diet

Health – Is diet a Salvational Issue

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Some time ago a Seventh-day Adventist pastor asked this question from the pulpit: “Is what you eat a salvational issue?” The response from the congregation was a very loud and overwhelming “NO!’’

Since when does consensus establish truth? Let us take a long and intensive look at this question from Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy and see if we can determine the truth from Inspired writing.

We will first go to the very beginning of Scripture in Genesis, chapter 1.

The original diet was given to mankind by our Creator, who should know better than any other being what would be best for us. Genesis 1:29 states: “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.” One can see that the original diet for mankind was a vegan diet. Absolutely no animal products or any refined or artificially manufactured products.

After the fall of man and his/her expulsion from the garden he was told to also eat “… the herb of the field.” This verse gave man permission to now eat things that grow in the dirt, which are assumed to be vegetables.

At this point we need to determine what is a fruit and what is a vegetable. A botanical definition is that a fruit is something that the plant produces and a vegetable is part of the plant itself, such as the leaves, the stem, or the root. Most of what we eat is classified as fruit. All products of trees, vines or bushes are fruits, e.g., apples, pears, peaches, nuts, berries, grapes, tomatoes, and such. Grains are actually fruits of grasses, as is corn. Such things as beets, carrots, celery, cabbage, lettuce, and the like, are vegetables or herbs of the field. These things were probably added since the abundance of fruits in the garden were now not available.

Now we come to the time of Noah in Genesis 6–9. Notice that God instructed Noah to take into the ark, which he had spent 120 years building, two, a male and a female, of every unclean animal, and seven of every clean animal (Genesis 7:2). The distinction between clean and unclean animals can be found in Leviticus, chapter 11. The reason for this is because the flood was going to destroy all life, plant and animal, from off the face of the earth. Following the flood Noah and his family would need something to eat until the new growth upon the face of the earth could be well established. That would take at least a year or maybe two.

I firmly believe that the permission to eat animals was only supposed to be temporary until plant life was reestablished sufficiently to provide what God had originally intended that we should eat. I can’t prove it, but since the Spirit of Prophecy states that man’s intelligence before the flood was vastly superior to ours today that Noah most probably also took a great abundance of seed onto the ark to be able to reestablish a productive garden and fruit trees in the ‘’new” earth after the flood. He also had to have enough stored food for all the animals that were now released upon a devastated world. I personally do not think that God ever intended that mankind would continue to consume animals for any length of time.

There were many things that could make a person ritually “unclean,” not just the use of an unclean animal for food: contamination with blood, or contact with a corpse to name a couple. The penalty for becoming ritually unclean was that the “unclean” individual was to leave the camp, wash himself and his clothes with water and wait until sundown, which began a new day. He then returned to the camp and went to the tabernacle where a specific offering was given. Afterwards he was then accepted back into full fellowship.

However, the penalty for the consumption of blood or fat from an animal was far more serious. Even Noah, in chapter 9 of Genesis, was told that when he began to use “clean” animals for food that he was in no way permitted to use any of the blood for food (verse 4). It was expressly forbidden by God to do so. Leviticus says in three places that it was a perpetual covenant that the fat and the blood were never to be consumed as food.

The penalty for the consumption of either fat or blood was that the individual was to be “cut off’ from the camp.” The Hebrew word used for cut off is karath. Daniel 9:26 states that, “After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off.” [Emphasis supplied.] The same Hebrew word for cut off is used here. The penalty for the consumption of blood or fat is far worse than just becoming “unclean.” I dare say that today those who consume animal flesh are not using ritually slaughtered nor ritually prepared animals for the source of animal flesh. Just remember, God NEVER changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Yes, ancient Jews as well as observant Jews and even Jesus ate animal flesh at least on Passover. The lamb that was roasted was certainly ritually prepared so that it was not unclean nor did they eat any of the fat or blood. So Jesus would have eaten animal flesh at least once per year on Passover. We also find a few occasions where He ate fish. Carnivores love to refer to this fact. In His 33 years upon this earth you can count on one hand the number of times that the Scriptures tell of Jesus eating fish. The carnivores use that as an excuse to consume animal flesh usually daily. “If meat eating was ever healthful, it is not safe now. Cancers, tumors, and pulmonary diseases are largely caused by meat eating.” Counsels for the Church, 236.

‘’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 3:17). I had a pastor tell me that this verse is in the plural and therefore does not apply to the individual, but the church body. After researching this verse in the writings of Ellen G. White, of the 42 times she references this verse, every time she applies it to the individual. So it becomes abundantly clear that if you do not take care of the physical body given you by Christ, you will not make it into the kingdom of God. Of course this applies to those who should know better, have access to Scriptures and the Spirit of Prophecy, or have the opportunity to find out the truth.

 

Gene Swanson is a retired Adventist physician living in Montrose, Colorado.

Restoring the Temple – A Low Fat Diet

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Why a Diet Low in Fat and Cholesterol Can Help You

Heart and blood vessel problems, such as angina and hypertension, disorders such as diabetes and hypoglycemia, which involve the body’s ability to handle sugar, and other ailments as well, are beginning to be recognized as primarily due to the diet we consume. The diet eaten in advanced countries such as the United States has a total fat content of 40 to 50 percent of calories consumed. It is also very high in refined carbohydrates. Scientific investigators have found that in poorer countries, where the people eat a diet, usually fewer than 20 percent of calories in fat, consisting mainly of unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, these diseases are almost never found. The more fat and refined carbohydrates eaten, the more degenerative disease problems are found.

