Health

Health – Protein – How Do You Get Yours?

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Some time ago I gave a health presentation, sharing about the delicious foods that God has given to us for nourishment and to build the immune system in order to fight disease. In the front row was an elderly gentleman, 95 years old, who had been invited by his neighbor.

As I was sharing, I could tell he was getting a little agitated. Finally, as he was looking through the handouts, he could no longer contain himself, blurting out, “Where’s the protein? You need protein! Nobody can live without protein!” He was so adamant about protein that I did not think he heard anything else that was discussed. A few days later his neighbor told me that this 95 year old man was concerned for the health of another neighbor and had made a list of all of the foods he had learned about in the class and gave it to her hoping that she would build her immune system. Amazing how God works.

See the table above for a few choice sources of vegan/vegetarian protein.

Too much protein is toxic to our bodies. Agatha Thrash, M.D. makes the following statements in her article entitled Dangers of a High Protein Diet:

“It can be readily stated that a high protein diet is toxic to the body. A high protein diet puts a tax on the liver, breaks down protein tissues, triggers a loss of calcium from bones, and leaves toxic residues which must be eliminated. Before elimination of these toxic residues, however, the body is often damaged so that it is more susceptible to a variety of diseases, including cancer and arthritis. … A high protein diet has been shown to cause excessive loss of calcium in the urine. Five overweight but otherwise healthy men and women volunteers were studied. All five were given a free choice of their regular diet for two weeks. After that time a high protein diet was used for several weeks. Each individual took a vitamin-mineral capsule both during the first two weeks as well as during the test period. When the volunteers were on the high-protein, low carbohydrate diet there was a significant increase in their blood of an enzyme from the liver, a strong suggestion that protein tissue was being broken down in their bodies. These volunteers also lost a lot of calcium in their urine. When a high protein diet is used, a high calcium diet must also be provided to make up for urinary losses of calcium. If an extremely high protein diet on the order of 140 grams a day is taken in, researchers found that it was impossible to maintain calcium balance regardless of the extra calcium given. …

“It can be readily understood that a high protein diet for an elderly person would be particularly detrimental. An elderly person may easily lose bone matrix, resulting in osteoporosis, the thinning of the bones that causes pain and much discomfort in elderly individuals. In addition to loss of calcium, there is also loss of iron, zinc, and phosphorus from the urine during a high protein diet. It is known that zinc is needed to balance other minerals in the blood.

“The best dietary is a very simple one consisting of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Apart from these three food groups, all other foods should be used sparingly.” www.ucheepines.org/dangers-of-a-high-protein-diet/

Enjoy the simple fare that God provides through a plant-based diet and enjoy good health.

Health – Water

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A continuous supply of water is needed for all living things. Our bodies require water, not just for washing but for breathing, digestion, elimination, lubrication of muscles, bones and tendons, and most other body functions. We could go on and on. We are truly fearfully and wonderfully made.

“In health and in sickness, pure water is one of heaven’s choicest blessings. Its proper use promotes health. It is the beverage which God provided to quench the thirst of animals and man. Drunk freely, it helps to supply the necessities of the system and assists nature to resist disease.” The Ministry of Healing, 237.

Mark Stengler, N.D., in his book, The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies, 2001, by Prentice Hall, pp 479–483, shares the following:

“I remember a span of about three weeks during medical school when I experienced dull headaches, dizziness, and lethargy. … While I couldn’t explain all these symptoms, I assumed that mounting stress of my classes, plus all the hours I’d been working in the clinic, were beginning to take their toll.

“Then, one day, when I decided I was tired of feeling this way, I sat down and analyzed everything I had been doing. I was eating pretty well, and exercising a reasonable amount. It seemed very unlikely that I was suffering any kind of nutritional deficiency.

“But even while I contemplated possible explanations, I happened to notice someone getting a glass of water at a nearby water cooler. Then it occurred to me. Many of my symptoms suggested dehydration. It was just possible that I was experiencing these symptoms because I wasn’t consuming enough water.

“As I reviewed my actions of the last few days, I realized I’d really had very little water—possibly two tall glasses a day, total. That wasn’t nearly enough; considering that I was exercising regularly, under stress, and mentally active, I decided that was a good time to start doing exactly what I was recommending to many patients—drink more water.

“With the phrase ‘physician heal thyself’ dancing in my head, I immediately resolved to triple the amount of water I was consuming. … My symptoms disappeared over the next three days. … Few of us are regularly in danger of dying of thirst—but I suspect that many of us are seriously slowed down by unrecognized thirstiness. …

“About two-thirds of the water in our systems comes from those glasses of fluids that we drink. The rest comes from food and from the leftover ‘disposables’ of cellular metabolism.

“Our bodies are really the middle of a streambed. While the water is coming in through various pathways, it’s exiting in the urine, evaporating from skin, hissing out through the respiratory tract and departing in stool. …

“Humans have a thirst mechanism that is activated when our body is becoming low in reserves of water. Researchers have noted that there is often a long delay between the time when your body actually becomes dehydrated and the moment when you experience the sensation of thirst. In other words, by the time you feel thirsty, you’re already somewhat dehydrated. … Low-grade dehydration can sap vitality and contribute to many of the symptoms I’ve noted.

“Cloudy Thinking. I call this symptom ‘brain fog,’ and most people know instantly what I mean. The mind is not clear, and you find it hard to concentrate. I have seen these symptoms improved with increased water consumption

“Dizziness. Unexplained dizziness may be related to dehydration. Water is required for normal blood pressure. When you’re dehydrated, your circulation may be poor, which deprives cells of needed nutrients. Dizziness is one outcome.

“Fatigue. Unexplained fatigue can be a result of dehydration. Many people notice increased energy when they drink more water.

“Headaches. Patients with chronic, low-grade headaches are often dehydrated. It is often described as a fuzzy sensation in the head.

“Heart Palpitations. Occasionally a patient reports a history of heart palpitations. These episodes may improve or cease completely when water intake increases.

“High Blood Pressure. You’d think that anyone consuming lots of water would be raising their own blood pressure, but the opposite is true. When you’re dehydrated, your body tries to compensate by increasing blood pressure. So for anyone with high blood pressure (hypertension), it’s important to increase water intake.

“Weight Gain and Edema. Your body will retain water if you are chronically dehydrated. This condition, called edema, contributes to weight gain as well. Thus, increased water consumption is an important therapy for helping these conditions.”

Dr. Stengler has presented good ideas for you to think about and to possibly incorporate into your daily regime. Just recently the following excerpt appeared:

Rescue hydration helped American healthcare workers survive Ebola

Water was the key to saving two American healthcare workers who were treated for Ebola at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, this past summer. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) explains how intravenous rehydration corrected their electrolyte deficiencies and intramuscular water losses, allowing for more rapid and efficient healing.

“We undertook aggressive supportive measures of hydration (typically, 3 to 5 liters of intravenous fluids per day early in the course of care) and electrolyte correction,” explains the study. “As the patients’ condition improved clinically, there was a concomitant decline in the amount of virus detected in plasma.” www.naturalnews.com/047714_Ebola_cure_water_hydration.html

“Pure water to drink and fresh air to breathe invigorate the vital organs, purify the blood, and help nature in her task of overcoming the bad conditions of the system.

“Water is the best liquid possible to cleanse the tissues.

“If those who are afflicted would assist nature in her efforts by the use of pure, soft water, much suffering would be prevented.” My Life Today, 139.

Health – What About Wild Rice?

