Think You Can Eat Anything You Want? Think Again!
Author: Thomas Ciola


Have you ever wondered why God designed our bodies so that we must eat to stay alive? And have you ever really thought about the act of eating? I mean really sat there and pondered why it is that two or three times per day, for each and every day of your life, you must take a variety of external material called food, place it in your mouth, chew it and then swallow it down inside your body?

It sounds kind of strange when you look at it like this, doesn't it? Yet this is exactly what each and every one of us must do virtually every single day of our lives in order to stay alive. But why this way? Might God not have designed us differently or is this the best system of all? Since God is perfection, I think it would be safe to assume that we are the way we are because this is the best way of all. (Although, more than likely before the fall in the Garden of Eden, man's digestive system worked even better than it does today.)

Bear in mind also that everything physiological about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before they sinned was exactly the way God ideally intended it to be for all of us and it is the way we shall be once again in the Kingdom of God. Despite some views to the contrary, Eden was not meant to be a temporary abode for the man and the woman, a brief holdover tank from which they would later be removed. In fact, Eden was to be their home forever and consequently, everything about their bodies was perfectly designed in order for them to continue dwelling there in perfect health. Therefore, if we want to know what is absolutely best for our health, physiology and well-being today, then we need to study Eden before the fall.

Our principle biblical source of information for this quest is found in the first three chapters of the Book of Genesis. It is in chapter one verse 27 that we first meet God's highest creation.

'So God created man in His own image. . . male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27)

This immediately tells us something very important. Since man was created in God's image, we can conclude that Adam and Eve were created both physically and spiritually perfect. Therefore, everything about man and his body prior to the fall had to be perfect.

The next question is whether God gave the first man and woman any specific dietary instructions. The answer is yes.

"And God said, ÌÚ See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food." (Genesis 1:29)

There it is! We have now uncovered exactly what it was that perfect man was to eat before the fall in the Garden. And therefore, if we are to seek after our original Eden perfection ̦ and we should ̦ ("Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48), then it behooves us to find out exactly what this perfect Eden diet was. Let's find out.

Reread Genesis 1:29 above. Notice first of all that God identifies two basic plant sources of nourishment for man ̦ herbs and trees. The Hebrew word for herb is eseb which means green, grass, tender shoot or herb. Falling under this broad definition then would be a wide variety of foods including cereals and grains (wheat, barley, rice, oats, etc.), as well as vegetables, beans, legumes, berry plants, herbs and spices.

Furthermore, the seed producing trees would also give us a huge variety of fruits and nuts, including two important Bible foods ̦ grapes and olives. Not to be overlooked is the fact that God more than likely intended for us to eat even the seeds themselves since modern science is now uncovering a host of health-building factors in seeds and pits.

Noticeably absent from this Eden menu, however, is any form of animal products (meat, fish, milk, dairy, eggs). Also absent are food additives, artificial preservatives, colorants, fungicides, mold inhibitors, extenders, artificial flavorings ̦ you know ̦ the usual stuff we eat every single day of our lives.

One other key point here. The Bible mentions nothing about the use of fire, ovens, or microwaves in Eden. Might we assume then that perfect foods for perfect humans were meant to be eaten raw? More than likely yes!

So now that we have created a template of the perfect foods that God ordained for perfect man's original Eden diet, the question is this. Is there merit to still eating this way or doesn't it really matter anymore? Many New Testament Bible scholars will present strong arguments that it really doesn't matter anymore. We have been saved by the grace of God they reason, so worrying about the types of foods we eat or don̢t eat smacks of legalism and only distracts us from the free gift of salvation that God has graciously bestowed on all of us.

Can they be right? Do they really mean to say that what we eat doesn't matter anymore? Does a high fat diet, for instance, of over processed and over chemicalized junk food really not matter anymore? Just say a blessing over it before eating it and all is well. Is it true that God doesn't care what we eat anymore? This whole line of reasoning is absurd and is accounting for many of the health problems now confronting toadies Bible believers!