Scientists have studied the effects of our typical diet in laboratories and clinics and have confirmed the suspicions that the large amounts of fat and refined carbohydrates consumed in this country can bring on these degenerative diseases. A diet in which fat and refined carbohydrates are sharply curtailed can cause these disease symptoms to lessen and even to disappear completely.

The kind of fat does not seem to matter. The fats may be those from dairy products, such as those found in whole milk, butter, and cheese; or in the form of vegetable fats as found in the oil of nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, and vegetable oil spreads such as margarine or nut butters; or fat as found in animal foods. It is the total amount of fat of all kinds that is consumed that matters—the more fat, the more disease symptoms.

Cholesterol

In addition to the fat contained, animal muscle tissue of all kinds—beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, shellfish, but especially organ tissue (liver, brains, kidneys) and eggs (chicken eggs, fish roe)—introduce still another harmful substance into our body—cholesterol. While the body needs some cholesterol, it produces all that it requires. If additional cholesterol is added to the diet, it becomes stored in the blood and tissues, since the body is unable to excrete it. In the presence of blood that has a high concentration of fat, the excess-stored cholesterol, in time, causes lesions called plaques to form inside the blood vessels. This condition is known as atherosclerosis.

On our usual high fat diet, these plaques begin to form even in the very young, gradually building up over a period of time and narrowing the channels in the blood vessels. This narrowing of the blood vessels reduces the amount of blood flow to the tissues served by these vessels, and in time, the heart compensates by elevating the blood pressure more and more, producing high blood pressure or hypertension.

If the blood vessels that serve the heart (coronary vessels) become sufficiently clogged by plaques, any circumstance that further reduces the already diminished oxygen sup-ply to the heart muscle will cause the heart to “cry out” in pain—the terrible pain of angina. A slight exertion such as running a short distance, an emotional episode, or even a single fat meal, can bring on an angina attack. In one experiment, the angina patient subjects did nothing but drink a glass of cream. Even though they were at complete rest, all of them suffered angina attacks.

Oxygen Deprivation

A fatty meal reduces the oxygen supply to all of the body tissues, not only to the vessels serving the heart. This will happen even if plaques do not clog your arteries—though few adults are so lucky, unless they have been on a lifelong low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Even in a baby, fat steals oxygen from the body cells. It steals oxygen from the tissues just as carbon monoxide does when taken in by smoking. In the case of fat, this happens because of several mechanisms. When the digested fat is broken down, it forms tiny fat balls, which tend to clump together in the bloodstream. These aggregate with solid elements in the blood and block the blood flow in the tiniest arteries, thus depriving the cells in the tissues fed by those arteries of needed oxygen nourishment. The tiny fat balls also coat these solid elements in the blood. As a result, the red blood cells that are the body’s oxygen carriers become stuck together in formations resembling rows of coins. The clumping of the red blood cells further slows the circulation, depriving the tissues of even more oxygen. When the clumped red blood cells reach the lungs, where they should take up oxygen from the air breathed in, being clumped together, much of their surface area is not free to pick up oxygen. In this way, much less oxygen is carried back into the tissues, which are still further deprived of oxygen.

Plaques

It is because of this process of depriving the body cells of oxygen that fats enable cholesterol to form the atherosclerotic plaques. The artery walls become more easily penetrated by fats and cholesterol when the blood that bathes them is deficient in oxygen, thus encouraging the plaques to form. On a high-fat diet, the process of plaque formation goes on hour after hour, day after day, in all of the arterial vessels throughout the body. In the course of many years, the constant narrowing of these vessel channels by the ever-growing plaque formations causes many symptoms. High blood pressure and angina are two of the common symptoms. Other symptoms include a gradual deterioration in hearing and vision, and even senility and impotency.

Low-fat Diet Advantages

In many studies, it has been shown that by going on a diet in which fat and cholesterol intake are sharply reduced, the plaque-forming process can be reversed and the symptoms produced by the artery damage lessened or even eliminated. Refined carbohydrates and added salt have been found to contribute significantly to the development of heart and blood vessel problems. On a low-fat diet, the plaques or sores that are narrowing the arteries should gradually begin to disappear so that near-normal circulation will be restored.

This same diet has proved successful in reversing diabetes and hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is a pre-diabetic stage, caused by similar abnormal conditions in the blood. Diabetes and hypoglycemia appear under circumstances that occur when the concentration of fats in the blood is very high. By lowering the blood fats by a diet low in fats of all kinds and low in simple carbohydrates like sugar, honey, and molasses, a Canadian investigator, Dr. I. M. Rabinowitch, treating 1,000 diabetics over a five-year period, had a high rate of success. Even insulin-dependent diabetics no longer required insulin or other drugs in 25 percent of the cases. Had the diet been even lower in fat content, Dr. Rabinowitch would have obtained an even higher reversal rate, based on the experiences of others.

High blood fats bring about a situation where the insulin from the pancreas is unable to effectively act upon blood sugar. Studies have been done where perfectly normal young men were made diabetic in a period of days or even hours, depending upon how fast fats were introduced into their blood. When fats were introduced rapidly, by injection into the bloodstream instead of by diet, they became diabetic in two hours. The scientists who did this study were also able to reverse diabetes by chemically lowering the blood fats.

If you would lower your blood fats by a gradual and permanent means by your diet, the fast results you could obtain would surprise you, if you adhered to the diet closely.

Certain kinds of arthritis also respond well to a diet by which blood fats are reduced. High blood fat levels cause the watery part of the blood (plasma) to seep out of the tiniest arteries (capillaries) at an abnormally high rate, due to the pressure built up in the capillaries when the circulation becomes slowed. The resultant swelling or edema produced in the tissues pro-vides the environment conducive to the development of arthritic symptoms. When the edema and slowed circulation in the capillaries are improved, marked relief and recovery can occur. Other diseases also have shown an improvement on this type of diet, such as colitis, gallbladder disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), and obesity.

