Body & Soul A Celebration of Healthy Eating & Living
What is Body & Soul?
• A health program originally designed for African-American churches.
• A program that empowers church members to eat a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables every day for better health.
• A program that works by combining: – Church Staff leadership– Educational activities– A church environment that supports
healthy eating– Peer counseling
The Blessings Of Body & Soul
Body & Soul churches embrace and celebrate good health through healthy eating.
Body & Soul congregations:– Eat more fruits and
vegetables.– Learn how health and
spirituality are connected.– Embrace other healthy
habits.
Why Body & Soul?
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
1 Corinthians 6:19
However…
Why Body & Soul?
60% of us are overweight or
obese.http://www.oakwood.org/upload/docs/Stewardship_01_Diet_Exercise.pdf
QUESTION: What Can We Do?
NOTHING, or….
We can make choices to:
positively impact our own health, and
positively impact the health of others.
History of Body & Soul
• Body & Soul is based on National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded research conducted in North Carolina (Black Churches United for Better Health) and at Emory University (Eat for Life Trial).
• The American Cancer Society and NCI worked with the researchers from UNC and Emory to translate this research into a program that could be delivered on a wide scale.
Measures of Success
• Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables among participants.
• Changes in church policies and practices related to foods served (link to SHIP).
• Increased awareness, knowledge, and self-efficacy of healthy eating among participants.
• Collaborative relationships.
MOTIVATIONAL REMINDER:
Whether, then, you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
For more information
• http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/FaithBodyandSoul
• To order a free copy of the Body & Soul Guide, call 1-800-422-6237. For more information, visit www.5aday.gov.
• Stewardship of Health: a series of health information briefs and a group study guide for Christian congregations. Stewardship of Health is available to parishes free of charge. Go to: http://www.oakwood.org/?id=1740&sid=1