Of course it matters what we eat since we now know conclusively that certain types of eating patterns can cause all kinds of illnesses and ultimately death. This being the case, then why would we not opt for the most perfect diet God ever created for man ̦ the Eden diet? While in Eden, Adam and Eve ate freely from all of the trees including the Tree of Life (Genesis 2:16). In the Book of Revelation we are told that we are once again eating freely from the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:2). Why would we choose to eat any differently in this fallen, cursed time in between? The answer is because of our own selfishness. We have put our likes and wants and tastes and appetites ahead of what God wants. But rather than force us to live by His rules ̦ which God never does ̦ He is allowing us to temporarily do it our way.

Wait a minute! Didn't God tell Noah after the great flood that he and his family could now eat animal flesh?

"Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things even as the green herbs." (Genesis 9:3)

But notice what else God said after the flood.

"And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, of all that move on the earth and on all the fish of the sea." (Genesis 9:2)

Can you see what's happened here? Did you notice how contradictory this all is to the peace and harmony noted earlier that originally existed in Eden between Adam and all of creation? Obviously, something has gone quite seriously wrong. Noah's post flood world is not the same world that God created in the beginning. It is now a changed, fallen world. You can almost hear God saying to man, "You wanted it, now you've got it." (In fact, some Bible scholars believe that the eating of animal flesh was one of the contributing factors to the violence that was upon the world before the flood.)

We encounter yet another strange phenomenon after the flood when men now become meat eaters. Man's life span is shortened from multiple centuries to 120 years.

"And the LORD said, 'My spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." (Genesis 6:3)

Some scholars (and nutritionists) have made the connection between eating meat and a shorter life span. I happen to agree. So what is really happening then is that both the earth and man are actually going through a process of devolution and not evolution. Things keep getting worse not better. In fact, by the time the Psalms are written, man's life span is even shorter.

"The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years." (Psalm 90:10)

But how could it be any other way since man was to be God's special instrument of harmony on the earth? As man goes, so goes the earth.

So just ask yourself this. If you were the Almighty Creator looking down upon a world that keeps falling farther and farther away from the ideals of Eden, wouldn't you be impressed to see someone trying to live their life and keep their body as close to the original perfection of Eden as possible? Of course you would and of course He does. Those people who strive to live their lives according to the Eden formula demonstrate a deeper wisdom that is sorely lacking in the world today. Ask yourself this. Was the world a better place during Eden or today? Why then would you opt for the modern world's way rather than God's Way? Are you deluding yourself by following Satan's dietary philosophy of selfishness and rebellion? Have you been placing your needs and appetites above God's wisdom? Perhaps it was our time that God was speaking about when He said to Daniel,

"Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand." (Daniel 12:10)

If you are one of those people who can't really see the connection between your diet and your physical and spiritual well being, let me remind you of something. The very first sin committed by human beings dealt with eating the wrong food and it led to their deaths and all of ours as well. So do you still think that what we eat isn't really all that important? It's about time you start reassessing your viewpoint. God outlined a specific diet for us in Eden and only altered it because of our weaknesses ̦ not His.

"For I am the LORD, I do not change." (Malachi 3:6)
It is we who have changed.

"Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from my ordinances and have not kept them." (Malachi 3:7)

No, you should never take the act of eating lightly. It is a most sacred event, consecrated and blessed by God Himself. It was God who formed us from the dust (chemical elements) of the earth, (Genesis 2:7) just as it was God who, in His infinite wisdom, connected us eternally to the earth by the very food we eat. And just as a newborn baby feeds from its mother, so too do we feed from the earth from which He formed us. It is an unbreakable bond that extends from now straight into the Kingdom of God. Even Jesus referenced this on the night before He died.

Ì£I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:29)

All of the essential nutrients for life come to us from the earth and the food it provides. Protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fiber, water. Yes, God has established a symbiotic relationship between us and the earth. And although our destiny may some day be to travel among the stars, we will always be children of the earth. We are one with it and it is one with us and it is food that links us to it. Therefore, make all of your food choices wisely. God would have it no other way.