Restoring the Temple – Why Not Meat?

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While you might be a vegetarian or a vegan, you probably know many people that are not. Do you know what to tell them when they ask, “Why not meat?” The following information will help you answer that question, and you are encouraged to do research on your own so that you are armed with knowledge—not only to help others but also to strengthen your own convictions.

So what is so wrong with meat, anyway? Is meat that comes from an organic farm healthy to consume? These are common questions, and there are clear and proven answers as to why vegetarians choose to avoid meat and why vegans avoid all animal products. For the purposes of this article, meat is defined as any non-dairy part of any animal, such as cattle, pigs, poultry, and fish.

Chemicals

Non-organic meats are laden with chemicals that are harmful to the human body. Not enough research has been done in order to determine the effects, both short- and long-term, on humans. These chemicals include pesticide residue from the feed, antibiotics used both to keep the animals alive longer and to stimulate rapid growth, and growth hormones. Of all the antibiotics manufactured, 40 percent is used on animal agriculture, and 80 percent of that is used to promote growth.

So what if the package of meat claims it is organic? Under the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule, meat labeled certified organic must not have been given antibiotics or growth hormones and must have been fed an exclusively organic diet. Note that the label certified organic is regulated to a point, but many companies label their products organic and natural or make claims that the animals were not given antibiotics. These claims are not regulated and are essentially meaningless. Even with certified organic meat, the system is far from perfect. The United States Department of Agriculture’s organic meat regulations state, for instance, that livestock must have been continuously organic from the last third trimester of gestation and poultry can start being organically managed at the second day of life. Breeder stock can be non-organic, meaning the mother can be given whatever and pass on disease to the fetus, but the baby animal can still be considered organic. The regulations also state that farmers “must not administer synthetic parasiticides on a routine basis,” so administering these drugs occasionally must be considered acceptable. Also, livestock can be given drugs if ill—and it does not appear there is any ruling against slaughtering for meat livestock with known cancer. There are also no regulations that attempt to make organic meat less contaminated with microbes than non-organic meat.

Contamination

For the sake of argument, let us say that the meat you just bought is truly organic. There are no antibiotic, pesticide, or growth hormone residues present. So now what is wrong with it? Contamination. The vast majority of food poisonings is due to contaminated meat products. There are two types of contamination: intrinsic and extrinsic. Diseases affecting the animal before it died and that is in the meat cause intrinsic contamination. This includes the particle that causes Mad Cow Disease, bovine immunodeficiency virus (cause of bovine AIDS), leukemia, brucellosis, and cancer—all of which are potentially transmittable to humans.

Why do you think that there are so many precautions for handling meat but not so many for plant foods? Microbes on the meat (not just on the surface) that got there during processing and packaging cause extrinsic contamination. There are many types of microbes that live and thrive on meat, many of which are harmful to humans. There are microbes on plant foods, but the truly harmful microbes thrive wildly on meat. While cold storage does decrease the generation time of bacteria (how long it takes for one bacterium to become two), it does not kill them. Bacteria still grow in the freezer. This contamination causes illnesses such as food poisoning and can be deadly to the very young, to the old, and to people whose immune systems are not functioning properly.

Human Anatomy

You may have heard the argument that we are supposed to eat meat or that we have evolved to be omnivorous, which means that we eat everything—plants and animals. However, basic anatomical differences between humans and carnivorous or omnivorous animals tell a different story. The meat-eating animals’ teeth are designed to tear apart raw meat. Humans, even omnivorous ones, do not eat cows straight out of the field by gnawing them with their teeth! Not only do people not have a desire to do this carnivorous behavior, they are dentally unable. Predators have claws that rip flesh. Humans have hands ideal for gathering and picking. Human saliva contains alpha-amylase, an enzyme that starts the digestion of carbohydrates in the mouth. The saliva of carnivores does not contain alpha-amylase, since meat contains zero carbohydrates. The high amount of protein in meat is difficult to digest; therefore, carnivores have a lot of hydrochloric acid in their stomachs. Herbivores (including humans) have ten times less. Finally, meat putrefies quickly due to the high amount of microbes that colonize it. Putrefaction produces chemicals that are toxic. To take care of this problem, carnivores’ intestines are about eight feet long so the feces exit the body quickly. The intestinal tract of herbivores is about 25 feet long, which is ideal for digesting the complex carbohydrates found in plant foods but a very inefficient design for digesting meat.

Causes Disease

Health care costs in the United States related to meat consumption are estimated to be $60–$120 billion annually. Meat consumption causes disease for all the aforementioned reasons and more.

The most popular argument against a vegetarian diet is protein intake. Do vegetarians have to struggle to get enough protein, or do meat-eaters get too much? Almost all plant foods, with the exception of fruits, contain between 10 and 40 percent protein. We need only 8 to 15 percent of our daily intake to be protein. Omnivorous diets contain twice this amount.

So what? Protein breaks down into amino acids. Animal and plant proteins contain all the same amino acids. However, animal proteins can contain too much of the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine. The breakdown of these two amino acids causes the blood and urine to become acidic. The body then dumps calcium from its bones to neutralize the acid, and the excess blood calcium is then excreted through the kidney into the urine (leading to osteoporosis). Further, methionine is metabolized into homocysteine, which is a risk factor for heart disease.