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Here are some interesting facts about wild rice from the site Vegetarians in Paradise.

Contrary to what many people believe, wild rice is not rice at all but a grass. …

The Algonquin, Ojibwa, Dakota, Winnebago, Sioux, Fox, and Chippewa tribes used wild rice as an important staple in their diets. … The grain was so valuable to subsistence that tribes sometimes waged wars over wild rice territories. The Chippewa even carried small pouches of wild rice with them whenever they traveled. …

The Chinese favor these plants not for their cereal grains, but for their broad leaves and young shoots that they incorporate into their cuisine. The leaves are used to wrap dumplings, while the shoots are cooked and eaten like asparagus.

Traditional Harvesting

In times past, the annual harvesting of wild rice began a month before actually reaping the rice with great ceremony among the many tribes that would gather at their chosen harvesting lakes. The flavor and color of wild rice varied considerably from region to region among the lakes because of varying soil conditions, water organisms, and the changing environment. Since the Indian tribes knew the area well, it could be said they were staking out their favorite spots.

In late August and September of each year, during the period known as “rice moon,” their celebrations resembled a lively country fair. When the time “was right,” the ricing chief would declare the proper day for harvesting. Then pairs of Indian women slowly roamed the grassy lakes in their birch bark canoes. One would take her place at the front of the boat and paddle with a long pole; the other used two long cedar or juniper sticks to bend the tall grass-heads and gently shake the seeds of the pale-green stalks into the bottom of the boat. A canoe-full of wild rice was considered a good harvest day.

Some of the grains would fall back into the water and become the seeds for next year’s crop. Since the seed kernels do not all ripen at the same time, the women made numerous trips at intervals of four to six days to harvest the seeds that continue to mature. Minus the pre-harvesting ceremony, this three-centuries-old gathering method is still used today, which explains why this wild-crafted grain tends to be a pricey luxury. Some have even referred to truly wild rice as the “caviar of grains.” Today, the men of the tribe share the harvesting task. …

In former times to loosen the hulls of the wild rice, the young children would dance on the grains that were placed in a shallow pit lined with deerskin. The rice would then be strained through blankets to separate the chaff from the kernels. Today, the wild rice is put into bags and hand-pounded with clubs to loosen the hulls. The women then winnow the grains by lifting their filled birch-bark trays and tossing the seeds into the air, allowing the winds to carry off the hulls.

Today, the wild rice is winnowed on the reservations in large 30-gallon drums with paddles inside that loosen the hulls as the drums are turned. …

Nutritional Benefits

Wild rice towers over other grains when it comes to amounts of protein, minerals, B vitamins, folic acid, and carbohydrates. While the protein content of 1/2 cup of cooked wild rice measures 3.3 grams, that same quantity of long grain brown rice contains only 2 grams. The bonus is that the wild rice, though high in carbohydrates at 17.5 grams, has only 83 calories for 1/2 cup cooked.

Using the same 1/2 cup measurement of cooked grains, the folic acid content soars over brown rice with 21.3 mcg for wild rice and 3.9 mcg for brown rice. According to the University of California Berkeley Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition, 1/2 cup dry wild rice provides 95 mcg or 48% of the RDA (200 mcg) of folacin for men and 53% for women.

The niacin content of wild rice is also a stand-out figure, with 1.06 mg for 1/2 cup cooked. Potassium packs an 83 mg punch, and zinc, which is usually available in trace amounts, registers 1.1 mg.

While 1/2 cup cooked wild rice offers 1.5 grams of fiber, it contains 26 mg of magnesium, a healthy balance of B vitamins and only .3 grams of unsaturated fat. Small amounts of calcium and iron are also part of the wild rice picture. …

Cooking

Wild rice should be rinsed before cooking to remove any unwanted particles, such as hulls or storage debris. Put the grains into a saucepan with warm water to cover, and stir the rice around to allow any particles to float to the top. Skim off the particles and drain the water. It’s best to repeat the rinsing one more time before cooking.

As a general rule established proportions for cultivated wild rice use 1 cup of dry wild rice to 3 cups of water, with salt to taste. We suggest 1 teaspoon of salt. Combine these in a 2 or 3-quart saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down to medium low, and steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When fully cooked, the grains open to reveal their purplish-grey inner portion, giving each grain a striking two-tone appearance. This quantity will yield about 3 to 4 cups of cooked grains, depending on variety.

Wild-crafted wild rice proportions use 1 cup of grain to 2 cups of water with a cooking time of 45 minutes. … www.vegparadise.com/highestperch311.html

Try some wild rice. Make it into a salad with chopped, diced, and shredded fresh vegetables including cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, scallions, bell peppers, carrots, and cabbage. Add a few chopped raw nuts of your choice, and season with a hint of fresh minced sage, oregano and lemon juice. You can also grind it into flour and use approximately 25% of the flour in batters for muffins, pancakes, and breads. You’ll enjoy the extraordinary richness of flavor.

Health – Animal Sense

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Among one of the marvels of God’s creation that science has recently discovered is the ability of different animals to sense illness in humans. I have heard or read about dogs detecting undiagnosed illnesses such as cancer or warning their owners of an impending high blood pressure or epileptic attack. Some dogs are even able to detect the presence of human remains when they are buried, are able to trace their owners and make long journeys to be re-united with them. Other animals are able to sense impending storms and even earthquakes.

Even though animals were not given the intelligence that human beings were given to reason right from wrong, they were given remarkable instincts to know what their body needs when it becomes sick. The following article provides some interesting insights.

“Animals wounded in the wild or stricken by disease possess a remarkable ability to treat their ailments, according to new research that has important implications for humans.

“Examples of this new work include observations of capuchin monkeys that rub their fur with millipedes containing insect-killing chemicals called benzoquinones; chimpanzees who eat the pith of the plant Vernonia amygdalina to kill off intestinal worms; and domestic cats which eat houseplants or chew woolly jumpers to make themselves sick and so rid their bodies of poisons.

“Even more surprisingly, scientists have found that some creatures are adept at helping people to overcome diseases. ‘Dogs are particularly good at this,’ said Professor Keith Kendrick, of the Babraham Institute in Cambridge. ‘They have a stunning sense of smell and can detect when chemical changes occur in their owners. Dogs can tell long before the event when a person is going to have an epileptic fit. Obviously that is a talent with very important implications.’

“Another favourite animal cure that has recently been uncovered by scientists is eating clay to absorb toxins and pathogens – one favoured by mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. ‘The stuff is excellent if you have had a stomach bug or something similar,’ said Dr. Cindy Engel, whose book, Wild Health, is published by Phoenix.

“The effectiveness of animal self-medication is also revealed in studies by William Karesh of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York. He and his colleagues have studied a range of wild animals and found that most were in remarkably good condition. Blood tests carried out by Karesh revealed that extremely unpleasant viruses and bacteria, infections that usually kill domestic animals but which had been dealt with by their wild counterparts, had infected most of these creatures.

“This discovery may explain why many wild animals become sick and die in captivity – because insufficient attention is paid to their living conditions.

“Another example of animal’s self-medicating prowess is provided by elephants which make pilgrimages to a cave complex at Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano in western Kenya. They dig out the soft rock in the cave walls, grind and then swallow it. And the reason? Sodium is a vital ingredient in stimulating bodily defenses against toxins that major herbivores will encounter in many of the plants they eat.” www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/jan/26/health.science

Here are a few more interesting insights from an article called The Wild Side of Animal Senses:

“Radar, compasses, and infrared detectors are all man-made contraptions that enable humans to stretch beyond our natural senses. They allow us to detect things in our environment that we otherwise could not sense. But these gadgets are far from original. An examination of the sensory world of animals reveals that nature invented them long before we did.

