Health

Health – The Rise of Veganism

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Browsing the grocery store aisles, one can’t help but notice the rise of veganism in the United States. There are more vegan products on the shelves by the week. Multiple documentaries have been released on Netflix, such as The Game Changers in 2019, or HOPE – What You Eat Matters in 2018 on YouTube. People are turning to the vegan lifestyle because the future of our planet is at stake.

Meat and dairy production is the single largest contributor to global warming. Rainforests, the lungs of our planet, are being cleared to graze cattle or cultivate cattle feed, such as soybeans. Only 2% of soy produced worldwide is consumed by humans. Seventy percent is cattle feed, 28% biofuel.1 Animal agriculture consumes more precious water than all the other world’s industries combined.

 

NETFLIX YOUTUBE
What the Health H.O.P.E. What You Eat Matters
The Game Changers Food Choices
Cowspiracy Super Size Me
Vegucated Diet Fiction
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead Forks over Knives
Food, Inc. Eating You Alive
Plant Pure Nation
Let us be Heroes

 

Environmental agencies had traditionally focused on plastic waste and car pollution, but the largest threat to our planet was a taboo. Why? Food is a sensitive issue. People react with anger when someone tells them what to eat or not to eat, especially when we’re talking about meat. As a society, we have been fed the meat industry lie that meat and dairy are essential for our nutrition. Only recently, these taboo questions are being answered and the public is learning the truth.

As Seventh-day Adventists, we have known this truth for 150 years. Yet, we have been unable to convince the public with our health message. Not only that, we have been abandoning these truths in order to be more “mainstream.” According to the PBS research, only 30% of Seventh-day Adventists practice some form of vegetarianism.2 Even with just 30%, we achieve better health and longevity than the general population. Imagine the difference if all church members adhered to the health message. The results would be worth bold letters in every news outlet.

As Adventists, we should be on the cutting edge of nutritional science, plant-based culinary arts, and exemplary lifestyle. Yet, quite the opposite has been the case. Those of us who adhere to some form of vegetarianism have earned the reputation for bland food preparation. I often get inspired by one of my favorite cuisines – Indian food, which is considered one of the world’s best ethnic kitchens. Why? The Hindu people of India have been on the vegetarian diet for thousands of years. They have had all these years to perfect their recipes to the gourmet level of today. Various vegan movements turn to Hinduism as the poster child for humane treatment of animals and saving our planet.

Shouldn’t it be the Seventh-day Adventists that the world is turning to? At one point in history, Seventh-day Adventists changed the way America eats breakfast. How did it happen that we are so behind modern food trends? Sadly, we have abandoned our health message.

If we had upheld the health message that was given to us in the 1800s, the world today would be at our feet asking for help and expertise. What a tremendous evangelism opportunity lost! I can’t think of a greater opportunity lost in the entire history of Adventism. The entire world would learn of Seventh-day Adventists and their message via mainstream media. For free! Instead, it’s the Hollywood stars who are spreading the health message. Every week I hear of a new Hollywood star going vegan.

When watching the various documentaries on veganism that have become popular in recent years, I see the Adventist health message being preached. I can’t help but notice that many of the nutritional experts take their knowledge directly out of Spirit of Prophecy, down to the last letter. The history is being repeated as in biblical times. If God’s people abandon the message that God gave them, He can raise someone else to do the work—in this case, saving our planet from an ecological collapse. This could have been our role that God had in store for us, but we turned it down. God gave us decades of preparation time for this moment in history. We have had over 100 years to perfect our nutritional science, culinary arts, and natural medical treatments. Yet, we have lost the opportunity. As today’s vegan movement is gaining momentum, no one knows that this message has existed for over 100 years, gathering dust on the bookshelves of Adventist households.

Is it too late? As the saying goes, better late than never. Although the health food world is light years ahead of us, we can still come to the forefront and say: “Hey, we have known all this for 150 years! But nobody paid attention.”

There are various diet trends such as the Atkins diet, gluten free diet, ketogenic diet, etc. But veganism is not a temporary fashion. It is here to stay. Let’s dust off our treasured publications such as The Ministry of Healing, Counsels on Diet and Foods, and Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene. People will be astounded to find out that this information has been available for over 100 years. Although the majority of Seventh-day Adventists are indifferent to the health message, there are a few who adhere to it. Let’s talk to people, let’s share the newest documentaries available (see table for list) as a conversation starter. No one will say that this is extreme anymore. People accept this message because the very existence of our planet is at stake. Let’s share our recipes with people. Let’s forge strong friendships. Relationships are created around food in all of the world’s cultures. We have forgotten this reality in our country. Let’s start cooking at home and share with friends and neighbors. You can make a difference.

I live in a condominium unit in a large city and have made friends with my neighbors. Lately I had overseas visitors staying in my home. I enjoyed cooking for them and one night we just had too much food left over. I called one of my neighbors, explained the situation, and asked if I could bring her a take-out box of food. She happily accepted and said that she hadn’t had her dinner yet and was thinking what to eat, but her fridge is empty. I delivered the box promptly; she said a big thank you. The next day, I received a phone call. The lovely lady asked from what restaurant I ordered the meal. Hah! It was made from scratch in my kitchen! Ravioli garnished with fresh basil pesto (see a pesto recipe on page 49). Fresh herbs make a big difference and give your dish a gourmet touch.

