This Becoming Gift Segment delves into the transformative power of gratitude. Discover how Thanksgiving is not just a holiday but a practice rooted in faith. Explore the physiological benefits of gratitude, from improved cardiovascular health to enhanced brain function, and learn practical ways to incorporate thankfulness into your daily life.

Key Takeaways

* Thanksgiving is deeply rooted in the Scriptures and the faith, the Greek word for “Eucharist” translates to “Thanksgiving”.

* Gratitude can have profound physiological and neurological benefits

* Expressing appreciation to others strengthens relationships and spreads positivity, creating a ripple effect of joy and connection.

Links

Andrew’s Substack

Physically Spiritual Podcast

Morning Offering

This episode of Becoming Gift significance of labor from a Christian perspective, and how it is central for health and holiness. It emphasizes the dignity of labor and the role it plays in fulfilling God’s creative work. The conversation contrasts the societal views on labor, particularly the undervaluation of blue-collar work compared to white-collar jobs, and highlights the importance of raising children as a noble form of labor. The discussion also touches on the impact of AI on job markets and the intrinsic fulfillment that comes from engaging in meaningful work.

I am particularly indebted to Jacob Imam and the New Polity think tank for my knowledge of this topic. You can find Jacob discussing these ideas on Pints with Aquinas:

Takeaways

* Labor is a concept that Christianity dignifies uniquely compared to paganism.

* St. Paul emphasizes the importance of work in the Christian life.

* Labor should reflect human dignity and contribute to God’s creation.

* Raising children is the highest form of labor.

* Creative callings can manifest in various forms, including parenting and artistry.

Keywords

labor, dignity, work, fulfillment, creative calling, parenting

Links

Andrew’s Substack

Physically Spiritual Podcast

Morning Offering

This episode of Physically Spiritual explores stress, highlighting how our biology is still influenced by ancestral survival mechanisms, despite living in a modern world. It proposes three forms of asceticism to calibrate our stress levels and the tools of breath to regulate moments that are too stressful.

Takeaways

* Our ancestors’ experience has shaped the physiology of our stress response.

* Human biology can be more resilient to acute, immediate threats. that resolve quickly than chronic stressors that are not resolved.

* We can adopt an asceticism of time, asceticism of attention and asceticism of the present moment.

* Breathing with extended exhales slows the body down and can calm down the stress response.

* When you are in an anxiety loop try to change your physiology to interrupt the unwanted thoughts.

Keywords

stress response, chronic stress, asceticism, stress management, breath

Links

Andrew’s Substack

Physically Spiritual Podcast

Morning Offering

This episode of Becoming Gift emphasizes the importance of purpose and discipline in the spiritual journey, likening it to the rigorous training athletes undergo to win a race. It highlights the need for believers to train their bodies and provides an overview of how to start exercising

Takeaways

* Living the faith requires intentional effort and discipline.

* A well rounded approach to exercise includes balance, strength, and endurance

* Focus on strengthening your legs to extend your health span.

* We have to be humble, start slow, and make reasonable progress.

Keywords

discipline, training, spiritual growth, perseverance, strength

Links

Andrew’s Substack

Physically Spiritual Podcast

Morning Offering

This episode of Becoming Gift delves into the importance of sleep, exploring its role in health and holiness. It highlights the biological and spiritual significance of sleep, the activation of the glymphatic system, and offers practical tips for improving sleep quality.

Takeaways

* Sleep is crucial for both health and holiness.

* The glymphatic system cleanses the brain during sleep.

* Regular sleep patterns enhance emotional regulation and self-control.

* Sleep deprivation increases health risks like cardiovascular disease.

* Practical tips include consistent wake times and reducing screen time before bed.

Keywords:

sleep, health, holiness, glymphatic system, rest, sleep tips

Links

Andrew’s Substack

Physically Spiritual Podcast

Morning Offering

This Becoming Gift Segment explores the concept of eating for wellness and holiness, exploring the historical, theological and spiritual significance of food. It highlights the historical trade-off between security and freedom, using biblical references to illustrate how food has been a central theme throughout salvation history. The episode proposes universal dietary principles that transcend specific diet ideologies, emphasizing the importance of eating sufficient protein, focusing on whole foods, and limiting sugar, grain, and oil.