“About Animal Senses – Our senses tell us what we need to know about our environment. They help to keep us out of danger and enable us to find food and shelter. As humans, our senses include sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. But other animals need different information about the world to survive than we do. As a result, they can have senses that are very different from our own: ecolocation, infrared vision, electric sense, and magnetic sense.

“Ecolocation – Toothed whales (a group that includes dolphins), bats, and some shrews use ecolocation to navigate their surroundings. Each of these animals emits high-frequency sound pulses and, in turn, detects the echoes produced by those sounds. Special ear and brain adaptations enable them to build a three-dimensional picture of their surroundings, much like radar. Bats, for example, have enlarged ear flaps that gather and direct sound towards thin, supersensitive eardrums.

“Infrared Vision – Rattlesnakes and other pit vipers use their eyes to see during the day. But at night they use infrared sensory organs to detect and hunt warm-blooded prey. These infrared ‘eyes’ are cuplike structures that form crude images as infrared radiation hits a heat sensitive retina.

“Electric Sense – Electric fields are used in numerous ways by animals. Electric eels and some rays have modified muscle cells that produce an electric charge strong enough to shock and sometimes kill their prey. Other fish use weaker electric fields to navigate murky waters or to monitor their surroundings. For instance, bony fish and some frogs have a lateral line, a row of sensory pores in the skin that enables them to detect electrical current in water.

“Magnetic Sense – Together, the flow of molten material in the earth’s core and the flow of ions in the atmosphere generate a magnetic field that surrounds the earth. Amazingly, a number of animals are able to sense this magnetic field. Just as a compass helps us navigate by detecting magnetic north, animals who possess magnetic sense are able to identify direction and navigate long distances. Behavioral studies have revealed that many animals including honeybees, sharks, sea turtles, rays, homing pigeons, migratory birds, tuna, and salmon all have magnetic sense.

“The details of how these animals actually feel the earth’s magnetic field are not yet known. Researchers have found, though, that each of these animals has deposits of magnetite in their nervous systems. Magnetites, small magnet-like crystals, align themselves with magnetic fields and might act like microscopic compass needles. These crystals may be the key to revealing how animals sense magnetic fields.” http://animals.about.com/cs/zoology/a/aa061801a.htm

It is a blessing to be part of God’s most wonderful creation and to continue to learn awesome insights of life on this earth.

Health – Pomegranate – Superfood

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The pomegranate has been called a superfood mainly because of its antioxidant properties. Much research has been done to reveal that this old-fashioned fruit has some of the most amazing health benefits. Even the seeds have health-giving properties.

As a child growing up on a farm in the country, I can remember heading off with my brother on our quest to look for pomegranates. We knew where the tree was located; so we took off on our bicycles, loaded down with bags and baskets to bring some fruit home. We were told not to get the juice on our clothes as it would stain, but we loved the thrill of collecting these fruits. Little did we know that they are loaded with so many health benefits.

Each pomegranate is composed of hundreds of small seeds, each surrounded by a sac of sweet-tart reddish colored juice contained by a thin skin. The seeds are compacted around the core in a layer resembling honeycomb. The layers of seeds are separated by paper-thin white membranes which are bitter to the tongue. The inner membranes and rind are not generally eaten due to high tannic acid content.

Many people eat the fresh fruit by chewing on the seeds to release the juice from the sacs and then swallow seeds and all. The seeds are considered good roughage to help cleanse the body. In India, the seeds are dried and ground into a powder and used to flavor meat dishes. Others will get the juice from the seeds and then spit out the seeds. Eat or discard the seeds according to your personal preference.

Pomegranate juice, with its high levels of anti-oxidants, protects healthy cells from damage by destructive groups of atoms called free radicals. It also contains polyphenols and isoflavones, which are believed to play a role in cancer cell death. It is rich in vitamin C, fiber and potassium and is also effective as an anti-inflammatory.

Cancer

Pomegranates rank high in the list of foods believed helpful in the prevention of cancer. The antioxidants and other compounds in pomegranates help to inhibit the initial formation of cancer cells, activate the enzymes that identify and fix damaged DNA, help eliminate damaged cells, and impair multiplication of cancerous cells.

Consuming pomegranate juice and eating the fresh fruit have been known to have positive effects on numerous types of cancers, especially prostate, breast, lung, skin, and colon cancers. Studies in Israel have shown that pomegranate juice destroys breast cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone and may also prevent breast cancer cells from forming. Other studies show that it inhibits the development of lung cancer. It has been shown to slow down the growth of prostate cancer in mice. In a study with 50 men who have had treatment for prostate cancer, one glass of pomegranate juice per day kept PSA levels stable, reducing the need for further treatment such as chemotherapy or hormone therapy.

For 10 years Allan Pantuck, M.D., director of cancer research at UCLA has specialized in the treatment of prostate cancer. Dr. Pantuck was honored by the U.S. Army for his investigations into slowing prostate cancer progression by blocking estrogen. He has received awards several times from the National Institute of Health for his research and written more than 150 peer-reviewed journals on the subject. Now he is sharing his findings from a major study that uses simple, totally safe ingredients to inhibit estrogen production and slow prostate cancer.

Dr. Pantuck studied 50 men over five years. Before enrolling in the study, every man had been treated for prostate cancer. Treatments included surgery or radiation. In all cases, the treatment had failed. Each man’s PSA levels were rising quickly. Their cancer had returned and it was growing fast.

For men with no history of prostate cancer, PSA levels may not always be an accurate indicator of cancer. But when a patient has been diagnosed and treated for cancer, PSA levels are an accurate way to see if the cancer is in remission. When those levels rise quickly, it is a sure indication that the cancer has returned and is progressing quickly. This was the case for every man in the study.

Dr. Pantuck gave each man 250 ml of pomegranate juice each day – and no other treatment. Within weeks the juice was stabilizing their PSA levels and slowing their PSA doubling times. Doubling time is critical in prostate cancer. Patients with short doubling times are much more likely to die from prostate cancer, says Dr. Pantuck. In the case of the test group, the average doubling time was about 15 months.

Adding this simple fruit juice made a big difference. The researchers recorded a four-fold increase in doubling times. Instead of taking 15 months to double, the time increased to 54 months for 82 percent of the men on the study.

“That’s a big increase,” says Dr. Pantuck. “In older men we can give them pomegranate juice and they may outlive their risk of dying from cancer. We’re hoping we may be able to prevent the need for other therapies which bring with them harmful side effects.”

There were further big improvements. The researchers’ results also showed a 12 percent decrease in cancer cell growth and a 17 percent increase in cancer cell death. “There are many substances in the juice that may be prompting this response,” says Dr. Pantuck. “We don’t know if it’s one magic bullet or the combination of everything else we know is in this juice.”

Cardiovascular Health

Pomegranates improve cardiovascular health by reducing serum LDL levels, or bad cholesterol, in healthy and in diabetic patients. A study published in 2008 in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry confirmed the findings of previous studies that whole pomegranate fruit and pomegranate juice demonstrate the ability to prevent and reverse atherosclerosis, or the build-up of plaque on artery walls. This means a decrease in blood pressure and increased blood flow to the heart and therefore reducing the chance of having a heart attack.

Inflammation

Long-term inflammation can cause multiple chronic diseases like rheumatic arthritis, asthma and cardiovascular disease. Pomegranates possess chemicals that reduce inflammation, helping to prevent and relieve symptoms of some of these diseases.