My neighbor requested a visit in my home for a basil pesto demonstration. She is a successful woman in her ‘70s who operates her own business. She suggested a Saturday morning as it’s the best time for her new boyfriend to come as well, whom she’d love for me to meet. I assured her that her boyfriend is welcome as well and explained that Saturday mornings are not suitable for me because I attend a church at these hours. “On Saturday?” she asked. “Come on Sunday morning and I’ll explain why my day of worship is Saturday,” I replied. She happily agreed. Talking about outreach opportunities! They come themselves if we are friendly to our neighbors!

Large cities also have vegan support groups. Many people want to start this lifestyle, but don’t know how and search for like-minded individuals. These places are great to get involved. You can make friends there, organize potluck lunches, or the like.

But first, we have to return to our roots, to our health message. Once people find out what a treasure we have, they will request visits to our homes. May God bless you and keep you as you live His health message.

1 H.O.P.E. What You Eat Matters

2 www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2012/03/23/march-23-2012-seventh-day-adventists-and-health/10575/

Health – Mood Food

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Growing up, if a person was in a sour mood or being difficult, they were often asked jokingly, “What did you have to eat today?” Back then the connection between food and mood wasn’t really connected but today it is a different matter.

“Researchers from New Zealand wondered if the mental health benefits of fruits and vegetables were greater when eaten raw, compared to canned, cooked or processed. The following is an interesting study that took place. 422 Americans and New Zealanders were enrolled aged 18 to 25. The researchers chose people in this age group because they have a higher risk of mental health disorders and tend to consume low levels of fruits and vegetables. The participants completed a survey to assess diet and lifestyle, and there were questions relating to depression, anxiety and mood states.

“In addition, the researchers asked them about factors that could influence the outcome of the study. These included gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use and sleep.

“After taking all these into consideration, the research team found a significant association between consuming raw fruits and vegetables and better mental health outcomes. More raw meant a better mood, life satisfaction and overall psychological well-being compared to eating cooked, canned or processed.

“According to psychologist Tamlin Conner from the University of Otago, who led the study, ‘We used to think about what we ate in relation to our physical health, but now there is more evidence suggesting it also impacts on how we feel.

“ ‘This research is increasingly vital as lifestyle approaches such as dietary change may provide an accessible, safe, and adjuvant approach to improving mental health.’

Raw Contains More Brain-Healthy Micronutrients

“This is the first study to look specifically at this issue, although three previous studies found raw fruit and vegetable intake was associated with lowered feelings of depression and stress.

“Cooking, canning and processing are known to decrease the nutrient content of some produce, so while the mechanisms that would explain the results of the study were not tested, the authors believe foods in their raw state deliver more micronutrients.

“They write, ‘Cooking fruits and vegetables can alter the bioavailability of nutrients which may … play an influential role in the neurotransmission systems involved in mood and well-being.’

“Cooking and processing also diminish the quantity and activity of antioxidants. This too can negatively affect mental functioning.

“But cooking does have some benefits. It sometimes enhances bioavailability – it has this effect on lycopene in tomatoes, for example – so the situation isn’t clear-cut.

“Nevertheless, the authors continue, ‘for key micronutrients that have been linked to mental health such as vitamin C and carotenoids, cooking and canning would most likely lead to a degradation in nutrients, thereby limiting their beneficial impact on mental health.’

“These were the top 10 raw foods tied to better mental health in the study: carrots, bananas, apples, dark leafy greens like spinach, grapefruit, lettuce, citrus fruits, fresh berries, cucumber and kiwifruit.” www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180416101403.htm

So, what did you eat today? Was your mental stability a consideration or are you walking around biting and chewing on anybody around you?

Health – Living in Circadian Rhythm

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We are designed to have 24-hour rhythms to our physiology and metabolism. Our bodies have an internal clock that we refer to as our circadian rhythm. This internal clock is influenced primarily by light exposure during the day and darkness during the night. Ideally, sunlight at sunrise “sets the clock” while darkness after sunset “winds the clock down.” We have a wake cycle, activated by light exposure, during the day and a sleep cycle, activated by darkness, at night. Many organs show daily changes in their function based on circadian influences. Genetic expression, which genes are turned on and which genes are turned off, is also directly influenced by circadian rhythms. In fact, thousands of genes change their expression according to circadian rhythms throughout the day and night.

Sunlight synchronizes all cells and organs in the body and influences cell energy production. During the day, we need to be awake, energetic and active. In contrast, sunset and darkness initiates a sleep and repair cycle via the release of melatonin, so we rest and recover to allow repair processes to occur throughout our cells and organs.

This is how we are designed and there is no escaping it. We are meant to be awake and active from sunrise to sunset and to be recuperating and resting after sunset. In essence, we have a built-in schedule each day; there is a time to eat, a time to sleep, a time to digest, a time to repair, basically a prime time for everything. When we live in accordance with our internal rhythms we optimize health. … Of course, with our modern lifestyle and 24/7 workload, light exposure, computers, television, travel and constant access to food, it is unfortunately way too easy to disrupt our internal clocks. Too often we are eating when we should be fasting, awake when we should be sleeping, exposed to light when we should be releasing melatonin and winding down for the night. Our modern world with all the breakthroughs, benefits, and conveniences, can be damaging to our health in myriad ways.

Circadian rhythm disruption accelerates the aging process while circadian rhythm synchronization slows the aging process.

