Lifestyle Support for Healthier Living

God's Dietary Pattern for Man - The Foods

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the foul of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:26-31).

And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man--every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving (D&C 89:10).

All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground (D&C 89:16).

Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards; Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul. And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion (D&C 59:17-20).

Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine (D&C 89:12-13).

And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need (D&C 89:21).

The Foods God Ordained for Man

In context of these scriptures leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains nuts, seeds, and animals have all been ordained for our use, to be used with prudence, not to excess, and not with extortion. Why were herbs specifically defined as being for our nature and constitution and what is the nature and constitution of the body?

To answer that question we must consider that roughly 30 trillion cells make up the body, each of which shares similar needs. Science has determined that cells are capable of surviving both in and out of the body, so long as they can maintain access to the raw materials required to enable them to grow, repair, reproduce, to eliminate their wastes, and to survive and thrive in general. Each cell is endowed with organized matter, intelligence, and a pattern of operation. That pattern of operation is within the DNA inside the nucleus of the cell. The intelligences assigned to each cell, through agency, follow the operating plan to maintain cellular health--in accordance with God's will. However, they are dependent upon you to provide the elements needed to sustain cellular life properly. They can also rebel and sometimes do; therein lie many of the seeds of disease and death.

The central issue when considering your vitality, ideal body weight, and longevity--is prudence. What is a prudent diet? Debates go forward concerning whether or not animals should be used within the diet of man, whether we should eat fruit, grains, and so forth. It is clear from just the few scriptures cited above, not to mention the similar supportive scriptures of every major world religion, that plants and animals were ordained for our use to us to be used for food, raiment, and so forth, and that fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds--and foods above and below the ground are all meant for our use. Herbs and vegetables possess the highest density and most comprehensive array of nutrients of all foods; fruits are second, and together with herbs they can be used prudently to supercharge vitality. We will review in forthcoming blogs how to build upon a foundation of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Does the same diet work for everyone? In general, we are all build after the same pattern and our general needs are the same; however, prudence also requires us to consider the unique state of our body. Personal habits and generational abuses to the body can result in an altered state from the ideal state God originally created in the human body. Various genetic weaknesses follow from generation to generation. Therefore, prudence begins with general recommendations, but also must recognize your unique strengths and weaknesses. These we will discuss as we go forward.

An imprudent diet will lead to disease, disability, and premature death for you; a prudent diet will lead you to vitality, the absence of diet-induced diseases, longevity, and to the strengthening of your genes now and for future generations. Prudence then, plays a direct role in your life today, as well as in the lives of future posterity.

Therefore, to prepare yourself mentally, spiritually, and physically for the upcoming challenge, ponder each of these scriptures so that as we share the science of prudence, you will attain a desire, certitude, and assurance regarding the dietary lifestyle you will enable for your best health.

I've included a new video on the website entitled Earthlings Documentary, which you should watch as you consider the role you want animal-based foods to play in your diet. I did not include this to promote a pure vegan diet, but to enable you to ponder deeply your own personal responsibility to this earth over which we have dominion. Your personal choices have a trickle-down effect and we are each ultimately responsible--according to the law of supply and demand--for the extortion that is taking place on this earth. Were we more prudent in our dietary choices, we would not be personally responsible towards the unnecessary wasting and shedding of blood, or the woe upon us.

Reread the above scriptures, after having watched this documentary and consider phrases such as "with judgment," "not to excess," or "neither by extortion." Ask yourself if your judgement in the use of various foods, including animal-based foods is prudent and if it includes sound judgment, or if you need to become more God-like in these matters.

Like yesterday's blog, this one has been written to cause you to ponder more deeply as you commit towards a prudent dietary lifestyle for life.

All My Best,

Jim

Tags: animals, extortion, food, fruits, herbs, judgment, mercy, prudence, scripture