You may have heard that obesity has surpassed cigarette smoking as the United States’ major cause of disease and death. An animal-food diet contributes to obesity. Meat-eaters are generally 10 percent heavier than vegetarians and 20 percent heavier than vegans. This is because animal-food diets are calorie dense and generally high fat. High- fat diets may:

  • make it difficult to meet nutrient needs.
  • lead to obesity.
  • increase risk for chronic diseases such as cancer.
  • result in a rise in free radical reactions and oxidative damage to body tissues, thus increasing the risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, age-related health problems, and neurological disorders.

The brain, kidneys, and heart are also at risk. Animal protein damages the kidneys, while plant protein does not. Animal protein raises blood cholesterol levels, while plant protein lowers it. Animal protein comes with an ugly package deal: it is always combined with saturated fat and cholesterol, which cause many chronic diseases, especially heart disease.

Cancer has already been mentioned. Studies have shown that ingesting cancerous tissue can cause cancer. But even non-cancerous meat has been shown to cause cancer and is number one on the list of foods that cause cancer.

You now know that high protein diets cause osteoporosis, but meat consumption causes other nutrient imbalances. For instance:

  • Vitamins E and C protect the heart and brain, but omnivores get less Vitamins E and C than vegetarians (since meat and dairy products contain almost no Vitamin C).
  • Folate protects the heart—omnivores consume less folate than vegetarians do.
  • Fiber protects the heart and reduces the incidence of breast cancer, colon cancer, and diabetes—there is zero fiber in animal foods. The recommended daily intake of fiber is 20 to 35 grams/day—omnivores get 10 to 12 grams. Vegetarians get two or more times the amount of fiber than meat-eaters.

The scientific data makes it clear. Not only do we not need to eat meat to be healthy, but eating meat leads to illness. We are born to be herbivores—plant-eaters—which is how we were designed by the Creator.

Sheryle Beaudry, a certified teletriage nurse, writes from Estacada, Oregon, where she lives with her husband and twin daughters. She may be contacted by e-mail at: sbeaudryrn@hotmail.com.

Restoring the Temple – Diet and Spirituality

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Let none who profess godliness regard with indifference the health of the body, and flatter themselves that intemperance is no sin, and will not affect their spirituality. A close sympathy exists between the physical and the moral nature.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 43.

When Sanctification is Impossible

“The heart cannot possibly maintain consecration to God while lustful appetite is indulged. A diseased body and disordered intellect, because of continual indulgence in hurtful lust, make sanctification of the body and spirit impossible. The apostle [Paul] understood the importance of the healthful conditions of the body for the successful perfection of Christian character. He says, ‘I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.’ [1 Corinthians 9:27.] He mentions the fruit of the Spirit, among which is temperance. ‘They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.’ [Galatians 5:24.]” Ibid., 44.

Mental Effects of Disobedience to Physical Law

“God requires of His people continual advancement. We need to learn that indulged appetite is the greatest hindrance to mental improvement and soul sanctification. With all our profession of health reform, many of us eat improperly.” Ibid., 45.

Effect on Appreciation of Truth

“You need clear, energetic minds, in order to appreciate the exalted character of the truth, to value the atonement, and to place the right estimate upon eternal things.” Ibid., 47.

Effect Upon Discernment and Decision

“All are required to do what they can to preserve healthy bodies and sound minds. If they will gratify a gross appetite, and by so doing blunt their sensibilities, and becloud their perceptive faculties so that they cannot appreciate the exalted character of God, or delight in the study of His word, they may be assured that God will not accept their unworthy offering any sooner than that of Cain. God requires them to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.” Ibid., 49.

“The abuses of the stomach by the gratification of appetite, are the fruitful source of most church trials. Those who eat and work intemperately and irrationally, talk and act irrationally. An intemperate man cannot be a patient man. It is not necessary to drink alcoholic liquors in order to be intemperate. The sin of intemperate eating, eating too frequently, too much, and of rich, unwholesome food, destroys the healthy action of the digestive organs, affects the brain, and perverts the judgment, preventing rational, calm, healthy thinking and acting. And this is a fruitful source of church trials. Therefore, in order for the people of God to be in an acceptable state with Him, where they can glorify Him in their bodies and spirits, which are His, they must with interest and zeal deny the gratification of their appetites, and exercise temperance in all things.” Ibid., 50.

“Our heavenly Father has bestowed upon us the great blessing of light upon the health reform, that we may obey the claims which He has upon us, and glorify Him in our bodies and spirits, which are His, and finally stand without fault before the throne of God. Our faith requires us to elevate the standard, and take advance steps.” Ibid., 51.

“The diet has much to do with the disposition to enter into temptation and commit sin.” Ibid., 52.

“Our own strength is weakness, but that which God gives is mighty, and will make every one who obtains it more than conqueror.” Ibid., 53.

Effect Upon Influence and Usefulness

“The affliction of the stomach affects the brain. The imprudent eater does not realize that he is disqualifying himself for giving wise counsel, disqualifying himself for laying plans for the best advancement of the work of God. But this is so. . . . The food he has eaten has benumbed his brain power.” Ibid.

Reformation

“The light has been shining upon your pathway in regard to health reform, and the duty resting upon God’s people in these last days to exercise temperance in all things. . . . As the light of truth is received and followed out, it will work an entire reformation in the life and character of all those who are sanctified through it.” Ibid., 57.

“Eating, drinking, and dressing all have a direct bearing upon our spiritual advancement.” Ibid.

“All who are partakers of the divine nature will escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. It is impossible for those who indulge the appetite to attain to Christian perfection.” Ibid.

“This is true sanctification. It 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.’ [Romans 12:1.]

“Our habits of eating and drinking show whether we are of the world or among the number whom the Lord by His mighty cleaver of truth has separated from the world.” Ibid., 57, 58.