Our mission is to slow the deterioration in our health that occurs with aging so we can extend our healthspan – the number of years that we live in a healthy state – rather than struggling with disease and degenerative conditions.

The key is to feed, train, and rest our body as originally designed.

Our anti-aging lifestyle, focusing on sleep, nutrition, movement and stress levels, can modulate the aging process. We strive to have a lifestyle that is congruent with our internal clocks to allow us to extend our healthspan.

Everything we do with our lifestyle is meant to restore harmony in our bodies so we can ignite our internal antiaging mechanisms, while simultaneously combating accelerated aging forces. Optimizing our anti-aging mechanisms, such as stem cell activation, genetic expression, DNA repair … requires that we restore this internal harmony with our circadian rhythms.

Our bodies are constantly adjusting to maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is a healthy state preserved by incessant refinements of biochemical and physiologic pathways in response to external and internal stimuli.

Homeostasis is our body’s ability to listen and immediately respond to what we do, think, eat, as well as how we act and react. As examples, if we perceive stress, real or imagined, our stress response is switched on. If we relax or sleep, then our stress response is turned off and the relaxation response is activated. If we move or exercise, the body reacts positively and builds. If we are excessively sedentary, the body responds detrimentally and breaks down. When homeostasis is disrupted we have suboptimal function and accelerated aging.

Circadian desynchronization results in chronic stress, leading to accelerated aging, muscle and bone loss, increased fat storage, cognitive impairment and immune dysfunction.

With delicate precision our circadian rhythm impacts our metabolism, physiology, energy level, hormone levels, mood and pace of aging.

So how do we live in balance with our circadian rhythm?

We must balance our:

  • Sleep and wake cycles.
  • Eating and fasting intervals.
  • Stress and relaxation.
  • Exercise and recovery periods.

Sleep

Quality sleep is imperative for physiologic stress reduction as well as brain and body repair. Cells repair, memories consolidate, and hormones balance while we sleep. Sleep deprivation, all too common with our hectic schedules, leads to rapid aging, cognitive decline, weight gain and muscle loss.

It is crucial to maintain a consistent sleep/wake cycle to optimize restorative sleep. Go to bed every night at around the same time, keeping the same schedule on weekends. Strive for 7–9 hours of continuous sleep at night. Turn down bright lights. Too much light at night may make one unable to fall asleep at bedtime. Protect against blue light emitting screens and phones in the evening by wearing blue light blocking glasses or utilizing blue light screen protection on your phones and computers. Blue light exposure decreases melatonin release disrupting sleep. Turn off devices at least two to three hours before retiring. Sleep in a cool, dark, quiet environment. We build collagen, repair DNA, release restorative hormones, and activate stem cells during high quality sleep.

Intermittent fasting/Time restricted eating

The body has established schedules to perform functions such as digestion and nutrient absorption at certain times of the day. If daily routines and schedules do not match the body’s schedules, an imbalance may occur which can lead to fatigue, weight gain, stress, and even illness. To have proper nutrition, 50% depends on the correct choice of food and the other 50% depends on when and how it is consumed. Eating at the wrong times interrupts the circadian rhythm, which alters the ability to have a healthy metabolism and a powerful autoimmune response. Breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day with the smallest meal being consumed at dinner.

Restrict your eating window each day to 6 to 12 hour intervals with intermittent fasting. Our digestive tract, digestive processes, and metabolism are affected by circadian rhythms, so close the kitchen at night! Eating late at night strains organs involved in digestion forcing them to work when they are supposed to be repairing. Simply not eating a late dinner, for example, can help with weight loss and digestive issues such as heartburn and irritable bowel symptoms.

Relaxation

Elicit the relaxation response with deep breathing techniques, walking, relaxing music, or whatever your preference. Chronic stress, with the resulting continuous release of destructive stress hormones, overwhelms homeostasis, impairs digestion, increases blood sugar levels and fat storage, while simultaneously breaking down muscle and bone. When we activate the relaxation response we decrease cortisol, lower inflammation, slow telomere loss, and halt this erosive impact of chronic stress on our health and pace of aging: Relax, to reset your health.

Diet

Focus your diet on real food sources such as nuts, seeds, berries and vegetables. Avoid pastas, cakes, cookies, sweet breads, candy, corn syrup, soda, juices, processed oils and refined carbohydrates. Processed foods accelerate aging. Real foods slow aging: Eat clean for health!

Love/Gratitude

Break the cycle of chronic stress by being present, mindful and by living your life with love and gratitude. We all have much to be thankful for. Enjoy your family, friends and pets each day. Share cherished memories with your loved ones: Be present!

Exercise

HIIT, High-intensity interval training, alternating short bursts of activity with quick recovery periods, is a remarkable antiaging modality via several mechanisms, including stimulating HGH (growth hormone) release, increasing BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), our brain fertilizer, and activating stem cells. HIIT is a time efficient exercise technique that optimizes brain and body health while avoiding the excessive stress of prolonged exercise sessions: Exercise to optimize.

Since fasting acts as an exercise mimic, we can accrue additional antiaging benefits when we exercise while fasting: To really optimize, go fast while fasting!

Keep your schedule on track as much as possible. This can make a crucial difference in how your internal clock functions and how you feel.

Dr. Frank Comstock, M.D., ABAARM, FACEP.

Excerpts from www.lifestylespectrum.com/blog/living-in-circadian-rhythm

“The mind does not wear out nor break down so often on account of diligent employment and hard study as on account of eating improper food at improper times, and of careless inattention to the laws of health. Irregular hours for eating and sleeping sap the brain forces.” Mind Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 388.