The article can be found on http://www.healthliesexposed.com

--Ren

Thanks for the informative article Razorren. Here is a statement from Inspiration that is especially helpful on the subject:

Quote:

God gave our first parents the food He designed that the race should eat. It was contrary to his plan to have the life of any creature taken. There was to be no death in Eden. The fruit of the trees in the garden, was the food man's wants required. God gave man no permission to eat animal food until after the flood. Everything had been destroyed upon which man could subsist, and therefore the Lord in their necessity gave Noah permission to eat of the clean animals which he had taken with him into the ark. But animal food was not the most healthful article of food for man.

The people who lived before the flood ate animal food and gratified their lusts until their cup of iniquity was full, and God cleansed the earth of its moral pollution by a flood. Then the third dreadful curse rested upon the earth. The first curse was pronounced upon the posterity of Adam and upon the earth, because of disobedience. The second curse came upon the ground after Cain slew his brother Abel. The third most dreadful curse from God came upon the earth at the flood.

After the flood the people ate largely of animal food. God saw that the ways of man were corrupt, and that he was disposed to exalt himself proudly against his Creator and to follow the inclinations of his own heart. And He permitted that long-lived race to eat animal food to shorten their sinful lives. Soon after the flood the race began to rapidly decrease in size, and in length of years. --Ellen White, Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 373.

Suzanne

I've never heard this.

Seems like I had heard that before, though don't recall where. Just did a "White" search and came up with these quotes!

Hi

The other day while studying Daniel, I stumble on this one. I was quite surprise: Daniel eating "Meat"? I look at the Hebrew word for "flesh", and it is describing the flesh of animals. The pleasant bread is probably sweet pastries. The wine, well let say it was grape juice that he was abstaining from.

It seems so out of character for Daniel. Can anyone shed light on this?

Elle,

Keep in mind that even the "vegetarian" among the Jews ate flesh at certain times of the year and during certain feasts, as required in the sacrificial system. Study the passover. The meat that they would eat in these ceremonies was not tasty. It was to be a lesson for them, eaten with bitter herbs.

The majority of people who have "discovered" this verse have attempted to twist it into something it does not say. They teach its implication instead of its explicit statement. This is an unsafe practice in terms of Biblical interpretation. Whether or not Daniel ate meat cannot be proved. That he says he did not eat meat during this time does not necessarily mean he ordinarily did so. Why base one's interpretation on what is not actually said?

Another point to bring up here is that the Jewish meat, even in ordinary practice, was quite different from the sort of meat that would have been present on the king's table (and on most tables today). God had forbidden the eating of fat or blood (see Lev. 3:17). Those are the two things that make meat tasty. Daniel and his friends, therefore, would have considered it a sin to eat the meat on the king's table, and the best way to avoid the issue of blood or fat in the meat would have been to abstain from meat-eating altogether, unless they had some way of killing the animals themselves and properly draining the blood, removing the fat, and then cooking it according to the Mosaic laws. (There were certain other restrictions on how to cook one's meat given in the laws of Moses.)

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

"Think You Can Eat Anything You Want? Think Again!" The human body is fearfully and wonderfully made. It amazes me how much abuse it can take. It can take a licking and keep on ticking. I am beginning to think it is possible to eat pretty much anything without ill effect so long as it is thoroughly masticated and consumed in moderation. Overeating and eating too often is more detrimental than what is eaten. Of course, exercise is important, and so is getting plenty of pure water, fresh air, and safe sunshine. What is eaten is not nearly as important as the aforementioned lifestyle choices. This is not to say the clean and unclean laws are irrelevant. They should be obeyed whenever possible.

They loved to destroy the lives of animals. They used them for food, and this increased their ferocity and violence, and caused them to look upon the blood of human beings with astonishing indifference. {3SG 63.1}

I suspect it was the act of killing animals, more than merely eating them, that contributed to their increased ferocity and violence and astonishing indifference. It would be a hard sell to prove that merely eating meat, especially kosher meat, causes people to be ferocious or violent or indifferent.

PS - Just in case it matters, you might be interested to learn that I have been a vegetarian for the last 35 years and a vegan for 25 years.

This is something that may be of interest on this subject. This is from the strongs concordance. The Hebrew word for meat means something edible. That could mean anything like vegetable or something.
'akiylah ak-ee-law' feminine from 398; something eatable, i.e. food:--meat.