Food

Food – Temperance in Our Life

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A good definition of temperance is, “True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 562. In this definition we find a direct contradiction to the philosophy of the world which says, If it feels good do it, if it tastes good eat it, and if you want it, get it. Unfortunately, this philosophy has led the world into sin and rebellion, ruining lives all around us. This philosophy becomes a way of life and habits of sin become so ingrained into who we are that at times we do not see any way to break them.

The first step in changing an intemperate habit, whether it be overeating, smoking, alcohol, drugs, sexual sins, or any other host of sinful habits, is to come to God just as you are, admitting that you are helpless to change in your own power. Only God can change the sinful heart. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Jeremiah 13:23. Although God can miraculously take away a bad habit, He prefers to give us the victory in His time.

The next step is to make a firm decision to change with the help of God. This involves a decision of the will and acting on that decision to starve the habit by avoiding situations that feed it. If the habit is one of tobacco usage, for example, starve the habit by eliminating all cigarettes from your home, car, purse, etc., and resist buying another cigarette. Then avoid, as much as possible, situations in which there would be a strong temptation to smoke. This will starve the bad habit.

Then, begin to develop new and better habits. When the urge to smoke hits, have a backup plan to resist the temptation. Send a quick prayer to the Lord for power to resist the devil and then go for a brisk walk. This will soon develop into a new habit. When this is done repeatedly changes are actually made in the brain. Activities are facilitated by chemicals moving between the nerve endings in the brain, and when an activity is repeated over and over, small grooves are formed between the nerve endings, thus creating a pathway for the chemicals. The more these activities are repeated, the easier it is for the chemicals and electrical activity to move within these grooves and a habit is formed in the brain. As old habits are resisted and new ones are developed, they become second nature. In this way we can actually cooperate with the Lord by developing new habits through repetition of good activities.

In I Corinthians 9:25 it says, “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

Examine the areas in your life that need change and ask for God’s help to change those bad habits and live a temperate life.

 

Recipe – Bean Soup

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1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large yellow or white onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped

1 can (28 oz.) diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1 tsp. chili powder substitute

1 tsp. ground cumin

3 cans chickpeas (or kidney beans, black beans, white beans) rinsed and drained (or 4 ½ cups cooked)

4 cups vegetable broth

¼ cup cilantro or parsley, chopped

3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, kale or Swiss charge, chopped

1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

salt, to taste

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 4-quart saucepan. Add onion and saute’ about 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Do not brown garlic. Add seasonings and tomatoes and simmer about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of beans and 1 ½ cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Place remaining beans and broth in a food processor or blender. Add cilantro or parsley and puree until smooth. Add the blended mixture and spinach, heating until the spinach wilts. Stir well and serve hot.

Adapted from a recipe by The Biggest Loser Club

Food – Sweet Temptations

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Have you ever been tempted because of some sweet delicacy? I am sure that each of us has experienced this type of appeal to intemperance or overindulgence. We must ask ourselves in regard to sweet delicacies, What kind and how much is alright and what is too much? Here are some facts and problems related to sugar consumption. The yearly consumption of sugar per person in America has risen from about 40 pounds one hundred years ago to nearly 170 pounds of sugar today. This can have profound effects upon our bodies and minds. Problems associated with increased intake are: tooth decay, elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, heart disease and obesity, irritation of the lining of the stomach. Eight cancers are linked to sugar intake, which is a major cause of degenerative diseases. Sugar causes mineral imbalances within the body, affects mood, activity, and the nervous system, platelets become sticky, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and greatly decreases the ability to fight infection. The white blood cells (WBCs) in our blood stream are constantly fighting bacteria. Each WBC, under normal conditions, will destroy about 14 bacteria. Excess sugar makes the WBCs sluggish and the consumption of 24 teaspoons of sugar, not as much as is in a 32-ounce soda, would cause each WBC to destroy only 1 bacterium. Soda is actually the number one source of excessive sugar intake in America. So you can see how ineffective our immune system is in the presence of elevated sugar. For a list of 146 problems associated with excess sugar consumption go to www.healingcancernaturally.com/sugar-health-effects-risks.html

It has been estimated that 80% of the health problems in America are related to diet. Sugar could be compared to any poison, drug or narcotic for at least three reasons. One is that the damaging effects can begin before a baby is born. Many babies are exposed to increased sugar levels for nine months and the exposure continues at birth in the form of formula with sugar or breast milk contaminated with too much sugar. It is also dangerous because it is seen as a taste enhancer, food, and is taken in almost unlimited quantities because it is found in almost everything. Nearly 95% of people are addicted to it to some degree. Probably two of the biggest long-term health risks for Americans today are smoking and too much sugar. Both of these risks can be eliminated by practicing temperance. “True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 562.

