F��a og �fa-The leyndarm�l til betri healthshocking( r�ttur?)

��kve�inn greinir � ensku Afsta�a af �akkl�ti

Afrakstur Peace—and Heilsa

    The s�lmask�ld fullur br��i, “A gla�ur hjarta gerir g��ur eins og a medicine.” Okkar �stand af hugur hafa �hrif � okkar upphlutur � margir lifna�arh�ttir, einn af hver er okkar bodies’ geta til hagn�ta the f��a vi� bor�a. Okkar andlegur/ tilfinningar�kur �stand br��abirg�a- melting, og �ess vegna saml�gun af n�ringarefni, m�gulegur e�a �m�gulegur. Ef, fyrir sumir �st��a, vi� can’t �tdr�ttur okkar f��a og �� gleypa the n�ring fr� �a�, hvers vegna bor�a �a�? Hvers vegna s�a the peningar og t�mi? The Heilagur Spirit’s r�� � �essi atri�i fylgja:

    “In r�� til hafa heilbrig�ur melting, f��a �xl vera matma�ur h�gt. �essir hver vilja til for�ast meltingartruflun, og �essir hver framkv�manlegur �eirra skylda til vi�urv�ri allur �eirra m�ttarv�ld � the �stand hver vilja gera kleift �� til l�ta ver�a the bestur �j�nusta til Gu�, vilja gera heilbrig�ur til muna this. Ef �inn t�mi til bor�a er takmarka�ur, gera ekki elding �inn f��a, en bor�a minna, og bor�a h�gt. The hagur �� ��last fr� �inn f��a hjartarskinn ekki r��ast af svo mikill � the magn matma�ur eins og � �ess �tarlegur melting, n� the fulln�ging af the finna brag� af svo mikill � the magn af f��a kyngja eins og � the lengd af t�mi �a� leifar � the munnur. �essir hver ert br��ur, �kafur, e�a � a mikill fl�tir, vildi gera heilbrig�ur ekki til bor�a �anga� til �eir hafa stofna hv�la e�a l�ttir; fyrir the l�fsnau�synlegur m�ttarv�ld, �egar harkalegur taxed, geta ekki frambo� the nau�synlegur maga- juice.” � sama sta�.

    E�lisv�sindi bjarnarfeldur �t �essi r��. � einn tilraun � melting, a t�pa var hlaupa fr� a cat’s magi til a flaska. Hven�r f��a var be placed ��ur the hungra�ur k�ttur, maga- safi r�sir streymandi inn � the flaska. Hven�r a hundur var h�va�i of n�l�gur the cat’s b�r, the rennsli af meltingar�rvandi safi h�tta.

    Okkar andlegur/ tilfinningar�kur �stand br��abirg�a- melting, og �ess vegna saml�gun af n�ringarefni, m�gulegur e�a �m�gulegur.

    �tti, hafa �hyggjur, fl�tir, rei�i, hindrun, resentment—all the neikv��ur tilfinning �essi str�� aftur the “peace �essi fara framhj� understanding”—literally st��va the meltingar�rvandi safi fr� streymandi. Tilfinningar�kur streita geta ors�k the sphincter v��vi af l�ff�ri eins og the lifur, briskirtill, og gallbla�ra til samningur, st�fla the gefa �t af nau�synlegur v�kvi inn � the meltingar�rvandi kerfi og svona sem koma m� � veg fyrir e�a afst�ra the melting af the f��a svo �a� geta vera samlaga � gegnum the veggur af the sm��armar. �a� er a bjartur- skera ford�mi af the mind’s stj�rna �hrif � the heilsa af the l�kami.

    The l�kami er �� byr�i eins og �a� tilraun til eiga vi�skipti vi� �meltur f��a, hver �reynsla t�ma l�fsnau�synlegur orka, og ef the f��a leifar � the kerfi of langur, gerjun og rotnun fylgja, hver eitur the l�kami. (�a� tekur ��ur � ��kve�inn greinir � ensku klukkustund eftir � the tilfinning e�a afsta�a er lei�r�ttingart�ki fyrir the sphincters til breg�ast vi� eins og �eir �xl)

Eating fyrir the Rangur �st��a

    Sumir af okkur, hven�r streita e�a ni�urdreginn, hafa tilhneigingu til bor�a too much, even though we see the results in unwanted weight gain. Others happily indulge at potlucks, holiday feasts, social get-togethers, and the like. The positive or negative interplay of food, family and friends is a potent one. Again the counsel stresses digestion and its profound effect on health. “The stomach suffers when so many kinds of food are placed in it at one meal.” Counsels on Diet, 275.

    “What influence does overeating have upon the stomach? It becomes debilitated, the digestive organs are weakened, and disease, with all its train of evils, is brought on as the result. If persons were diseased before, they thus increase the difficulties upon them, and lessen their vitality every day they live. They call their vital powers into unnecessary action to take care of the food that they place in their stomachs.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 112.

    Furthermore, “the system receives less nourishment from too great a quantity of food, even of the right quality, than from a moderate quantity taken at regular periods.” Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 2, 412.

Timing our Tasting

    When we eat greatly affects our bodies’ ability to benefit from what we eat, even if we chew thoroughly, peacefully and temperately. “Regularity in eating is of vital importance. There should be a specified time for each meal. At this time let everyone eat what the system requires and then take nothing more until the next meal. . . .” Ministry of Healing, 303, emphasis added.

