I have been by told someone that the "Southern Diet" consists of much meat, cheese, and fried foods. Because of this anecdote, it does not surprise me. Over in Japan, they eat mostly rice and fish, and promote a healthier food culture with portion control and harder access to western junk food. They have significantly lower obesity rates (3.5%) when compared to the USA (30%) as a result.
[1]
In the Book of Daniel, they did a science experiment. Royal foods would have been rich in meats, fats, and wine, very luxurious for the time.
[2][3] Wine back then was a common substitute for clean water, because the latter was harder to come by in those times.
[4][5]
8 Daniel decided not to eat the king’s food and wine because that would make him unclean. So he asked Ashpenaz for permission not to make himself unclean in this way.
9 God made Ashpenaz want to be kind and merciful to Daniel. 10 But Ashpenaz said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my master, the king. He ordered me to give you this food and drink. If you don’t eat this food, you will begin to look worse than other young men your age. The king will see this. And he will cut off my head because of you.”
11 Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 12 Daniel said to the guard, “Please give us this test for ten days: Don’t give us anything but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then after ten days compare us with the other young men who eat the king’s food. See for yourself who looks healthier. Then you judge for yourself how you want to treat us, your servants.”
14 So the guard agreed to test them for ten days. 15 After ten days they looked very healthy. They looked better than all of the young men who ate the king’s food. 16 So the guard took away the king’s special food and wine. He gave Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah vegetables instead.
~Daniel 1:8-16 (ICB)
Bible Gateway passage: Daniel 1 - King James Version
Bible Gateway passage: Daniel 1 - New King James Version
Bible Gateway passage: Daniel 1 - New International Version
Bible Gateway passage: Daniel 1 - International Children’s Bible
While a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat are ideal,
[6] vegetables and water are certainly the better of the two options, when compared to just meat and alcohol.
[7] As far as meat is concerned, fish and poultry are the best options.
[11] Red meat, such as pork, beef, and mutton, have potential adverse health risks when eaten in excess.[12] Unleavened bread has a longer shelf life because of the lack of yeast causing physical and chemical changes.[13] I personally believe Levitical dietary law was primarily meant to keep the Ancient Israelites healthy in a time before refrigeration and more advanced cooking methods.[22]
Alcohol can be good for heart health, as long as it is taken in moderation (
1 Timothy 5:23). Otherwise, it only harms the person's health.
[14] Family history of alcoholism also needs to be taken into account.
[15] Soft drinks high in sugar also contribute greatly to obesity, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and poor dental health.[16] Sugar should be less than 5-10% of daily calories.[17][18] Up to 400mg (roughly four cups of coffee) of caffeine a day appears to be a safe amount for most healthy adults.[23] I personally recommend up to two cups of coffee each morning. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER!!!
Exercise and portion control are critical to managing weight.[8] A thirty-minute walk each day should be enough to manage weight, if done at a consistent pace.
[9][10] Extra physical health benefits also include strengthened bones and muscles, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and some cancers. Doing so increases the chances of having a longer, better quality life.[19] Mental health benefits include improved mood by decreasing stress, while increasing self-esteem, self-confidence, energy, creativity, attention and focus function, sleep, and long term memory. This is due to increases of adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine. Exercise also protects the brain from disorders such as depression, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. Exercise changes the structure of the brain, especially the hippocampus, through a process known as neurogenesis.[10][20]
Fasting triggers autophagy (the body cleaning out damaged cells in favour of newer and healthier cells) which prevents cancers and degenerative diseases, has anti-aging effects, rejuvenates the skin, boosts the immune system and brain function, improves insulin sensitivity to protect against diabetes, lowers
cholesterol, fight inflammation, and aids muscle strength.[21]
Most importantly, educate yourself in Biblical values and understand your true value to God (1 Corinthians 3:16-18, 6:19-20, Galatians 5:19-26, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Timothy 4:7-8).
- YouTube.com - What I've Learned - Why is it so Easy to be Thin in Japan? - Jan 23, 2018.
- https://hcscchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/food.pdf
- Eating in Historical Jerusalem
- https://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/what-does-a-two-thousand-year-old-wine-taste-like
- Wine throughout history: What were ancient wines really like?
- Canada's Food Guide
- Plant-based diets are best… or are they? - Harvard Health
- https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/downloads/calreqtips.pdf
- How a 30-Minute Walk Every Day Could Keep the Fat Off
- YouTube.com - TED - The brain-changing benefits of exercise | Wendy Suzuki - Mar 21, 2018.
- Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight
- Potential health hazards of eating red meat - PubMed
- Spoilage of Processed Foods: Causes and Diagnosis - Food Microbiology Group of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) - p. 383-397
- Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits
- The heritability of alcohol use disorders: a meta-analysis of twin and adoption studies
- The sweet danger of sugar - Harvard Health
- Know Your Limit for Added Sugars
- Sugar: the facts
- Benefits of Physical Activity
- five-mental-benefits-of-exercise
- Autophagy: Definition, Diet, Fasting, Cancer, Benefits, and More
- https://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/te...ticus/text/articles/key-levdietary61a-asa.pdf
- Caffeine: How much is too much?
On May 22, 2021, at roughly 8:00 PM Eastern Time, I am making ongoing edits to this post, due to the sheer scale of it. My apologies, I am still learning because I am a flawed human being who is predisposed towards selfishness.
