This “law of health,” of course, as presented by Weimar NEWSTART® is fully religious, Christian, and Seventh-day Adventist. But, like the other seven “laws of health,” we do not limit this one to Christians. Members of any faith community need a support system they can trust, whether it is a deity or a belief. So do people who don’t believe in a god of any kind.

Some people find reduced stress levels are when they separate themselves from organized religion. Others reduce stress levels by immersing themselves into spiritual practices. All diabetics, whether or not they believe in a god, need to reduce stress levels in their life as much as possible because stress is the number one non-food factor causing high blood sugar.

Both research and experience prove that stress of all kinds can raise your blood sugar! Determine what might cause stress in your life, either good stress or bad stress, and consider ways that you can deal with it.

Shabbat, also known as Sabbath, is the day of the week reserved for rest and worship in Judaism and Christianity. And there’s some science to support the idea that practicing a day of rest—including time away from social media and digital devices—benefits longevity and both mental and physical health.

Stress and Diabetes

Many times a member will post out of their frustration with high blood glucose numbers when they cannot see what food they might have eaten to cause such high numbers. “I’m following a low-carb diet,” they say, “I drink lots of water, I exercise every day, mostly outdoors in the sunshine, and I get a good night’s sleep. Why are my numbers so high?” Writer Katie Geer says, “Whether it’s related to work, to relationships, or to some other aspect of your life, research has continually shown that emotional stress can cause blood sugar to surge.”¹

Non-diabetics who don’t have insulin resistance will respond to stress with a rise in insulin which brings down any rise in blood sugar caused by stress. We diabetics do not respond well to stress because our insulin resistance does not allow insulin to enter the cells and so we experience significantly high blood sugars. “Whether the stress is environmental, emotional, or physical, what happens when we interact with a stressor (positive or negative), is a series of biological adaptations, most significantly an elevation in the hormone cortisol—meaning the hormone cortisol can contribute to high glucose levels.”²

Therefore, it is vital that we do everything we can to avoid as much stress as possible and figure out how to lower stress when we can’t avoid it. “Emotional stress (fear, anxiety, anger, excitement, tension) and physiological stress (illness, pain, infection, injury) cause the body to secrete stress hormones into the bloodstream. For those without diabetes, the stress-induced blood sugar rise is followed by an increase in insulin secretion, so the blood sugar rise is modest and temporary. For those of us with diabetes, however, stress can cause a significant and prolonged increase in the blood sugar level.”³

Dr. Jason Fung says, “One final thought about stress relief. It’s always a little amazing to me how far organized religion is ahead of the game. Think about the practices they preach. Prayer (similar to meditation). Belief in a higher power/confession (stress relief). Weekly ceremonies, like mass (sense of community and continuity—important for stress relief). Small group sessions (friendship and sense of belonging—stress relief). Fasting. Yes, fasting. All of these practices that are so important for good health have been established thousands of years ago.”⁴ “Ideally, not only will clients with diabetes be informed about good self-care during a fast, but family members and those within the spiritual community will understand how to support them as well…. Ultimately, the healthiest patients are those who can take care of themselves well—body and soul.”⁵

Faith, Prayer, and Fasting

I think it’s significant that Ellen White used the words “trust in divine power” (not “trust in God”), even though we believe that’s what or who she meant. But I also believe her choice of words was providential so that this phrase can apply to all religions who teach belief in a “divine power” (whether Jehovah, Yahweh, Jeshua, Allah, Great Spirit, Higher Power, or any one of many other names).

Even atheists who deny the existence of any deities place their trust in something, like humanism, or someone, even if it’s themselves. One atheist has said, “One does not need to believe in God for prayer to work.”⁶ He also says, “Prayer for the atheist can be like singing in the car or in the shower. No one is listening, and that is just fine.”

“Faith doesn’t require a belief in God. I remember what a homeless poet told me in San Francisco: ‘Faith is belief in the world, in the future, that even when you don’t know what is going on, things will be all right.’ Faith in the future helps me let go and live for now.”⁷

Dr. Arlene Taylor, brain-function specialist, says, “Prayer is a form of meditation; the frontal cortex lights up during prayer, according to Candace B. Pert, PhD, INH Researcher.” She further says, “the greatest benefits of prayer and meditation may accrue to the brain that is actually doing the praying.”⁸ In her seminars, Dr. Taylor presents scientific and Scriptural affirmations about the effects that prayer has on the brain.

