Reverse artery disease...and so much more!
It is possible to have control over your health! To rephrase, you can control what diseases you will not develop. Dr.T. Colin Campbell states in The China Study, "The authors of a major review on diet and cancer, prepared for the U.S. Congress in 1981, estimated that genetics only determines about 2-3% of the total cancer risk." The other 97-98% is determined by the environment - the largest contributor of environmental influence being DIET. Another prominent report, sited in The China Study, from the University of Oxford (U.K.) submitted that the same 2-3% of all cancers are attributed to genes. What does this mean? You can determine, within 97-98%, whether you will have cancer in your lifetime! In fact, your diet can determine whether you will fall prey to any of the diseases of affluence - colon cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, childhood brain cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, diabetes, and artery disease (including coronary).
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, has done a long-term study on the link between the Western diet and artery disease. His study proves that heart (or artery) disease is a disease of affluence and can be halted or reversed by changing from the Western diet to a plant based diet. Dr. Esselstyn grew up on a farm and can understand the crossroads of health and the American diet. Here are a few short clips of his message to those who have ears.
The following video is quite lengthy and of much poorer quality, but Dr. Esselstyn gives great information with slides to explain how artery disease leads to so many more illnesses. There is a good Q&A at the end of his presentation.
I would like to take liberty, now, to speak as a believer in Christ. As I pour into the Word of God, I find many instructions about food. It is clear that food is desirable to all of mankind, and particularly rich foods - namely meat. From creation, man was given "every plant yielding seed and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food." (Gen. 1:29) The post-flood diet included meat as God instructed Noah and his family, "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." (Gen. 9:3) It is easy to deduct that green things were not readily available in abundance immediately after a world-wide flood. Meat was given to man for sustenance So my point is not that God frowns on meat-eating. My point here, is to say that America is rich; therefore, we must look at what God says about the rich.
The rich. Two passages regarding the rich and their food point to gluttony, self-indulgence and indiscretion. The first one, I Corinthians 11: 17-34 is Paul's instruction to the Corinthian church regarding their eating habits at church gatherings. They were getting together, eating with indulgence and disregarding those among them who were hungry. As Paul instructs a proper approach to eating in worship, he instructs communion. In this spiritual time of worship, believers are to examine his/her heart to identify any unrepentant sin (vs. 28). In contrast, Paul addresses their gluttony in eating meals. Meals should be eaten at home (vs. 34). However, it is interesting that Paul gives them insight as to why they are weak, ill and many have died. He tells them (vs. 29), "For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgement on himself." If our bodies are weak, if we are ill, if we are dying, then we should heed Paul's instruction to discern signs from our bodies . We should respond to our condition by eating what is healing and by surrendering our gluttonous stomachs (gluttony is idolatry which leads back to the examination of our hearts during communion).
The second scripture passage is a warning to the rich (James 5:1-6). The warning begins simply with a call to repentance, "weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you." The scripture continues on to point out that the rich are laying up their idea of "treasure" in this world but the treasures will not last into eternity. There is a judgement coming, and the end is not looking good for the rich. Among their self-serving acts is gluttony. "You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter." (vs. 5) Our response to this passage should be to humble our hearts before God, desire simplicity, and to give freely of all that God has provided.
Here are a few more passages for your study if you are interested in looking into this a bit more:
Job 20:17-23 the rich are never satisfied
I Corinthians 10:31 do everything for God's glory
Romans 14:2
the weak (literally meaning physically weak) eat only vegetables
the weak (literally meaning physically weak) eat only vegetables
Proverbs 23:20-21 regarding gluttonous eaters of meat
Exodus 16:31-32 God provided high carbohydrate plant food for hungry Israel
Psalm 111:5, Ps. 34:9-10, Ps. 136:5, Proverbs 10:3, Matthew 5:25-34
God provides food for the righteous, don't fear hunger, seek God
"Dear Father and Creator of all things, I pray that you will speak to those who are searching for direction and for truth regarding their health. Help them to be enlightened by Your Word and by Your Voice in their lives. Give them the desire through the power of Your Spirit to obey Your direction. Please heal them of their diseases in order to live out the fullness of the number of their days, in Jesus name. Amen."
~May God bless you!
Steph
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