Publications

COMING SOON

This book surveys ancient Christian patristic and ascetical thoughts, rich with instruction and principles for health and well-being, introducing the reader to a foundational, paradigm-shifting view of whychange can be so difficult, and how to overcome the struggle to adopt a healthful lifestyle, as seen through the wisdom of ancient Christianity—presented as layers of a spiritual war of control against unhealthful, carnal passions.

IN PRESS, Synergeia
Presented at the 2025 Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion [OCAMPR] annual conference

Gluttony is common and comfortable in contemporary society. Often expressed as an internal desire to consume in excess (particularly of unhealthy food), gluttony provides a significant, yet stubborn challenge due to its prevalent, well-established risks to physical health. Through the lens of ancient Christianity, however, the external harms of gluttony on physical health are expressed through deeper, internal concerns to spiritual health—with gluttony described as a strong and brutal passion that fetters the heart, destroys everything good, and the cause of all human shipwreck. This paper provides an introductory summary of the passion of gluttony, its power to move one beyond health, need, and control, while also highlighting prescribed remedies to move one beyond passion.

IN PRESS, Synergeia
Presented at the 2024 Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion [OCAMPR] annual conference

The struggle to adopt a healthy lifestyle is a real and prevalent problem for many people, despite the known risks to health, and suggested solutions in prominent theories of health behavior change. Yet, the struggle remains, as does the question—why is change so hard? This paper seeks to share an introduction to the ancient Christian perspective on the passions to help provide an explanation for why change can be so difficult, and how to overcome the struggle (and perhaps, the war) to adopt a healthful lifestyle.

(2023) Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 45(2).

This study explored Christians’ view that living a healthy lifestyle by eating right and exercising was essential to what being a Christian meant to them, theoretically representing internalization of these health behaviors into one’s religious values and identity. Using a secondary data analysis of Pew Research Center survey data, we found that a minority of Christians (16%) internalized a healthy lifestyle; who also tended to be more religious, as expressed by believing in God, reading scripture, praying, and volunteering at church. The results provide preliminary support for the theorized disconnect in religious internalization of certain health behaviors, but not others. However, further exploratory analysis suggests that individuals who are a part of denominations that more recognizably express the importance of a healthy lifestyle as a part of their religious beliefs, and internalize this belief, might subsequently participate in and self-report healthier behavior.

(2025) Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion, 21(5).

The primary purpose of this exploratory research was to seek initial validation of a measure for use in the Christian population, the Christian Health Internalization Scale (CHIS)— providing a specific, theoretically-supported measure help further our understanding of why certain health behaviors might become internalized into religious values, but not others (particularly related to chronic disease prevention). Findings provide initial support for the validity of CHIS and provide an option for researchers and practitioners who desire to assess how well a health behavior is internalized into one's Christian values and identity, variation across populations, and/or for determining the effectiveness of interventions aimed at enhancing internalization.

IN SUBMISSION

Abstract coming soon.

(2020) Journal of Religion and Health, 59(1), 522–534.

On average, our participants, who self-proclaimed to be Christians, believed that physically inactive lifestyles, unhealthy eating, overeating, and being obese destroy the body, God's temple. However, these beliefs were less definitive, than those of other common "sin" behaviors, such as drug use, smoking, and excessive drinking of alcohol. In addition, destroying the body with physical inactivity or poor diet was not necessarily viewed as sinful. Subsequently, these beliefs did not relate to self-reported physical activity, dietary behavior, or body mass index. It is possible that inactivity, poor dietary habits, and obesity are not internalized into the spiritual perspective as destroying the body, God's temple, in the same way as other "sin" behaviors.

(2023) Co-Edited with Beth Frates, MD. First Edition. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis.

This book reviews the medical research and pairs it with behavior change theories to create counseling strategies and tools that equip the reader to empower others to adopt and sustain change. With contributions by leading physicians, PhDs, health coaches and other experts in behavior change, the book presents a variety of perspectives, backgrounds and educational experiences encouraging readers to alter their counseling practices to include more behavior change and coaching strategies.

