First, let’s search the Bible for what keeps some people from being open to the statistics on health today. God tells us in Romans 14:2 (AMPC) that “One [man’s faith permits him to] believe he may eat anything, while a weaker one [limits his] eating to vegetables.”
I am in the group who can eat everything. God has given us the liberty to eat whatever we choose to eat. Based on my study and experience, my body does best on a plant-based diet. In fact, it thrives on a plant-based diet.
We know that Jesus ate fish with the disciples when He returned to earth after His resurrection. In John 21, Jesus provided the fish and ate bread and fish with the disciples. We know that most, if not all, fish today caught in the seas, oceans, lakes, and streams contain mercury, a very harmful toxin.
God is very specific about the care of the temple in the Old Testament. He is just as specific about the care of the temple in the New Testament. That temple is the body where the Holy Spirit takes residence the moment we acknowledge Jesus as our Messiah. Over 90% of all disease is directly related to an unclean temple or tabernacle, an unclean body. The two major causes of disease are toxicity and malnutrition. I choose to eliminate toxins as much as I can and to provide optimal nutrients to feed every cell in my body.
I have made changes to reduce toxins in our home. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that “150 chemicals commonly found in homes have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer, and psychological abnormalities.”
In a 15-year study, women who worked at home had a 54% higher death rate from cancer than did women who worked away from home. The study concluded that the increased death rate was because of daily exposure to toxic chemicals in household products. Formaldehyde is found in household cleaners, disinfectants, carpet, permanent press fabrics, many personal care products, medicines, antiseptics, and many other products used in the home.
I choose to wear only 100% cotton, 100% silk or linen, or 100% wool. I use a vegetable-based laundry soap for washing out clothes. Much toxicity remains in clothes washed with the chemicals of laundry soaps and clothes dryer sheets. These chemicals are against the body and can enter through the skin or the nostrils.
Here is a health equation provided by Hallelujah Acres where I have been a Health Minister since 1997.
Level of health = Nutrition + Exercise – (Toxins + Stress)
Please understand that what I am sharing is not biblical doctrine. I am presenting facts that today present a SAD (Standard American Diet) picture of health in the United States and in every country that adopts our fast foods and our animal-based diet.
I would like to present the principle of eating live, not living to eat. In Proverbs, we are warned to “take a knife to our throat if we are given to appetite.” God warns that gluttony is a sin. If I have extra fat on my body, I have eaten more than my body requires to live and to operate optimally.
The United States is the most overfed and undernourished nation in the world. I choose to select nutrient dense food. I eat only when I am hungry. Each of the trillions of cells in my body was created by God to process live food. The best live food would be just picked from the tree or bush or from under the ground.
The next best is organic produce. When necessary, I purchase produce from the produce section of the grocery store. More and more stores are carrying organic produce. Statistics show that organic produce is more nutrient dense than its toxin-filled, fertilized, poison-sprayed counterparts found in the produce section of the grocery store. Yet, these veggies and fruit are better for my health than cooked food. I allow myself some cooked food at the end of the day after I have fed my cells lots of nutients through freshly squeezed vegetable juices, the green powder of barley leaves, and fresh fruit.
I clean veggies and fruit by spraying them first with straight hydrogen peroxide and let them sit for ten minutes. Then, I spray them with white or cider vinegar and let them sit for another ten minutes. Then, I rinse them, prepare the veggies for the week, and then put them all in the refrigerator. I try to do this as soon as I arrive home from purchasing my produce.
Immediately, I prepare the greens for the week. I dry them and cut with scissors: lettuce, kale, parsley, cilantro, and any other greens. I use as many different greens as I can find. I cut just a little of each of the tougher ones and more of the different kinds of lettuce. I place them in quart-sized plastic bags in the refrigerator.
Raw greens are the major source of protein for many species of animals. Where does a cow, an elephant, or a giraffe get protein? The greens lose a little of the nutrients through being cut, but having salads and veggies all ready for many dishes is worth the slight loss of nutrients. When I go for a physical exam, I see that my protein levels are exactly where they should be.
Then, I take other vegetables that are not juicy, such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, green beans, snap peas, and others. I place these in the Cuisinart food processor with the blade. I pulse the machine on and off until the veggies are the size I want, about bite-sized. I place these in quart plastic bags in the refrigerator.
Now, I have fast food salads all ready. I just slice some tomatoes. I make salad dressings with avocados, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, plus lemon or lime juice, natural apple cider vinegar, or a fresh juice such as orange or tomato. I add flavorings from the garden, such as dill or basil, or use dried herbs.
I also have veggies ready to stir-fry in vegetables stock or a sweet and sour veggie dish with pineapple and dried grated coconut over brown basmati rice.
I have much information about meat-based diets being the cause of heart disease. Dr. Caldwell Esselstyne of the world-famous Cleveland Clinic Foundation spoke to our Health Ministry reunion in 2004. He has a plan of eating that virtually eliminates the heart disease that was not listed in the medical journals before the 1900s. Dr. Esselstyne reports that heart disease is the result of the increase of meat in the diet in the United States and other countries that adopt SAD when our fast food businesses arrive in their countries.
In Nigeria, Ghana, and West Africa, there is a noticeable absence of men older than 40. A health crisis has occurred because the meat-eating men are dying of heart attacks at an early age. The influx of the Western style of meat-eating, fast foods, and the belief that meat-eating equals prosperity are killing the men of these nations.
The incidence of heart disease in Japan was very low before SAD arrived in their country. They also had almost no lung cancer until smoking arrived in their culture.
Eating meat creates an odor in humans. The Native Americans would not eat meat before they went to hunt. They knew that the animals could smell the meat in their bodies. Vegetarians usually do not have body odor and do not need deodorants.
I do not use deodorants that contain aluminum. In fact, I do not use deodorants at all. The lymph system is right at the point where deodorant is placed. A large majority of breast cancer is at the upper outside corner of the breast where deodorant is placed year after year. There is a strong possibility that aluminum has a part in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as breast cancer.
Any chemicals that I place on my skin can enter my body through the pores. I no longer use chemical-laden sunscreen. I purchase sunscreen at the health food store but never over SPF 15. I do not use perfumes, creams, shampoos, conditioners, hair dyes, or any other chemical that would poison my body. I know that in time, the accumulation of toxins in the brain or skin will cause disease in my body. I use chemical-free products for personal care and for maintaining my home.
I am not presenting biblical doctrine. I prefer to live the Genesis 1:29 plan that God gave to Adam and Eve. It is so full of delicious food that I do not want to eat anything else. There are many sources for recipes, but I am very creative and love to make up my own. Please contact me if you would like to receive my recipes and ideas for taking responsibility for your own health.