 

Recipe – Lemon Tahini Dressing

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½ cup tahini

½ tsp. basil, dried

1/3 cup lemon juice

½ tsp. garlic powder

2 garlic cloves, minced (or less)

¼ tsp salt

2 Tbsp. Braggs

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Add water to desired consistency. Store refrigerated in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Note: Dressing thickens as it sits and with refrigeration.

Food – Smoking and Your Respiratory System

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True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 562. It is common knowledge that smoking is hurtful though often we do not understand the reasons or extent of the harmfulness of this offending habit. Our goal is to make you more informed so you will understand and be able to share with others more fully some of the effects that smoking has on the respiratory system.

In Genesis 2:7 we learn that God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. This is a true love story in that God merely spoke the rest of the universe into existence: “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6, 9. However, after lovingly forming Adam, the crowning act of creation, He personally breathed into his nostrils and imparted to man the breath of life.

The respiratory system is one of the primary targets of cigarette smoking. It is made up of two lungs, an immense system of air tubes that are lined and end in over 300 million small air sacs. Within the lungs and surrounding these air sacs is a massive system of arteries, capillaries and veins. The lungs hold about 4–5 quarts (liters) of air and with each breath the average adult takes in about ½ a quart (500 cc) of air. At rest we breathe about 16 times a minute and 12,000 quarts of air each day. As this air enters the body, it is warmed and cleansed by the nose, cilia (small hair-like projections from the lining of the breathing tubes) and the mucus within the breathing tubes. It is in these microscopic air sacs that the oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide via the blood stream. As the oxygen rich blood from the lungs is taken to the body, every cell is nourished and strengthened for life and work.

Tobacco is a slow, insidious and most malignant poison. It is known to have over 4,000 chemical agents, 43 of which are known to cause cancer in humans. Cancer of the respiratory system is greatly increased in smokers, with lung cancer being 700% greater. Eighty percent of those who have vocal cord cancer are smokers, and the incidence of cancer of the mouth and esophagus is increased in smokers. Of those who die from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 85% were smokers. These frightening statistics are related to the physical effects of smoking on the respiratory system: the cilia are paralyzed, damaged and cannot sweep foreign matter out of the lungs, the excess mucous created from smoking clogs the airways, the small air sacs become distended, trap air and eventually rupture, forming large ineffective sacs. Eventually, the rib cage becomes barrel shaped because of excess trapped air, the blood pressure elevates and the entire system is deprived of oxygen in an attempt to push blood through the damaged air sacs. All the while this is going on, the carcinogenic chemicals in the smoke irritate and put the entire system at risk for cancer.

Recipe – Barley-Pea Casserole

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3 cups hot water

1 cup cashew pieces

1 cup whole barley

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbsp chicken-like seasoning

2 carrots, grated

1 Tbsp oil (option)

1-16 oz. pkg. frozen peas, thawed

Place all into casserole dish, except peas. Cover and bake for 1 ½ hours at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and top with peas.

Food – Smoking and Your Health

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True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 562. The purpose of this article is to give a greater understanding of some of the dangerous effects that smoking has on the cardiovascular system.

Solomon said in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” This is very true. The heart and the associated system of arteries and veins are responsible for taking oxygen and nourishment to all parts of the body and bringing back the waste products for removal. The heart is located in the left center of the chest, weighs less than one pound and is approximately the size of a fist. It pumps about 100,000 times per day, releasing 7,000 quarts of blood. During times of exercise or need the output can be increased by six times. The pumping phase of the heart is about 1/3 of the heart cycle and the resting phase about 2/3. It is made up of four distinct chambers making two independent pumps to pump blood to the lungs and to the body. It has four directional valves to help the blood flow in the right direction and contains electrical tissue and tracts that spread the contraction impulse throughout the heart. The heart is assisted in its role by 100,000 miles of arteries, veins and capillaries. Despite this huge vascular system, it only takes 10–15 seconds for blood to circulate through the entire system.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and in high income countries worldwide. It is second only to lower respiratory infections in lower income countries and stroke/cerebral vascular disease in middle income countries. Heart disease, stroke and cerebral/cardiovascular diseases are intimately related to lifestyle: diets high in fat and sugar and low in fiber, smoking, obesity, sedentary habits, and stressful lifestyle. It is also closely associated to family history, age, sex, high blood pressure (over 130/70), and other diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, and thyroid problems.

