When many people hear the term "mystic," they immediately conjure up an image of someone with his head in the clouds, too busy contemplating spiritual concepts to be concerned with earthly matters. For a true mystic, nothing could be further from the truth.

By definition, mystics are practical, pragmatic people. While a mystic's goal is direct communion with God, the primary purpose of this attunement is to bring this higher wisdom to earth and apply it. A healthy body makes this possible.

Mystics regard the body as the "temple of the soul." Many ailments and illnesses have their basis outside of the physical body. To help heal people that suffer from these maladies, mystics study techniques such as psychic healing, energy healing or absent healing. While these spiritual practices can heal many physical problems, to maximize their effectiveness, the physical causes of diseases should also be eliminated.

A body polluted with toxins or parasites is the primary cause of most illness. Filling your body with junk food and toxins depletes you of energy that you could put to better use, even if you are not sick. Just as you wouldn't try to run a race with a ball and chain tied to your ankle, neither should you allow your body to become a burden to your spiritual development.

Today, there are as many diets circulating with conflicting guidelines, as there are authors of diet books. Low-carb, low-fat, high protein, vegetarian, lactose-free, gluten-free are some of the more popular. Based on your age, sex, level of fitness, weight, blood type, demeanor and your goals, any one diet might be better than another. From a mystic perspective, there are a few basics that are universally true.

Your body needs food, water and oxygen to operate effectively. The human body has evolved over thousands of years. Common sense would tell you, it is unlikely that a chemist working in the lab of a multinational food corporation will design a food that is better for your body than Mother Nature. Scientific evidence bears this out. You should avoid manmade foods such as:

Artificial sweeteners: aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), saccharin (Sweet & Low) and sucralose (Splenda). Over 75% of the complaints received by the FDA concern aspartame. A simple Google search for "adverse effects of aspartame" will shock you and ensure you never drink another diet soda in your life.

Fat-substitutes: Olean, Olestra and Benefat. If you read the labels of products containing these fat substitutes you'll see such distressing potential side effects as "anal leakage." Don't try to trick your body by eating an indigestible fat in order to lose weight - the side effects are not worth it, plus the long-term effects are unknown.

Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, also known as "fake fats" or "trans fats." These artificial fats are manufactured by adding hydrogen to vegetable oils and are found in margarine and processed foods. They can increase your chances of heart disease and disrupt your metabolism. Many European countries ban or limit the amount of trans fatty acids in foods. Beginning January 1, 2006, US manufacturers are now required to list trans fats on the nutrition label, so you can avoid these fake foods.

In his book, The Hidden Messages in Water, Dr. Masaru Emoto demonstrated how thoughts and emotions affect the structure of water. Since are bodies are mostly water, it's clear your mental and emotional outlook will affect your health. Before you can even begin to worry about these effects, however, you need to make sure you have enough water in your body. Water is essential to flushing out toxins. Lack of water diminishes athletic, mental and spiritual performance. While moderate use of caffeine and alcohol is acceptable, remember that both will dehydrate your body, requiring you drink even more water.

Most people do not get enough oxygen because they don't breathe properly. Shallow breathing, using only the top of your lungs is not only inefficient, it allows a buildup of carbon dioxide, which is the primary waste product from the respiratory process. You should start each day with a few deep breaths that fully fill your lungs, followed by exhalations that completely empty them. If you have a respiratory ailment, this deep breathing may cause you to cough, which is exactly what you should be doing to eliminate the mucus surrounding the toxins in your lungs. When you are fatigued, deep breathing can invigorate you.

Caring for your body with these simple, common sense guidelines will not only help your physical wellbeing, but also make it easier to attune with God and aid in your spiritual development.