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Diet Today
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17). How are we to understand this text in the context of the whole question of diet and health? What are some of the extremes that we need to avoid?
As Adventists, we should be very thankful for the counsels we have been given on health. The best medical science affirms the basic principles of the kind of diet we advocate. In Ellen G. White’s last address to the General Conference in 1909, she counseled “We do not mark out any precise line to be followed in diet; but we do say that in countries where there are fruits, grains and nuts in abundance, flesh food is not the right food for God’s people.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 159. In other words, if we are in a position to eat this way, we should seek to do it. It does not make us righteous, it does not make us holy, and it certainly does not put us in a position to judge those who do not eat the way we think is best. It can, though, make us healthier, and who does not want good health?
Today, nutritionists often display what is called a food pyramid, a diagram that shows what the best foods are and the amounts that should be consumed. At the base of the pyramid are the whole grains: breads, pasta, and brown rice. These should be eaten in the largest quantities, about six to eleven servings per day. The next level includes fruits and vegetables, recommending about five to nine servings per day. Next are dairy products and eggs, about two to three servings a day. These can be important for vegetarians, in order to make sure that we get enough vitamin B12 in our diet. Total vegetarians should take vitamin B12 supplements. The next group, almost at the top (which means these should be eaten in even smaller amounts), includes legumes, nuts, seeds, and meat alternatives for vegetarians. A nonvegetarian diet would include fish, fowl, and meat, but only in moderate quantities. Finally, at the top, which means one should consume the smallest amounts, are fats, oils, sweets, and iodized salt.
Our health is a precious gift. Diet plays an important role in health. How wise, then, for us to seek to do the best we can in what we eat. How important for us to exercise self-discipline and self-control when tempted to eat what we know is not good for us. God gave these truths to us for our benefit. When we ignore them, we hurt ourselves and, as so often is the case, others are made to suffer, as well.
| THURSDAY | June 17 |
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17). How are we to understand this text in the context of the whole question of diet and health? What are some of the extremes that we need to avoid?
As Adventists, we should be very thankful for the counsels we have been given on health. The best medical science affirms the basic principles of the kind of diet we advocate. In Ellen G. White’s last address to the General Conference in 1909, she counseled “We do not mark out any precise line to be followed in diet; but we do say that in countries where there are fruits, grains and nuts in abundance, flesh food is not the right food for God’s people.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 159. In other words, if we are in a position to eat this way, we should seek to do it. It does not make us righteous, it does not make us holy, and it certainly does not put us in a position to judge those who do not eat the way we think is best. It can, though, make us healthier, and who does not want good health?
Today, nutritionists often display what is called a food pyramid, a diagram that shows what the best foods are and the amounts that should be consumed. At the base of the pyramid are the whole grains: breads, pasta, and brown rice. These should be eaten in the largest quantities, about six to eleven servings per day. The next level includes fruits and vegetables, recommending about five to nine servings per day. Next are dairy products and eggs, about two to three servings a day. These can be important for vegetarians, in order to make sure that we get enough vitamin B12 in our diet. Total vegetarians should take vitamin B12 supplements. The next group, almost at the top (which means these should be eaten in even smaller amounts), includes legumes, nuts, seeds, and meat alternatives for vegetarians. A nonvegetarian diet would include fish, fowl, and meat, but only in moderate quantities. Finally, at the top, which means one should consume the smallest amounts, are fats, oils, sweets, and iodized salt.
Our health is a precious gift. Diet plays an important role in health. How wise, then, for us to seek to do the best we can in what we eat. How important for us to exercise self-discipline and self-control when tempted to eat what we know is not good for us. God gave these truths to us for our benefit. When we ignore them, we hurt ourselves and, as so often is the case, others are made to suffer, as well.
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