“There should be regular hours for rising, for family worship, for meals, and for work. And it is a religious duty … to maintain this by precept … by a firm example.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 327.

Rest, Your Body’s Need to Lie Down on the Job

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The modern world strives to make laborsaving devices, to provide recreation and entertainment, and to increase speed and efficiency at home and work. So why are we not rested? Why are we weary and stressed? Back in the eras we consider primitive, people had no such resources. Folks worked very hard and when the light of day waned-they went to bed. Today the activities often start before the sky brightens and continues long after the last ray has disappeared.

Our minds and bodies operate on a fairly constant 24-hour rhythm called the circadian rhythm, with alternating periods of arousal and sleep. Much is known regarding sleep cycles and the factors, including natural body chemistry, that regulate sleep. We know that sleep is necessary, but still do not know exactly why. Yes, it allows the body time and quiet to repair itself, but there is much more to it than that. Humans and animals with more complex brains, like cats, sleep more than small animals with smaller cortexes.1 Dreams occur during REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep, and during REM a person goes into complete muscle relaxation which may lead to increased restoration of muscle tissues.2 Blood flow and temperature of the brain increase during the REM cycle of sleep.

Sleep deprivation causes memory loss, emotional instability, and affects one’s analytical abilities, perception, motivation and motor control. Lack of sleep also impairs our immune systems and our ability to learn as well as our creativity and productivity.3

Resting is also important. Your normal waking, thinking wave is the beta wave which looks short and spiky. During rest, when a person lies still, closes their eyes, and stills their mind, EEG (electroencephalogram) testing indicates that their brains go into an alpha wave pattern. Alpha waves are flowing and synchronous.4 Rest appears to invigorate the body and make the brain more able to function optimally.

What are some ways you can get better sleep? No late suppers, for one thing. Since our metabolisms slow at night, food tends to digest very slowly and one gets the sensation of food “just sitting there,” which is exactly what it is doing. The body must send blood to the stomach to facilitate digestion, pulling blood away from the brain which vitally needs it for sleep processing. The evening meal should be light and eaten several hours before bedtime.

Try to get eight hours of sleep each night and exercise regularly. Avoid the use of drugs and alcohol because although they can sometimes make you drowsy, they actually reduce or eliminate important REM sleep. Keep your bedroom dark and free from stimuli. Absolutely no television watching in bed. Practice breathing deeply and taper to smooth regular respirations. Eliminate caffeine from your diet and keep to a regular bedtime. Exposing yourself to sunlight will help keep your circadian rhythm on track.

Many of us are not getting enough sleep even though it is as necessary to health as is nutrition and water. Many disorders, both physical and mental, can be attributed to sleep deprivation. Even with all our technology and laborsaving devices, all we have accomplished is making more time available for even more activities. We must re-learn to give our bodies and minds the rest needed for healing.

  1. Everyday Science Explained, Curt Suplee, National Geographic Society, 1996, 264
  2. Simple Remedies for the Home, Clarence W. Dail, MD and Charles S. Thomas, PhD, MMI Press, Harrisville, New Hampshire, 1985, 80
  3. The Promise of Sleep, William C. Dement, MD, PhD, and Christopher Vaughn, Dell Publishing, New York, 1999
  4. Biology, Neil A. Campbell, PhD, The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Redwood City, California, 1990, 1003

Exercise for Mind and Body

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Do you remember learning in school about the second law of thermodynamics, the law of entropy? Basically, entropy is the physical world’s way of always moving toward states of greater disorder. Natural systems tend to move to the lowest energy state possible. Does that sound like you? Shoelaces untie, ice cream melts, and people end up on the couch.

Up to half of all American adults are sedentary.1 Other countries’ statistics may vary, but Americans surely cannot be proud of their behavior! Life provides many distractions and excuses not to exercise. Television, computers, bringing home work from the office, and video games, are a few of the major culprits.

Why should I exercise? Think flabby muscles and failing organs. Regular exercise keeps the blood flowing. Blood is the transportation system for all the nutrients, oxygen, and water our cells need, from our brains to our toenails. Lack of exercise weakens the circulatory system causing blood to pool, thus oxygen and nutrients cannot get to their destinations. Organs are not getting the fuel they need for proper functioning. No wonder lack of exercise contributes to heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity, to name but a few.2

Exercise also helps prevent osteoporosis. The bones and joints require weight-bearing exercise to stimulate the body to make more osteocytes-bone cells. Sedentary lifestyles lead to porous, brittle bones.3

With depression and anxiety major health concerns today, it is no wonder that a link between emotional well being and exercise has been found. You may have heard about endorphin, which is a substance naturally produced by the body that is hundreds of times more potent than morphine.4 Exercise causes your body to release endorphins and perhaps serotonin which causes an individual to feel a sense of well-being. Not to mention that having a more fit body can make anyone feel better about themselves.

Exercise not only strengthens your cardiovascular system; it reduces the amount of harmful cholesterol (LDL) in your blood and actually can help reverse atherosclerosis— hardening of the arteries. Insufficient physical activity is a known risk factor leading to ischemic heart disease and stroke, that together account for more than 40% of deaths in the United States.5

What is considered exercise? Sorry, channel surfing is not on the list. Aerobic-or oxygen providing-exercise is considered any exercise that raises the heart rate, and keeps it up, for a minimum of 30 minutes. This can include, but is not limited to, brisk walking, bicycling, swimming, and rowing. Aerobic exercise is recommended five or more times a week.

