There’s TWO types of diets in this world: physical and spiritual. Jesus knows we all have need of physical food:

 

“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 the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat” – Genesis 1:29

 

“And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them” – Genesis 6:21

 

As well as spiritual food:

 

“This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” – John 6:50-51

 

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” – Matthew 4:4

 

“As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread [spiritual bread of Jesus Christ] shall live for ever” – John 6:57-58

 

Conclusion? We need both physical AND spiritual food in order to survive in the “temporal world”, though spiritual food in Jesus (The Word of God) is the ONLY type of food that’ll help us ETERNALLY SURVIVE in the “eternal world”. Make sense, folks? (Though I suppose it’s also possible for spiritual food to also help a person [temporally?] survive if NO physical food is available?)

 

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s ” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

Translation? Our bodies are our temples where the Holy Ghost is supposed to reside. So think about that. Let that sink in for just a bit. And think about what you put into your body on a daily basis.

 

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” – Romans 12:1

 

Many Christians today don’t stop to think about WHAT they’re putting into their bodies on a daily basis or rather or not those things will help or harm them (i.e. cigarettes, liquor, painkillers, sugar, trans fat, etc.) They see physical food and beverages as a sort’ve: “How will this benefit ME/MY taste-buds?”, instead of “How will this benefit my body/spiritual health, overall?”

And hey, even I myself have been guilty of that more times than I can count! Though I don’t smoke or drink any hard liquor, I’ve oftentimes been guilty of purchasing food/beverages based on how it would benefit ME/my taste-buds, instead of how it would benefit my body/long-term physical health as a WHOLE!

And believe it or not, Jesus has really been getting on me lately about my “diet” (both physical and spiritual). We have to try to maintain a natural balance of BOTH! For (outside of fasting), what good is it if you build up your spiritual diet but then COMPLETELY neglect your physical one (i.e. by starving yourself completely, eating really, really fattening foods, etc.?)

Just like what does it benefit you to neglect your spiritual diet but then bolster up your physical one? (i.e. you can eat all the fruits and veggies in the world and drink the most healthiest kale smoothies ever, but if you neglect your spiritual diet in the process, it is of no SPIRITUAL gain to you!)

When I go back through the pages of Holy Writ (the bible), I notice several dietary patterns among God’s people:

 

  • In Genesis 1:29, we’re told that Adam & