Discover 9 Christian healthy living tips to honor God with your body. Learn practical faith-based wellness habits to prevent illness and stay energized.
By age 23, renowned preacher Robert Murray M’Cheyne was a pastor of a large congregation, yet he continued to work himself past the limits of his health. At 29, shortly before he died, he wrote, “God gave me a message to deliver and a horse to ride. Alas, I have killed the horse, and now I cannot deliver the message.” As Christians, it is vital that we take care of our horse (our body) by making lifestyle choices that can help reduce the risk of illness or more serious diseases, allowing us to keep delivering the message (the Gospel).
9 Easy Christian Healthy Living Tips to Help You Improve Your Immune System and Prevent Illness:
Tip 1: Drink enough water each day. The recommended water intake is about 125 oz daily for men and 90 oz for women. Hydration supports circulation, allowing immune cells to move efficiently throughout the body. Want to make planning your water intake simple? First, figure out how much water your water bottle holds, then work out how many times you will need to fill and drink it to reach your daily recommendation. Your hydration needs vary with heat, exercise, and body size, so thirst, urine color, and activity level should also guide your water intake.
Tip 2: Food matters. How much you eat and what you eat are both important. On average, men need about 2500 daily calories depending on activity level, and women need about 2000 daily calories depending on activity level. The more active you are, the more calories you need.
However, a healthy diet is not just about how many calories you eat; it is also about the types of food you choose. For example, a drive-through coffee can be over 500 calories. This raises the question of whether those calories are being used in the most effective way. Two eggs and 8 oz of chicken are about the same amount of calories as that drive-through coffee. The calories from eggs and chicken will help your body drastically more than the drive-through coffee will. Making sure you are eating enough protein, like chicken and eggs, is especially important for immune function and tissue repair. Eating insufficient amounts of protein and fiber can increase your risk of illness, slow recovery, and reduce training and general adaptations. Whole foods also provide micronutrients (like zinc, iron, and B vitamins) that supplements cannot fully replace. Simple switches like drinking black coffee can make a drastic impact on your health.
Tip 3: Get enough sleep each day. During sleep, the body releases growth hormone, repairs tissue, and strengthens immune memory. It is recommended that adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night. It is good practice to avoid caffeine 10 hours before bed, food and alcohol three hours before bed, and phone or TV screens one hour before bedtime. It is important to keep your bedroom as a dedicated place for sleeping so that your mind becomes situationally aware of what that room in the house means. If you plan to nap, pick a comfortable spot outside of your bedroom, nap before 3 p.m., and set an alarm for 30 minutes or less to avoid going into a deep sleep that will make you even more groggy.
Tip 4: Get active! Whether it is playing pickleball a few times a week, going to the gym, running, or simply going for a walk every day, physical activity greatly improves our body’s ability to fight against illness. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week. Moderate, regular exercise strengthens your immunity, but excessive training without enough recovery can suppress it.
Tip 5: Wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your eyes and mouth. When we touch our eyes, nose, and mouth, we enhance viral transmission into the body. When it comes to simple habits to prevent the flu, this is the easiest one to achieve.
Tip 6: Limit or avoid alcohol. The recommended limit is fewer than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. However, it is even better if you can reduce your alcohol intake further! Alcohol disrupts your sleep quality, delays your muscle recovery, and weakens your immune responses. It’s easy to underestimate these effects, especially in physically active individuals.
Tip 7: Manage/reduce stress. The hormones that cause stress can weaken your body’s immune system. Finding ways to reduce your stress is important. Whether it is going for a walk, listening to calming music, or doing breathing exercises, it is important to figure out what works best for you.
Tip 8: Avoid tobacco consumption. Smoking harms nearly every organ system in the body. It does not have any beneficial effects. Smoking changes how medications are eliminated from the body. It also reduces oxygen delivery to tissues, impairing both performance and healing. It can lead to cancer, heart/lung disease, type 2 diabetes, and many other harmful effects. On top of that, secondhand smoke is harmful to those around you as well. Talk to your pharmacist/doctor about ways they can help you quit smoking.
Tip 9: Gather safely and care faithfully. It is vitally important to avoid people who are sick to reduce the spread of infection and protect vulnerable individuals. Especially during flu season, wisely choosing to stay home when you are sick helps prevent the illness from spreading to others, demonstrating care, responsibility, and love for one another. While we recommend avoiding sick people, fellowship and socialization are critical for all walks of life, especially the Christian life. Prioritizing church and meeting with fellow believers is extremely beneficial for your mental and spiritual health.
These 9 daily habits that strengthen immunity naturally can help you steward the body God has given you. Whether you are able to make one change or all 9, we hope this helps you be healthier as you seek to reflect Christ in your daily life.
This article is intended for educational purposes and should not replace advice from a qualified health care professional.
Logan Grove and Hayden Lee are student pharmacists at Cedarville University, where Jeffrey A. Bates, PharmD, BS Pharm, FMPA serves as Dean and Professor of...
