The Bible story of nutrition and diet
Dietitians and nutritionists, doctors and health educators, health coaches and even the self-made experts share a lot of information to help you decide what’s best to eat. So many opinions easily cause confusion, to say the least.
At Message, we believe in a Biblical worldview. Whether it’s about your faith, money, relationships, health, or diet, there is always an answer in the word of God. And, that’s how I sift through all of the “evolving information” that continues to come from the world of nutrition experts. My choices follow this analysis: how does what they are saying about what I eat compare to the Word of God?
In Genesis 1:29, the Creator explained to Adam and Eve what to eat. “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.” That verse describes what we now know as fruits, nuts or seeds and grains.
♥ Cranberry Bread
- 3¼ cups unbleached flour or 2 cups unbleached flour and 1¼ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup soy margarine, room temperature
- 1¼ cups natural cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons alcohol free vanilla flavoring
- 1 8-ounce carton soy cream cheese
- ¾ cup soy or nut milk
- 1 16-ounce can whole cranberry sauce or 2 cups homemade cranberry sauce
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
- ½ – 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
Spray and flour bread baking pan—regular size or several small ones which are excellent for gift giving.
In a bowl combine flour, and baking powder. In another large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Mix in vanilla extract and cream cheese. Add milk, cranberry sauce and lemon juice. Beating on low speed of mixer, beat in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into pan(s). Bake at 350o for 45-50 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool, cut, serve. b Yield: 1 large loaf or 3-4 small loaves.
♥ Red Pepper Hummus
- 2 cups cooked or canned garbanzos, with liquid
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 small red pepper (roast if desired)
- ¼ cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin or to taste
- 2 cloves garlic
McKay’s NO MSG Chicken Style Seasoning to taste, optional
Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Add the roasted red bell pepper by stirring in diced pieces or by blending in the whole red pepper. Delicious on pita bread with lettuce, tomato, bean sprouts. b Yield: 3 cups
After Adam and Eve sinned, the Creator revisited their diet saying in Genesis 3:17, 18 “And unto Adam he said, Because thou has hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and has eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.”
♥ Barley Vegetable Soup
Olive Oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2-3 stalks celery
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 small bell pepper
- 2-3 carrots, sliced or diced
- 2 cups fresh, coarsely chopped Roma tomatoes
- 1 cup each – barley, corn, lima beans, green beans
- Water
- McKay’s Chicken Style Seasoning, Basil, Thyme, Parsley to taste
- 1 Bay Leaf
Pour a small amount of oil into a large soup pot. Add onion, celery, garlic, bell pepper and carrots. Sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add other ingredients stirring well. Add 4 cups of water. Season to taste with Chicken style seasoning and herbs. Let simmer a few minutes. Add 2-4 cups more water, bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer about 30 minutes until ingredients are tender. Add more water if necessary. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve. b Yield: 6 servings
♥ Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced into bite-sized cubes
- 2 tablespoons margarine or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon natural sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ginger, oregano, thyme, cinnamon or Jamaican allspice or coriander
- Dash of salt
Place diced sweet potatoes into an oven proof dish. Mix seasonings into melted margarine or coconut oil. Stir into sweet potatoes, coating them well. Roast in 400o oven until desired tenderness. Serve. b Serves: 4-6
For 2000 years, humanity ate a plant-based, or “vegan” diet. And, scripture lists the longest person to live as 969 years. When God began to grieve that He had made man on the earth, He said He was going to destroy it through a flood and give all who wanted to live through it a chance to join Noah and his family on the ark. No one took his offer.
When the flood was over and all the vegetation was gone, God told Noah and his family, the only ones who went on the ark, that “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you, even as I have given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat” (Genesis 9:3,4).
It was then that dramatic loss in life span occurred. About 300 years were lost between Noah and his sons. And, today the average life span in America is close to 70 or 80 years.
Years later, as Abraham’s descendants, the Children of Israel exited Egypt (the Exodus), the Creator fed them daily with manna from heaven. The Bible says that the manna was like coriander/cilantro. He told them in Exodus 15:26 that if they did what He said, He wouldn’t put any of the disease on them that he put on the Egyptians. At their demand for “meat” He sent them quail—and, they ate it until it came out of their noses and many died.