Other Health Benefits

  • Pomegranates possess antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-diarrheal properties. People drinking the juice have seen considerable improvement in their skin and oral health.
  • Because of less amyloid plaque build up in the brain, pomegranate consumption may prevent and slow Alzheimer’s disease. Mental tasks become easier.
  • It may help to slow down the aging process and is beneficial in maintaining the elasticity and health of skin.
  • It may help to prevent tooth decay by suppressing the detrimental bacteria that cause plaque and tooth decay.
  • It may inhibit the replication of Influenza viruses.
  • It may inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and may inhibit the production of endotoxins by Staphylococcus aureus.
  • Pomegranates fight diarrhea, bronchitis, sore throat, and nausea.

Pomegranates can be purchased in season and eaten, but a very easy addition to the diet is the juice. Be aware that most pomegranate juice is flash pasteurized and is usually found in a clear container. Both of these factors result in the loss of some of the nutrients. Thus you cannot be sure of receiving all of the juice’s health benefits, but the benefits you do get will definitely outweigh the drawbacks. Therefore, try adding pomegranate juice to your diet.

Pomegranate juice is available in many supermarkets. Be sure to read the label to make sure you are getting a quality product that is 100% pure juice, or 100% pure juice from concentrate, at the very least. Also make sure that no sugars are added.

It has been stated that one glass of pomegranate juice a day can help your health in many different ways. The fruit has long been used in folk medicine in the Middle East and India. Healers have used the bark, leaves, skin and rind as well as the edible fruit to cure a multitude of ills. A boiled infusion of the rinds is said to soothe a sore throat and a scalp massage paste made from the leaves is thought to reverse baldness.

www.naturalhealthdossier.com

www.amazing-pomegranate-health-benefits.com

Kaye Sehm, Back to Eden Newsletter. Winter 2011, No. 47, P.O. Box 850, Lavington NSW 2641 Australia Telephone +61-2-6025-5018

Health – Handwriting and the Brain

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The physical act of cursive handwriting, with each letter of a word being connected, actually affects the composer’s/writer’s brain. Children in primary grades are taught to print the letters of the alphabet, then progress to cursive handwriting in third grade. Recently, however, the American school system considers cursive writing a waste of time; emphasis instead has moved to keyboard and computer proficiency. Research shows that there is a loss of brain health and learning when these writing skills are bypassed. The following are excerpts from What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades:

“Psychologists and neuroscientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting a relic of the past. New evidence suggests that the links between handwriting and broader educational development run deep.

“Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain information. In other words, it’s not just what we write that matters—but how.

“ ‘When we write, a unique neural circuit is automatically activated,’ said Stanislas Dehaene, a psychologist at the Collège de France in Paris. ‘There is a core recognition of the gesture in the written word, a sort of recognition by mental simulation in your brain.’ …

“A 2012 study led by Karin James, a psychologist at Indiana University, lent support to that view. Children who had not yet learned to read and write were presented with a letter or a shape on an index card and asked to reproduce it in one of three ways: trace the image on a page with a dotted outline, draw it on a blank white sheet, or type it on a computer. They were then placed in a brain scanner and shown the image again.

“The researchers found that the initial duplication process mattered a great deal. When children had drawn a letter freehand, they exhibited increased activity in three areas of the brain that are activated in adults when they read and write: the left fusiform gyrus, the inferior frontal gyrus and the posterior parietal cortex.

“By contrast, children who typed or traced the letter or shape showed no such effect. The activation was significantly weaker. …

“In another study, Dr. James is comparing children who physically form letters with those who only watch others doing it. Her observations suggest that it is only the actual effort that engages the brain’s motor pathways and delivers the learning benefits of handwriting.

“The effect goes well beyond letter recognition. In a study that followed children in grades two through five, Virginia Berninger, a psychologist at the University of Washington, demonstrated that printing, cursive writing, and typing on a keyboard are all associated with distinct and separate brain patterns—and each results in a distinct end product. When the children composed text by hand, they not only consistently produced more words more quickly than they did on a keyboard, but expressed more ideas. And brain imaging in the oldest subjects suggested that the connection between writing and idea generation went even further. When these children were asked to come up with ideas for a composition, the ones with better handwriting exhibited greater neural activation in areas associated with working memory—and increased overall activation in the reading and writing networks. …

“The researchers found that … when children had drawn a letter freehand, they exhibited increased activity in three significant areas of the brain,” which didn’t happen when they traced or typed the letter. …

“Cursive or not, the benefits of writing by hand extend beyond childhood. For adults, typing may be a fast and efficient alternative to longhand, but that very efficiency may diminish our ability to process new information. …

“Two psychologists, Pam A. Mueller of Princeton and Daniel M. Oppenheimer of the University of California, Los Angeles, have reported that in both laboratory settings and real-world classrooms, students learn better when they take notes by hand than when they type on a keyboard. Contrary to earlier studies attributing the difference to the distracting effects of computers, the new research suggests that writing by hand allows the student to process a lecture’s contents and reframe it—a process of reflection and manipulation that can lead to better understanding and memory encoding. …”

www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html

Is any of this by accident? The wily devil is determined and subtle, using everything available and every intellectual—educators, politicians and other influential persons—to dumb down the people as he continues his work of deceit.

Health – Minerals our Body Needs

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The average person’s body is composed of nearly 70% water, plus compounds including vitamins, enzymes, hormones, and trace minerals, the balance of which is important to proper functioning of the body. By elements, the adult body consists of 65% oxygen, 18% carbon, 10% hydrogen, 3% nitrogen, 1.5% calcium, 1% phosphorus, and 1.5% other elements.

There are 21 essential mineral elements necessary for the human body. The ground on which we walk contains these same minerals. The difference is that in the ground they are in the inorganic form, and in our bodies they are in the organic form. Man cannot utilize the inorganic form found in the ground. When we eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains, we get the organic minerals. But man cannot eat clay and live, even if it has all of the necessary minerals, because they are in the inorganic form. This also holds true for our drinking water, as it contains inorganic minerals which our bodies cannot assimilate. The best water for drinking is distilled water (rain water is also distilled water). In this article we are going to take a look at each one of these 21 organic minerals that our body needs, tell how they help our bodies, and what natural foods contain these minerals.

Calcium is one of the most important minerals in the body for building the bones and teeth. It soothes the nerves thus decreasing nervousness. Calcium contracts the heart and is needed for the contraction of all muscles. Calcium is required for the complex processes of blood coagulation. Some natural food sources high in calcium are blackstrap molasses, almonds, oranges, and most greens such as kale, turnips, collards, and similar greens.

Chlorine is a trace mineral that is needed in very small amounts. Its main function is acting as a part of the hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach for digesting proteins. It is found in kale, beets, radishes, rye flour, coconuts, tomatoes, and ripe olives.

Chromium is a trace mineral, and its main function is to aid in the synthesization of fatty acids. Those who have problems with low blood sugar or diabetes should eat lots of natural whole grains, as this trace mineral is lost in the refining processes of our food.

Cobalt is a trace mineral the body needs in very minute amounts. It is an essential element in vitamin B12. Cobalt stimulates the production of red cells. It is found in kelp and all green leafy vegetables.