Today, obesity is not only a problem in adults for even childhood obesity is on the rise. Exercise burns off calories and when we burn more calories than we eat, we lose weight. Also, after exercising, your metabolism speeds up, making you feel more energetic and burns calories faster for the remainder of the day. Being at an ideal weight reduces the likelihood that you’ll have heart disease and is very beneficial in preventing and treating diabetes.

You now know that exercise leads to greater health and prevents disease. Exercise is your weapon for combating the law of entropy and moving toward greater states of health instead of disease and disorder. You know who you are, get off the couch!

  1. No Leisure-time Physical Activity Among Adults, CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1998
  2. Ibid.
  3. Fitness Basics, Theodore Berland, Reviewed by Jeffrey L. Tanji, MD, American Medical Association, 1997
  4. Ibid.
  5. Cardiovascular Diseases, Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors, CDC Report, 1996

Restoring the Temple – The Laws of Health

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Our physical, mental, social, and spiritual health was a gift given to us at creation and should be greatly treasured by all. When man was created, he came from the Creator’s hand perfect in all four areas. At the end of the sixth day of creation, God said something He had not said on any other day: “And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Genesis 1:31. Man continued in this perfect state until sin entered into the world through his own disobedience. Since that time man has deteriorated physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually, until death occurred as a result of sin. Just as God’s original design was for man’s complete perfection, so it is still God’s desire that we might obtain complete perfection. This He has commanded in His word, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48. Just as Adam and Eve’s continued perfection was based on their obedience, our perfection is based on our compliance to His Word.

The Ten Commandments are a testimony to His desire for our perfect spiritual health. As we obey the first four commands we obtain spiritual perfection in our relationship with Him. The last six testify to His desire that we live in peace and harmony with our fellow men. See Exodus 20:1-17. God spake these words that His people might not continue in sin. Exodus 20:20 says, “And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.” Also note verses 18–19. See also I John 2:1-5, especially noting the first part of verse 1 as follows, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” With this background let us look at the Divine origin for our health.

In regard to health, God has certain expectations of us. First He expects us to learn the laws of health. Just as the natural world around us is governed by laws, there are laws central to and within our very being that we need to learn in order to be healthy. “God has placed it in our power to obtain a knowledge of the laws of health. He has made it a duty to preserve our physical powers in the best possible condition, that we may render to Him acceptable service. Those who refuse to improve the light and knowledge that have been mercifully placed within their reach are rejecting one of the means which God has granted them to promote spiritual, as well as physical life. They are placing themselves where they will be exposed to the delusions of Satan.” Counsels on Health, 454. Hosea 4:6 also makes it clear that God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou has rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee.” Very clearly, God expects us to study the laws of our being and the laws of health.

Knowledge alone will not make us healthy. God also expects that we apply that knowledge in practice and obedience. “We have no right wantonly to violate a single principle of the laws of health.” HL,18. “Our first duty, one which we owe to God, to ourselves, and to our fellowmen, is to obey the laws of God, which include the laws of health.” HL, 24 The Bible also makes it very clear that we are to glorify God through our body: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Corinthians 6:19-20. So God’s second expectation of us is that we practice or obey the laws of health.

Thirdly, God expects us to teach the laws of health. “No teacher of truth should feel that his education is completed till he has studied the laws of health, and knows the bearing of right practices on the spiritual life. He should be qualified to speak to the people intelligently in regard to these things, and to set them an example that will give force to his words.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 59. We must educate people in right principles of health if we ever expect people to have perfect physical, mental, social, and spiritual health.

When we comply with God’s expectations, then He can fulfill in us His desire for us to have perfect health. It is God’s desire that we have physical health equal to the prosperity of our soul. “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 3 John 2. The Lord wants to restore health to us. “For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 30:17. Isaiah 53:5 clarifies the role of Christ’s sufferings in our healing, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” All of us desire health, but none desire it more than God desires to give it to us!

If we comply with God’s expectations through obedience, then His word promises that He will give us health and vitality. “If thou wilt diligently harken to the voice of the Lord thy God and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” Exodus 15:26. We can go to Psalms 105:37 to see the fulfillment of this promise. Speaking of the Israelites who left Egypt, the Bible says, “He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.” It has been estimated by some historians that as many as one million people may have been part of the Exodus from Egypt. Is there anywhere before or since that we could find a million people in whom there was not one sign of feebleness? Daniel and the three Hebrew worthies are also examples of the results of obedience to God’s requirements concerning health. We have the faithful recording of what the results are when we refuse to defile ourselves with the meats and wines of the world. Daniel and his three companions were found to be fairer in countenance and ten times greater in knowledge and wisdom than all the wise men of Babylon. (See Daniel 1:1-21.)

We cannot ignore God’s expectations of us and violate the laws of our being and have good health. We must, through obedience, cooperate with God’s design if we ever hope to have the health that He wants to give us. As we learn, obey and teach God’s health laws, God will, as He has promised, bless us with good health and make us a shining light to reflect His glory. In future articles we shall look at these laws of health that can, if followed, result in our health, making us a shinning example of the power of God to the world around us.

