Food

Food – Rosemary, the Boost You May Need

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Rosemary was traditionally used to help alleviate muscle pain, improve memory, boost the immune and circulatory system, and promote hair growth. Rosemary is a perennial plant (it lives more than 2 years). Dr. Keith Scott, in his book states the following:

“The leaves of this hardy Mediterranean plant are used to flavor a variety of dishes and beverages, and are added to some cosmetics. … It has gained an important place in traditional medicine, including its use as an antiseptic and as a treatment for respiratory problems, stomach cramps and arthritic pain. Rosemary is also believed to enhance the memory.”

Medicinal Properties
Cancer Rosemary contains significant quantities of several antioxidants which exhibit potent anti-tumourigenic properties.
Cardiovascular Disease and Blood Lipids Like oregano, rosemary has cardioprotective, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and two of its compounds directly prevent the formation of atheromatous plaques in the arteries.
Alzheimer’s Disease Rosmarinic acid has shown promising preventive and, in some cases, therapeutic effects against Alzheimer’s disease. Although its mechanisms are not fully understood, rosmarinic acid prevents the deposition of amyloid plaque in the brain.
Toxins Rosemary has specifically been shown to protect the liver from damage by environmental toxins. More broadly, potent antioxidants present in rosemary, such as rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid, are effective scavengers of free-radical toxins and assist in the prevention of inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Allergies The traditional use of rosemary as a treatment for respiratory problems has now been validated by clinical studies investigating its anti-allergenic properties. These have demonstrated that rosemary is an effective therapy for hay fever and asthma-causing allergies.

Rosemary Tea

1-2 tsp. fresh rosemary chopped (or 1 Tbsp. dried). Pour 1 cup of boiling water over leaves and steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain and drink tea.

Rosemary Potatoes

Cut the amount of potatoes you want in half or quarters and place in a bowl. Pour on some olive oil, salt, garlic (2–3 minced cloves) and fresh, chopped rosemary. Toss until the potatoes are well coated. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour at 400 degrees or until browned and crisp. Turn them a couple of times for even baking.

Food for Life – Whole Wheat Bread

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In Genesis 1:29, we find the original diet for mankind, which is what we call today fruits, grains, and nuts. In Genesis 3:18, we see that, after sin entered the world, God added the green herb of the field to man’s diet. In Genesis 9, we read that God added flesh food to man’s diet. In Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, it is spelled out which animals are clean and may be eaten and which animals are unclean and may not be eaten. God’s children, even in the days of Noah, did not eat unclean animals, because only two of each unclean animal were taken into the ark, and if Noah had eaten either one, then that species of animal would not be with us today. Nowhere in Leviticus is mankind forbidden to eat plants that do not bear seed.

God attempted to bring his people back to a largely vegetarian diet in Moses’ time, but they rebelled, and so it was not done. (See Numbers 11 and 14 and The Ministry of Healing, 311–317.)

We do not have information as to exactly when mankind began using milk and eggs and other foods that could not be classified as either a flesh food or a vegetable. We do know, from the biblical record, that God’s people were using these foods in Abraham’s time and in Moses’ time.

There are several kinds of foods eaten today that are in this category. First, is common bread. Bread is made with yeast. Yeast is a substance of aggregated cells of minute unicellular sac fungi. It has been debated whether these minute fungi are plants or animal. In the presence of sugar, the yeast ferments the bread dough, making alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is what raises the bread. The alcohol has such a low boiling point that most of it is released into the air during baking. Ellen White calls bread the staff of life, so it is not an optional food. (Counsels on Diet and Foods, 315.)

Some years ago, there were men in the Middle East who were not reaching complete sexual maturity. An investigation revealed that they were experiencing a zinc deficiency. There is plenty of zinc in whole wheat bread, which they were eating, but the phytic acid in the bread dough was binding the zinc, so it was not being absorbed. They were not using leavened bread. When bread is leavened, the leavening action uses up some of the phytic acid, making the zinc in the wheat available for absorption. I know of no population group with a zinc deficiency, if that population group uses whole-grain, leavened bread. It is important to use leavened bread. (There are some disease processes that force a person to abstain from leavened bread, and special diets must be formulated for these people so they do not suffer from mineral deficiencies.)

Dr. John J. Grosboll, Director of Steps to Life, is also trained in the field of nutrition, having earned a Doctor’s Degree in Health Science and a Master of Public Health degree in Public Health Nutrition from Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California.

