DIET FOR A LIFETIME
Wholesome food strengthens healthy bodies: enjoy it.
L et’s suppose you just purchased the car of your dreams: a
Porsche Panamera, a Mercedes-Benz S- Class, or an Audi A8.
Would you even think of using the lowest grade of fuel
possible, neglecting to change the oil, or totally ignoring all the
manufacturer’s suggested maintenance checks? Certainly not!
If you had just paid more than $90,000 for a luxury car, you
would be extremely conscientious about keeping it in optimum
condition.
The human body is far more beautiful, complex, and finely
tuned than any automobile in the world. Our bodies are a
marvel of infinite engineering intelligence. Think of the
wonders of a single cell, the complexity of the brain, the
intricacies of the heart, or the divine miracle of birth. We stand
amazed at the carefully crafted design of the human body. A
loving Creator went to infinite lengths to create us, and, like a
luxury car, our bodies also the best possible fuel to power our
lives, and that fuel comes from the food we eat. Without
premium fuel in a luxury car the mileage goes down, power is
lost, and the engine does not run as smoothly. And without the
right nutrition, our bodies just do not function properly either.
A balanced diet chosen from the best foods will provide the
essential nutrients needed for growth, Maintenance, and
energy. When we pick low-quality foods or don’t eat enough of
even the best foods, the body machinery suffers. And if we
overeat highly refined foods, we can easily become overweight
and lack vital nutrients. The one who made us cares about our
health, and so should we. The apostle John certainly echoed the
desire of our Lord’s heart when he prayed, “Beloved, l pray that
you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul
prospers” (3 John 2 NKJV).
Caring for our bodies is not something we do in addition to
being a Christian. It is at the heat of God’s plan for our lives.
Do not misunderstand. We cannot eat our way into heaven. We
are saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8). However, we may
fail to achieve God’s purpose for our lives because our poor
eating habits bring premature and preventable disease and
death. Make no mistake about it: What we eat is important.
Understanding Good Nutrition
We fuel our bodies from the foods we choose to eat. They
provide the nutrients essential for a healthy and productive life.
Digestion is the intricate process of breaking down food into its
individual building blocks so that the body can assimilate and
use them to sustain life. This process begins in the mouth,
moves to the stomach, then to the small intestines, and finally
to the large bowel.
We can divide the nutrients our bodies need into these
important categories:
• Carbohydrates: In a “premium fuel” diet, the largest
portion of carbohydrates should come from rich unrefined
sources, such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, and
vegetables.
• Proteins: Every cell in the body contains proteins. Tissue
repair and growth require them. While almost all foods
have some protein, animal products such as milk and eggs
are also good source, but not the only ones. Legumes
(beans) contain excellent protein.
• Fats: These are concentrated sources of energy. We often
get too much fat in our diet because we like the flavour it
imparts to foods. Many people would rather eat French
fries than boiled potatoes. Nuts in moderate amounts
provide excellent quality fats, however. The body needs
such fats to absorb fat-soluble vitamins.
• Vitamins: These are essential organic components of the
diet, and are required in small amount for normal growth
and activity. Most occur naturally in various foods. Some
are fat-soluble and others water -soluble, and when we do
not have sufficient supply, a deficiency results.
• Minerals: These inorganic elements are vital to human
health and are easily obtained from both animal and plant
foods. Too little of them can lead to a deficiency.
Principles for Healthful Food Choices
A healthful diet requires good food choices. Keep in mind
the following simple principles:
• Variety: The most important principle of eating well is
selecting a variety of foods. This ensures a wide range of
nutrients to support a healthy body, and the various
textures, tastes, and colors enhance the pleasure of eating.
• Quality: Choose the majority of your food from whole
foods, not refined ones. Such foods are nutrient-dense
rather than calorie-dense.
• Moderation: Some important components of a healthful
diet we should eat only in small amounts. Our bodies
require adequate amounts of the essential fats as well as
small amounts of salt to maintain our electrolytes. But
obesity is a growing problem worldwide. It’s even
possible to eat too much good food! We must balance the
amount of energy we consume with the energy we expend
in physical activity if we are to remain at a healthful
weight.
• Avoidance: Highly refined foods that often have large
amounts of their nutritional elements removed should be
avoided, as should foods and beverages that have no
nutritional value (for example, alcohol, coffee, and sodas).
Some people eat as though they don’t believe it makes any
difference what they consume. But it does. Dr. Gary Fraser, an
eminent cardiologist and research scientist, explains how
dietary choices and lifestyle affect our longevity and quality of
life: “Early in my career as a scientist and physical the great
advantages of prevention rather than waiting to treat
established disease became clear. Despite the great advances of
modern medicine, the expense, sometimes discomfort, and lack
of assurance of cure make medical treatment an inferior
approach to the control of disease….My colleagues and l
inferior had the opportunity to collect data that in a rigorous
scientific fashion allow us to investigate the value of a
vegetarian diet. After many years of research by us (and other
groups), the evidence is now clear. A plant-based diet provides
a host of advantages over diet containing meat, as is commonly
consumed among our neighbours in the United States and in
many other parts of the world.
“We now know,” he continues, and we have published evidence
in medical journals, that American vegetarian Adventists, as
compared to nonvegetarian Adventists, have less hypertension,
lower-LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower levels of fasting sugar and
insulin, lower levels of C-reactive protein [a chemical that is
associated with inflammation], less diabetes, a problem with
overweight and obesity. In addition , there is clear evidence of
moderately lower mortality among Adventist vegetarians when
compared to nonvegetarians. This is particularly from
cardiovascular disease and diabetes/kidney disease. the
frequency of certain cancers also appears to be less among
vegetarians.”
According to Dr. Fraser, studies of 34,000 Californian
Adventists back in the 1980s and 1990s demonstrated that as a
group Adventist men lived more than seven years and women
more than four years longest than their non-Adventist
neighbours, making them one of the longest- lived populations
ever reported. The National Geographic has cited Loma Linda,
California (actually representing Californian Adventists), as the
American “blue zone,” a term used to refer to an area of unusual
longevity. “ Just as important,” says Dr. Fraser, “we also have
demonstrated across the country that at each decade of life
Adventists enjoy better physical and mental quality of life than
their non-Adventist peers. Thus, it appears that the extra years
of life are generally good-quality years.”
Dr. Fraser’s observation speaks to each one of our desires. Each
of us desires “good-quality years.” We want to add not only
years to our life, but life to our years. What would a few more
years be if they were absolutely miserable? That is why Jesus
instructed us that “man shall not live by bread alone, but every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
God’s words give us hope and courage to face life’s most
difficult challenges. They offer us a new peace and purpose for
living.
The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah cries out, “Your words
were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy
and rejoicing of my heart; for l am called by your name, O Lord
God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16, NKJV). Just as good nutritious
food nourishes our bodies, God’s Word nourished our soul.
Deep within each one of us there lurks a soul hunger to know
the truth about life’s meaning and purpose. As we have seen
already, the Bible reveals where we can came from, why we are
here, and where we are going. It tells us that we were created
by a loving God who cares for us more than we can imagine.
He is a God who will never leave us or forsake us but wants us
in heaven even more than we desire to be there. The Bible
portrays a God of incredible hope who is preparing an eternal
banquet for us one day soon in eternity. Until then, He invites
us to care for our bodies here in anticipation of living with Him
in the earth made new. Therefore, dedicate your body to God
and choose to honor Him in the things that you eat and drink.
You can look forward to one day sitting around a throne and
eating with God at the royal banquet in His kingdom.
This article is taken from the book called “Health and
Wellness: Secrets that will change Your Life” The author is
Mark A. Finely.