    When we eat greatly affects our bodies’ ability to benefit from what we eat, even if we chew thoroughly, peacefully and temperately.

    “The practice of eating but two meals a day is generally found a benefit to health; yet under some circumstances, persons may require a third meal. This should, however, if taken at all, be very light, and of food most easily digested. Crackers—the English biscuit—or zwieback, and fruit, or cereal coffee, are the foods best suited for the evening meal.” Counsels on Diet, 176.

    “. . . At least five or six hours should intervene between the meals, and most persons who give the plan a trial will find that two meals a day are better than three.” Ministry of Healing, 304.   

    “Those who are changing from three meals a day, to two, will at first be troubled more or less with faintness, especially about the time they have been in the habit of eating their third meal. But if they persevere for a short time, this faintness will disappear. Counsels on Diet, 175.

     The digestive organs need as much intelligent consideration as any other organ. “The stomach, when we lie down to rest, should have its work all done, that it may enjoy rest, as well as other portions of the body. The work of digestion should not be carried on through any period of the sleeping hours. After the stomach, which has been overtaxed, has performed its task, it becomes exhausted, which causes faintness. Here many are deceived, and think that it is the want of food which produces such feelings, and without giving the stomach time to rest, they take more food, which for the time removes the faintness. And the more the appetite is indulged, the more will be its clamors for gratification. This faintness is generally the result of meat eating, and eating frequently, and too much. The stomach becomes weary by being kept constantly at work, disposing of food not the most healthful. Having no time for rest, the digestive organs become enfeebled, hence the sense of “goneness,” and desire for frequent eating. The remedy such require is to eat less frequently and less liberally, and be satisfied with plain, simple food, eating twice, or, at most, three times a day. The stomach must have its regular periods for labor and rest; hence eating irregularly and between meals, is a most pernicious violation of the laws of health. With regular habits, and proper food, the stomach will gradually recover.” Ibid.

    Digestion—and thus, to a great extent, our health—begins in the mouth.

    From that last sentence we learn another benefit of eating wisely: “If nature’s laws have not been too long abused, she will carry on her restoring process, although it may not be immediately realized. But some have so long abused nature that she cannot recover entirely. . . .” An Appeal to Mothers, 22. All praise to our Creator, in that obedience to His generously-provided wisdom will allow us to recover our health to a greater or lesser degree!

That Mid-Morning

or Bedtime Snack

    Inspired counsel about snacking provides the digestive reasoning behind it: “Regularity in eating should be carefully observed. Nothing should be eaten between meals, no confectionery [sweets], nuts, fruits, or food of any kind. Irregularities in eating destroy the healthful tone of the digestive organs, to the detriment of health and cheerfulness. . . .” Counsels on Diet, 180.   

    Giving up tasty between-meal snacks is a hard one for many, but as we begin to pay the price for poor eating habits of earlier years, we hopefully will want to ensure our future years are not made worse by our failure to correct our current eating patterns. Younger people not yet suffering the cumulative effects of poor eating habits can learn from the mistakes and good examples of others.

After the Meal

    “Exercise . . . [gives] the digestive organs a healthy tone. To engage in deep study or violent exercise immediately after eating, hinders the digestive process; for the vitality of the system, which is needed to carry on the work of digestion, is called away to other parts. But a short walk after a meal, with the head erect and the shoulders back, exercising moderately, is a great benefit.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 101.

   Exercise “gives a healthful stimulus to the appetite, renders the digestion of food more perfect. . . .” Ibid., 104. It will “work off the waste matter which accumulates in the system.” Pastoral Ministry, 71.

    Sometimes we can’t walk right after meals, yet we would benefit from walking at any time. Especially should those in sedentary occupations, weather permitting, “walk out in the open air every day, summer and winter. . . . Walking is often more beneficial to health than all the medicine that can be prescribed.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 100.

    Ellen White wrote of her own experience, “We have crossed the plains fifteen times, and we would recommend to those contemplating such a journey strict temperance in all things. Take your lunch-baskets with you, well filled with fruits and plainly cooked bread. Eat at regular hours, and nothing between meals; and whenever the train stops for any length of time, improve the opportunity by taking a brisk walk in the open air. By so doing, the journey will not only be more enjoyable, but far more beneficial healthwise.” Review and Herald, Nov. 1, 1880.                                                            

Easier Said Than Done

    Some of these changes, such as chewing thoroughly and not snacking between meals, may be relatively easy to accomplish. Fortunately, right habits don’t take long to establish. Other changes, however, might appear daunting. Few present-day work situations or family schedules are conducive to good digestive habits. On a previous job (in my “past life”), we were assigned lunch shifts, anywhere from “too early; not even hungry yet” to “so late I’ll eat anything; just give me food—now!” Not only that, our “lunch hour,” originally only forty-five minutes, was reduced to half an hour, allowing time only for a quick bathroom stop and a hasty meal.

    So despite willing hearts, implementing what we know would be wise changes for optimal digestion and health may be the most challenging part. For some, two meals a day will be the answer. Exercise may simply have to be taken when possible. But I speak from experience that if you are truly wanting the changes, the Lord will give you wisdom and understanding as to how to overcome obstacles to healthy digestion.

    Be like Abraham. “Stagger not with unbelief.” Let your heart say with confidence, “The Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” Isaiah 50:7.

    Jean writes from Wilmington, Delaware.