God's Codes of Health

With all the fad diets and crazy eating plans out there, I remembered a lesson I heard in church once outlining God’s code of health in Biblical times.  Is there such a thing?  Yes!  Our Heavenly Father tells his children what to eat and what not to eat by describing things as ‘clean’ or ‘unclean.’  

In Leviticus, God outlined the do’s and don’t’s of eating to his prophet Moses.  These guidelines were meant to keep His people healthy, not as punishment or just to control them.  When one looks at them closely, one can see the wisdom there.  Remember that there was no refrigeration then, so meat was particularly prone to spoilage.  Note that He said that these were all to be followed in perpetuity, so they should be taught to each generation through time.  Hence we see some communities who still practice these directions.  

Leviticus 3:17—No fat or blood.  I can imagine that blood would spoil particularly quickly, and who knows what might make one ill within that. 

Leviticus 10:9—No wine or strong drink.  Context implies that the purpose here was to prevent poor judgment due to drunkenness. 

Leviticus 11—Eat meat from animals that parteth the hoof, clovenfooted and cheweth the cud, except the camel, coney, hare, swine.  Eat fish with fins and scales.  Don’t eat things without fins and scales.  Eat fowl with a long list of exceptions.  Creeping things are to be avoided. 

Carcasses of every animal forbidden should also be untouched.  And any animal that died should not be eaten, only fresh meat.  Specific instructions are given on how to clean oneself and clothing if one touches carcasses. 

Leviticus 12-15—Teaches how to manage serious illnesses to keep them from spreading through the community.  

It’s clear that our Heavenly Father loves His children and wants them to be healthy and happy.  He gave these directions for the good of all who lived on the earth.  He knew that people already ate beans, grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and other foods in season.  Add to that clean diet some proper meats and it’s a healthy diet.

Is there an update to this?  Now that we have refrigeration, recreational drugs, fast food and genetically modified foods, what do we do?  

There is an update!  It’s called ‘The Word of Wisdom.’  It is part of a revelation to a prophet in the 1800’s, just like the biblical times.  Read it here:  Word of Wisdom

Here, God tells us that ‘in consequence of conspiring men with evil designs’ we need new guidance.  That’s pretty descriptive of parts of the food industry and drug lords, eh?  

Here’s a general breakdown of what Heavenly Father recommends for the modern world:

No wine or strong drink, tobacco or hot drinks.  Later clarification showed that to include tea, coffee and recreational drugs.  There’s been a lot of discussion about caffeinated drinks—that hasn’t been firmly clarified, but many followers avoid them because of their similar addictive properties.

Herbs (vegetables) are good in season.

Eat any meat sparingly, in times of famine or cold. 

All grain is good.

Note the absence of mention of dairy products, refined flour, processed foods and sugar laden foods.  I take that to mean that God wants us to apply these basic guidelines using our good judgment.  One might consider that God means grains as they come out of the ground, or whole grains.  He doesn’t say to strip them of their vitamins and minerals first.  And He doesn’t say to add sugar and preservatives to everything either.  

Again we can see the wisdom in this.  After the no's, the do's are in order of vegetables first, small amounts of meat and grains.  If we take that to mean most important, we should be eating primarily vegetables and fruits, with meat for flavoring and grains accompanying.  

Back to the Word of Wisdom, God promises many great blessings to those who would follow this counsel along with keeping His commandments:

Health in their navel and marrow to their bones,
Wisdom and knowledge, even hidden treasures
Shall run and not be weary and walk and not faint
The destroying angel shall pass by them as the children of Israel and not slay them.

These are pretty awesome promises, blessings that I want for me and my family.  As an ongoing project, I look for recipes that reflect this way of eating.  With our family favorite recipes, I adapt them to fit these guidelines better.  I will be posting these adaptations as time permits.  Hopefully this will lead to better health and fitness for me and my family.

Photo courtesy of mormoninfo.org