This has been on my mind, and bugged me, for a long time. It is an issue that brings me a lot of confusion, so I usually refrain from participating in discussions.
You ready?
You want to know what it is?
Diets.
I know, I know. Weird, huh? But this issue confuses me.
I'm not talking about me going on one. I'm the first to admit my eating habits aren't the best. Technically, my eating habits are going through a major overhaul just because of soy and MSG. Once I get those straight, then I'll worry about health, though they are going hand-in-hand lately.
Notice I said "health" not "weight". I want to eat for health.
I have done a ton of food research as it relates to health. I mean A LOT of research. I haven't had a choice. If I don't research, I end up sick.
I disagree with the USDA food program. I disagree with what most dieticians and "fitness experts" teach. I do not believe in mass produced supplements. They do not absorb into the body as getting that item in it's natural state would. I'm not even going into the coatings used on them.
Natural, organic herbals, when made correctly, are usually fine. I've used them with good results for illnesses.
What bugs me are my friends, who are Believers, going on diets. Atkins, South Beach, T-Tapp, Nutrisystems, diet shakes are all I see mentioned when people talk about diets. These are believers in Yeshua. They are my spiritual brothers and sisters. Yet not one of the "diet talkers" talks about eating God's diet.
I don't know why, but this really bugs me.
Why don't they just eat God's diet?
Food verses are all over the bible. Leviticus has a lot of them. I won't go into the whole kosher vs non-kosher debate right now, but science has proven the forbidden animals in the Bible are bad for the human body. In fact, look up food science and compare it to bible verses and, what do you know, God was right the whole time.
*insert shocked face here*
So, stay away from pork, shellfish et. al. They are bottom and carrion feeders. If you really want to be grossed out, go study how their systems work and what it does to our bodies when we eat them. Even my shrimp-loving child can't eat them anymore based on science alone. She starts to gag, because she thinks about what she's eating.
A very easy to understand book is Holy Cow! Does God Care What We Eat? We used it as our jumping off point for food studies. This was before the MSG/Soy thing came into play. Maybe God was preparing me. I don't know. I do know that our food studies expanded greatly after that.
Let me insert here: Everyone is at a different place in their walk with God. It is possible that He just hasn't shown them His plan for eating yet. Some people can't eat certain foods due to health issues or allergies. I always try to keep this in mind before I open my mouth about any issue. Sometimes I fail. Okay, a lot of times I fail. I'm sure God just heaves a sigh and thinks, Okay, let's try this with her again. One day she'll get the whole "think before speaking" thing.
Back to the topic -
There are so many verses about food that I could take all day putting them into this post, but I really don't have time to do that. Plus, I believe people need to go look for themselves. Never just take what someone writes at face value. Always look it up for yourself. I will post a few, but there are so many more that may speak to someone moreso than these will.
Daniel 1:12
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink."
Go to the text and read the whole circumstance under which Daniel said this, but the basic idea is that he did not want to eat bad food and go against what God commanded. It is clear they were quite healthy when the time period was over compared to their counterparts who ate food they shouldn't.
Proverbs 23:20-21
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
20 Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;
21 For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.
Eating meat and drinking wine is fine. Heavy drinking and eating a lot of meat is not. This "meat" part is contrary to one diet people tend to like. The "drowsiness" part is true. Too much of either makes you sleepy and unable to move very well.
Science has also shown that eating small amounts of red meat is good for you, but large amounts can lead to cancer and heart disease. Of course, there are other reasons for this as well such as the feed used, pesticides, etc. But doesn't God see everything? Is it possible He forsaw this and that is why He has it mentioned?
Granted, man has corrupted most of the food God made. There is repeated proof that almost every disease man has is man-made. Again, go do your research. Let me stop myself before I go down that rabbit trail (dang rabbits).
If we jump to the beginning of the bible, we see in Genesis:
Genesis 1:29
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the [a]surface of all the earth, and every tree[b]which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;
Footnotes:
- Genesis 1:29 Lit face of
- Genesis 1:29 Lit in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed
BUT we also have to keep in mind this verse:
Genesis 1:11
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
11 Then God said, “Let the earth sprout [a]vegetation, [b]plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after[c]their kind [d]with seed in them”; and it was so.
Footnotes:
- Genesis 1:11 Or grass
- Genesis 1:11 Or herbs
- Genesis 1:11 Lit its
- Genesis 1:11 Lit in which is its seed
He gave us fruits and vegetables. We are to eat what HE gave us, not what man has created through genetics. This is important, because genetically modified food is being proven as a disease and illness instigator. MSG comes from genetically altered food products. It is bad for us.
A controversial food item is Soy. Soy has good points, but it also has a lot of bad points especially for men since it binds to estrogen. I can't eat it. In it's natural state, it's extremely high in free glutamates. When messed with, the glutamate levels explode. This is very bad for your body and your brain. It is especially bad for MSG sensitive people. MSG is a free glutamate.
We have girls starting their periods at younger ages. Go see how many soy products they're eating. Soy is in almost everything. My youngest daughter is allergic to it. That's how I know. Even organic items aren't safe now. You have to read everything. Soy is used for menopausal women as a hormone replacement. Um, hello?
Go do your research. I literally have to research each food item. I don't just research rice. I have to research brown vs white, what is done to each, what is sprayed on each (fyi, always wash your rice!), etc. Failure to do this can result in me becoming sick.
Another thing that bugs me is when people complain that they aren't losing weight, yet they don't actively exercise by their own admission. Again, biblically, we are to work except on the Sabbath. We are to move. We are to be active.
Again, science has backed God up on this. We are a machine. We need to be used. We need to be moving. If we don't, our parts start to lock up.
"I eat potatoes and bananas all the time, but I can't seem to lose my stomach fat, and I'm tired a lot."
I have diabetic friends who can't eat potatoes or bananas. They cause a sharp rise in blood sugar and screw with insulin levels. This is where the word "moderation" comes in. Raw spinach is good for you. Too much raw spinach can give you mouth ulcers. Unaltered water is good for you (not city water which has a lot of chemicals), but too much water can cause Water Intoxication. It can lead to death.
Fruits and vegetables are great as long as you don't "overdose" on specific ones. The key is variety.
So, what are you getting from this? Anything? Do a food study. What did you see in it?
What I get is that God wants us to eat only the things God creates, not man.
Our diet should be water, a huge variety of organic heirloom vegetables and fruits (more veggie than fruit since fruit can cause sugar spikes), and small amounts of protein, nuts and grains.
If you're missing a mineral or vitamin from your diet, don't grab the supplements. Grab the food item that contains it. There are circumstances where certain foods just aren't available in certain areas. If that is the case, then you need to research the supplement carefully and find one that closely mimics it's own natural state.
As I said, my eating habits are terrible. I do love me some Lays Potato Chips (the only kind I can eat), and people will die if I don't have my coffee in the morning.
I have so much going on right now, but at some point I will be taking on my own health. However, I won't be turning to "man's" diet. I will be turning to the bible. I hope that doesn't come off as "holier than thou". It's not how I mean it. I just don't understand why people are turning to man instead of God.
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