Some Foods Damage, Others Heal

Food pyramid from ihelt.com

In my previous posts, I have mentioned the need to eat real food, which means whole foods that have not been man-made or processed.  I've also mentioned the need to avoid other foods that damage your body, particularly the four white poisons -- dairy, refined sugar, refined salt, and refined white flour. 

While I have studied this topic extensively from many sources over the years, one excellent source of information I've found is Bee Wilder.  She has a website called Healing Naturally by Bee.  In this post, I'd like to highlight a few things she teaches, which I think are key.

On her home page, she states: " 'Real' food is medicine! Unprocessed foods direct from nature nourish your body so it can heal itself. Your health is damaged and deteriorated by processed foods, foods that are microwaved or irradiated (zapped with radiation), and foods not properly prepared for human consumption."

Foods That Heal
She gives an excellent list of healthy foods.  Her list includes dairy, but based on our research, we concluded that it is definitely not healthy and we have eliminated it from our diet.

One of the things you probably don't expect to see on the list are saturated fats.  She points out a fact that many experts have found, which is that our bodies actually need saturated fats.  This includes all animal fats, and certain other saturated fats like cold-pressed, virgin olive oil, as well as virgin coconut oil. 

Contrary to a myth that was created in the 1950's by a biochemist named Ancel Keys, fat and cholesterol do not cause heart disease.  There's an entertaining video called the Big Fat Lie, which covers this.  But I'd encourage you to also read what Bee has to say about saturated fats.

Stay away from the unnatural oils that contain unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, like corn, soy, safflower, and canola oil.  These go through a hydrogenation process that makes them very unhealthy for your body.

Foods That Damage
I recommend Wilder's article called Foods that Damage, Foods that Heal.  In addition to listing the healthy foods, she gives quite a comprehensive list of foods that damage your body.  In addition to the ones I've already mentioned, these include grains, nuts, seeds and legumes that have not been properly prepared, and including all products containing them, irradiated and microwaved foods, pasteurized foods and foods that are processed using high heat, genetically modified foods, soy and soybean-based foods, as well as supplements and products containing soy.  She states, "Foods must be free of additives, pesticides, heavy metals, irradiation, neurotoxins (MSG, carrageenan, etc.), nitrates, sulphites, etc."

It's important to note that during biblical history there was no such thing as processed or pasteurized food as we know it today.  Prior to the industrial revolution, "food processing" was limited to crude methods like natural fermentation, sun drying, smoking, or preserving with natural salt.  The food that Jesus and the apostles ate did not contain chemical pesticides, additives, growth hormones, nitrates, sulphites, or neurotoxins.  You can be sure they ate whole foods, free of these toxins, which are real food that nourishes your body.  And their bodies were vessels fit for the Master's use.

Let me just say a word about MSG, which is an acronym for monosodium glutamate.  If you are not aware of the dangers of this poison, I highly recommend your do your research.  This substance is a commonly used flavor enhancer in food.  Most fast foods contain MSG.  It's found in many canned and packaged products westerners eat, including soups, as well as dressings and fast foods. The label will not always say monosodium glutamate or MSG.  Often times when there is MSG in a product, it may simply state "natural flavorings" or some other pseudonym. MSG has been linked to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, asthma, obesity, and a host of other diseases. A good place to start your research is with this video. Some other sources of info on this are the following:

MSG Linked to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Degenerative Disease by Kathryn Picoulin
The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about MSG
Monosodium Glutamate MSG Health Dangers and Side Effects of Toxic Additives
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) Causes Obesity
MSG Dangers and Deceptions

Putting it All Together
These are just a few resources I'd like to provide for you to educate yourself on which foods damage and which foods heal your body.  As we have implemented these changes into our family's diet, we have seen a significant measure of health restored in a number of areas in our family, including sinus headaches, asthma, and seborrhea.  I hope you will find this helpful, and begin making the changes in your diet to remove the toxins and consume the real foods that God created for you to enjoy.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ already, this information can help you take the practical steps necessary to be a vessel fit for the Master's use.  But if you are not yet one of His disciples, you can't become one by trying to purify yourself physically.  Only He can cleanse your heart and make you whole.  He loves you with an everlasting love, and He died upon the cross for you, in order to wash away your sin and enable you to be in right relationship with God.  That's why I'd like to invite you to give your whole life to Him today.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: This post is part of a series.  If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, such as Some Foods Damage and Others Heal and The Benefits of Eating Well. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  The views expressed in this blog are not intended as medical advice to treat any condition.  Rather they are my personal opinions based on my own research, and do not necessarily represent the views of Doulos Missions International.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Which Foods Are "OK" to Eat?

There was an ancient religious belief that what goes into a person defiles him spiritually. Likewise in our modern, scientific world, we’ve come to believe that the germs or foods that go into us make us sick. The idea is that sickness comes from the outside and goes into the body. But here is what Jesus taught.

After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. ["If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."] When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. And He *said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." (Mar 7:14-23)

The Pharisees and all the Jews did not eat unless first they carefully washed their hands. This was one of the traditions of the elders that they observed. But in doing so, they invalidated the Word of God. Nothing outside a man can defile him if it goes into him. This includes germs and foods. Jesus declared all foods clean. So what defiles a man?

You've heard the saying, "You are what you eat"?  Fitness and nutrition expert, Jack LaLanne, used to say, "The food you eat today is walking and talking tomorrow."  It's true that what you eat is used by your body to build cells, so that food you put into your mouth becomes part of your body.  But Jesus said it’s what proceeds out of the man that defiles him. It’s about the heart. This includes things like evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. So perhaps we should coin a new phrase, "You are what comes out of your mouth." 

Whether we wash our hands before we eat is not the primary concern. Instead our concern should be bringing glory to God. This is why Paul taught, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1Co 10:31). If you are doing everything for God’s glory, including your eating and drinking, then you will be aware that while all things are lawful, not all things are beneficial or profitable (1 Co 6:12).  That means that even though you are permitted to eat any food, not all foods are good for you to eat.

For example, as the first century Jerusalem Council decreed, you should "abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood." (Ac 15:20). That means you will do well to avoid eating meat that is either sacrificed to idols, or comes from strangled animals, or has the blood still in it. In fact, you should not eat any blood, even if it is no longer in the meat, as in the case of blood sausage and blood pudding. Likewise, there are other things that you may choose not to eat, because they are unhealthy for you, even though you are permitted to eat them. If you live this way, you will be careful about what you eat, but you won’t need to be focused on what goes into your mouth.  Instead you will be Christ-centered.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. 

Author's note: This post is part of a series.  If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.