The healthy trinity

Written By: Michaela Mencacci

As a student athlete at SFA and a child of God who is working to become a saint in the kingdom of Heaven, I have to stay fit: physically, mentally and spiritually. Just like the holy trinity, I believe that the mind, body and spirit are connected in the same way. God created our minds in which he uses as vessels of communication, Jesus gave his body to grant us eternal life, and the Holy Spirit always dwells in our souls. To effectively be fully open to the way, the truth and the life, we need to keep our minds, bodies and souls fit and clean so that we can become the people God created us to be.

Most of us know how to exercise the body and the mind - with extensive training. We have spent years in school to improve our scholarly thinking, and with the use of the internet we could all find answers on how we could stay physically fit. So how do we train the soul? The answer lies within each of us. Me? I'm just now finding my personal workout routine, and it works out all three: mind, body and soul.

I could define my whole workout in one word... Cleansing

Recently I have been given the challenge to stay away from a select group of foods for six months. Due to certain health issues that could become more of a problem for my future self, my doctor recommended that I take a food sensitivity test.
My results came back a little daunting…

​Some of the ingredients and foods I have to cut from my diet are:
High Fructose Corn Syrup, Cane Sugar, Random food colorings, Soy, Wheat, Rye, Barley, and Yellow Squash.

I've lost the privilege of being able to eat anything I want, whenever I want. I now have to plan, prepare and clean every time I need to eat. This gave me and my college-wired brain a huge shock. For the first time in my life I have consistently been checking nutrition facts in everything that I eat, which has been an enlightening experience to say the least.

What I have noticed from my first two weeks of staying away from all processed foods is that I have had more energy, have not gotten any stomach aches, headaches, or migraines, felt more productive, lost a few stubborn pounds and have felt all-around better. This new found natural way of living has boosted my happiness, which shows from the inside out. I have had less anxiety, less anger and a lot more peace. Peace of mind, body and soul.

Sugar is something that has always been a part of my life. It was like a drug, of sorts; addicting and pleasing to taste. I am now learning to walk on my own without using the crutch that sugar gave me. Almost everything I ate had sugar in it, and although it will be hard to eliminate in my diet, I believe that God will fill the empty spaces where sugar resided with the graces that were always meant to be there. If we take out the bad things in our lives, it will leave room for the Lord to work through us.

​Most of us live a very fast-paced lifestyle, working hard today so we can have a better tomorrow. This same way of living could also be used to grow stronger in your mind, body, and your relationship with God.

To achieve this I have been journaling a lot more, reading the Bible and going to confession regularly. In doing this, I have been cleansing both my mind and soul of worldly thoughts and feelings. These exercises have helped free myself of a lot of extra weight that have been building up for years. With the help of my new routine, I have been shedding the intoxicating pounds of self-abasement and it has been truly liberating. My self-love has grown and has encouraged my acceptance of Christ’s pure love for me, and for the whole world.

Our body is a temple that has it’s fair share of upkeep. I have found a workout routine that works for me in a way that I never expected. It may seem simple, but it is effective. Here are some steps to help find your own personalized routine:

1. Pray and meditate on things you could eliminate so God’s graces can better flow through you.
2. Create your workout routine that inspires growth within mind, body and soul.
3. Put plan into action!
4. Stay true to your routine. If you fail, it’s okay! Pray to God about your tendencies and temptations and He will help them fade away.

It only takes a week or two of inactivity for you to become out of shape. Just as it is difficult to keep the body fit, so is keeping up with the mind and soul. But with the help of the Holy Trinity, anyone can do it!

Wishing you all many blessings and good luck to everyone on their road to fitness!
Thanks for reading,
​     -Michaela