Copper is a trace mineral found in all tissues of the body. An excess can be dangerous and cause insanity. Recent studies done by Dr. Oscar Roth of Yale University School of Medicine revealed serum copper is high with use of birth control pills. Copper is needed for skin and hair pigmentation, for bone formation, and in the production of red blood cells. Some foods that contain copper are wheat germ, nuts, honey, raisins, soybeans, and oats.

Fluorine is another trace element that the body needs. It exists in the body in compounds called fluorides. Its action is to strengthen the bones, and it acts strongly on the spleen, the teeth, and the enamel of the teeth. Foods containing fluorine are cabbage, cauliflower, avocados, tomatoes and watercress. Note: The sodium fluoride that is added to our water supply is not natural and not as beneficial as naturally occurring fluorine.

Iodine is a trace mineral. Iodine is the thyroid gland’s favorite nutrient and helps regulate the body’s metabolism and sodium-potassium ratio balance. Major symptoms of iodine deficiency are feeling cold, being tired, prone to gain weight, painful menstruation, and poor memory. Some food sources of iodine are kelp, sea salt, sunflower seeds, turnip greens, and cantaloupe.

Iron is a mineral that aids in the production of hemoglobin and aids the red cells in carrying oxygen to the tissues. It supplies energy and vitality, nourishes the tissues from the bloodstream, aids in resistance to disease, and in the growth of children. The highest food source of iron is blackstrap molasses (3 times higher than liver). Other sources of iron are almonds, kelp, lentils, oats, raisins, and whole wheat flour.

Manganese is a mineral needed for the glandular system, such as the pituitary gland, pancreas, liver, and kidneys. It acts upon the nervous system and aids in muscle coordination. Epilepsy, uncontrollable muscle convulsions, and their accompanying blackouts, seem in some cases to result from manganese deficiency. Food sources of manganese are buckwheat, oats, barley, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, peas, beans, almonds, and brown rice.

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals next to calcium. Magnesium helps in the metabolizing of calcium and vitamin C. It may affect nervous irritability and regulates muscle contractions. Nuts and cereal grains are especially rich in magnesium.

Molybdenum is a trace mineral that assists in the metabolizing of iron that has been stored in the liver. It also helps in converting nitrogen, left over from the digestion of protein, into uric acid. It then travels to the kidneys and is discharged through the urine. Natural food sources of molybdenum are soybeans, peas, honey, whole rye and wheat, squash, vegetables, blackstrap molasses, sea salt, and fruits.

Nickel is another trace mineral, but the role it plays in the human body is not clear. Vegetables provide the main food source for nickel.

Phosphorus performs more functions in the body than any other mineral. Approximately 80% is in the bones, and 20% is found in the tissues. It is closely related with calcium, and is therefore found in bones, teeth, muscle, and brain. It is needed for nerve tissue, especially the heart. Some natural food sources for phosphorus are whole grains, seeds, and nuts. Many processed foods and soft drinks contain added phosphates; these are harmful and should be avoided.

Potassium helps the body keep a proper acid-alkaline balance. It is essential for muscle contractions; therefore, it is vital for proper heart function, especially the normal heart beat. Some natural food sources are all green leafy vegetables, oranges, whole grains, nuts, and bananas.

Selenium is an anti-oxidant which helps prevent the hemoglobin in red blood cells from being damaged by oxidation. Some natural food sources are kelp, garlic, grains, and most vegetables.

Silicon is essential for building strong bones, and for the normal growth of hair, nails and teeth. It is beneficial in all healing processes, and protects the body against many diseases. Some natural food sources are fruits, particularly apples, whole grains, beets, onions, parsnips, and almonds.

Sodium has a special function in the body to prevent clotting of the blood, to stimulate the spleen, to regulate heat in body fluids, neutralize acid, and relax the heart muscle as well as other muscles in the body. Sodium as an organic mineral does not present any problem to the body if used in moderation; but sodium chloride (common table salt) the inorganic form, can cause problems such as fluid retention, kidney damage, heart problems and high blood pressure, among other things. Some natural food sources are kelp, celery, romaine lettuce, watermelon, and sea salt.

Sulphur is found in every cell of the body. The cells that contain most of the sulphur are those of the skin, hair, and joints. That is why it is sometimes called the beauty mineral. Some natural food sources are radishes, turnips, onions, celery, string beans, kale, watercress, and soybeans.

Tin is needed for the human body, but little more than this is presently known. This trace mineral is found in all vegetation growing on soil that is not depleted of tin.

Vanadium is also a trace mineral that the human body needs, but little more than this is presently known. Natural food sources are whole unrefined grains.

Zinc is needed for the brain, the retina of the eye, and the visual process, as well as for normal growth, especially of the bones. It is also needed for the development of the sex organs, and for the normal function of the prostate gland. A zinc deficiency leads to a diminished sensitivity to taste and smell. Some natural food sources are pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, nuts and green leafy vegetables.

Have you noticed how each one of these 21 minerals can be found in the natural foods God has given us to eat? I want to encourage you to get your minerals from the natural food as grown, and not in any supplemental form. Vitamin or mineral supplements are not natural. The synthetic ones are chemicals; and the ones derived from the plant itself are refined in the sense that they are separated from the rest of the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that were in the plant from the beginning.

If the good Lord would have wanted us to take a calcium pill, He would have created a tree that grew calcium pills. Instead, He created the almond tree and the orange tree to grow almonds and oranges, which are high in calcium.

Natural Medicine, by Jerry Hoover, N.D., Copyright 1993, KNI Printers, Inc., Anaheim, California 92806, pages 246–251.

Health – Fresh Air

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Air is an invisible, tasteless, odorless mixture of gases surrounding the earth. Air at sea level is composed of 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, 1% water vapor, carbon dioxide and traces of ammonia, argon, helium, and other rare gases. Experiments have shown that death will occur from prolonged inhalation of air, in which the proportion of oxygen is much greater than that in which it naturally occurs in the atmosphere. Therefore, we know that the mixture called air is not an accidental compound, but one perfectly adapted by our Creator to the needs of the human body. …

Air is Electrically Charged

Air contains electricity. The air we breathe affects the body as if it were charged with electricity. This electrical energy, absorbed by the blood, is carried to all parts of the body. The air we breathe contains both negatively charged ions and positively charged ions. Our bodies need a larger portion of the negatively charged ions for optimum health. As we breathe large quantities of positively charged ions (the bad kind), we may feel such adverse effects as headache, nasal obstruction, hoarseness, fatigue, dry throat, dizziness, etc. Breathing mostly negatively charged air (the good kind) will produce feelings of exhilaration and well-being. Negatively charged air has been shown to decrease the respiration rate and lower blood pressure, while positively charged air [the bad kind] does just the opposite.

Negatively charged air (the good kind) is found in abundance at the ocean, in the mountains, at the foot of a waterfall or by a river or stream. All outside air has a large amount of negative ions. This is why we feel so good when we go camping or to the ocean. Or, if one is fatigued, a short walk outside in the fresh air will liven up the whole body. There are over 3–4 thousand negative ions in one cubic centimeter of mountain air, but only 100 negative ions in one cubic centimeter of air in an office building at the end of an eight hour day. All electrical appliances, air conditioning units, and the like use up the good negative ions and give off positive ions. All the air we exhale is positively charged; that’s why a person gets drowsy after sitting for a long time in a closed room that is full of people.