And one conscientious dietitian⁹ has taken great care to suggest how diabetics of several world religions can manage diabetes within the fasting regimen required by their religious practices.

Depression

Unmitigated stress can often lead to depression in both diabetics and non-diabetics, but diabetics are three times more likely to suffer from depression. “People with diabetes suffering from depression are at greater risk of suffering from an episode of diabetic burnout which collectively can have adverse effects on physical health and potentially instigate more long-term complications both to do with diabetes and independent from the condition.”¹⁰

We have no indication that Ellen White suffered from diabetes (probably not), but she experienced depression at various times in her life. Sometimes she took guesses why she felt depressed, but she identified specific ways in which she coped with depression. “What counsel did Ellen White give to those suffering under depression, and how did she herself cope with such feelings? She learned that support from family and friends can be invaluable…. Ellen also recommended the benefits of outdoor activity, gardening, enjoying nature, and simply praising God.”¹¹

I have steadfastly refused to take anti-depressant medications! When I started eating low-carb in 2015, I shortly thereafter discovered that most anti-depressants elevate blood sugar. And, with a low-carb way of eating, I have less intense episodes of depression. (As an aside, I “fired” the last therapist I had because all she wanted to do was get me on anti-depressant drugs instead of helping me identify the root cause(s) of my issues.)

“A new theory called the ‘Immune Cytokine Model of Depression’ holds that depression is not a disease itself, but instead a ‘multifaceted sign of chronic immune system activation’.” Chris Kresser’s number one advice is to “adopt an anti-Inflammatory diet and lifestyle. This means eating a nutrient-dense, whole-foods diet, getting enough sleep, managing stress, engaging in appropriate (not too little or too much) physical activity, and nourishing your gut.”¹²

Which brings me to the two most effective ways of combating depression: gratitude and forgiveness.

I have kept a Gratitude Journal since November 2018. “Here are three simple ways to put yourself in the mindfulness of gratitude.

1. Keep a daily journal of things you are grateful for—list at least three. The best times for writing in your journal are in the morning as your day begins or at night before sleep.
2. Make it a point, daily, to tell people in your life what you appreciate about them.
3. When you look in the mirror, give yourself a moment to think about a quality you like about yourself or something you have recently accomplished.”¹³

My only goal is to write one “gratitude” a day, though once in a while I do more than one. Sometimes I post my gratitude on my Facebook Timeline, but more often it’s in one of my small private groups, so only 10 or 20 people ever see them. But I keep a full record of them in Microsoft OneNote (because it’s quick and easy).

From Psychology Today: “Scientists say that these techniques shift our thinking from negative outcomes to positive ones, elicit a surge of feel-good hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, and build enduring personal connections.”¹⁴ Dr. Arlene Taylor further explains, “The antidote for anger, fear, and sadness is gratitude because only one core emotion can be processed at a time; being thankful (joy) cannot coexist simultaneously in the brain with anger, fear, or sadness.”¹⁵

I’m having more trouble with practicing forgiveness, primarily because of specific incidents with jobs and web clients I have lost and relationships that have ended. It’s still a work in progress!  “Participants in FT [forgiveness therapy] experienced significantly greater improvement than AT [alternative treatment] participants in depression.”¹⁶

Finally, from Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health, lowering the risk of heart attack; improving cholesterol levels and sleep; and reducing pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. And research points to an increase in the forgiveness-health connection as you age.”¹⁷

Mindful Breathing

In January to March 2018, I was in a five-week outpatient Pain Management Program at Kaiser. It was in that program I learned to practice “mindful breathing” or, as Dr. Julie Whitehead called it, “belly breathing.” She taught us to place our hands lightly on our abdomen as we inhaled and feel our “belly” expanding. Then, as we exhaled, we would feel our “belly” shrinking.

