The Eight Laws of Health

"Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in Divine power—these are the true remedies."[Ellen G. White, Ministry of Healing, p. 127] Rest "He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made." Genesis 2:2 The greatest remedy for being tired is SLEEP. The body requires plenty of rest to heal. Sleep is the greatest rejuvenator; it restores strength to muscles, nerves, and brain. During sleep the body repairs, reenergizes, and prepares for renewed activity. One hour of sleep before midnight is equal to 2 hours of sleep after midnight. During a day of work and activity, toxins build up in our system which cannot immediately be thrown off. These toxins product fatigue—that well-known weariness at the end of the day. Sleep gives the body time to expel wastes and to make repairs. "The stomach, when we lie down to rest, should have its work done, that it may enjoy rest, as well as other portions of the body. The work of digestion should not be carried on through any period of the sleeping hours."[Ellen G. White, Healthful Living, p. 84] Rest is not synonymous with sleep. Four types of rest are: Physical Rest—sitting, lying down, or relaxing. Not eating late at night or before bed. Sensory Rest—quietness and refraining from using the eyes. Emotional Rest—a withdrawing from the ups and downs caused by personal interaction. Mental Rest—a detaching of the mind from all intellectual demands or activity. Your Prescription: First, get the sleep your body needs, 8 hours a day and several hours before midnight. Second, do not neglect that important rest we need, such as taking morning walks, sitting in a jacuzzi or by a mountainside, looking at a forest or lake, going to the ocean, or reading the Scriptures. "A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might....Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection of His character..."[Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 70]