The Lungs Give Off Positively Charged Poisonous Gases

Both food and oxygen are taken by the blood to the cells and are there converted into heat and energy by a process similar to combustion. When common fuel is burned, a by-product is formed – a gas or smoke which is deadly and must be removed. In like manner, the burning of food and oxygen in the body cells produce a positively charged carbonic acid gas, which is taken by lymph and blood to the lungs to be exhaled, thus saving the body from harm. If this elimination should cease for a few minutes, life would cease. About thirty quarts of this positively charged carbonic acid gas are exhaled per hour by one person. About one third of the body wastes, which are poisons, go out from the lungs. We should always so arrange our ventilation that those wastes will quickly go out-of-doors rather than accumulate in the room, thus enabling the lungs to always have a good supply of fresh, clean, negatively charged air.

Our Skin Also Needs Pure Fresh Air

The skin has millions of minute openings known as pores. One of the functions of these pores is to breathe in the fresh air. If we covered the skin of a person with a material like paint and closed these pores up, the person would suffocate in a short time.

Dr. Kellogg, an authority in natural medicine, who stressed adequate ventilation in homes, offices, and school rooms, estimated that each person requires at least 3,000 cubic feet of fresh air per hour to dilute the poisons poured forth from his own lungs and skin. He tells us that any system of ventilation is inadequate which does not supply this amount of air to each occupant of a dwelling. …

An old army surgeon who had charge of large hospitals during the war related a very interesting experience illustrating the importance of giving the sick, especially persons suffering with fever, an abundance of pure air. He said that in a large hospital he had at one time 320 cases of measles during the winter season. The hospital caught fire and burned to the ground, and the patients had to be placed in tents. All but one or two recovered. He said he had no doubt but that the number of deaths would have been thirty or forty at least, had the patients remained in the hospital.

One would never think of eating food some other person had chewed; yet we don’t realize how breathing enclosed, foul air over and over again will poison the bloodstream and injure the lungs. To enjoy good health our homes should have plenty of ventilation (windows opened winter and summer). With our modern sealed homes and air conditioning units re-circulating a large percentage of the impure indoor air, we are starving our lungs of pure fresh air. The oxygen the body obtains from the air is very important in maintaining good health. Without an abundance of pure fresh air, the important work of normalizing the blood chemistry could not be successfully performed and the individual would suffer serious consequences. …

The health of the whole body depends in part upon the healthy action of the respiratory organs and the kind of air we breathe. Man can live weeks without food, days without water, but only minutes without air.

Excerpts from Natural Medicine, Jerry Hoover, N.D., KNI Printers, Inc., pages 1–10.

Children in Whom is No Blemish

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“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it….And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge.” Daniel 1:1, 3, 4

As I read these verses in Daniel chapter 1, I noticed the statement, “children in whom was no blemish.” The statement made me think of the description of the people in 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he depicts this church that Christ loves, “and gave Himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27

“The life of Daniel is an inspired illustration of what constitutes a sanctified character. It represents a lesson for all, and especially for the young. A strict compliance with the requirements of God is beneficial to the health of body and mind. In order to reach the highest standard of moral and intellectual attainments, it is necessary to seek wisdom and strength from God and to observe strict temperance in all the habits of life.” Sanctified Life, 23

Sanctification is obedience to the commandment of God. “True sanctification is harmony with God, oneness with Him in character. It is received through obedience to those principles that are the transcript of His character.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 350. It is God’s desired purpose to implant in humanity Christ’s nature, His character. This is the life and character we see in Daniel. Not only was he obedient to the moral law of God, the Ten Commandments, but he was obedient also to the laws of health. “In the experience of Daniel and his companions, we have an instance of the triumph of principle over temptation to indulge the appetite. It shows us that through religious principle young men may triumph over the lusts of the flesh and remain true to God’s requirements, even though it cost them a great sacrifice.” Sanctified Life, 23

When Daniel was instructed that he must eat the king’s provisions of meat and wine for three years, he purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s dainties. Melzar, the eunuch in charge of Daniel, tried to persuade him by saying, “I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? Then shall he make me endanger my head to the king.” Daniel 1:10

Melzar was deceived into believing that meat and an abundance of food is necessary for good health and that a simple diet, a vegetarian diet, will result in poor health and physical weakness. Similarly, today, the majority of the people living in the U.S. have been deceived by the beautiful poster hanging on our school room walls displaying the “Four Basic Food Groups.” Meat and dairy products occupy two of the four food groups, thus emphasizing that in order to have good health, we must include in our diets six to eight servings daily of foods that contain high amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol, disease, and environmental contaminants. Animal products and rich dainties are eaten regularly by Americans, and look at the results. Obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, colon problems, and diabetes have plagued our country in epidemic proportions. Not only adults by young children also are suffering from obesity, acne, rotting teeth, and high cholesterol at very young ages, because of lack of exercise and poor dietary habits. Today, my friends, there is the same temptation facing God’s people in regard to diet as was faced by Daniel in Babylon; it is called the Standard American Diet. The first letter of each of the three words Standard American Diet reveals its quality—SAD.

It is sad to see fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Burger King, and Carl’s Jr. in nearly every city in America, feeding the people the diet of Babylon. Donuts and coffee, junk food, ice cream, and animal flesh are the staple of the American diet. Is it any wonder why over half of Americans are considered clinically obese?

Paul warned his brethren in Romans 12:1, 2, concerning the condition in which they were to keep their bodies. “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” In these two verses there are three points on which I would like to elaborate: First, is it possible to “present our bodies a living sacrifice unto God”? The Bible says, “this is our reasonable service.” Second, Paul not only pleads with us to do this, but also warns us not to be conformed to the world. Beloved, have you considered that being conformed to the world includes our eating and looking like the world, not only in our dress, but also by our physical appearance? Third, Paul admonishes us to be renewing our minds that we may prove, or demonstrate, God’s acceptable and perfect will to mankind. Oh, friends, as those who claim to be God’s remnant church, we need to know that “a close sympathy exists between the physical and the moral nature. The standard of virtue is elevated or degraded by the physical habits. Excessive eating of the best food will produce a morbid condition of the moral feelings. And if the food is not the most healthful, the effects will be still more injurious. Wrong habits of eating and drinking lead to errors in thought and action. Indulgence of appetite and spiritual powers.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 62

Paul understood the close sympathy between the physical, the mental, and the moral nature. The Spirit of Prophecy gives us a most solemn declaration on page 63 of the same book. “It is impossible for you to increase in spiritual strength while your appetites and passions are not under perfect control….The brain nerve energy is benumbed and almost paralyzed by overeating.” My dear Adventist friends, please stand up and take notice. “The brain nerves which communicate with the entire system are the only medium through which heaven can communicate to man and affect his inmost life.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 347

In order to have a clear mind, there must be good circulation of the blood. The blood carries nutrients and oxygen to all of our body tissues and organs; and when we eat a high fat diet, the blood becomes thick and the circulation is impaired. A high fat, high cholesterol diet and lack of exercise are two of the contributors to heart disease, the number one killer in America. In fact, in 1987, C. Everett Coop, the Surgeon General of the United States, announced publicly that of the 2.1 million people who die in this country every year, 1.5 million are dying from diet related disease. Also, on July 1, 1992, The American Heart Association declared, “Lack of exercise is a major health risk factor for heart disease, ranking it with smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. A poor diet and lack of exercise will affect your circulation. If your circulation is not good, your brain will be affected—and the mind is the only organ by which heaven communicates with man.

