Meaning of Trust, Class 2, Question

[Ayelet1]

Regarding creating the faucet for physical health to be able to flow to us, I have a question. In the class Rebbetzin Heller spoke about creating channels so that one can be cured of a disease, or at least it not go out of control (like insulin), but what about preventative measures? What are the boundaries of being a health fanatic and not doing enough for one's health? I was just reading about how in the US huge amounts of funding go toward treating cancer, but very little toward preventing it, and many cancers are very preventable through proper diet.
Also, what about questioning your medical doctors, which I do a lot - but my friends think I'm nuts...? I read a lot about nutrition and natural health, I try to keep my kids healthy without needing to go on antibiotics, etc. Is this something personal that I should be doing because I feel this way, or is it incumbent on everybody to eat and live healthy - not relative to what everybody else is doing, but according to the what the facts are? Thank you!

[Golda]

BS"D

From what I've learned..we are intrusted with this guf(body) by Hashem. Therefore as a matana(gift) we should accept it graciously and maintain it to the best of our ability. That means that what we know..ie the knowledge we acquire and the experience we have, should all contribute to the "care and maintanance" of our gift. The neshama, is a prisoner in our guf. This neshama is a piece of Hashem , Himself, and has to be honored to the highest degree. If we keep this in mind, no matter what happens, we need to give our best to the body in every way.

[Ayelet1]

Thanks Golda. That makes sense. Happy I'm not so crazy after all!
Rebbetzin Heller was saying I think also along those lines, that we have to appreciate the gift of life. I guess I just wanted to know what others thought about preventative measures, ie; living a healthy lifestyle, low in hydrogenated and meat fats and refined carbs, with a variety of fruits and veggies, exercise etc... I think Rebbetzin Heller did mention exercise.
Thanks!

[Liora1]

I was thinking of a more simplistic answer w/ the metaphor Rebbitzen Heller used. By eating healthy and not using antibiotics when it can be avoided, that is the channel (the faucet); however whether or not it prevents us from becoming ill is the cause (the plumbing behind the wall). Hashem is the cause and will bring health or illness. All we can do is our histadlus.

[Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller]

These are all great answers.  When the moderator forwarded this question to me, this was my response:
If anyone in the medical field had absoulte proof that a given diet would
cure or prevent cancer either by strengthening the immune system or
inhibiting cell mutation, that diet would no doubt have almost halachic
authority's backing as being what we must do to guard our health. In my 60
years I personally have seen so many great hopes for this sort of knowledge
dashed again and again, that I am hesitant to say more to anyone than don't
smoke, and do excersise.

I hope the future will give us greater insight into the workings of our
bodies, and know that it is all dependant on Hahsems will
Kol Tuv,
Tziporah