GOD’S ORIGINAL DIET

Sir,

What we eat helps make us what we are. Our blood, bones, fat and tissues are all fed by the food we eat. Our food impacts our physical being in many ways.

If we stop eating we die, if we eat too much, or eat the wrong things we become sick. Indeed, a good diet is a very important factor in living a healthy lifestyle.
The Bible tells us; “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 which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” This verse gives us what is widely known as the Genesis Diet.

This biblical eating plan focuses on foods that God gave to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God’s original diet for man did not include flesh, it was purely vegetarian.

Over the years, those following this biblical eating plan experienced apparent health benefits. A good example is Prophet Daniel. At a time when Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, first became Babylonian slaves, they all rejected the king’s delicacies and wine, choosing to subsist on a diet of vegetables and water instead. At the end of 10 days, all four youths were found to be healthier than those who had eaten the king’s food. Scientific research has shown that this Eden diet is the best diet one can use. It is healthier than a diet high in flesh.

After the flood, the Bible tells us that God introduced meat into the diet. Only after much vegetation had been destroyed, did God give humans permission to eat animals. However, not all the animals are fit for consumption. Leviticus 21 and Deuteronomy 14 roll out a list of ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ foods to help us. The Lord has given us a detailed revelation of the distinction regarding clean and unclean meat. God wants us to take care of our bodies, that’s why He showed us what things are not good for us to eat.

Distinction

Many people today assert that in the New Testament times, the Bible obliterated the distinction between clean and unclean animals, and it does not matter now what people eat. Yet, that really does not make a whole lot of sense, if you think about it. It is very hard to imagine why the New Testament would show no concern about our health. It gives us a picture of a God who was only concerned with the health of the Old Testament.

One text that is often used to support this view is 1 Tim 4:3. In this particular case, Paul was dealing with heresies that would forbid believers to partake in two things that God gave humanity at creation, food and marriage.

The foods involved are all foods that God had created for human consumption. Paul’s words here should not be taken to mean that unclean foods were ‘created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth’ (1 Tim. 4:3, NIV).

It is also noteworthy that in diet, temperance is key. Too much of even good food can be detrimental to your health. In general, the idea is to eat a wide variety of healthy food, certainly enough to meet all our nutritional needs, while at the same time not overeating and taxing the system. Our health is a precious gift, and diet plays an important role. It is therefore paramount that we exercise self-discipline and self-control when tempted to overeat or to eat what we know is not good for our health. The truth of the matter is, we can get away with eating certain unhealthy foods today but health problems will catch up with us as we grow older.

Bopoto Gwinyai

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