“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. The continual transgression of man for six thousand years has brought sickness, pain, and death as its fruits. And as we near the close of time, Satan’s temptation to indulge appetite will be more powerful and more difficult to overcome.” Ibid., 59.

Relation of Diet to Morals

“ ‘Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul,’ is the language of the apostle Peter. [1 Peter 2:1.] Many regard this warning as applicable only to the licentious; but it has a broader meaning. It guards against every injurious gratification of appetite or passion. It is a most forcible warning against the use of such stimulants and narcotics as tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol, and morphine. These indulgences may well be classed among the lusts that exert a pernicious influence upon moral character. The earlier these hurtful habits are formed, the more firmly will they hold their victim in slavery to lust, and the more certainly will they lower the standard of spirituality.” Ibid., 62, 63.

“Moral principle, strictly carried out, becomes the only safeguard of the soul. If ever there was a time when the diet should be of the most simple kind, it is now. Meat should not be placed before our children. Its influence is to excite and strengthen the lower passions, and has a tendency to deaden the moral powers. Grains and fruits prepared free from grease, and in as natural a condition as possible, should be the food for the tables of all who claim to be preparing for translation to heaven. . . . Gratification of taste should not be consulted irrespective of physical, intellectual, or moral health.” Ibid., 64.

Follow the Saviour

“O how many lose the richest blessings that God has in store for them in health and spiritual endowments! There are many souls who wrestle for special victories and special blessings that they may do some great thing. To this end they are always feeling that they must make an agonizing struggle in prayer and tears. When these persons search the Scripture with prayer to know the expressed will of God, and then do His will from the heart without one reservation or self-indulgence, they will find rest. All the agonizing, all the tears and struggles, will not bring them the blessing they long for. Self must be entirely surrendered. They must do the work that presents itself, appropriating the abundance of the grace of God which is promised to all who ask in faith.

“ ‘If any man will come after Me,’ said Jesus, ‘let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’ Luke 9:23. Let us follow the Saviour in His simplicity and self-denial. Let us lift up the Man of Calvary by word and by holy living. The Saviour comes very near to those who consecrate themselves to God. If ever there was a time when we needed the working of the Spirit of God upon our hearts and lives, it is now. Let us lay hold of this divine power for strength to live a life of holiness and self-surrender.” Ibid., 58.

Ellen G. White (1827–1915) wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books during her lifetime. Today, including compilations from her 50,000 pages of manuscript, more than 100 titles are available in English. She is the most translated woman writer in the entire history of literature, and the most translated American author of either gender. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Mrs. White was appointed by God as a special messenger to draw the world’s attention to the Holy Scriptures and help prepare people for Christ’s second advent.

Food for Life – Transitioning to a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet

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Change to a vegan diet should be done with study, care, and thought. If people change too quickly, before they know how to cook nutritional, tasteful food, there is a danger that the change may be short lived. It is also important that diet reform be ongoing as more information is learned. It may be very difficult if too much information is given all at once and the person cannot incorporate the knowledge into healthful living. Ellen White made the following comments in regard to diet reform and change:

“Let the diet reform be progressive.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 135.

“When flesh food is discarded, its place should be supplied with a variety of grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruits, that will be both nourishing and appetizing.” Child Guidance, 384.

“Some, after adopting a vegetarian diet, return to the use of flesh meat. This is foolish, indeed, and reveals a lack of knowledge of how to provide proper food in the place of meat.

“Cooking schools, conducted by wise instructors, are to be held in America and in other lands.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 469.

“Nuts and nut foods are coming largely into use to take the place of flesh meats. With nuts may be combined grains, fruits, and some roots, to make foods that are healthful and nourishing. Care should be taken, however, not to use too large a portion of nuts. Those who realize ill effects from the use of nut foods may find the difficulty removed by attending to this precaution.” Ibid., 363, 364.

“Three years ago a letter came to me, saying, ‘I cannot eat the nut foods; my stomach cannot take care of them.’ Then there were several recipes presented before me; one was that there must be other ingredients combined with the nuts, which would harmonize with them, and not use such a large proportion. One-tenth to one-sixth part of nuts would be sufficient, according to combination. We tried this, and with success.” Ibid., 273.

“Olives may be so prepared as to be eaten with good results at every meal. . . . When properly prepared, olives, like nuts, supply the place of butter and flesh meats. The oil, as eaten in the olive, is far preferable to animal oil or fat. It serves as a laxative. Its use will be found beneficial to consumptives, and it is healing to an inflamed, irritated stomach.” Ibid., 349, 350.

Ask the Pastor – Matthew 15:11

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Question:

What is the meaning of the text Matthew 15:11? Does it mean that we can eat anything we want?

Answer:

While in debate with Jewish leaders over His disciples’ practice of eating without washing their hands, Jesus said, “What proceeds out of the mouth defiles the man.” (Matthew 15:11.) In the previous verse, Jesus said, “Hear me and understand.” In other words, “I am about to say something absolutely fundamental, and you must understand it.”

“It is not what goes into one’s mouth that defiles him, but what comes out of the mouth defiles him.” (Verse 11.) Their diligence in washing their hands was not a matter of removing physical dirt, but a matter of spiritual and moral cleanness. To them, holiness consisted in acts one might do or not do. So Jesus explained: “things that . . . come from the heart . . . defile the man.” (See Matthew 15:17–20; Mark 7:21, 22.) Defilement is not a matter of just what is external. “Unholiness” does not consist of actions. What “defiles” is what is in the heart. A mere act, of whatever character, is neither holy nor unholy in and of itself. Morality is not simply in the nature of the act itself but in what is in the heart of the “actor.”