Whole Wheat Bread, Oil-Free

4 cups very warm water

3 Tablespoons yeast

1/4 cup honey

9–10 cups whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon salt

In a large bowl, mix the first three ingredients together with a whisk. Add 3 cups flour and beat well. Add salt and enough flour to make pliable—not sticky—dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Return dough to bowl, cover with a towel, and place in a warm location until double. Knead dough again for 5 minutes; shape into loaves and place in prepared pans. Cover pans with a towel and let rise 30–45 minutes. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 50 minutes.

Food for Life – Creamy Cucumber Dressing

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When the Lord took His people from Egypt, He did not give them flesh-meat to eat till they mourned and wept in His ears, saying, ‘Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the flesh, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick; but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all beside this manna, before our eyes.’ [Numbers 11:4–6.] Then the Lord gave them flesh to eat. He sent them quails from heaven, but we read, ‘While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.’ [Verse 33.]

“The light God has given His people is that by eating the flesh and blood of dead animals, man becomes animalized. His lower passions are greatly strengthened by such a diet.

“Worldly physicians can not account for the rapid increase of disease among the human family. But we know that much of this suffering is caused by the eating of dead flesh. . . .

“Wise counsel and righteous practices are needed now, if the people of God succeed in preserving clear minds and healthy bodies. We must give close attention to eating, drinking, and dressing. The entire body of believers needs to make a decided reform. A high profession, followed by a disregard of the laws of life, shows a faithless life. Lack of fidelity, want of stability, slavery to wrong habits,—this is the sure result of such a course. Those who follow this course are not consistent Christians. Salvation means deliverance from every habit which tends to drag humanity down. Transgression of the laws of our being is transgression of the laws of God.” The Paulson Collection, 1, 2.

Creamy Cucumber Dressing

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed

1 medium to large cucumber, peeled (if bitter) and diced

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dill seed

1 teaspoon salt

Grind cashews and seeds; add remaining ingredients and blend well. Chill. Great for baked potatoes, sandwich spread, salad dressing.

Judy Ann Hallingstad manages the Mail Order Services Department for Steps to Life. She and her husband, Dennis, live in Derby, Kansas.

Do you have a favorite vegan recipe you are willing to share with LandMarks’ readers? Send it to us with a photo of you, if available, and a two or three line bio. We will consider all submissions. Send to the address below or by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Food for Life – Tropical Chewies

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Sugar is not good for the stomach. It causes fermentation, and this clouds the brain and brings peevishness into the disposition. . . .

“Sugar clogs the system. It hinders the working of the living machine.

“There was one case in Montcalm County, Michigan, to which I [Ellen White] will refer. The individual was a noble man. He stood six feet, and was of fine appearance. I was called to visit him in his sickness. I had previously conversed with him in regard to his manner of living. ‘I do not like the looks of your eyes,’ said I. He was eating large quantities of sugar. I asked him why he did this. He said that he had left off meat, and did not know what would supply its place as well as sugar. His food did not satisfy him, simply because his wife did not know how to cook.

“Some of you send your daughters, who have nearly grown to womanhood, to school to learn the sciences before they know how to cook, when this should be made of the first importance. Here was a woman who did not know how to cook; she had not learned how to prepare healthful food. The wife and mother was deficient in this important branch of education; and as the result, poorly cooked food not being sufficient to sustain the demands of the system, sugar was eaten immoderately, which brought on a diseased condition of the entire system. This man’s life was sacrificed unnecessarily to bad cooking. . . .

“He died a victim to poor cooking. He tried to make sugar supply the place of good cooking, and it only made matters worse.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 327, 328.

Tropical Chewies

Cream together:

1/4 cup margarine (or oil)

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup orange juice concentrate

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Slowly add:

1/2 cup crushed pineapple (drained)

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup oats

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

3/4 cup carob chips (or raisins)

Place mixture in an 11-3/4 inch x 7-1/2 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with Pam or lightly oiled. Bake at 350 degrees until browned.

Cathy Summers Timmons, a Steps to Life staff member and a member of LandMarks’ editorial staff, also serves as Director of Pacific Missionary Outreach. She may be contacted by e-mail at: cathytimmons@stepstolife.org.

Do you have a favorite vegan recipe you are willing to share with LandMarks’ readers? Send it to us with a photo of you, if available, and a two or three line bio. We will consider all submissions. Send to the address below or by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Food for Life – Eggplant Spread

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Eternal life is the receiving of the living elements in the Scriptures, the doing of the will of God. This is what is meant by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. It is the privilege of all to partake of the bread of heaven by studying the Word, and thus gain spiritual sinew and muscle.

