available at Dr. Nedley’s website with what is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. (Sometimes you can get a better deal at Amazon and help Sabbath School Net in the process.)

CHIP – Complete Health Improvement Program

Founded by Hans Diehl, this well-tested and highly successful CHIP program (originally Coronary Health Improvement Program) is likely the grand-daddy of the modern Adventist health improvement programs. It probably added at least an extra 20 years to my own father’s life. CHIP is considerably more expensive than the Life Style Matters programs and also more expensive than the Neil Nedley programs. It takes a greater investment of both time and effort, but for those who can invest both, it is highly successful in reaching the higher classes of society. 

For information on how to prepare for the program and receive training go to  ChipHealth.com. This is definitely a project for churches and not for individuals, considering the human and financial resources involved. Part of the reason for the price of the program is the price of lab fees for the medical tests included. But they are also a big factor in demonstrating the effectiveness of the program.

I have noticed a tendency by presenters to minimize the Adventist connection in an effort to appear neutral. I believe this is a great mistake. (See “Is the Right Arm Still Good?“)

The health message that God gave to the Seventh-day Adventist church is the foundation of the CHIP program, and God’s most bountiful blessings will be realized by those who will use CHIP to minister to the whole person – not referring impersonally to a “higher power,” but to our personal, loving Savior who works through a specific body in this final time of earth’s history.

When I took my training years some time near 2005, the spiritual dimension was not well integrated, but it may be different now.

In the 1970’s we had excellent success with the Five-Day Plan to Stop Smoking when we intentionally tweaked the psychological dimension by making it explicitly spiritual and referring to our Creator God and identifying ourselves as Seventh-day Adventists. (This was not in the program, but I believe God poured out extra blessings when we explicitly acknowledged Him.) So I would like to encourage those who want to work with CHIP to explicitly and boldly take God on as a partner. It’s His program!

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Educate Yourself With These Resources

(Many are free)

Proof Positive: How to Reliably Combat Disease and Achieve Optimal Health Through Nutrition and Lifestyle, by Neil Nedley is a book devoted to demonstrating “Proof Positive” from the scientific literature that God’s plan for staying healthy works. It is written in language easily understood by the lay person and filled with charts, diagrams and other illustrations to make the material understandable. Many say that they find the book “hard to put down” because of its wealth of interesting information. It is also a good reference book to keep on hand, with its hefty 555 pages of text. Here’s a list of chapters:

1. Principles For Optimal Health
2. Good News About Cancer: It Can Be Prevented!
3. Heart Disease: Conquering the Number One Killer
4. Blocked Arteries: Clean Them Out Naturally
5. The Truth About Fish
6. One Nation Under Pressure [about stress]
7. The Great Meat and Protein Myth
8. Sweet Tooth, Bitter Harvest: The Sugar and Diabetes Study
9. Melatonin: Agent for rest and Rejuvenation [Hint: Your body makes its own]
10. Animal Disease and Human Health Risk
11. Milk: Friend or Foe?
12. The Frontal Lobe: The Crown of the Brain
13. Stemming the Tide of Violence [About entertainment choices]
14. Stress Without Distress
15. AIDS and HIV: The Untold Story
16. Dying for a Cigarette? Kick the Habit and Live
17. Want a Drink? [Alcohol]
18. Dealing With Bad Habits and Addictions
19. Nutrition and the Environment
20. Beyond the Leading Causes of Death

The book also includes 10 Appendices. Unfortunately, this book, published in 1999 is (as of 2024) no longer available, except as a used book, even though the content is timeless. You can search for a copy on Amazon.com, AbeBooks.com, or EBay.com

Vitamin K2 And The Calcium Paradox: How a Little-Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, by Kate Rheaume-Bleue.  
You’ve probably heard about Vitamin B12 and the fact that B12 deficiency is common in not only vegans but also people who eat animal products. But most of us know very little about fat-soluble Vitamin K2 which plays such a vital role in so many essential processes in our body, much less the fact that the menaquinone form is the most helpful supplement to take. The author seeks to remedy this deficiency in knowledge. The bottom line is that Vitamin K2 acts much like a hormone in conjunction with fat-soluble Vitamin D and Vitamin A.

Applying the information in this book could literally save your life – especially if you suffer from any of the following or are in danger of suffering from any of the following: osteopenia, osteoporosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, risk of cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, leukemia (the way K2 deals with leukemia is particularly fascinating), liver cancer, kidney disease, infertility, dental cavities. 

Other interesting facts: Mothers taking in adequate Vitamin K2 can ensure that their children will have large enough jaws so that they won’t need braces. It may make for easier labor in child bearing. 

Health Education Videos

Northern Lights Health Education Videos by Dr John Clark of Eden Valley Institute (free)

Health Resources at Wildwood Lifestyle Center (free)

You can find some reasonably priced health resources at Weimar’s Newstart . Also check out their Health Score Calculator – How healthy are you? (mostly free)

Health Education Articles

(All are free)

Health Library at Loma Linda University Medical Center

Counseling Sheets by Uchee Pines and Dr Agatha Thrash – counsel on treating various disease conditions naturally.

Also see the Neil Nedley’s Resource Libray. .

See the News & Articles section of Lifestylematters – clear and authoritative.

Health Education Lectures

Dr Neil Nedley on Youtube

Plant-based Recipes

Recipes on Dr John Clark’s site

Since this page was first published over a decade ago, some of the resources that were listed are no longer available, but there are literally thousands of healthy plant-based recipes available on the internet. Just search for “plant-based recipes” or “vegan recipes.”

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