Holistic Health Management: Religion, Vegetarianism and Exercise

Lu (2022) proposed a holistic health model that examines the impact of religion, exercise, and Western medicine on various health dimensions. This paper aims to explore how religious beliefs, vegetarianism, and exercise influence health. Religion significantly shapes global culture and health behaviors, particularly through dietary norms like vegetarianism, which is promoted in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, reflecting ethical and spiritual values with potential health benefits. Exercise, especially post-meal, aids in blood glucose regulation, crucial for diabetes management, a growing global concern, notably in China. The paper reviews literature on vegetarianism's promotion by religions and its ethical, spiritual, and ecological foundations, compares intestinal flora differences between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, and explores exercise mechanisms in blood glucose regulation. Vegetarianism, rooted in non-violence and ecological protection in Hinduism and Buddhism, alongside exercise, offers non-drug interventions for diabetes. Vegetarians have lower type 2 diabetes risk, and exercises like walking and Tai Chi aid in blood glucose control.