In the beginning, our breathing was quick and shallow. But, with practice, we learned to slow down both inhaling and exhaling. An advanced technique adds in holding the breath for a specified number of seconds between the inhale and the exhale. So the result was a very relaxed state of being!

When Francis, the Pain Physical Therapist, conducted what he called “gentle movement” exercises, he incorporated mindful breathing into the routines he taught us. After the intense Pain Management Program, I was fortunate enough to have individual sessions with Francis, where he taught me very specific exercises to help with my chronic neck pain (caused by degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine) and he coordinated every exercise with mindful breathing.

Since 2018, mindful breathing has become very second nature to me. I use it while doing my physical therapy exercises at home, usually at bedtime to “wind down” enough to sleep, and any time I  feel stressed about anything.

Lara DeSanto wrote an article which includes “controlled breathing,” laughter, rest/sleep, and thankfulness as ways to manage stress.¹⁸ Another article, “How Does Stress Affect Blood Sugar?”¹⁹ covers “box breathing,” aromatherapy, and CBD oil. And Chris Kresser presents his “Top 5 Breathing Exercises for Stress Relief.” He says, “Diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and gut dysbiosis [a term for a microbial imbalance] all have links to chronic stress. If you’re feeling stressed day in and day out, these breathing exercises can help.”²⁰

I joined a weekly pain group online during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The one-hour sessions included 30 minutes of “gentle movement” exercises with Francis, my Pain Physical Therapist (which was great as I could no longer have in-person sessions), 20 minutes of a presentation and discussion, and 10 minutes of meditation, usually facilitated by Dr. Julie Whitehead, who is a pain psychologist.

Meditation

Closely related to mindful breathing is the practice of meditation, in particular, guided meditation. Dr. Arlene Taylor calls it “mindfulness meditation,” which is meditation on a specific concept or mantra. The purpose of meditation is to train our brains to “live in the moment.” In this way, we reduce stress by eliminating guilt over the past or worry about the future.²¹ Dr. Taylor says, ”Mindfulness is the practice of spending a few minutes each day in the present moment.”

In the Pain Management Program, Dr. Whitehead would often have us imagine we were in a specific place, like a beach or a rainforest, and use all our senses to focus on the sights, sounds, and smells of that place. Other times, she would instruct us to do a body scan, starting with either our feet or head, and focus on how each body part feels at that moment.

Meditation not only provides “an effective way to better manage stress and diabetes,”²² it also helps explain why meditators are better able to ignore distractions and experience increased cognition. “Researchers at Harvard’s Osher Research Center found that people who practiced meditation were able to adjust the brain wave that screens out distractions more quickly than those that did not meditate. This ability to ignore distractions could explain why these meditators were seen to have a superior ability to rapidly remember and incorporate new facts.”²³

In case you think that guided meditation with mindful breathing is “of the devil,” let me assure you it is not! Frederick Buechner, a Presbyterian minister, explains it this way. “The end of meditation is to become empty enough to be filled with the kind of stillness the Psalmist has in mind when he says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (46:10).”²⁴

Adventist Health Portland²⁵ published a very abbreviated article covering several facets of mindful breathing and guided meditation, with appropriately soothing background music. Search YouTube for videos of guided meditations, ranging in length from a few minutes to a half hour or more. If it will make you more comfortable, search specifically for videos on Christian meditation.

John T. McLarty, an Adventist pastor in the northwest United States, wrote this on April 4, 2018: “I have practiced Christian meditation daily for twelve years. The critics of meditation are correct: meditation is a threat to their soteriology [the doctrine of salvation]. The critics fret that meditation will soften our hatred of sin and sinners. Meditation might lead us to imagine that access to heaven is more aptly pictured as the seeking shepherd than as a guarded, password-protected gate. Meditation might lead us to exaggerate grace and divine affection and the transforming power God will practice at the Last Day. I testify the critics are right. All these things have happened to me. And even worse: I am not sorry.”

Music

Music, either as a background for guided meditation or just listening to by itself, is a great way to relieve stress! Many of our Adventist Vegetarian Diabetics™ Facebook group members have discovered this on their own, and they frequently share links to music that they have listened to, which has provided comfort and stress relief for them.