Our heart is the source of all “evil” deeds. God judges our deeds according to what He finds in our hearts. God’s primary question is not, “What did you do?” but, “Why did you do it?” The evil attached to external action depends on the motive of the one doing it. “Good” deeds are not “good” if they arise from legalism or if done from improper motives.

As examples, consider the case of David eating the shewbread and the priests working on the Sabbath day. (See Matthew 12:3–5.) These deeds are not permitted under normal circumstances, but if the heart is right, then the deed is right before God. Jesus tells this as a follow-up to the issue of eating with defiled hands.

Learning this truth is crucial to our spiritual health. Churches are full of people who struggle with personal spirituality and their relationship with God. This mindset is a barrier to prayer, praise, and worship. This faulty self-judgment manifests itself in faulty judgment of others and has been directly responsible for countless church divisions.

God judges motives before He judges actions, and He grants mercy and grace to us when we do wrong things, if our hearts do not lean toward sin. God mitigates sin with grace, for those whose hearts are right. A vivid example of this is seen in His own mitigation of His indisputable law, “Thou shalt not kill,” and “whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” (Exodus 20:13; Genesis 9:5, 6.) Notice that God says, “If a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death.” (Leviticus 24:17.) His “law” on this cannot be more precisely and emphatically stated. Yet God provided “cities of refuge” for those who “killed” without malice. (See Numbers 35; Joshua 20, 21; 1 Chronicles 6.) Killing another human is the worst thing one could ever do. It is the ultimate breach of God’s fundamental law of love for others. Yet God’s first look is not at the act of taking another’s life. His first concern is the motive of the “killer.” I hope that this helps your understanding of this text.

Pastor Mike Baugher is a retired minister of the gospel. If you have a question you would like Pastor Mike to answer, e-mail it to: landmarks@stepstolife.org, or mail it to: LandMarks, Steps to Life, P. O. Box 782828, Wichita, KS 67278.

Food for Life – Lowering your Blood Pressure

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This month we will review lifestyle changes or treatment remedies that will be helpful in lowering your blood pressure:

  1. Low salt diet: Be aware that salt added to prepared food is only a part of the problem. The greater problem is foods that are high in sodium, especially processed foods.
  2. Decrease your weight to that recommended for your height by eliminating all snacks, drinking only water between meals, eating a good breakfast and a moderate lunch, and eliminating the evening meal or only having whole fruit. Eliminate or greatly reduce refined sugar and free fats or fatty foods in the diet. Eliminate all animal products from your diet. Increase foods high in fiber.
  3. Abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. All three of these raise blood pressure and should be totally avoided.
  4. Beginning moderate, daily, aerobic exercise—exercise that calls into play the heart and lungs—can significantly lower blood pressure. Healthful exercise usually occurs when you are exercising such that you can talk and exercise at the same time. If you are over 35 years of age and have not been exercising, be sure to consult your physician before beginning an exercise program.
  5. Life stresses can raise blood pressure. External pressures that confront us and our internal reactions to those stresses are both important. Good stress coping mechanisms should be adopted for improved blood pressure.
  6. Diet is also important in lowering blood pressure. When our food intake is high in natural foods as grown from the earth and prepared with as few additives as possible, blood pressure can be lowered. A diet high in fiber is also very helpful in binding the absorption of cholesterol and calories.

Treatments other than lifestyle changes and drugs that have been associated with lowering blood pressure include:

  1. Consumption of foods that are high in calcium: leafy green vegetables, grains such as oatmeal, quinoa, and amaranth, lentils, dried figs, sesame seeds, and filberts.
  2. Consumption of a bowl of oatmeal each day.
  3. Consumption of garlic. A clove of garlic or two may be taken one to four times daily. To help reduce “garlic breath,” the garlic can be marinated in olive oil for a week and then taken out of the oil and consumed. Onions, because of the chemical similarities, may also help with these conditions.
  4. Consumption of grapes.
  5. Consumption of plant foods high in Omega-3 fats: flax seed, walnuts, wheat germ, green soybeans, spinach, and almonds.
  6. Consumption of lecithin: one tablespoon of lecithin granules one to three times daily.
  7. Gradual daily exposure to bright daylight sun, making sure not to get a sunburn. This “sunbath” can last up to 30 minutes on each side of your body with as much skin exposed as possible.
  8. Daily consumption of foods high in L-arginine, such as black walnuts, lima beans, red kidney beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, soybeans, and roasted pumpkin kernels.

It is our prayer that through lifestyle modification and natural treatments you will be able to lower your blood pressure and not only extend your life but improve your health and ability to work for the Lord.

Restoring the Temple – God’s Original Diet

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When God created the Garden of Eden with all the beautiful plants, shrubs, trees, birds, animals, fish, and man, He proclaimed that “[it was] very good.” Genesis 1:31. Everything, including man, was in its perfect state; and every living thing was doing exactly what it was originally designed to do. This included the diet of each creature.

Original Diet

To man, “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. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so.” Genesis 1:29, 30.

This constituted our original diet, which God gave us when we were in a perfect environment. Let us understand what it was. “Behold, I have given you every herb [a plant without a strong woody stem or trunk] bearing seed” is generally understood to mean grains (wheat, oats, corn, rice, rye, barley, millet, etc.), seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame, flax, etc.), legumes (soybeans, kidney beans, lentils, split peas, peanuts, etc.), and other foods containing seed, some of which we today call vegetables (eggplants, bell peppers, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, squashes, melons, etc.). “ . . . and every tree [plant with a strong woody stem such as a shrub, bush, or tree], in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed.” This is generally understood to mean fruits (oranges, lemons, cranberries, apples, pears, mangos, strawberries, dates, cherries, blueberries, bananas, coconuts, avocados, olives, etc.), and nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, chestnuts, pine nuts, brazil, etc.). The green plants of the field were the food for the animals and birds.