As we return to the story of Daniel, we read, “Daniel’s clearness of mind and firmness of purpose, his strength of intellect in acquiring knowledge, were due in a great degree to the plainness of his diet in connection with his life of prayer.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 515, 516. “The plainness of his diet” consisted of “pulse” and “water.” He refused flesh foods and wisely chose a vegetarian diet and pure water. Interestingly, this is the diet that John the Baptist ate in his preparation for the immense trials ahead. He ate locust and honey and drank the pure water of the hills. Both of these men of God, in preparing for the tests ahead, ate, in their most natural state, the simple foods…provided—quite the contrast to the rich diet of Nebuchadnezzar. Both of these men followed the diet instructions that God had sent through their parents, a diet that Harvard Medical School reported on in April 22, 1991, saying that eating red meat daily increases colon cancer risk and men eating low-fat high fiber diets, much less red meat, and more vegetables, were 33-50% less likely to get polyps than men on high fat, low fiber diets. Science is fast coming of age. Research is pointing clearly and consistently to a vegetarian diet being the best for men today.

Daniel, in his determination to remain faithful to the laws of health, requested a ten day trial of only pulse and water. He was granted his request, and while Daniel and his companions ate of the simple diet, others of the young men ate of the king’s dainties. He strictly followed principle rather than the demands of a powerful earthly potentate. By Daniel’s obedience to the laws of God, which included the laws of his being, he was a fitting example of “children in whom was no blemish.”

In the Old Testament sanctuary service, the sinner could bring a lamb as his offering, a lamb without blemish. In Deuteronomy 15:21, we read, “And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the Lord thy God.” The sacrifice had to be flawless or it was rejected. After all, the sacrificial lamb was to represent “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:19

Is it possible to present our bodies to God, holy, acceptable, and without blemish? This was a question that I pondered for some time. I was familiar with 1 Corinthians 15:53, which says that when Christ shall come “this corruptible must put on incorruption.” How then could I, with poor eyesight and a bad back, present myself to God a living sacrifice without blemish? My physical imperfections will most likely be with me until my change comes. As I prayed and searched for an answer to this dilemma, God revealed it to me. I found the answer in the following passages from the Spirit of Prophecy: “In the ancient Jewish service it was required that every sacrifice would be without blemish. In the text we are told to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable, unto God, which is our reasonable service. We are God’s workmanship….There are many who are educated in the sciences, and are familiar with the theory of the truth, who do not understand the laws that govern their own being. God has given us faculties and talents; and it is our duty, as his sons and daughters, to make the best of use of them. If we weaken these powers of mind or body by wrong habits of indulgence of appetite, it will be impossible for us to honor God as we should.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 15

“God requires the body to be rendered a living sacrifice to Him, not a dead or dying sacrifice….All should be very careful to preserve the body in the best condition of health, that they may render to God perfect service.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 21

“Our first duty, one of which we owe to God, to ourselves, and to our fellow men, is to obey the laws of God, which include the laws of health.” Ibid. In fact, if “I violate the laws God has established in my being, I am to repent and reform, and place myself in the most favorable condition.” Medical Ministry, 230. And finally, “sanctification is not merely a theory, an emotion, or a form of words, but a living, active principle, entering into the everyday life. It requires that our habits of eating, drinking, and dressing be such as to secure the preservation of physical, mental, and moral health, that we may present to the Lord our bodies—not an offering corrupted by wrong habits but—‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.’” Counsels on Health, 67

Here was my answer. My duty to God, in presenting myself without blemish, is to keep my body in the very best condition as possible and to obey the laws of health! Ellen White writes, “Christ looks at the spirit, and when he sees us carrying our burden with faith, his perfect holiness atones for our shortcomings. When we do our best, he becomes our righteousness. It takes every ray of light that God sends to us to make us the light of the world.” Letter 33, 1889. Jesus atones for my shortcomings and becomes my righteousness as I do my best; that is, by the grace of God, I live up to all the light that he has revealed to me. Beloved, are you obeying the laws of your being: Are you exercising regularly and eating a diet that is to be of the most simple kind? Are you obeying the light that our Lord has so graciously given to us on health reform—modern manna from heaven? We claim to be God’s remnant church; and as the Jews were to have an advantage because to them were committed the oracles of God, we, the Seventh-day Adventist people, have been entrusted with these oracles again. They not only contain the light on the Ten Commandments, but also the light on the laws of health. “It is a duty to know how to preserve the body in the very best condition of health, and it is a sacred duty to live up to the light which God has graciously given. It we close our eyes to the light for fear we shall see our wrongs, which we are unwilling to forsake, our sins are not lessened but increased. If light is turned from in one case, it will be disregarded in another. It is just as much a sin to violate the laws of our being as to break one of the Ten Commandments, for we cannot love the Lord with all our heart, mind, and soul, and strength while we are loving our appetites, our tastes, a great deal better then we love the Lord.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 70. My friends, this is our reasonable service.

It is interesting to note that the words reasonable service can also be translated from the original Greek, “religious worship.” Also, it is no coincidence that sanctuary language is used in Romans 12. To present ourselves to God a living sacrifice, to keep our bodies in the very best condition, is part of our religious worship to him. Remember, health reform is one branch of the word to fit and prepare a people for the coming of the Lord. As Daniel obeyed the health laws, he experienced greater physical stamina and an increased power of endurance. As he obeyed the laws of health, he was blessed with wisdom and understanding. His mind received the renewing and God could then fill Daniel’s undefiled temple with the fullness of His Spirit. It was then that the obedient, self-sacrificing man of God was blessed with the gifts of the spirit—visions and dreams.

Friends, are we loving our appetites a great deal more than we love the Lord? Are we spending as much time praying and studying as we are eating and drinking? Are we practicing the eight laws of health that we can be fit vessels undefiled and filled with the holy Spirit to demonstrate to a dark world all the light that God has entrusted to us? Are we accepting with readiness the light that God has blessed us with on health, or are we compromising with the diet and lifestyle of Babylon? Are we waiting for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the latter rain, while we present to God our bodies as an unacceptable, blemished sacrifice?

What if Daniel and his companions had made a compromise with those heathen officers and had yielded to the pressure of the occasion by eating and drinking as was customary with the Babylonians? That single instance of departure from principle would have weakened their sense of right and their abhorrence of wrong. Indulgence of appetite would probably have involved the sacrifice of physical vigor, clearness of intellect, and spiritual power. One wrong step would probably have led to others, until, their connection with Heaven being severed, they would have been swept away by temptation.” Sanctified Life, 23

Friends, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of obedience to the laws of health. Again and again, I am finding statements from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy that the physical, mental, and spiritual are interrelated, and many times in this order. If the physical body is not being kept in the best condition, the mind cannot be renewed and the spiritual discernment becomes impossible. As in the paragraph above, notice the order of events: “physical vigor, clearness of intellect, and spiritual power.”

In Daniel 1, the experience of Daniel and his three friends, in strictly following the laws of health passed their first test; and the four young men were thus fitted for the extreme trials ahead. In Daniel 3, their second test included the command to bow down to the image of gold or to be tossed into the fiery furnace. The third test is recorded in Daniel 6, where a firm decree was established, “that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.” Daniel 6:7. Did Daniel compromise with the demands of the Babylonian leaders? Brothers and sisters will you stand when you are commanded to worship the mark of the beast or be killed? Will you obey the dictates of man when you are commanded to forsake the law of our God, the Sabbath? Our obedience to the laws of health will determine whether we will obey God or man! Remember, this was the first test for Daniel, not the last. The words of the prophet are clear, “the controlling power of appetite will prove the ruin of thousands, when, if they had conquered on this point, they would have had moral power to gain the victory over every other temptation of Satan.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 59. “The reason why many of us will fall in the time of trouble is because of laxity in temperance and indulgence of appetite….Nine tenths of the wickedness among the children of today is caused by intemperance in eating and drinking. Adam and Eve lost Eden through the indulgence of appetite, and we can only regain it by the denial of the same.” Temperance, 150

The life of Daniel, a man in whom was no blemish, is on record for our admonition to whom the end of the world is come. By beholding Daniel, I realize the full potential that we may become in Christ—a people without blemish, a people who “stand without fault before the throne of God.” I know that I will not be eight feet tall if I am alive when the Lord comes; but this I do know, that “our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and if we fail to do all we can to place the body in the very best condition of health, we are robbing God of the honor due to Him frosm the beings He has created.” Medical Ministry, 295

Beloved, may our prayer be that by the grace of God we may “come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:13. May our prayer be that we will be this church, “the children in whom was no blemish.”