Music therapy,²⁶ of course, has been used with great success in “children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly with mental health needs, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease and other aging related conditions, substance abuse problems, brain injuries, physical disabilities, and acute and chronic pain, including mothers in labor.”

A more recent practice is binaural beat therapy, based on sound waves. “Binaural beat therapy is an emerging form of sound wave therapy. It makes use of the fact that the right and left ear each receive a slightly different frequency tone, yet the brain perceives these as a single tone.”²⁷ “Scientists are discovering that sound waves have the ability to correct neurological imbalances without invasive surgical procedures or drugs that can negatively impact patients during or after a procedure.”²⁸

Classical music also reduces stress levels.²⁹ Classical music can be an anti-depressant.³⁰ A scientific paper titled, “Effects of music therapy and music-assisted relaxation and imagery on health-related outcomes in diabetes education: a feasibility study,” concluded: “Collaboration between diabetes educators and board-certified music therapists is recommended.”³¹

Finally, “A study in The Diabetes Educator of 199 people with diabetes or pre-diabetes found lowered blood pressure in those who added music therapy to their self-management…. Music strengthens the immune system. An article in Medical News Today showed that ‘music increases an antibody that plays an important role in immunity.’ Listening to music reduces levels of stress hormones such as cortisol.”³²

But we don’t have to understand all the scientific reasons music relieves stress to just know that it does. And to use it freely!

Nature

Guided meditations based on visualizing the beach or a rainforest is second only to getting out in nature and visiting whatever peaceful places you can! I think we all agree with Alexandrea Becker who says, “Going to the beach can help reduce feelings of depression.”³³ Woods, mountains, deserts, and even tree-lined city streets and suburban neighborhoods all have their beauty. “Lining city streets with trees reduces physiological symptoms of stress in humans. Spend as much time as you can in the presence of trees. The forest is our natural habitat.”³⁴ Even spending 20 minutes outside is far superior to any kind of anti-depressant pill. “Taking a ‘nature pill’ of spending twenty minutes a day outdoors can help to lower cortisol levels.”³⁵

And if you can’t get outdoors for activities in nature but you want more than the visualization that guided meditation can provide, watching quality nature documentaries are of significant value. “A recent study has found that tuning into nature documentaries can have an immediate impact on increasing happiness and reducing overall stress.”³⁶

One Day of Rest

Finally, all aspects of stress relief coordinate perfectly with taking one day a week to “unplug.” “Taking one day of your week and dedicating it to rest will force you to have an identity outside of your occupation.”³⁷

The Judeo-Christian spiritual practice of Shabbat is, of course, central to Seventh-day Adventism and is one aspect that sets it apart from most other Protestant denominations.

And what better time than the Sabbath to practice everything proven to reduce stress and lower blood sugars. “Here are some thoughts and suggestions to help all of us take a day off so we can unplug and recharge our lives.”³⁸

• Activities in nature
• Music
• Meditation with mindful breathing
• Faith, prayer, and fasting

But observing one day of rest a week is more than a spiritual practice of many world religions; it is also a scientifically documented phenomenon. One of those is, of course, that a full 24-hour day of “doing nothing” promotes stress relief which will result in lower blood sugars.

Emily Miller writes in Religion News, “I think Sabbath can take lots of different shapes, but the idea is that we step out of what we’re doing every day—like the normal routine stuff—in order to make meaning.”³⁹ Writer Brittany Mullins says, “Try to take one full day of rest and do as close to nothing at least once a week if not more. I call it a ‘rest from life day’.”⁴⁰

In an article titled, “A Day of Rest: 12 Scientific Reasons It Works,” Rhett Power writes: “Most major religions call for a day of rest. It’s been getting harder and harder to take that day fully with people chained to their devices and constantly online. Now science supports this claim about the power of a day of rest. Here are 12 scientific reasons a regular rest time every week, whenever you make it happen, really works.

1. Time out reduces stress.
2. Time out gives you a chance to move.
3. Completely divesting from your work regularly reduces inflammation and the risk of heart disease.
4. Getting away from work boosts your immune system.
5. Speaking of sleep, you’ll do it better during time out of work.
6. Your active time off adds years to your life.
7. Taking regular time away from work restores mental energy.
8. When you take time out for yourself, you’re more creative.
9. You’re also more productive when you take time out from work.
10. You’ll focus better at work if you take your weekly rejuvenation time.
11. Your day off improves short-term memory.
12. With regular time away from work, you might even love your job again!