Smoking is very closely related not just to lung problems, but also heart disease. Smoking causes a whole host of problems for the heart: abnormally increases the heart rate both during and after smoking and it increases the blood pressure. It affects the arteries by causing holes and roughness of the lining of these very important tubes. Cholesterol formation is increased in these damaged areas. This causes both narrowing and hardening of the arteries, thus further increasing blood pressure and causing more stress on the heart. It affects the platelets in the blood by increasing their stickiness. This increases the likelihood of blood clots forming in the arteries and blocking blood flow to parts of the body. (Ultimately the heart is enlarged, right side that pumps blood into lungs damaged by smoking, and the left side that pumps into damaged, narrowed, stiff arteries throughout the body.)

Some of the risk factors for these problems are unavoidable: stress, family history, age, sex, but we can choose to not smoke. Smoking is clearly a risk factor for our hearts that we can avoid or stop. Won’t you ask God for power to overcome this habit or share this information with someone else who needs it?

Recipe – Alfredo Sauce and Cilantro Pesto

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Alfredo Sauce

2 cups water

2 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder

½ can of navy or great northern beans

2 Tbsp olive oil

½ cup cashews (optional)

4 Tbsp. lemon juice

1-2 tsp. salt

¼ of a medium onion

¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes

2 cloves of garlic

Put part of the water in a blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth and then add the rest of the water and blend again. Pour into a saucepan and cook until thick, stirring so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Pour sauce over fettuccini pasta and top with a tablespoon of cilantro pesto. It may also be spread over pica crust and topped with pesto.

Cilantro Pesto

1-2 bunches cilantro; washed, ends removed

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup walnut or pine nuts, lightly toasted

¼ tsp. salt

Place liquids in the blender adding cilantro, stem down. Pulse until somewhat smooth. Add nuts and salt. Pulse until desired consistency or up to 1-2 minutes for smooth pesto. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze. This will turn dark when frozen, but still good. For variety, you may substitute basil, sage or oregano for cilantro. Add jalapeno for spicy pesto and parmesan cheese substitute can be added if desired.

Food – Smoking and the Nervous System

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The brain, which is positioned within the skull, is the master control organ of the whole body. It is small, pinkish gray in color, weighing just over 3 pounds and the size of two large fists. It looks like a wrinkled walnut and has a consistency similar to oatmeal. There are four distinct sections of the brain. The cerebrum, which is made up of four lobes, is the upper most and largest part of the brain where all higher cognitive function occurs and where incoming information is received, analyzed and stored. The diencephalon forms the central core of the brain and is surrounded by the two halves of the cerebrum. It controls many of the internal organs, maintains equilibrium throughout the body systems, and is the center for the emotions and sleep/wake cycle. The third section of the brain is the cerebellum, which is located to the back of the skull and lower than the cerebrum. It cooperates with the cerebrum and the brain stem to produce smooth, efficient muscular movement. Finally, the brain stem is the lowest part of the brain and is the center for both vital organ control and protective reflexes. The spinal cord is located from the brain stem downward through the vertebras of the back and is the pathway for all information that travels between the brain and the body, carrying both motor and sensory impulses. The peripheral nervous system is a complex set of 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves. The cranial nerves carry information to and from the brain and structures in the head, neck, stomach, and heart. The spinal nerves carry information from the spinal cord to the body that deals with sensory information from within the body and the environment coordinating both voluntary and involuntary muscle movement.

Once smoke from a cigarette is inhaled, it takes approximately 7 to 10 seconds for the brain to be affected by the nicotine, tar, and over 4,000 chemicals, causing every cell in the brain to be poisoned by the chemicals and also the excess CO that is carried in the blood. The resulting changes in the blood vessels—roughness, narrowing, hardening, and stickiness of the wall lining and weakening of the vessel wall—all increase the risk of strokes for the smoker. Although the exact cause is not known, both genetics and environmental factors seem to play a role in the development of muscular sclerosis. The white matter of the brain and spinal cord become inflamed, develop lesions and the myelin sheath surrounding the nerves is lost. Smoking may initiate this inflammation. Brain tumors and problems related to improper chemical transmission in the brain and nerve cells are also problems related to smoking. With this added knowledge, it is hard to understand why anyone would choose to smoke.

 

Recipe – Sunflower Seed Mustard

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¾ cup raw sunflower seeds 1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. turmeric             1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. onion powder 7/8 cup of water
½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice  
Blend until smooth. It will thicken as it sets.