Two articles ago I mentioned, in passing, the concept of food as medicine. In this article I will begin delving more into this concept. I hope you recognize that this blog is different. It is intentionally so because Father’s goal is that your spirit, soul and body be fed and be well. I will continue to weave the appropriate scriptures into the discourse so that you begin to see the bible as a manual for life inspired by One who loves us dearly. His intent is that as the light is shone upon certain concepts that we will repent, change the way we think. As a man thinks in his heart so is he[1]. One of my favorite health coaching statements is, “The body follows where the mind first goes”. Ultimately, I am wasting my and your time if this weblog does not lead you to act differently. If you have been following along on this journey to health and wellness thus far I sense that you are more than just curious. I take comfort in the fact that I am being obedient to the Father’s instruction. I live to do His will. In as much as we are talking a lot about food, man shall not live by food alone but by every word that proceeds from God’s mouth [2].
I was introduced to the concept of Food as Medicine in my integrative medicine training. As simple as it sounds it was quite revolutionary to me because it was never a point of focus in my medical training. The reason for this is beyond the scope and focus of this weblog. Essentially it based on the idea that the human body has the inherent ability to repair and maintain itself when given the right raw materials. The right food is one of those essential raw materials.
Let us delve into the bible to find spiritual correlation for this claim. Jerusalem is besieged by Babylon and the people are taken captive. The King instructs the chief of his courts to select from among the Jewish princes to add to his court. The story in Daniel 1: 1-16 focuses on four Hebrew princes named Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. These four young men were handsome, intelligent, wise, educated and gifted. They obviously knew the linkage between food and health. They are assigned lavish meals, according to Babylonian standards because the goal is that they look as healthy as they could when presented to the king. They refused the royal diet and Daniel, their spokesman, requests that they do a little experiment. Let us take up the discourse from this point.
“Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who ate the royal food and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So, he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.” [Daniel 1:12-16– New International Version].
I could probably end this article right here but to be fair I will proceed. Verse 8 relates that Daniel, resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. This occurred historically around 597 BCE. Some bible scholars surmise that the royal food might have consisted of daily rations of meat, fish, lamb, fowl, honey, barley, dates, wheat, lentils, peas, beans, olives, pomegranates, grapes and pistachios. What was the issue? We know that by then the Jews were living by a strict dietary code where certain foods were designated as clean while others were unclean. They were allowed to eat meat including lamb and some fish so what was the problem? Was the meat, but not the vegetables dedicated to heathen idols? Unlikely!
And what about the word “defile”? That is very strong language. The royal food and wine would contaminate or corrupt them? Plausible! In any case, on a diet of vegetable and water they looked healthier and better nourished than their counterparts. I am not using this to make a case for vegetarianism especially since I do not believe that it is appropriate for everyone. We will deal with this in later articles. I do want to offer an alternative explanation, an educated guess, if you will. Whenever and wherever people live lives of overindulgence especially involving livestock consumption there is a tendency towards inhumane cultivation and abuse. We see it in our present time. Many of the viruses that plague us in recent times have been transmitted to humans from animals. That is true for the regular flu which kills thousands around the globe annually. It originated first in ducks and other birds[4]. Rearing chickens in inhumane conditions in huge industrial warehouses is a recipe for disaster. One mutation in a flu gene in one chicken is very likely to infect the entire flock then the human handlers. The rest is history!
We have not even dealt with the stress under which many livestock animals are raised. We are consuming stressed-out livestock and becoming what we eat. What about the antibiotics that are fed to the animals to prevent infection initially and because of the noted side effect of rapid growth? The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans is largely due to this short-sighted practice. Who knows what other chemicals that are fed to animals that become unintentional food additives? Can you imagine that the inherently herbivorous cows are fed meat because it causes them to grow faster? Please hear me, the problem is not the meat per say. It is how it is raised. To borrow from Daniel, eating defiled meat will defile me.
References
- ^ Proverbs 23:7 -KJV, Friday April 3rd
- ^ Deuteronomy 8:3-KJV, Friday April 3rd
- ^ Food as Medicine
- ^ Influenza- wild origins in the animals around us, Friday April 3rd
Disclaimer
The contents of this article are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This article does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.