Restoring the Temple – Health For the Total Person

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“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.” — Galileo Galilei

Every year 1.7 million Americans die from chronic diseases.i The ten leading causes of death include heart disease, cancer, strokes, lung disease, diabetes, and kidney and liver diseases,ii all of which are affected by diet. The remaining two leading causes of death-accident and suicide-are often effected by lifestyle choices like alcohol and drug abuse. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) admits that these major killers “are an extension of what people do, or do not do, as they go about the business of daily living. Those who practice health-damaging behaviors risk decreased quality of life and early death.”iii Heart disease and cancer, the first and second killers on the list, can often be prevented by modifying high risk behaviors like tobacco use, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity. You have the power in your own hands to change the future of your health.

There are many ways of practicing the healing art; but there is only one way that Heaven approves. God’s remedies are simple agencies of nature that will not tax or debilitate the system through their powerful properties. Pure air and water, cleanliness a proper diet, purity of life, and a firm trust in God, are remedies for the want of which thousands are dying; yet these remedies are going out of date because their skillful use requires work that people do not appreciate. Fresh air, exercise, pure water, and clean, sweet premises, are within the reach of all… iv

  • (The King James Version is used in all biblical quotations.)
  • i Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors: The Nation’s Leading Causes of Death, CDC Report, 1999
  • ii Ten Leading Causes of Death, United States, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Vital Statistics System, 1997
  • iii Chronic Diseases, ibid.
  • iv Counsels on Diet and Foods, E.G. White, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington, DC, 1938, 301.2

Restoring the Temple – Nutrition, Eat Well and Live Well, Part I

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How many times have you filled your car’s tank with premium gasoline (perhaps only a memory now, with today’s gas prices) or carefully fertilized your houseplants? We understand that the machine is only as good as the fuel it was given. You would never put fertilizer in your gas tank, or pour gasoline over your houseplants. You know what is best—and worst—for running each ‘machine,’ whether it is mechanical or natural. Yet when it comes to the human body, we treat food as merely something to fill our bellies and please the palate. When improper substances are added to the tank the machine breaks down. Anyone can understand the logic, yet it wasn’t until 1988 that the Surgeon General C. Everett Koop released the Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition and Health, which was the government’s first formal recognition of the role of diet in disease. Because the study of the body has never been emphasized in most schools, the vast majority does not give this delicate machinery a second thought. Until it breaks down.

While Greek and Latin, which are seldom of any advantage, are made a study by many, physiology [the study of how the human body works] and hygiene are barely touched upon. The study to which to give thought is that which concerns natural life, a knowledge of oneself….It is the house in which we live that we need to preserve, that we may do honor to God who has redeemed us. We need to know how to preserve the living machinery, that our soul, body, and spirit may be consecrated to his service. As rational beings we are deplorably ignorant of the body and its requirements….This living machinery should be understood. Every part of its wonderful mechanism should be carefully studied. Physical life cannot be treated in a haphazard manner. Awaken to your responsibilities. Healthful Living, 13,14

A healthy diet provides energy to every cell in our bodies; supplies essential nutrients that the body is unable to make itself; and provides the raw materials for cell maintenance and growth. If you are missing one or more essential nutrients you are malnourished. It is possible for the overnourished individual to be malnourished,1 which is the profile of the common human, particularly in the Western civilizations.

For hundreds of years isolated groups of people, such as American Indians and the poorer classes, did not commonly have diseases such as heart disease and cancers. Those were considered the rich man’s diseases, for only the wealthier classes could afford to have meats, pastries, and other rich foods appear regularly on their table. When technological progress allowed even the poorest of people access to rich and refined foods, the incidence of heart disease skyrocketed.

According to the American Cancer Society, one third of cancer deaths are related to poor nutrition.2 Many medical practitioners believe the numbers to be far higher. The annual cost of cancer in the United States alone amounts to $107 billion.3 Coronary artery disease results from reduced blood supply to the heart. It is known that diet is the major factor in preventing and treating heart disease, yet more than half of Americans have cholesterol levels above the recommended maximum of 200mg/dL. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer and cost the United States $286.5 billion in 1999.4

What foods contain the nutrients essential for our growth? Not surprisingly, the perfect diet was given to us not by a government agency in the 20th century, but by God to our first parents.

“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” Genesis 1:29

Through God’s Eternal Truth, we know that fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains provide all the fuel and nutrients our bodies require for health and vitality. Ellen White also comments on this:

Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing. They impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet. Ministry of Healing 296

At least three-quarters of Americans eat less than the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.5 The average Western diet consists of meat, dairy, and highly refined foods such as white bread, and most bakery products. Vegetables and whole grains appear as afterthoughts in small portions on the plate, if they appear at all.

But doesn’t my bowl of Sugar Bombs that I eat each morning contain 100% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals? The label also says it contains wheat, isn’t that good for me? Let’s examine that for a moment. The little wheat kernel, packed full of nutrition, takes a trip from the farm to the mill where it is processed into soft white flour. In doing this, the parts that contain the majority of the vitamins and minerals and all the fiber—the germ and the bran—are removed. Often, these nutritious parts are sent back out to the farm where it is fed to livestock. Then, the manufacturers add a selection of cheap vitamins (that the body cannot easily absorb) so that they can now label their product as enriched. Does this sound like the height of nutrition to you?

