Soulistic Health

Jesus calls each of us to be whole. But what does "whole" mean?

No matter that the much touted "health-care reform" package of a few years ago never made it out of Congress. We are still living in the middle of a tremendous health-care revolution.

Health insurance might still be a quagmire, Medicaid still inadequate, but the way we think about our health has changed radically in the past two decades. Most of us now realize that we cannot be truly healthy if we segregate our lifestyle from our physical well-being. What started out as advice to eat a well-balanced, low-fat diet, get regular exercise and avoid the use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs has grown into a vast complex, a health-care industry completely independent of the white-coated world of traditional modern medicine.

Now, every aspect of our diet has come under scrutiny. Vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, high potassium, low sodium, nonfat, cholesterol-free -- all have become common terms in our health vocabulary. Naturopaths, homeopaths, D.O.s, chiropractors, acupuncturists,...