What on God’s Green Earth can I eat? by Nancy Roberts

It’s confusing to say the least, on the one hand dairy products are good for you, build strong bones and teeth, then on the other the intake of dairy needs to be moderated, or it’ll give you a heart condition. Amid all the hubbub about trans fat, saturated fat and organic v.s. artificial chemically laden foods we consume every day, we can ask ourselves how did God really intend for us to eat? Unfortunately even that answer is frought with controversy. Two really good books on the subject are the Maker’s Diet and What Would Jesus Eat? Both those authors ascribe to the principle the diet laid out for us in Leviticus should be followed today and with good reason. We know now through the miracles of science, that eating the meat of a strangled animal isn’t the best way to consume it. Death by strangulation takes a relatively longer time than the biblically correct way, by a quick throat cut. A delayed dying period gives the animal time to react to the stress and release powerful corticosteroids into his system to prepare him to fight back. We would have the same reaction if our safety was threatened and it’s a known scientific fact, too much of these hormones in the system on a constant basis are detrimental to health. So why on earth should we consume extra amounts of them? Animals today are usually killed in a more humane way, but obviously God had reasons for delineating how we are to secure and prepare our daily sustenance. Another example is the taboo against eating shellfish. We now recognize them to be the scavengers of the sea floor, consuming all the debris and bacteria left behind by other aquatic life. As such they contain substances we probably shouldn’t eat, even though our divinely designed intestinal tract is a marvel at filtering out harmful substances. Today, shrimp in particular is farmed and harvested in a more sterile environment, but I still question the wisdom in consuming more than a moderate amount. And what about pork, mmm, good bacon and lean ham, but again swine are to the earth what shellfish are to the sea, garbage collectors. Are our modern pigs raised on a more healthful diet? Yes, to be sure a farm raised, grain fed animal probably provides a safer meal. So what do we do? Did Jesus coming to save and release us from the law apply to Old Testament dietary restrictions as well? I don’t think anyone really knows. Some folks claim he gave those dietary rules just to test the Jews, I don’t agree. I believe all the biblical principles are turning out to have valid and scientifically tested reasons why it was a good idea to listen to God, even on what we should eat. I think we can go back further in the OT to where it says he gave us the green plants, herbs and fruits and then after the flood, the flesh of animals for food and figure that pretty much applies today. Especially since he hasn’t said otherwise. The problem comes with what we’ve done to that food. Pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, animals being subjected to unnatural life spans and confined environment leading to a stressed filled, biochemically altered existence. We intuitively know we pretty much are what we eat, and if we consume meat from a cow that has been fed hormones to make her eat more and fatten up quickly, doesn’t that mean we are consuming those same hormones? The answer lies in the growing trend today to ‘grow your own’, which isn’t practical advice for most of us, but there are viable alternatives. Even the large, national grocery chains are offering organically grown vegetables, and hormone/antibiotic free-range beef and poultry. You’ll pay a bit more at the cash register, but save overall by avoiding the incredibly high costs of health care and general downtime due to living in a sub-optimal physical condition. It’s kind of odd really, how we’ll use premium oil and gas in our vehicle but just throw any old fuel in our most important asset – US.
My name is Nancy Roberts, and I have both a bachelors and masters of science degree in Nutrition, from the University of Arizona, and have successfully competed for and completed an 11 month internship making me eligible to take the National examination for certification, which I passed and for which I was awarded the credentials of Registered Dietitian. Pastor Gary asked me if I would provide nutrition information for the Horizon Church website which I am happy to do. I will be contributing on a regular basis. I believe God gave us the tools for a happy healthy life and we just need to apply good common sense in the area of what we eat. Science is constantly discovering the various phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables that are natural disease preventers and good health enhancers. I study nutrition because again, I believe God gave us the ability to learn about and take good care of the health he’s bestowed on us by eating correctly. (We also need regular, restful sleep and physical activity, but that’s for another discussion).