Resources to help you Live Well

Community support is not a “nice addition” to health. It is a foundational factor that influences physical recovery, mental well-being, stress regulation, and long-term outcomes across the lifespan.

Health belongs in the church because people belong in the church. Bodies, minds, and spirits arrive together every week. When churches embrace health ministry, they are not adding something new. They are reclaiming a long-standing tradition of care, stewardship, and compassion.

Spiritual responsibility often becomes visible through impact rather than intention. When chronic exhaustion, unmanaged stress, or preventable illness limit a person’s ability to serve, lead, or show up consistently, health moves from private matter to communal concern. This does not place blame on those who are struggling. It highlights that bodies are part of how vocation is lived out. If spiritual life includes loving others, participating in community, and bearing respo

Lifestyle choices shape the internal environment, not the outcome itself. They influence capacity, not certainty. This distinction matters deeply. Pregnancy outcomes are not moral achievements. They are biological events influenced by many factors, some of which are outside personal control.

Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium help regulate fluid balance at the cellular level. Most pregnant women obtain these minerals through food, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, dairy, whole grains, and broths.

A well-planned plant-based diet can support a healthy pregnancy. However, it requires intention, education, and attention to specific nutrients that are critical during pregnancy. This article explores what the research says, where caution is needed, and how a plant-based approach can be safely implemented during pregnancy.

While some discomforts are unavoidable, many can be eased through gentle, natural support. Understanding what is happening in the body helps expectant mothers respond with care rather than worry.

Sleep disruption can interfere with thyroid hormone signaling by increasing stress hormones and inflammatory markers. While sleep alone does not cause thyroid disease, chronic sleep disruption can strain systems that support thyroid function.

When the body perceives stress, it activates a built-in survival system often referred to as the stress response. This response is designed to help in short-term emergencies, not to run continuously. In the long term, the same response can place excessive demand on the body’s systems. Chronic stress means the body rarely returns to a true state of rest and repair.

Pregnancy nutrition is often framed around what to avoid. While safety matters, focusing only on restriction can create unnecessary stress. A natural approach emphasizes: Adequate nourishment rather than deprivation Stable blood sugar and energy Nutrient density over calorie counting Listening to hunger and fullness cues

This guide walks through the foundational elements every expectant mother should know about having a healthy pregnancy naturally, while also exploring a few often overlooked areas that can make a meaningful difference.

Historically, the Black Church has been able to shape the behavior of the community by providing political direction, comfort, physical resources and moral support. “After emancipation, black churches became virtually the only place for African Americans to find refuge… The representational structure of African American churches confirmed Black preachers as both religious and community leaders.

Maternal health support does not require churches to become medical experts. It requires awareness, education, and a willingness to walk alongside families during a critical season. When care is offered in familiar, trusted spaces, it often feels safer and more accessible.

Because water impacts nearly every system in the body- brain, digestion, circulation, hormones, and temperature regulation, chronic low-level dehydration can quietly contribute to fatigue, headaches, poor concentration, digestive issues, and mood changes.

This passage frames health through responsibility rather than control. The body is described as a dwelling place for God’s Spirit, which gives it inherent value. Caring for the body becomes an act of respect and gratitude, not pressure or perfectionism.

Scripture consistently presents human beings as integrated rather than divided. Body, mind, and spirit are not treated as separate compartments, but as interconnected aspects of one life.

Holistic health is an approach to wellness that considers the whole person. It recognizes that physical health, emotional well-being, mental clarity, spiritual life, relationships, and daily habits all influence one another.

It is true that many Black gatherings are centered around food, but that is also true of many cultures. What is not readily portrayed in the media is the lack of access to healthy foods many Black communities face or how the ratio of fast food restaurants is greater in the inner city compared to suburbia due to federal programs of the 1960s.