The End

Health – God’s Answer

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GOD’S ANSWER is an acronym. Each letter stands for a word. These are basic health principles, which, if incorporated into the life with the help of God, will not only prevent much of the stress and lifestyle diseases that are so prevalent in our country today, but will also work to bring healing and restoration to worried minds, diseased bodies and broken down immune systems.

G = Gratitute

O = Obedience

D = Divine Help

S = Self Control

 A = Air

N = Nutrition

S = Sunshine

W = Water

E = Exercise

R = Rest

Gratitude

Health depends a lot on having a good attitude. Worry, anxiety, anger, hostility, grief, negativism, fear and mental stress depress the immune system. Those who allow everything to revolve around their own lives and their health directing their anxiety and tension inward, are more susceptible to an early death.

Anger affects more than the person who is the target of the emotions. It suppresses the immune system. It is often implicated in sudden stroke and can double the risk of a heart attack after an outburst of anger, the danger lasting up to two hours.

Hostility increases the risk of atherosclerosis and early death.

Stress, depression and guilt can also depress the immune system, and lead to heart disease, memory impairment, dementia, and early death. Pessimism, an unpleasant by-product of brooding over real or imaginary troubles, has an even worse effect on killer “T” cells of the immune system than depression.

The Bible says in Ephesians 4:26 to not let the sun go down on your wrath.

Examples of positive attitudes that are linked to better success in fighting stress and to higher survival rates when disease does occur include the following:

  • Gratitude
  • Optimism
  • Perseverance
  • Diligence under stress
  • Absence of malice (benevolence or giving heart)

Having a cheery attitude is vital to good health, yet we need not wait for a good mood to “hit” us. Recent psychological research suggests that deciding to have a cheerful countenance can also create a merry heart, and generates amazing changes in the brain itself. Deliberate decisions to smile actually generate the same positive brain activity in the frontal cortex as a spontaneously happy smile. It is possible to cheer ourselves up, as well as others around us, simply by “putting on a happy face.”

Mood changing strategies:

  • Pray; find a Bible promise and claim it for yourself
  • Listen to soothing music
  • Take some exercise
  • If fatigued, take time out to rest, relax and calm down
  • Help others; focus away from yourself
  • Think things out clearly and don’t jump to conclusions

Obedience

From the Garden of Eden until the Flood, man’s diet consisted of God’s original diet as given to man in the Garden of Eden; nuts, fruits, seeds, grains and herbs (Genesis 1:29; 3:17–19).

The Bible gives the age of many of our patriarchs, revealing a pre-flood average age of over 900 years. Then, after the flood, because there was no vegetation, God gave man permission to eat meat. It took another ten generations for the average age to drop to 291. About 430 years after the flood, when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, life expectancy had dropped to 70 or 80 years.

Meat was classified into two categories, “clean” and “unclean.” These lists are to be found in detail in Deuteronomy 14 and Leviticus 11. “Unclean” animals store toxins in their tissues, eat wastes and decaying matter, eat poisonous plants, and harbor many diseases in their flesh.

God also gave specific instruction that even when “clean” animals were eaten, the fat and the blood were never to be eaten (Leviticus 17:10, 11; 7:24–27; 3:17). God gave the Israelites a health program designed to restore them to a pure and healthy state.

He promised them: “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord Who heals you.” Exodus 15:26 NJKV.

It has ever been God’s desire that we be in health. John wrote, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” III John 1:2 NJKV.

An analysis of 212 different studies revealed that 75% of the people studied indicated that religious commitment has a beneficial impact on a variety of health conditions. Reports stated that those who had faith had 50% fewer deaths from coronary disease, 56% fewer deaths from emphysema, 74% fewer deaths from cirrhosis and 53% fewer suicides. After undergoing surgery, those without any religion were three times more likely to die. In conclusion to this we can see that religion is healthy.

Cardiologist Randolph Byrd, formerly a professor at the University of California, has shown that prayer works and can be a powerful force in healing. In a ten month randomized, double blind study, a computer assigned 393 patients in a coronary unit to three groups. Two groups were prayed for, one by a Roman Catholic and the other by Protestant prayer groups and one group was not remembered in prayer.

The results were striking. The group that was prayed for was five times less likely to require antibiotics and three times less likely to develop pulmonary edema. None required breathing tubes, and fewer died. If this were a new drug or surgical procedure, it would have been heralded as a breakthrough.

Divine Power

Many people are living lives of despair and emptiness. There seems to be an emptiness that material things just do not fill. Others are all stressed out trying to keep pace with modern living. Many are lonely, some sinking into depression that affects not only their lives, but the lives of friends and family.

Clearly there is a void in the lives of millions – and an urgent need for this void to be filled. Can anything or anyone fill this void? Man tries his hardest to fill his life with all manner of inventions, but still comes up empty.

We were created with a God-shaped void that only He can fill. When we surrender our lives to Him we can have peace, contentment and even joy in an unstable, inconsistent world. Learning to trust in God completely, in all situations, brings a peace of mind that will keep us calm, promote health and prolong life. A contented mind and a cheerful spirit are health to the body and strength to the soul.

Trust in God, faith, and prayer provide a significant boost to mental as well as physical health. If stricken down with a serious illness, they positively influence your chance of recovery. Grief, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, bitterness, all tend to break down the life forces and invite decay and death.

Jesus says “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle … and you will find rest (contentment) for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30 NKJV.

There is no heavier burden than the burden of sin and selfishness. Jesus says “Come. Give me your burden of sin. I will give you My righteousness – My peace – in return.”

God’s own book tells of the wisdom, instruction, and power that is given to all who take the first step and “Come” to Jesus. As we learn more of Him, we see that learning of Him is the highway to health. This is the answer to all the problems that perplex and annoy, the answer to the great void in the human heart.

Self Control

Another word for self-control is temperance. This can be defined as “abstaining from that which is harmful, and using wisely that which is good.”

Many have made resolutions to give up bad habits. Sometimes these last for a few days but most have the same result – temporary success that leads to ultimate defeat and discouragement. Many people force themselves to reform in one area of their life by sheer willpower.

True self-control is not making an isolated effort in one area of your life, but is a divinely implanted principle, or character trait which permeates the whole life. It affects all areas of our lives.

God will give us strength to give up our bad habits, but we have to CHOOSE to do so. This will be on-going. All through our lives we will have to choose those things that will build up our health and not break it down.

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Most people are familiar with the last part of this acronym, ANSWER which is:

A = Air

N = Nutrition

S = Sunshine

W = Water

E = Exercise

R = Rest

This acronym makes it very easy to remember these basic health principles. Now is a good time to incorporate into our lives GOD’S ANSWER to both physical, mental and spiritual health.