Susan Spear, holds a B.S. in Food Science, a M.S. in Nutrition and a MH- as a Master Herbalist. She has served in various callings, including Young Women’s President, Counselor, Advisor, Relief Society Teacher, Counselor, Primary President, Chorister, Pianist, Teacher, Nursery Leader, and Early Morning Seminary Instructor… and also has been a Bishop’s wife. She is passionate about helping people with health challenges. Her book, “Mission Nutrition: Calories Matter but They Don’t Count…At Least Not the Way You Think They Do”, is an introduction to basic nutrition. You can learn more about Susan at her NUTRITIOUS  website, Nutritious Insight. 

Enter Susan…

Energy. I used to have it. Where has it gone? How can I lead when I’m so exhausted and my thinking feels foggy? The strong spiritual connection and revelation I seek feels muted, just when I need to #HearHim more than ever as a leader. I’ve always followed the word of wisdom and even take a multi-vitamin….So why am I becoming weary and faint?

Can you relate to declining health? Do you sense that “something” isn’t quite right physically? Is the health “advantage” you expected by being obedient to the word of wisdom and serving faithfully in the church feeling like it has not been fulfilled? How can you lead when your body doesn’t follow?

As a leader we often seek to fill our lamp with spiritual oil so that we have the reserves to minister well. However, we do not always know and do the things necessary to provide us with the health and strength to run the marathon of leadership. I invite you to continue reading this article and discover some simple things you can do to balance out your spiritual and physical strength.

I am no stranger to these questions. As a nutrition professor, author, and owner of a nutrition practice, applying my understanding of how the body uses food to heal and rejuvenate is my passion. My work is counseling patients and students about how to do this. With this training, it might seem like my health was always on track, nutritionally speaking, but life is always more complicated! My own health was complicated. Here’s a little background.

My Story

My health began to decline, even in my twenties. My husband and I exercised, lived the basics of the word of wisdom, and ate according to government guidelines. But difficult pregnancies and miscarriages had left me exhausted. I couldn’t seem to regain my vitality.

By my mid-thirties, I was suffering with various health issues, including chronic sinus infections, sinus headaches, urinary tract infections, vertigo, unexplained skin rashes, brain fog, and excessive fatigue. I took various medications, including multiple rounds of different antibiotics. After visiting specialists, sinus surgery seemed promising, but that did not resolve my sinus issues. I was sick. My efforts to feel better were NOT working. My health was a total disaster!

One day, my doctor offered a “new” diagnosis that would change my understanding of the power of nutrition, deepen my understanding of the word of wisdom, and redirect my professional pursuits.

She explained that I had a general yeast overgrowth in my body (a radical diagnosis at the time). She had observed that prescriptions alone weren’t successful in cases like these. More was needed. What??!! She counseled me to use my advanced knowledge of nutrition in a more therapeutic way, as she felt this would be my best hope to reclaim my well-being. This health disaster became my “wake-up call.”

Using my scientific training, I began to re-examine the basics of food in the body and the word of wisdom. Yes, there has always been plenty of guidance about how to avoid malnutrition, but that is not the same as OPTIMAL nutrition and the creation of truly vibrant health. I studied and prayed. It was revelatory. With trial and error, and faith and hope, I discovered a fundamentally different approach… and it worked!

Hidden Treasures – Your Superpower

Today, I fully appreciate the power of properly prepared food, herbs, and therapeutic nutrition to reverse lifestyle driven disease and actually CREATE wellbeing. My advanced degrees offer great expertise in this area, but I have realized that my real superpower is a deeper appreciation and application of the word of wisdom in both my spiritual and professional life.

In this context, I would like to offer my insights about the human body, eating, and what I feel has become a misunderstood, and even controversial, topic within the church – A Word of Wisdom. I will offer four foundational concepts plus a bonus kickstart plan to help you unlock your leadership superpower. With new understanding, you can increase your energy and capacity to #HearHim. You can lead with true vitality in the gospel, your family, and the world.

Your Body is a Temple….Seriously!

Buildings we identify as temples are sacred and consecrated to the Lord. We reverence and protect temples from defilement. We clean and care for them. Certain standards are observed by those who enter. Those who disregard these standards do not have access to the temple and its blessings.