Appointed Diet

After Adam and Eve sinned, God told them, “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb [plants] of the field.” Genesis 3:18. Now God instructed man to also eat of the plants of the field, which originally were given for the animals to eat. This is generally understood to mean leafy, flower, and root vegetables (lettuce, spinach, parsley, fennel, beets, Brussels sprouts, watercress, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, turnips, potatoes, garlic, onions, etc.). This was very wise on God’s part, because many of the vegetables contain medicinal properties that are necessary to sustain us in a sinful, polluted world. This new diet was God’s appointed diet for man.

Temporary Diet

Many years later God destroyed all living things from the face of the earth by the Flood, except the occupants of the ark. When Noah and his family emerged from the ark, there were no trees, bushes, greenery, or plants of any kind available for food. It was going to take a little while before they could get gardens planted and harvested and trees ready to bear. So God gave them permission to eat the flesh of animals and to use their products. God said, “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.” Genesis 9:3. God gave them permission to use meat temporarily or as a temporary diet because of insufficient plant food available immediately after the Flood. Shortly after man began eating meat, his lifespan dropped from almost 1,000 years to less than 100 years.

During the time of the Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness, God endeavored to start weaning His people from flesh and animal products. He gave them instructions as to which animals to eat and which ones not to eat; He told them “to make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.” Leviticus 11:47. However, when God gave the Israelites only manna to eat, they were not too happy. Instead, they craved the fleshpots of Egypt. After much murmuring and complaining, they were given quails to eat, but as a result many of them died.

Restitution

The Bible tells us of restitution or restoration: “ . . . the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” Acts. 3:21. In other words, there will be a time of restoration among God’s people, of getting back to the way God appointed things to be. Of course, this includes diet. During the reign of sin here on earth, God appointed our diet to consist of plant foods: grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Flesh and animal products were given because of a temporary need when there was not enough plant food to sustain Noah and his family after the Flood. However, now that need does not exist, and certainly we are approaching the times of restitution. Thus, it is time that we gradually make the transition back to God’s appointed diet.

In God’s kingdom, there will be no death, nothing will eat any other creature, and humans will not kill animals and eat their flesh or use their products that were intended for the nourishment of their young. Isaiah describes that wonderful time: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6–9

Let us not be like the ancient Israelites who complained and murmured against God when He tried to get them away from animal products. Let us instead focus on the exciting time ahead of us in the times of restitution, and get ready for those times by training our taste buds to enjoy the food God intended us to eat: first, the appointed diet while we are yet in this sinful world and, eventually, God’s original diet when we are finally fully restored.

If you would like more information on how to make a transition to God’s appointed diet, or on how to live a healthy lifestyle, please contact us at the following address or telephone number:

The Gilead Institute of America
6000 Live Oak Parkway, Suite 114
Norcross, Georgia 30093
Phone: 770-270-1087
Web site: www.gileadinstitute.org

Diane Herbert is a naturopath and lifestyle consultant. She received training from the NAD Lifestyle Consultant program, Thomas Edison State College, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and Bastyr University. Diane teaches health classes at the Gilead Institute located in Norcross, Georgia, gives health presentations, and contributes to the Institute’s literature and health flyer series. She may be contacted by e-mail at: gilead.net@usa.net.

 

Restoring the Temple – What is a Good Diet

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Choosing a good diet can be very confusing. Much too often we encounter this person promoting one type of diet, another person another diet, this magazine heralding this weight loss diet plan, that researcher proclaiming his diet is the best, one diet plan calling for only protein and fat, another telling you to only drink shakes. So what should we really eat? With so many contradictions, what is really the best diet? That is exactly what we are going to consider.

There are four basic guidelines or principles of a good, healthy diet. These guidelines outline a nutritious maintenance diet which will promote health for the rest of our lives, as well as form the basis of a therapeutic diet for those who are battling with health problems. These are the guidelines for a good diet:

  1. a diet high in complex carbohydrates,
  2. a diet high in fiber,
  3. a diet low in protein, and
  4. a diet low in fat.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are very long chains of various sugar molecules. This should not be confused with the sugar used in candies, cakes, pies, cookies, and virtually all other sweet, dessert-type foods. Those sugar molecules are very short and affect the body very differently than the long sugar molecules found in complex carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates are very important for the body because they are used as fuel for the muscles and the brain. If the body does not have sufficient fuel (glucose) from complex carbohydrates, it has to try and get fuel elsewhere, which is not nearly as efficient as getting fuel from where it is supposed to get it—complex carbohydrates.

Thus, we need an abundance of complex carbohydrates to fuel our various daily mental and physical activities. Athletes and other people who are very active need a predominance of complex carbohydrates for fuel for their muscles.

Complex carbohydrates should make up approximately 70 percent of our caloric intake. Complex carbohydrates are found in whole wheat bread, brown rice, beans, and in all plant foods in varying amounts. So the next time you feel tired and hungry, look for complex carbohydrates in natural plant foods (not a candy bar, a steak, or coffee) to refuel your body’s energy.