“We already know that work is stressful. In addition, studies show that time sitting, as most of us do at work, influences inflammatory markers even in the absence of elevated blood glucose, obesity, or heart disease.”⁴¹

So trust in the power and processes of stress relief, regardless of who or what you identify as your “divine power.”

Adventist Vegetarian Diabetics™ Recommends:

1. Create your own personal support system, which may include your belief in a Divine Presence, carefully chosen friends and family members, and, if needed, qualified mental health professionals who can help you get and stay on track.
2. Create/continue a daily Gratitude Journal that fits your own lifestyle.
3. Practice forgiveness in ways that support your peace of mind.
4. Incorporate activities that bring you peace and joy, such as mindful breathing, guided meditation, reading, listening to music, taking time for creative pursuits (arts, crafts, photography, writing, cooking, baking, etc.), spending time in nature, and regularly connecting with a community (even if only virtual) that refreshes and energizes your spirit.

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¹Geer, Katie Kerns; medically reviewed by Kacy Church, MD. “Is Stress the Source of Your Blood Sugar Swing?” Every Day Health (last updated April 16, 2020). https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/type-2-diabetes-management/stress-blood-sugar-swing/ (accessed on 7/27/2020)

²Michaels, Beth, in-house dietitian. “Stress and Diabetes,” Diabetes Meal Plans, n.d.
https://diabetesmealplans.com/7507/stress-and-diabetes/ (accessed on 7/26/2020).

³Scheiner, Gary. “How Stress Hormones Raise Blood Sugar,” Insulin Nation (August 26, 2016). https://insulinnation.com/treatment/how-stress-hormones-raise-blood-sugar/ (accessed on 7/27/2020).

⁴Fung, Dr. Jason. “Why Can’t I Lose Weight? – HTLW 12,” The Fasting Method, n.d. https://thefastingmethod.com/why-cant-i-lose-weight-htlw-12/ (accessed on 7/27/2020).
Last paragraph of the article talks about organized religion’s centuries-old roles in stress relief.

⁵Brown-Riggs, Constance, MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN. “Prayer and Fasting With Diabetes — Informed Clients of Faith Can Avoid Serious Health Risks,” Today’s Dietitian, Vol 14 No. 7, page 14 (July 2012).
https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/070112p14.shtml (accessed on 7/27/2020).

⁶Irwin, William. “Prayer for Atheists,” IAI News (December 10, 2018). https://iai.tv/articles/prayer-for-atheists-auid-1181 (accessed on 7/27/2020).

⁷Spero, David, BSN, RN. “Limits, Faith, and Diabetes,” Diabetes Self-management (March 18, 2015). https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/limits-faith-and-diabetes/ (accessed on 7/27/2020).

⁸Taylor, Arlene R., PhD. “Prayer Changes the Brain,” Realizations Inc (September 21, 2018). https://arlenetaylor.org/images/files/PDF/PowerPoint/PrayerChangesThe-Brain9-21-18.pdf (accessed on 7/28/2020).

⁹Brown-Riggs, Constance, MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN. “Prayer and Fasting With Diabetes—Informed Clients of Faith Can Avoid Serious Health Risks,” Today’s Dietitian, Vol 14, No. 7, page 14 (July 2012). (accessed on 10/11/2020).

¹⁰Editor. “Diabetes and Depression,” Diabetes.co.uk (updated January 15, 2019) https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-and-depression.html (accessed on 7/28/2020).

¹¹Poirier, Tim. “Ellen White and Depression: ‘Perplexed, but not in despair’,” Adventist Review (January 3, 2017). https://www.adventistreview.org/1701-58 (accessed on 7/27/2020).”

¹²Kresser, Chris, MS. “Is Depression a Disease—or a Symptom of Inflammation?” Chris Kresser (August 19, 2014). https://chriskresser.com/is-depression-a-disease-or-a-symptom-of-inflammation/ (accessed on 7/27/2020).

