Students correlate health and beliefs

Spirituality may not be what most people think of when they are thinking of health. But maybe it should be.

Many beliefs have certain daily rituals and dietary choices that may be an influence on a believer's health. According to Lynn Norrie, a holistic health professor at Metro, faith can directly affect health in positive ways through prayer and meditation. Certain religious diets, if done correctly, can also be a source of good health, according to Kim Gollick, a registered dietitian in Denver.

Buddhism actively refuses the consumption of animals, according to Robert Addoms, a Buddhist UCD freshman majoring in communications.

"This is based on the idea that when you eat something it becomes a part of who you are," said Addoms, "so when you eat meat, the sin of the murder becomes a part of us." The vegetarianism that comes with this belief can have a positive affect if on digestive health, according to Gollick.

Buddhists also meditate two to three times a day, according to Addoms. "Meditation is the single most important skill and practice for someone hoping to maintain health," said Norrie.

Yeva Khavasova is a UCD freshman majoring in biology. She is also an Orthodox Jew.
"Orthodox Judaism has a strict set of rules when it comes to how they eat meat and what meat they may eat," she said.

According to Khavasova, the animal must be cut in a way as to cause the least amount of pain, and none of the animals can have any sort of blemish.

Orthodox Jews hire a farm to ensure that none of the animals have a mark. According to Gollick, though it makes for a more difficult lifestyle to follow, the diet itself is sound. Jews also spend a lot of time in prayer.

"We pray three times a day," Khavasova said, "in the morning, afternoon, and during the evening hours."

This practice can be vital, according to Norrie.

"[These] spiritual elements are well proven to be highly associated with better health and improved outcome from illnesses," she said.

Alex Craven, a senior at the University of Denver majoring in IT business and economics, has his own philosophy on what should go into his body and why.

"I believe that the current system and the way things are set up, the government kind of mandates that we as Americans eat a certain diet," Craven said. "They have made more unhealthy things more affordable versus what is better for you, like broccoli, to be more expensive."

This belief has made him a vegetarian; he believes that the only way to change the unhealthy system is to take a stance against it. Craven meditates daily.

The prayer and meditation that are key sources in each of these students' spiritual lives can also be key in their health lives as well, according to Norrie.

"Spiritual people generally have a sense of purpose and meaning to their lives," said Norrie. "And a sense of connectedness to self and other, [which are] all proven to contribute to health and resilience."

The diets that come with these beliefs can all be sound as long as they are properly carried out, with vegetarians getting their protein and vitamins they need, according to Gollick.

And while it's true that you shouldn't always have faith that the hot dogs on Colfax and Broadway are good for you and properly cooked, faith itself can sometimes lead you to a healthier future.