Although many choose to take supplements, vitamins and minerals are best absorbed from food and are naturally balanced in food sources.6 These foods are best eaten as close as possible to how they came from nature. What could be better than a fresh juicy peach on a warm summer day or a bowl of steamed vegetable stir-fry to enliven a winter’s afternoon? How many of our diseases could be prevented by eating for nutrition instead of merely satisfying the taste buds? There’s a saying familiar to most dieters: a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips. Although not as catchy, it could be paraphrased into: a moment on the lips, a lifetime of paying for the damage.

Nutrients are required for life and health. Junk food and refined foods are poor sources of nutrition and can contribute to disease. Nature provides the ideal sources of fuel in the form of whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Let us awaken to our responsibilites.

Restoring the Temple – Nutrition, Eat Well and Live Well, Part II

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“In all labour there is profit” Proverbs 14:23

Do you remember learning in school about the second law of thermodynamics, the law of entropy? Basically, entropy is the physical world’s way of always moving toward states of greater disorder. Natural systems tend to move to the lowest energy state possible. Does that sound like you? Shoelaces untie, ice cream melts, and people end up on the couch.

Up to half of all American adults are sedentary.1 Other countries’ statistics may vary, but Americans surely cannot be proud of their behavior! Life provides many distractions and excuses not to exercise. Just the normal routines of daily life make little time to fit in exercise.

“Whatever their business and inclinations, they should make up their minds to exercise in the open air as much as they can. They should feel it a religious duty to overcome the conditions of health which have kept them confined indoors, deprived of exercise in the open air. Some invalids become willful in the matter and refuse to be convinced of the great importance of daily outdoor exercise. . . they persist, from year to year, in having their own way and living in an atmosphere almost destitute of vitality. It is impossible for this class to have a healthy circulation.” Counsels on Health, 173

If Ellen White were able to observe modern life she may indeed classify the lot of us as invalids!

Why should I exercise? Think flabby muscles and failing organs. Regular exercise keeps the blood flowing. Blood is the transportation system for all the nutrients, oxygen, and water our cells need, from our brains to our toenails. Lack of exercise weakens the circulatory system causing blood to pool, thus oxygen and nutrients cannot get to their destinations. Organs are not getting the fuel they need for proper functioning. No wonder lack of exercise contributes to heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity, to name but a few.2

Exercise also helps prevent osteoporosis. The bones and joints require weight-bearing exercise to stimulate the body to make more osteocytes—bone cells. Sedentary lifestyles lead to porous, brittle bones.3

“The chief if not the only reason why many become invalids is that the blood does not circulate freely, and the changes in the vital fluid, which are necessary to life and health, do not take place. They have not given their bodies exercise nor their lungs food, which is pure, fresh air; therefore it is impossible for the blood to be vitalized, and it pursues its course sluggishly through the system. The more we exercise, the better will be the circulation of the blood. More people die for want of exercise than through overfatigue; very many more rust out than wear out.” Counsels on Health, 173

With depression and anxiety major health concerns today, it is no wonder that a link between emotional well being and exercise has been found. You may have heard about endorphins, which is a substance naturally produced by the body that is hundreds of times more potent than morphine.4 Exercise causes your body to release endorphins and perhaps serotonin which causes an individual to feel a sense of well-being. Not to mention that having a more fit body can make anyone feel better about themselves.

Exercise not only strengthens your cardiovascular system; it reduces the amount of harmful cholesterol (LDL) in your blood and actually can help reverse atherosclerosis– hardening of the arteries. Insufficient physical activity is a known risk factor leading to ischemic heart disease and stroke, that together account for more than 40% of deaths in the United States.5

What is considered exercise? It is recommended that one get at least 30 minutes of accumulated exercise on most or all days of the week. This includes many activities of daily living such as doing the laundry, walking the dog, and gardening. But for optimal health, aerobic exercise must become part of your exercise regime. Aerobic—or oxygen providing—exercise is considered any exercise that raises the heart rate, and keeps it up, for a minimum of 20–30 minutes. This can include, but is not limited to, brisk walking, bicycling, swimming, and rowing. How can you determine whether or not your exercise is intense enough to transport oxygen to all of your body systems? Calculate your target heart rate with the formula provided (your heart rate during exercise should fall between the minimum and maximum rates). Another more general guideline is that it should be possible for you to speak a few words during exercise but the activity should be intense enough that you are unable to carry on a conversation. Aerobic exercise is recommended three to five times a week.

Today, obesity is not only a problem in adults for even childhood obesity is on the rise. Exercise burns off calories and when we burn more calories than we eat, we lose weight. Also, after exercising, your metabolism speeds up, making you feel more energetic and burns calories faster for the remainder of the day. Being at an ideal weight reduces the likelihood that you will have heart disease and is very beneficial in preventing and treating diabetes.

You now know that exercise leads to greater health and prevents disease. Exercise is your weapon for combating the law of entropy and moving toward greater states of health instead of disease and disorder. You know who you are, get off the couch!

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.” Psalm 23:4

Target Heart Rate Formula

To calculate your Target Heart Rate, first find your pulse or your resting heart rate (best when taken just as you get out of bed in the morning) and count the beats for one entire minute. Use this number in the following formula.