“Each one must appropriate the blessing to his own soul, or he will not be fed. . . . You know you would not be nourished by seeing a well-spread table, and by others eating. We would starve if we did not partake of physical nourishment, and we shall lose our spiritual strength and vitality if we do not feed on spiritual bread. . . .

“The table has been spread, and Christ invites you to the feast. Shall we stand back, refusing bounties, and declaring, ‘He does not mean this for me?’ We used to sing a hymn that described a feast where a happy household gathered to partake of the bounties of the board at a kind father’s invitation. While the happy children gathered at the table, there stood a hungry beggar child at the threshold. She was invited to come in; but sadly she turned away, exclaiming, ‘I have no father there.’ Will you take this position as Jesus invites you in? Oh! if you have a Father in the courts above, I entreat you to reveal the fact. He wants to make you a partaker of His rich bounties and blessings. All who come with the confiding love of a little child will find a Father there.” The Faith I Live By, 22.

Eggplant Spread  –  This is a favorite Romanian recipe.

5 to 7 large eggplants

1 large onion, finely diced

1 medium-sized bulb garlic, finely diced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, diced

Salt to taste

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)

Bake the eggplants in the oven at 350 degrees until they are very soft (45 to 60 minutes). When cooled, remove the peels. Chop the eggplant pulp very finely, until mushy. Add onion, garlic, parsley, salt to taste, and olive oil. If the flavor seems to be too strong, add mayonnaise and mix well together. Spread on bread or toast and enjoy!

Bianca Lazor, a homemaker and mother, is an English to Romanian language translator. Originally from Romania, she now lives in Hawaii with her husband, John, and son, Joshua. She may be contacted by e-mail at: paradise7@hawaiian.net, or by telephone at: 808-965-0222.

Food for Life – Sweet Potato Salad

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“God is trying to lead us back, step by step, to his original design,—that man should subsist upon the natural products of the earth. Among those who are waiting for the coming of the Lord, meat-eating will eventually be done away; flesh will cease to form a part of their diet. We should ever keep this end in view, and endeavor to work steadily toward it. I cannot think that in the practice of flesh-eating we are in harmony with the light which God has been pleased to give us. All who are connected with our health institutions especially should be educating themselves to subsist on fruits, grains, and vegetables. If we move from principle in these things, if we as Christian reformers educate our own taste, and bring our diet to God’s plan, then we may exert an influence upon others in this matter, which will be pleasing to God.

“One reason why many have become discouraged in practicing health reform is that they have not learned how to cook so that proper food, simply prepared, would supply the place of the diet to which they have been accustomed. They become disgusted with the poorly prepared dishes, and next we hear them say that they have tried the health reform, and cannot live in that way. Many attempt to follow out meager instructions in health reform, and make such sad work that it results in injury to digestion, and in discouragement to all concerned in the attempt. You profess to be health reformers, and for this very reason you should become good cooks. Those who can avail themselves of the advantages of properly conducted hygienic cooking-schools, will find it a great benefit, both in their own practice and in teaching others.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 119.

Sweet Potato Salad

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium green bell pepper,

diced 1 small onion, minced

1 teaspoon oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

parsley, minced

Cook potatoes in salted water for 30 minutes until they are soft, but firm. Drain and peel. Cut in cubes. Add celery, pepper, and onion. Garnish with oil mixed with lemon juice, salt, and parsley.

Marian Oluyinka Atolagbe has been a Behavioral Science teacher for 18 years. With a deep interest in healthful lifestyle and sharing, she took training in medical missionary work at Life Abundant Missionary School (Eatonville, Washington), Steps to Life Bible School (Wichita, Kansas), and spent several months observing the work at Uchee Pines Institute (Seale, Alabama). She has conducted several health seminars/vegetarian cooking classes and started a bakery and healthful store in Nigeria, West Africa. Currently, she lives in Frederick, Maryland, while taking college classes toward an Allied Health Associate degree.

Recipe – Anita’s Rice

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1 cup unpolished brown rice

1 cup coconut milk (fresh recommended)

2 medium diced onions

2 medium diced tomatoes

1 bulb garlic

1 ½ inch piece small ginger

1 ½ tsp. salt

Bay leaves, cardamom, optional

inch turmeric and cayenne pepper-optional

Small bunch of cilantro

Small bunch of mint

½ cup olive oil or water

Saute` onions, bay leaves and cardamom in olive oil or water on medium heat. Once pinkish in color, add a little turmeric and cayenne pepper. Also add finely ground ginger and garlic paste. Keep stirring over low heat till all the ingredients are nicely cooked. Then add tomatoes with the salt, finely chopped mint and cilantro. Transfer this mixture to rice, coconut milk, and ½ cup warm water and put into a rice cooker. Cook well and serve hot with gravy, or vegetable or pea curry.

