View this lesson in a browser and print a "take-away" weekly copy. CLICK HERE (see link below)
A Balanced Diet
“Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags” (Prov. 23:19-21). What important health principle do we find in these verses? How can we learn to apply this principle to ourselves, in the area of health and temperance?
“In order to know what are the best foods, we must study God’s original plan for man’s diet. . . Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables . . . prepared in as simple and natural manner as possible are the most healthful and nourishing. They impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet.”—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, pp. 295, 296.
Just because someone is a vegetarian does not automatically mean that he or she is eating a healthy diet; at the same time, just because someone eats some meat does not automatically mean he or she is defiling their body temple. Other factors for a good diet are important, as well.
You could be a vegetarian and yet at the same time be consuming too much fat, too much salt, or too much sugar, all of which can lead to a variety of serious health issues, things like diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, and cancer.
Or you could be simply consuming too much food in general. You can be on the strictest total vegetarian diet possible, and yet, because you eat too much, you could become overweight with some very negative health consequences.
In diet, as with all things, temperance is important. Too much of even good food can be detrimental to your health. In general, the idea is to eat a wide variety of healthy food, certainly enough to meet all your nutritional needs, while at the same time not overeating and taxing the system. As with everything in health, balance is the key.
Our church does not make vegetarianism a test of fellowship. And it should not either. Many faithful Adventists choose not to be vegetarians. What, though, are the advantages of being a vegetarian, if you are in a position to get enough of the right foods for a proper diet?
| WEDNESDAY | June 16 |
“Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags” (Prov. 23:19-21). What important health principle do we find in these verses? How can we learn to apply this principle to ourselves, in the area of health and temperance?
“In order to know what are the best foods, we must study God’s original plan for man’s diet. . . Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables . . . prepared in as simple and natural manner as possible are the most healthful and nourishing. They impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet.”—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, pp. 295, 296.
Just because someone is a vegetarian does not automatically mean that he or she is eating a healthy diet; at the same time, just because someone eats some meat does not automatically mean he or she is defiling their body temple. Other factors for a good diet are important, as well.
You could be a vegetarian and yet at the same time be consuming too much fat, too much salt, or too much sugar, all of which can lead to a variety of serious health issues, things like diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, and cancer.
Or you could be simply consuming too much food in general. You can be on the strictest total vegetarian diet possible, and yet, because you eat too much, you could become overweight with some very negative health consequences.
In diet, as with all things, temperance is important. Too much of even good food can be detrimental to your health. In general, the idea is to eat a wide variety of healthy food, certainly enough to meet all your nutritional needs, while at the same time not overeating and taxing the system. As with everything in health, balance is the key.
Our church does not make vegetarianism a test of fellowship. And it should not either. Many faithful Adventists choose not to be vegetarians. What, though, are the advantages of being a vegetarian, if you are in a position to get enough of the right foods for a proper diet?
No comments:
Post a Comment