Key Takeaways

* Food is a basic need and has been a central theme throughout history. There’s a trade-off between security and freedom, often seen in the context of food.

* Biblical references show the significance of food in spiritual and historical contexts.

* Universal dietary principles include adding protein, focusing on whole foods, and limiting sugar, grain, and oil.

* Some people receive a supernatural calling that transcends biological needs, like hermits.

Keywords

wellness, holiness, food, security, freedom, diet, protein, whole foods, cravings, survival

Links

Andrew’s Substack

Physically Spiritual Podcast

Morning Offering

This Becoming Gift Segment explores fasting for health and spirituality. It delves into the teachings of Christ on fasting, historical and cultural perspectives on fasting, and the physiological benefits and risks associated with fasting. The discussion also covers various fasting methods and their impact on health and spirituality.

Key Takeaways

* Fasting is a core part of human existence, and Christ's teachings presuppose fasting btu that fasting should be done without being showy.

* Fasting is seen as extraordinary in contemporary society, but this is not the norm. Most cultures and religions have unique fasting practices, and, historically, fasting was likely very common.

* Recent studies have found that fasting can be as effective as calorie-restricted diets for managing a healthy body weight and has many other potential positive benefits

* Some people find it helpful to differentiate when they fast for health and spirituality.

Links

Andrew’s Substack

Physically Spiritual Podcast

Morning Offering

This Becoming Gift Segment discusses the critical role of connection and relationships in promoting health and wellness. It explores the alarming rise of loneliness in society, particularly among younger generations, and its detrimental effects on health. The discussion emphasizes the importance of building relationships through vulnerability, hospitality, and active listening. It also address the challenges posed by social media and the fear of judgment that can hinder genuine connections and advocates for fostering real-life interactions to enhance well-being and longevity.

Key Takeaways

Connection is essential for health and wellness.

Friendship is crucial for spiritual and emotional well-being.

Vulnerability is necessary for deeper relationships.

Hospitality helps in making new friends especially once you have a job or family.

Andrew’s Substack

Physically Spiritual Podcast

Morning Offering

This Becoming Gift segment explores solitude and cultivating the ability to be alone and present with God and self. It distinguishes between mere quiet and true silence, and loneliness versus solitude, highlighting the negative impact of societal noise on health and the healing properties of silence. The discussion also covers practical methods for integrating silence and solitude into daily life, including scheduling silence, eliminating sources of noise, and limiting information inputs.

Key Takeaways:

* Solitude vs. Loneliness, Silence vs. Quiet: Solitude is not just being alone but being present to oneself and God, while loneliness is merely not being around people. True silence is a "silence of the heart" that goes beyond just the absence of external noise.

* Health Benefits of Silence: Environmental noise is a significant burden on health, second only to air pollution amongst environmental insults, contributing to annoyance, stress and sleep disturbance, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Conversely, spending just two hours in silence promotes neurogenesis, the creation of new neurons in the brain, indicating silence can promote healing.

* Solitude as a Prerequisite for Communion: The "communion of persons" can form only on the basis of a "double solitude," meaning true solitude is essential for genuine connection and communion with others, as highlighted by Pope St. John Paul II in his Theology of the Body.

* Practical Steps for Cultivating Silence: To build the habit of silence and solitude, one should make space for it by scheduling it, use device "quiet hours," eliminate background noise (like TV or music), limit information inputs, and engage in journaling to clear the mind. For parents, it's important to accept moments of silence as they are offered by the Lord rather than adhering to rigid expectations.

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This episode explores how to achieve significant progress in health and wellness by applying the Pareto Principle. It discusses how identifying and focusing on the "big levers" in one's life and focusing on the 20% of effort that yields 80% of results.

Key Takeaways:

* The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) suggests that a small percentage of effort or input leads to a high percentage of results, meaning that focusing on the 20% most important actions can achieve 80% of the desired outcomes in health and wellness.

* We need to distinguish between "big levers" and "small levers" in health and wellness, big levers cause significant changes, while small levers offer only minor differences. People often focus on minor things when learning about health, rather than what truly impacts the big picture.

* Each lever can be “pushed” or “pulled.” The four "big levers" for making substantial changes in one's life: Relationship (connecting with others or solitude), Nourishment (eating or fasting), Movement (exercise or rest/sleep), and Labor (creativity/purpose or managing stress).