¹³Editor. “Neuroscience Reveals: Gratitude Literally Rewires Your Brain to be Happier,” Daily Health Post (July 21, 2019). https://dailyhealthpost.com/gratitude-rewires-brain-happier/ (accessed 7/27/2020).

¹⁴Serani, Deborah, PsyD. “How Gratitude Combats Depression: Count your gains instead of your losses,” Psychology Today (November 26, 2012). https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/two-takes-depression/201211/how-gratitude-combats-depression (accessed on 7/28/2020).

¹⁵Taylor, Arlene R., PhD. “Anxiety, Worry, and Depression—and an Antidote,” Realizations Inc (May 19, 2019). https://arlenetaylor.org/images/files/PDF/PowerPoint/190519-AnxietyWorryDepressionandAntidote.pdf (accessed on 7/28/2020).

¹⁶Reed, Gayle L. and Robert D. Enright. “The effects of forgiveness therapy on depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress for women after spousal emotional abuse,” J Consult Clin Psychol. 2006 Oct;74(5):920-9. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.74.5.920. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17032096/ (accessed on 7/28/2020).

¹⁷Swartz, Karen, MD. “Forgiveness: Your Health Depends on It,” Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/forgiveness-your-health-depends-on-it (accessed on 7/28/2020).

¹⁸DeSanto, Lara. “5 Ways to Limit Stress’s Impact on Your Health,” Health Central (January 17, 2017). https://www.healthcentral.com/article/5-ways-to-limit-stresss-impact-on-your-health (accessed on 7/28/2020).

¹⁹“How Does Stress Affect Blood Sugar?” Chronically Healthy (2018). https://www.chronically-healthy.com/email-sign-up-emotions-bg (accessed on 7/28/2020).

²⁰Kresser, Chris, MS. “My Top 5 Breathing Exercises for Stress Relief,” Chris Kresser (December 7, 2018). https://chriskresser.com/my-top-5-breathing-exercises-for-stress-relief/ (accessed on 7/28/2020).

²¹Taylor, Arlene R., PhD. “Stressed and Forgetful,” Realizations Inc, n.d. https://arlenetaylor.org/q-a-brain-talk/stress-qa/1187-stressed-and-forgetful (accessed on 7/28/2020).

²²Cornejo, Corinna. “How Meditation Supports My Diabetes Self-care,” Type2Diabetes (May 29, 2018). https://type2diabetes.com/living/meditation-supports-diabetes-self-care/ (accessed 7/28/2020).

²³“How Meditation Changes Your Brain for the Better,” Medicare Made Clear (July 24, 2018). https://blog.medicaremadeclear.com/how-meditation-changes-your-brain-for-the-better/ (accessed on 7/28/2020).

²⁴Buechner, Frederick. Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC. New York: Harper & Row, 1st edition, 1973. https://www.amazon.com/Wishful-Thinking-Theological-Frederick-Buechner/dp/0060611553/

²⁵“Meditation for Mindfulness and Stress Reduction,” Adventist Health Portland, n.d. https://www.adventisthealth.org/portland/health-wellness/meditation-for-mindfulness-and-stress-reduction/ (accessed on 7/28/2020).

²⁶American Music Therapy Association. “Who Can Benefit from Music Therapy?” Music Therapy Connections (© 2007-2020, Rachel Rambach). https://musictherapyconnections.org/who-can-benefit-from-music-therapy/ (accessed on 7/29/2020)

²⁷Smith, Lori, BSN, MSN, CRNP; medically reviewed by Andrew Gonzalez, MD, JD, MPH. “What are binaural beats, and how do they work?” Medical News Today (September 30, 2019). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320019 (accessed on 7/29/2020).

²⁸“Why Modern Medicine is Turning to Music to Reduce Pain & Heal the Body,” Binaural Beats Meditation, n.d. https://www.binauralbeatsmeditation.com/music-for-pain-relief-and-healing/ (accessed on 7/29/2020).

²⁹Barrington, Mitch. “The Benefits of Listening to Classical Music,” Food Matters (April 07, 2017). https://www.foodmatters.com/article/benefits-of-listening-to-classical-music (accessed on 7/28/2020).

