Inflammation and Dysfunction in The Body: Foundation for Understanding Whole-Body Health

There are so many undiagnosed health conditions… There are people who struggle every day with health concerns and unanswered questions.

There are so many reports of increased inflammation, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. What’s interesting is - those who eat very nutritious foods and have a balanced eating pattern but still experience some of these health concerns. Does genetics impact this? Yes, of course. But there’s something major to consider…

The head has become disconnected from the body. There’s many meanings to this, which we will go through together.

We are often either too fast paced or too sedentary. Relaxing and renewing the mind have turned into watching tv, playing video games, and doom scrolling social media. Renewing of the mind is a true transformation that happens every day, this is not something that happens from mindless activities. This happens when you seek the Lord each day, handing Him the reigns of your life, reading His word and letting Him teach you, being bold in the faith, enduring hardship as discipline, walking in obedience to everything the Lord tells you to do, and not conforming to the patterns of this world - THAT is the renewing of the mind. 

The Mind & Direction

Let me ask you this: when you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you think about?

Is it how you feel?

How much you have to do?

How you don’t want to wake up?

How often do you wake up thinking about God before anything?

Invite Him into your day. Ask Him to come into your thoughts, actions, decisions, and heart. Your morning sets the intention and direction of the day. Direction matters, because the direction we follow determines the destination we arrive at.

Let's talk about direction - If you’ve never been somewhere before, how do you get there? The most common answer is using a GPS.

Have you ever been in this life before, or is this your first time?

How do you expect to know what direction to go in life if you’re not looking to your creator, who is the GPS of your life?

How do you expect to know what to do with your body, when you’re not the one who created it?

The Body: Growth and Interconnection

We have to get connected back to the head of the body, the Lord. In Colossians, Paul says, “They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.” (Colossians 2:19). A lot of this is discussing the body of the church, but the Bible compares it to how God created the body, which gives us a foundation into proper functioning of our physical bodies. The key here is that the body grows as God causes it to grow. Notice how it’s not how we cause it to grow or change, but how God does.

“God placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.” (1 Corinthians 12:18) 

There are many parts of the body, but they are all connected to one body. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26) 

Do you realize what that says right there? If one part suffers, every other part of the body will suffer with it. Renewal of the mind is essential to all parts of our body rejoicing together and working in synergy. “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27) We all have our own spiritual gifts God has blessed us with, we must use it to build each other up for His kingdom. The body suffers when we don’t carry out what He has called us to do.

The Heart : What Must Be Removed and What Must Rule

Paul says to set our hearts on things above, where Christ is, not on earthly things. Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature and put on the new self God gives you, which is “being renewed in knowledge in the Image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:10)

God created your body and knows exactly how each part of it needs to function, but it starts with allowing Him to renew your mind and direct your steps.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)

What’s ruling in your heart?

Imagine if the peace of Christ ruled in our hearts and we were thankful in every circumstance. The head of the body (Christ) brings peace. So if the head, which is over all things, brings peace, but the body parts that are meant to be connected to Him are disconnected, then the body suffers.

Clothing Yourself

We often think, “I don’t like how I look in my clothes” “I don’t even know who it is in the mirror anymore”. Imagine if we switched our mind to what God commands us to clothe ourselves with - “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)  “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:14)

Questions to ask yourself:

• Do you truly understand the love God has for you? 

• How are you speaking to yourself? Is this the way God would speak to you? 

• Are you changing your habits out of the love God has for you and to steward your body, or are you doing it out of pressure and dissatisfaction with yourself?

Next Steps

There are a lot of health conditions and weight loss concerns, with many struggling to find the right answers and changes. When one part of the body suffers, the rest of the body suffers with it. With nutrition, you can’t only focus on what food you should be eating. You must focus on the head of the body (Christ) and strengthen that connection through everything you do. Listen for His next steps, and walk in obedience to that as soon as He says GO. Let Him renew your mind day by day and allow His peace to rule in your heart. He has created our bodies in His image, and He is the one expert who can and is ready to tell you how to steward your body for Him.

Take note of this and really reflect this week: *Renewal of the mind is essential to all parts of our body rejoicing together and working in synergy.

If you’re navigating inflammation or ongoing health concerns and want a holistic, faith-centered approach, you can learn more about my approach here or schedule a free virtual growth call here.

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Written by

Maddie Perron, MS, RDN, LDN, CLC, CPT

Registered Dietitian & Christian Life Coach

Founder, Made for More Wellness