Minimum Exercise Heart Rate:

220 – age______ = ______ – resting heart rate______ = ______ x .5 + resting heart rate______ = _______

Maximum Exercise Heart Rate:

220 – age______ = ______ – resting heart rate ______ =______ x .85 + resting heart rate______ = ________

Example: (age = 20, resting heart rate = 70)

220 – 20 = 200 – 70 = 130 x .5 + 70 = 135
220 – 20 = 200 – 70 = 130 x .85 + 70 = 180

Health Nugget – Destination: Eternity

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Our support systems are failing. Through greed and needless ignorance we ourselves have done much of the damage. Those who persist in harming God’s creation have an account to settle with the Designer/Creator. “I will destroy them that destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18).

As marvelous as this earth is, with its numerous life-supporting systems, the human being with his ability to love, to reason, to invent and to reproduce after his kind, is the Creator’s masterpiece—the ultimate evidence for a higher intelligent Being. Anyone who persists in abusing, misusing or harming the ultimate evidence of His creative power will not only suffer the present consequences of increased disease and perhaps premature death, but also must give an accounting to his Creator.

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17).

Inherent in our life-by-design are the eight principles of proper care for this marvelous creation. To intelligently care for our bodies, we must understand how they are constructed and how they function. We must have an understanding of anatomy and physiology. We must also have an understanding of the support systems of our being and how best we can utilize them in their present, less than ideal, condition.

If we are to get out of this earth alive, each one of us, to a greater or lesser extent, must make a new start. We recognize that we have not always taken the best possible care of this amazing life that we have been intrusted with. Someone has placed the life-support systems for mankind in the form of the acronym NEW START—Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust in Divine Power. Undoubtedly, we all need a new start.

There is definite evidence that if we will relate properly to these eight support systems, we will have a marked improvement in health and function of our bodies. It is well documented that two thirds of all deaths in America are due to causes which we know how to prevent. (“Closing the Gap,” JAMA, September 13, 1985.) The types of illnesses from which people suffer and die are determined largely by how they live hour by hour and day by day. Improper use of life-support systems are presently the major cause of disease and premature death.

Unhealthful living habits are rampant among earth’s inhabitants. When attempts to change are made, we discover that chronic thought patterns and physical habits are much more difficult to change than we believed. Many times we are confronted with the fact that we would rather continue in our misuse of nature’s resources and suffer the consequences than to make the struggle to change. This rebellion and arrogancy against that which is for our own good is known as sin. Because of sin, with its senseless disregard for the operating instructions for human life, mankind has been placed on the endangered species list of the universe.

When malfunction first occurred on this world, it was only because of emergency back-up systems that all was not instantaneously lost. These emergency measures have continued to keep this planet and the human race alive to this day, but they can be continued only until all have had the opportunity to choose knowledgeably as to whether they desire to remain in sinful rebellion or not. Those who choose to live in harmony with the Creator’s design standards are forgiven of the past. They are also given the power thereafter to cease their senseless rebellion.

Yes, the good news is that the Divine-Rescue plan for Planet Earth provides power to change the physical and spiritual health-destroying habits from which we suffer. No life on board need be lost. All that is required is a recognition of our hopeless state, a repentance for our past, a request for that transforming power, and a total surrender to God’s enabling power on a moment-by-moment basis.

Let’s face it. This planet is out of control. In spite of our own ingenuity and inventiveness, modern science cannot remove the selfishness from our own stubborn hearts. Man’s own selfish motives result in famine and pestilence stalking the earth. Social and political strife continue unabated. As a result of monetary greed, mankind continues to strip the earth of its vegetation, and to pollute his own water, air, and food supplies. The answer is not more technical ability. The problems demand a change of heart—a new birth—and that is available only through Heaven’s rescue plan of salvation.

Those who escape from this earth with their lives will be destined for eternity. Once mankind’s life is brought into harmony with his life-support systems, he can be safely reinstated into the original plan for the human race.

Those who are rescued and restored will be placed in an earth made new with its original support systems. Humanity will once again have access to the river and the tree of life. With stubborn rebellion thoroughly removed from mankind’s heart, malfunction will never rise again.

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” “And he [the angel] shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 21:3–5, 1; 22:1, 2).

Ellen White, in The Great Controversy, 677, 678, has penned it thus:

“All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God’s redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar—worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed soul. With unutterable delight the children of earth enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. They share the treasures of knowledge and understanding gained through ages upon ages in contemplation of God’s handiwork. With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation—suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling the throne of Deity. Upon all things, from the least to the greatest, the Creator’s name is written, and in all are the riches of His power displayed.

“And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption and the amazing achievements in the great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise.

“ ‘And every creature which is in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever’ (Revelation 5:13).

“The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.”

Friend, let me assure you, this is not science fiction. This account is fact and not fancy. The destiny of those rescued from this crippled earth is perfect life throughout eternity. You and I, with our friends and loved ones, can be there. Yes, we must be there!

Health for Today, Vernon Sparks, M.D., No. 3, ©1991, 28, 29.

Vernon Sparks served as a guest lecturer at Life Abundant Missionary Institute, Eatonville, Washington.

“Over the years, my primary interests have shifted from physical health to spiritual health. Both areas are extremely important; however, of the two, the latter is primary. In the spiritual area, my interest is focused on the natural-to-fallen-man tendency to not measure up in experience to the spiritual knowledge available. My desire is to make available publications and truths that tend to be neglected, forgotten, or misunderstood.”

Dr. Sparks received his M.D. degree from Loma Linda University in 1962 and served in various capacities within the Seventh-day Adventist health system for many years. Since retiring in 1997, his work has focused on making available historic Adventist publications that have long been out of print.