Fiber

Fiber is simply indigestible or partially indigestible plant parts. Thus, the only place you will find fiber is in food from plants. Fiber is very important for optimum health because it sweeps the colon clean. Just as in our homes, if we do not clean them often, we find a lot of dust and dirt and grime in them. If we do not eat sufficient fiber, our colons will become clogged with waste, and worse yet the waste will be absorbed into the body and open the door for various major health problems. Fiber is also very helpful in lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Fiber is especially found in unrefined plant foods such as whole grains, legumes (beans), and various vegetables and fruits. Refined plant foods have much of the fiber taken out, as well as many of the vitamins and minerals that are so essential for optimum health, and then you do not get the full benefit of the plant food. Examples of refined foods are white bread, white rice, and many prepackaged food items. When a person is on an unrefined plant diet, he or she will usually get sufficient fiber.

Protein

Protein provides the building blocks for body structure (muscles and tissues) and many body processes (hormones and enzymes). But protein is not a good source of fuel (energy) for the body. Actually, most people eat twice as much protein as they should, and it usually comes in such form as bacon, eggs, cheese, chicken, pork, fish, and milk. The problem is that protein from these sources generally alters the blood chemistry and causes calcium to be leached from the bones and promotes its excretion through the kidneys. This produces a prime environment for osteoporosis and other health problems.

We do not need a whole lot of protein because the body recycles much of what it already has. As cells get old and die, they are broken down, and many of the components are reused, including the protein. All we need is approximately 10 percent of our calories as protein. If you follow the first two basic guidelines and you eat a good variety of foods with sufficient caloric intake, you do not need to worry about getting sufficient protein.

Plant foods are wonderful sources of protein without the problems mentioned above. Plant foods especially high in protein include tofu, soybeans, spinach, beans, lentils, and broccoli.

Fat

Most people already know that too much fat contributes to or causes many health complications. These problems include heart attacks, strokes, deposits in the arteries, obesity, diabetes, and many other health issues. Therefore it is ideal if fat consumption constitutes only about 20 percent of our caloric intake. The easiest way¾and virtually the only way¾to do this is to concentrate on unrefined plant foods.

The best kind of fat is mono-unsaturated fat, which comes primarily from vegetable sources. Olive oil and canola oil are especially high in mono-unsaturated fat. While it is important to have some fat in the diet, fat is not a good primary source of energy. Excess fat hinders proper blood circulation, thus depriving the tissues of needed oxygen and nutrients.

All long-lived, virtually disease-free societies follow the above four principles of a good diet, along with the other aspects of living a healthy lifestyle. Let us learn a lesson from them and use more unrefined plant foods: fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts (including legumes).

Diane Herbert is a naturopath and lifestyle consultant. She received training from the NAD Lifestyle Consultant program, Thomas Edison State College, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and Bastyr University. Diane teaches health classes at the Gilead Institute located in Norcross, Georgia, gives health presentations, and contributes to the Institute’s literature and health flyer series. She may be contacted by e-mail at: gilead.net@usa.net.

Health – Purposed in His Heart

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Sometimes we make our life so complicated, even though God wants to make life simple. “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible” (1 Corinthians 9:25).

Daniel and his three friends stand out as a Biblical example of the benefits of a temperate, healthful, flesh-free diet.

What about today? As in the human race, disease in animals is increasing. Diseased meat and other animal products are a common source of food-borne illness. “Disease in cattle is making meat eating a dangerous matter. The Lord’s curse is upon the earth, upon man, upon beasts, upon the fish in the sea; and as transgression becomes almost universal, the curse will be permitted to become as broad and as deep as the transgression. Disease is contracted by the use of meat. …

“In a short time it will not be safe to use anything that comes from the animal creation.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 411.

“Again and again I have been shown that God is trying to lead us back, step by step, to His original design—that man should subsist upon the natural products of the earth. …

“Among those who are waiting for the coming of the Lord, meat eating will eventually be done away; flesh will cease to form a part of their diet. We should ever keep this end in view, and endeavor to work steadily toward it.” Ibid., 380, 381.

“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.” Ibid., 313.

“Instructions on Eating: The disease and suffering that prevail everywhere are largely due to popular errors in diet. By carefully following the instructions in the table, one may avoid many diseases.

“Skip one to four meals periodically. Fasting is an aid to educating the appetite and a rehearsal for self-control. Fasting is the best remedy for many illnesses, especially for people who do not do much physical labor.” God’s Healing Way, Mary Ann McNeilus, M.D.

Will you purpose in your heart to begin right now implementing these suggestions into your lifestyle if you are not already doing so? May God bless your efforts to retain or restore the gift of health in you.

  • Eat largely of fruits and vegetables prepared in a natural yet tasty way.
  • Vary your diet from meal to meal, but do not eat too many varieties at any one meal. Keep both the meals and the dishes simple.
  • Use more of the whole grains such as whole wheat bread and brown rice. Use less food prepared from refined white flour and white rice.
  • Limit the rich foods. Eat less sugar, salt, and oils. Avoid spices, grease (especially lard), baking powder, baking soda, and vinegar.
  • Eat at the same mealtime daily and allow at least 5 hours from the end of one meal to the beginning of the next meal. The digestive system works most efficiently when kept on a regular schedule.
  • Do not eat between meals. Eating between meals slows stomach emptying and gives time for the partially digested food already in the stomach to ferment.
  • Eat a good breakfast. This should be the largest meal of the day. If eaten at all, supper should be the smallest meal of the day. Eat supper at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
  • Eat all you need to maintain health and enjoy your food, but do not overeat. Too much food dulls the mind, causes tiredness, increases disease, and shortens life.
  • Eating slowly and chewing your food thoroughly will increase the enjoyment and the nutritional benefits of food. Mealtime should be pleasant and unhurried.
  • Drink enough water daily to keep the urine pale, but do not drink with your meals or just before or after meals.