God also repeated the details of His diet for them. In Leviticus 11, He clearly lists the animals that they could eat – the animals that were “clean” or vegetarian. He also clearly listed the animals they should not eat, animals that were “unclean” or the carnivorous scavengers. In addition, He states that “It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations through all your dwellings that ye eat neither fat nor blood” (Leviticus 3:18). That would include milk and cheese and dairy products, which in their unprocessed state are full of animal fat.
♥ Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder, blend all ingredients together into a powder.
Store in the fridge for up to three weeks. Modified from karissasvegankitchen.com
♥ Almond Milk
- 1 cup raw almonds, rinsed
- 4 cups water
- Sweetener of choice – honey, agave, stevia
- Salt, optional
Place almonds and one cup of water in blender and blend until smooth. Add remaining water and blend again until smooth. Add sweetener and optional salt to taste. Strain to remove any remaining nut solids. Serve as is. Serve with fruit or carob added. Use in any recipe that calls for milk. Variation: Use cashews in place of almonds. Make with flax seed using ½ cup flax seed and 4-6 cups water. b Yield: 1 quart
All through the Bible, God mentions honey. The Promised Land was flowing with it. And, in Proverbs (24, 25) He tells us to eat it, but not so much that it makes you vomit.
And, we see through the prophets Isaiah (11, 62, 65) and John the Revelator (22) that when He comes again to rescue us from this world of sin, the animals won’t die anymore to be served up on our plates. As a matter of fact, the lion and the lamb will play together. And, the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
♥ Avocado Salad Dressing
- 1 medium, ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
- Juice of one lemon and/or lime (depending on your preference, I use both)
- ⅓ 1 cup water or more to desired consistency
- Honey and salt to taste, optional
In a blender, place the peeled and sliced avocado. Add lemon and lime juices and water to make it thick but pourable. Add optional honey and salt to taste. Serve immediately. (Color darkens, longer it sits). b Yield: 16 servings.
Variation: Add ½ small cucumber, 1 handful fresh basil, 1 small container plain, non-dairy yogurt, 2-3 cloves garlic, water to desired consistency.
♥ Momma’s Rice
- Olive oil
- 1 cup your favorite veggie beef chunks, diced
- 1 medium onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup green peas
- 2 cups Instant Brown Rice
- 3¼ cups water
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- Garlic powder, Mckay’s Chicken Style Seasoning to taste
Pour a small amount of olive oil in a large pot. Saute’/stir fry veggie beef chunks and onion for about 3 minutes. Add carrots, peas and rice. Stir until mixed well. Add cilantro, some garlic powder and McKay’s Chicken Style Seasoning. Add water and bring to boil. Taste and add more seasonings if desired. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer until rice is done. Serve. b Yield: 6-8 servings
♥ Echinacea/Golden Seal Tea
Often used in the winter months to fight colds/flu. Echinacea improves immune system, by increasing the white blood cell count. Golden seal helps upper respiratory tract infections, fights coughs and colds, and benefits stomach pain, ulcers, diarrhea, constipation, hemorrhoids, and intestinal gas. The powder can be made into a salve and used on rashes.
Boil 4 cups of water. Add 2 echinacea teabags and 2 goldenseal teabags. Remove from heat source and let steep for about 5 minutes. Add lemon and honey to taste. Enjoy!
b Yield: 4 cups.
I’m so happy that the Creator makes it so easy to figure out how to eat. He made us! He knows what’s best for us! He can give you power to overcome appetite
DONNA GREEN GOODMAN, M.P.H., writes from Huntsville, Alabama where she and her husband operate Lifestyle Therapeutix, A Lifestyle For Better Health Center. www.lifestyletherapeutix.com She is a health educator who has been a college professor, National Ambassador for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure “Circle of Promise” Campaign, and is author of Somethin’ to Shout About!, (Orion Enterprises, 1999), Cookin’ Up Good Health, (Still Shoutin’, 2008) and executive producer of her own cooking show “Cookin’ Up Good Health!” which aired on HOPETV. Tune in to Donna’s YouTube Cooking Channel and visit her at www.stillshoutin.com
