Proper Diet

At creation God instructed Adam and Eve to eat a diet of nuts, grains, and fruits (Genesis 1:29). After Adam and Eve sinned, vegetables were added to their diet (Genesis 3:18). After the flood, the Creator added “clean” flesh foods to the diet (Genesis 7:2, 3; 9:1-6).

Because people on a vegetarian diet are healthier and live longer, many experts in nutrition and health urge us to consider returning to humanity’s original diet of nuts, grains, and fruits with vegetables added. The flesh of animals contains both saturated fat and cholesterol, which can increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and other diseases. Today many physicians and nutritionists advise those who do eat meat to consume only lean, well-cooked meat and to do so sparingly. If you’d like to start a vegetarian menu, make sure you first understand how to provide a balanced diet without meat.

Here are some helpful suggestions for preparing a vegetarian diet or a diet with limited meat (taken from Look Up and Live, page 44):

“1. Purchase the freshest and best-quality fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables available. Then store them in a cool, dry place for a short amount of time.

“2. Eat some raw food every day. When you do cook, use a minimum amount of water and time.

“3. Stay away from as many refined foods as possible. Buy or make breads with whole-grain cereal flour, and use brown rice instead of white. Your intake of such starches and complex carbohydrates should consist of six or more servings a day. (This also includes seeds and legumes.)