³⁰“Health Benefits of Listening to Classical Music,” Steth News (March 30, 2015). https://www.stethnews.com/3031/health-benefits-of-listening-to-classical-music/  (accessed on 7/29/2020).

³¹Mandel, Susan E.; Beth A. Davis; and Michelle Secic. “Effects of music therapy and music-assisted relaxation and imagery on health-related outcomes in diabetes education: a feasibility study,” Diabetes Educ. Jul-Aug 2013;39(4):568-81.  doi: 10.1177/0145721713492216. Epub 2013 Jun 14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23771840/ (accessed on 7/28/2020).

³²Spero, David, BSN, RN. “Ten Ways Music Helps With Diabetes,” Diabetes Self-management (updated March 18, 2015).
https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/ten-ways-music-helps-diabetes/ (accessed on 7/28/2020).

³³Becker, Alexandrea. “Visiting The Beach Will Have A Positive Effect On Your Brain,” Sharably (April 21, 2017). https://shareably.net/visiting-the-beach-positive/ (accessed on 7/29/2020).

³⁴Barrows, Sara. “The More Trees We’re Surrounded By, The Lower Our Stress Levels,” Return to Now (September 21, 2018). https://returntonow.net/2018/09/21/study-the-more-trees-were-surrounded-by-the-lower-our-stress-levels/ (accessed on 7/29/2020).

³⁵Hunter, Dr. MaryCarol. “20 Minute Contact with Nature Reduces Stress Hormone Cortisol,”” Neuroscience News (April 4, 2019). https://neurosciencenews.com/nature-cortisol-stress-11001/ (accessed on 7/29/2020).

³⁶d’Estries, Michael. “Watching nature documentaries boosts happiness, says study,” Treehugger (February 15, 2018).
https://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/blogs/watching-nature-documentaries-boosts-happiness-says-study (accessed on 7/29/2020).

³⁷Becker, Joshua. “The Lost Practice of Resting One Day Each Week,” Becoming Minimalist, n.d. https://www.becomingminimalist.com/resting/ (accessed on 7/29/2020).

³⁸Boyd, Brady. “Sabbath: How to Take a Day Off,” Church Leaders (May 29, 2011). https://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-blogs/151364-how-to-take-a-day-off.html (accessed on 7/29/2020).

³⁹Miller, Emily McFarlan. “The science of Sabbath: How people are rediscovering rest—and claiming its benefits,” Religion News (January 25, 2019). https://religionnews.com/2019/01/25/the-science-of-sabbath-how-people-are-rediscovering-rest-and-claiming-its-benefits/ (accessed on 7/29/2020).

⁴⁰Mullins, Brittany. “Why You Should Take at Least One Rest Day a Week,” Eating Bird Food (October 13, 2015). https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/importance-of-a-rest-day/ (accessed on 7/29/2020).

⁴¹Power, Rhett. “A Day of Rest: 12 Scientific Reasons It Works,” Inc. (January 1, 2017). https://www.inc.com/rhett-power/a-day-of-rest-12-scientific-reasons-it-works.html (accessed on 7/29/2020).

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More References:

Out of Control: Trust | NEWSTART Now | Episode 8

36 minutes.
CAVEATS:
Most legumes (beans, peas, lentils) are too high in carbohydrates for diabetics. The best beans for diabetics are soybeans (green, mature, or black soy beans). IF/WHEN you eat legumes, start with only 1/2 cup cooked legumes. Be sure to “eat to your meter.”
If you think fruits will not raise your blood sugar, test by “eating to your meter“.
If you think a high-carb, low- or no-fat diet will normalize your blood sugar, YOU MUST EAT A WHOLE FOOD VEGAN DIET. NO processed foods. AND…you MUST “EAT TO YOUR METER“!

Why Keeping a Sabbath Should Be Your New Year’s Resolution
By Joshua Gorenflo
January 7, 2022
https://www.relevantmagazine.com/faith/why-keeping-sabbath-should-be-your-new-years-resolution-ie/

• Cortisol
• Depression
• Faith, Prayer, and Fasting
• Managing Stress
• Meditation
• Stress and Diabetes