Food for Life – Is Cheese Edible, part 1

This month we will look at another very serious problem which affects the health of millions and which holds a very prominent place in the diet of many Seventh-day Adventists; Cheese.

This most powerful statement comes to my mind and has to do with every phase of our daily diet. It is found in Counsels on Diet and Foods, 59, 1875. “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. But those who are slaves to appetite will fail in perfecting Christian character. . . As we near the close of time, Satan’s temptation to indulge appetite will be more powerful and more difficult to overcome.” As Historic Seventh-day Adventists preparing to meet our soon-coming Jesus in the clouds of heaven, we recognize the importance of overcoming every hereditary and cultivated tendency to wrong.

When God, in His great love for His remnant church, sent the health reform message, He did not always give us the reasons for the restrictions that He placed on our diet. We were to move out in faith, trusting the divine hand that was guiding us. Now we are doubly blessed in having scientific research that vindicates the many questions that, in the past, were raised regarding the Spirit of Prophecy counsels.

Many years ago, the counsel to us was, “Cheese should never be introduced into the stomach.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 368. “It [cheese] is wholly unfit for food.” Ibid., 368. Today there is an abundance of supporting, scientific evidence.

The cheese found in super markets contains rennet, the enzyme coagulant used in the cheese for clotting purposes. This substance is an extraction from finely ground stomachs of calves. In addition, it may also contain an extender, pepsin, which is taken from the stomachs of swine. According to the cheese manufacturers, there is no way of ascertaining with certainty that the cheese you purchase does not contain this extender.

The Spirit of Prophecy also warns that mold can be deadly. As far back as 1985, newspapers carried warnings of bacteria found in a certain Mexican-style cheese which was responsible for thirty deaths in California and four serious illnesses in Fort Worth, Texas. Science News, 59, July 1976, carried the warning, “The mold that creates Roquefort and similar blue cheeses creates a dangerous nerve poison that causes convulsions in mice. The chemical is more concentrated in the heavily molded parts of such cheeses than in the white portions.” Also found in cheddar cheese and other common cured cheeses during the aging period is tyramine. Upon analysis, some cheeses were found to contain sufficient tyramine to affect the heart and raise blood pressure, even in amounts that are usually consumed at a meal.

Another serious concern is the high fat content of cheese. Dr. Julian Whitaker, director of the California Health Treatment Center, in an article in the Natural Health Bulletin states: “When large amounts of fats are eaten, the red blood cells stick together and stack up. This is called ‘rouleaux formation’ and limits the flow of blood cells through the capillaries. It creates ‘sludging’ with a thirty percent reduction of oxygen supply to the heart.” Surely we can see that our Creator knows what is best for the creatures that He has created!

Macaroni & Cheese Sauce

Place in a blender:

2 cups water

1 tsp sea salt

6 oz canned pimentos

1 tbsp onion powder

2 oz green chilies (not hot)

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ cups cashews

When thoroughly blended and smooth, pour into container and add 1 small 4 oz. can of sliced olives, drained, and the cooked macaroni. Mix well, pour into casserole, and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Molded Cheese Loaf

1 cup water

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp green chilies (mild)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp onion powder

2 cups cashews

1 tbsp garlic powder

4–6 tbsp Agar powder

8 oz can pimentos

1 cup water

Thoroughly blend first seven ingredients. Then add cashews and blend till smooth. In small pan, place 1 cup of water and Agar powder. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; add to the above mixture and blend thoroughly. Pour into long Velveeta cheese mold and refrigerate overnight. Place on platter and garnish with parsley. This loaf may be sliced for sandwiches or grated on salads. (Agar is a Japanese seaweed and may be used the same as gelatin for molded fruit salads. We do not use the commercial gelatins because of the animal sources used.)

The End