The body is also a temple. We learn from several scriptural sources in the New Testament, Book of Mormon, and from the Savior that our body is a temple and that we are commanded to glorify God in our body and spirit.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of god, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (see also Mosiah 2:36-37; John 2:19-21).

The body is sacred and consecrated to the Lord. Scriptures and latter-day prophets teach us that the care and feeding of the body are sacred matters. There are standards, just like the temple, for fully enjoying the body’s blessings.

Optimize Your Capacity to #HearHim

Eating does more than nourish the body. It feeds the SOUL…

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Cor 6:19-20).

The Lord’s desire for us to glorify Him through our body is not just a casual suggestion, it is a commandment. If we want to “always have his spirit to be with us” and have the Holy Ghost “teach us all things that we should do” then we need to care for our mortal temple. Caring for our bodies by learning about nutritional requirements and making healthy food choices glorifies God and gives us a sustainable tabernacle for our mortal experiences.

Depriving the body of proper nourishment, recreation, and sleep, whether through willing ignorance or laziness, damages what Heavenly Father considers our personal temple and is fundamentally in opposition to achieving lasting happiness. It affects not only our health but our ability to feel and nurture the spirit, and to lead in his Kingdom on earth.

In this dispensation we have been given a wonderful revelation about the care of our bodies and food: A Word of Wisdom (D&C 89). A commandment with a promise. It reveals that we can gain treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures, and “run and not be weary, and walk and not faint,”. What a miraculous prospect!

The Word of Wisdom: A Principle, a Promise, and Personal Discovery

To many, the word of wisdom is characterized mostly as a “Don’t” and cautions. It is “adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints.” But more is offered.

Herbs, fruit, meat, and grain are mentioned but do not include specific quantities and ratios. This acknowledges individual adaptation for various health conditions. It still clearly communicates that our food is meant to promote health and wellbeing.

In the end, promises are given to the obedient about health in the navel and marrow in the bones. I suggest this refers to the integrity of our GI tract (navel) and the proper function of our immune system (marrow). Believe me when I say that food matters when it comes to the integrity of the GI tract and proper immune function.

Interestingly, the word of wisdom doesn’t mention many other commonly consumed foods in the early 19th century. Nor does it specifically address the vast array of drugs, supplements or stimulants available today that cause debate about whether they impact our obedience to the word of wisdom. For all of its simplicity, the word of wisdom intentionally leaves plenty of room for discovery.

Our Grand Opportunity

Discovery is the grand opportunity…and the possibility of better health.  As a principle with a promise, the word of wisdom invites us to continue to explore and receive additional wisdom and great treasures, even hidden treasures, of knowledge. And let’s just say, this is a total invitation for PERSONAL REVELATION about health and diet. Consider these thoughts:

We can choose from a variety of things to consume, but casually eating “whatever” tastes good and is fast is not a good plan. We’ve learned from science and human tragedy that the body requires certain vitamins, minerals, and energy to survive and thrive. Be intentional about food.

If we chronically don’t feel well, it’s often related to the quality of our diet. Medication and supplements can’t overcome poor food choices. Chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes, dementia, and heart disease, and even infertility, are driven by diet and lifestyle, not genetics or “bad luck”.

Our biggest challenge today is the abundance of “food-like substances” found in grocery stores and fast-food restaurants. These are usually highly processed, highly flavored convenience foods and beverages. They are intentionally formulated to be attractive to our taste-buds and busy schedules, but they don’t contain healthful properties – in fact, they damage the body. But take heart! Convenience doesn’t have to be abandoned for good health. We just need the ability to distinguish between fake food and the good stuff. Plan your meals. Eat enough, and on schedule, so you can manage hunger. Choose pre-packaged salads, but make your own healthy dressings. We can learn basic cooking skills that really make a difference for health. Eating well in the 21st century has never been more attainable and convenient, if you give it a chance.

Thankfully, the Lord doesn’t expect us all to be scientists. He does expect us to be willing participants in seeking personal revelation and taking action. Better health begins with your next bite! In order to lead better, you need to feel better, and when you feel better, you’ll #HearHim better.

Here’s a bonus to get you started, my “Kickstart Plan”.