Biblical Nutrition

Biblical Nutrition

A lot of people are confused about what to eat. The American traditional ideal is a steak and eggs, potatoes, and sweets Hodgepodge of processed and home-cooked foods. At the other extreme is the Tibetan monk who only munches berries and shrubs. As the religious writings of some of the humblest men in history, the Bible has different ideas for what diet is ideal for humans. This article examines several, and then gives the ideal recommendation to leave you feeling energized and free of nasty bloating.

The first humans, Adam and Eve, were instructed by their Creator to follow a natural raw vegan diet, primarily based on whole foods.1 However, the first dietary restriction given to humanity was a fruit tree that they could not eat, which they later did, triggering a new governing system for the planet and Adam Eve’s descendants.2 Now, humans were to be humbled by cumbersome laws, since they refused to govern their own lives according to the Creator’s perfect will. This is why we have all the different religions and governments of today.3

The Jews, according to the Bible, as the Creator’s cultural mouthpieces for mankind, were given a more liberal dietary plan than the first humans. Jews were instructed to avoid most insects, pork, shellfish, dead carcasses, and blood.4 They were also given specific instructions on washing and sanitation that was unknown to other cultures in the ancient world even up to recent history. The Jewish dietary plan is called Kosher.5

When the Creator came to earth as the Lord Jesus, He followed the Kosher dietary plan. The Bible records him eating fish and bread.6,7 Through his apostles, notably Paul, the final dietary restriction of the Bible was eat based on what you have faith for, avoiding blood and idol foods.8,9 If a person lacks faith about what they are eating, then it is not going to be good for them, no matter what it is. Our mental state has powerful effects on health.

What diet is ideal for you? The answer depends on the level of your faith and also what type of blood you have.10 If you have doubtful thoughts about gobbling pork roast, then you need to avoid it. It is good to keep in mind that the original human diet was raw veganism. Recent studies have shown that the more veggies humans consume are closely connected to their overall longevity and health. Biblical examples concur. But even the Creator himself was not vegetarian.6,7 Some recommend vegetarianism for healing and repair of the body. One of the core tenets of the Bible is moderation.11 If you are guzzling diet soda 5 times a day, along with eating greasy pork rinds, then something probably needs to change. Or, if you are a tribal herbalist sparingly nibbling leaves and berries, then you also need to slacken up a little. The idea is not to overindulge. The Bible is very negative about both gluttony and self-righteous fasting.12 Figure out which extreme (or both) you tend to practice, and then make steps to improve.13

To figure out which dietary extreme you struggle with asking yourself the following questions:

1. Which do I do, gobble up all the goodies at the thanksgiving function, or never attend?

2. Do I look down my nose at people who are more unhealthy than me?

3. Do I view food as an escape valve for deeper emotional cravings?

4. Do I make fun of vegetarians as wimps?

5. Do I make fun of the typical bloated American?

The extreme which you naturally like to practice in your diet can be moderated by learning a little from the other extreme. If your neighbor invites you to eat at their barbecue, do not have 5 hot dogs. Have one. If your friend makes fun of your meat eating, citing their healthy new _____ diet, then learn from them, but do not become a self-righteous disciple of them. The Bible places humility in everything as the preeminent virtue, in opposition to the proud and selfish extremes of the devil found in this world.14
Links

1. http://biblehub.com/genesis/1-29.htm

2. http://biblehub.com/genesis/2-17.htm

3. http://biblehub.com/isaiah/28-13.htm

4. http://biblehub.com/niv/leviticus/11.htm

5. http://www.koshercertification.org.uk/whatdoe.html

6. http://biblehub.com/luke/24-42.htm

7. http://biblehub.com/luke/24-43.htm

8. http://biblehub.com/acts/15-20.htm

9. http://biblehub.com/romans/14-23.htm

10. http://www.dadamo.com/

11. http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/7-18.htm

12. http://biblehub.com/matthew/23-25.htm

13. http://biblehub.com/romans/8-13.htm

14. http://biblehub.com/matthew/23-12.htm

15. http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-6.htm