Food – Psychological Benefits of Exercise

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The time spent in physical exercise is not lost. … A proportionate exercise of all the organs and faculties of the body is essential to the best work of each. When the brain is constantly taxed while the other organs of the living machinery are inactive, there is a loss of strength, physical and mental. The physical system is robbed of its healthful tone, the mind loses its freshness and vigor, and a morbid excitability is the result.” Adventist Home, 494.

Over the years I stand amazed that science continues to find supporting evidence for the writings of E.G. White. Although the results have not been 100% consistent, many scientific studies of the effects of exercise upon the psychology of the mind document positive benefits. One such study showed improvements in fatigue, and total mood after 10 minutes of exercise, with progressive improvements in mental function over 20 minutes. A large study in Finland including over 3,000 people indicated a consistent association between enhanced psychological well-being of individuals who exercised at least two to three times a week. These people reported significantly less depression, anger, cynical distrust, and stress than those who exercised less frequently or not at all. (MEDLINE Abstracts: Psychological Benefits of Exercise from Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing e-Journal.)

Aerobic exercise has been shown to be helpful in stress reduction and maintaining a positive disposition. When you are stressed, it is important to get enough sleep. People who exercise regularly actually go to sleep faster, are more refreshed, and have sharper memories. Exercise increases the blood flow to the brain, bringing extra sugar and oxygen, which can help with concentration and stress reduction.

Aerobic exercise has also been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. It offers a distraction from worry and introspection. Burning excess fat and toning up can help boost anyone’s confidence and reduce depression.

Many of the benefits of exercise are a result of little chemicals called endorphins, which are produced by our body when we exercise. The chemicals bind to receptors in the brain and have four key effects on the body: they relieve pain, they reduce stress, they enhance the immune system, and they postpone the aging process. Endorphins are also triggered by deep-breathing, meditation, eating spicy food, and deep laughter. (Psychological Benefits of Aerobic Exercise, By Ciara Carruthers.)

Finally, “light and pleasant physical labor will occupy the time, improve the circulation, relieve and restore the brain, and prove a decided benefit to the health.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 555. So if you want good mental health, try exercise!

Recipe – Garden Tacos

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2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup cooked lentils

1 onion

1 bell pepper

1 cup celery

2 cups zucchini

3 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp chili-like seasoning

1 can Mexican stewed tomatoes

 

Finely chop vegetables and sauté with garlic until tender.

Add rice, lentils, and seasonings, simmering until flavors

Are absorbed. Partially fill taco shells and add your

Favorite toppings.

Food – Exercise

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A machine properly maintained and used for what it was built will last. However, if the same machine is not well cared for and is used for other purposes than intended, the lifespan will be significantly reduced and littered with problems. It is no wonder then that the human body, created for activity and in need of proper nutrition, would be compromised in health if one or both were neglected. Proper nutrition has been addressed in this feature in the past, but what about exercise?

Exercise increases heart and respiratory rate which, in turn, increases blood flow and oxygen to the cells. Waste material is more efficiently removed leaving room for nutrients to flood the cells instead. Since the body is made entirely of cells, this improves health overall.

There are many specific benefits of exercise, one of which is the decrease in disease. Exercise increases the number of white blood cells (WBC’s) and their activity level in the body. The WBC’s are responsible for finding and destroying harmful agents in the body such as bacteria and viruses that we come in contact with on a daily basis. Elevated activity levels = elevated immunity.

Stimulating colon function has become quite a lucrative business, raking in billions in sales each year. There are three very simple, natural ways that colon issues can be prevented for the vast majority of those who suffer—increasing the intake of dietary fiber, drinking adequate amounts of water each day, and getting daily exercise. Exercise stimulates the digestive function and helps with regularity.

One health problem facing people all around the world is obesity. This is a risk factor in so many of the diseases that plague the human body. Enter exercise—it burns calories, boosts the metabolism, and decreases the appetite, all of which help maintain a healthy weight and thus decreases the risk of life-threatening disease.

These are only a few of a myriad of benefits brought to the body through consistent exercise. God made the human body very efficient and precise, but we are responsible for the well-being of the incredible machine entrusted to us to accomplish His work. “Many act as if health and disease were things entirely independent of their conduct, and entirely outside their control. They do not reason from cause to effect, and submit to feebleness and disease as a necessity. … If those who are sick would exercise their muscles daily, women as well as men, in outdoor work, using brain, bone, and muscle proportionately, weakness and languor would disappear. Health would take the place of disease, and strength the place of feebleness.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 230.