(2021) Co-Authored with Beth Frates, MD and David Katz, MD). In Maxcy-Rosenau-Last Public Health and Preventive Medicine (Chapter 11, 16^th Ed.). McGraw-Hill.

This book reviews the medical research and pairs it with behavior change theories to create counseling strategies and tools that equip the reader to empower others to adopt and sustain change. With contributions by leading physicians, PhDs, health coaches and other experts in behavior change, the book presents a variety of perspectives, backgrounds and educational experiences encouraging readers to alter their counseling practices to include more behavior change and coaching strategies.

(2024). Chapter in Lifestyle Medicine (4^th Ed.). Ed. Rippe. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis. [Amazon]Intention indicates how hard a patient is willing to try, or how much effort they are willing to put toward any given behavior. This chapter introduces and elucidates the intention–behavior gap (IBG). It aims to investigate the efficacy of current proposed solutions to the IBG to provide the practitioner with options to increase medication adherence when lifestyle is the medicine. Traditionally, intention has been conceptualized as the immediate antecedent to behavior. Intention strength has also been conceptualized as intention stability, which refers to the fluctuations in intention across time. In those with high intention to engage in more physical activity, for example, having more intention stability could help. When a patient has intention to adopt a particular health behavior, the action must be initiated and subsequently maintained. Anticipated affective responses to performing a behavior have been shown to predict intention across multiple health behaviors. Practitioners should consider assessing and highlighting perceived regret, in particular, within their patient interventions.

(2024). American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 19(2), 324–333.

Decades of research now support the positive relationship of religion/spirituality (R/S) with physical health, mental health, morbidity, and mortality. While lifestyle medicine (LM) practitioners often recognize R/S as important, they can face common challenges of how to integrate R/S into their holistic, patient-centered care. To help, this article presents a faith-practice framework, as a starting point for considering incorporating R/S into LM practice—in light of common concerns and challenges, as a guide for patient-centered care through adjusting lifestyle prescriptions to accommodate individualized R/S beliefs and practices for improved health behavior and outcomes, and as an encouragement to stimulate openness for positive, thoughtful discussion into the future of R/S in LM practice and research.

(2017). American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 11(5), 397–403.

Giving patients insight, knowledge, and skills, although important, may not alone be enough for behavior change maintenance. Rather, the health care provider (HCP) has an important role in fostering behavior change and maintenance by asking, "Why do people change?" and "What can I do to help?" This review highlights 4 evidence-based factors related to medication adherence, when lifestyle is the medicine. (1) Autonomy is the belief that one is the origin of his or her own actions, and must be supported by the HCP (e.g., "My HCP listens to how I would like to do things regarding my health"). (2) Competence and confidence ensure that patients believe they can succeed. These are gained through mastery experience, vicarious experience, and through positive and constructive feedback on past performance (eg, "My HCP conveys confidence in my ability to make changes regarding my health"). (3) Coping planning is being able to formulate a plan of intention, with the awareness of barriers and emotional regulation that can inhibit patient behavior (eg, "I feel able to share my feelings with my HCP"). (4) Personal values of the patients are used to understand how and why they cope when there is a threat to these values (e.g., "My HCP tries to understand how I see my health before suggesting any changes").

(2016). American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 10(5), 322–329.

Intention can be a poor predictor of actual health behavior change-now termed the intention-behavior gap. In other words, although patients intend to change and maintain their behavior, the data suggest that many will not follow through with their intention. This review introduces 5 factors that could help the practitioner understand the patient intention-behavior gap: (1) the motivation, (2) the trigger, (3) the response, (4) the capacity, and (4) the process. These key factors allow the lifestyle medicine practitioner to (1) understand the difficulties in changing patient behavior and (2) apply strategies to encourage successful change and maintenance of healthy lifestyle behavior in their patients.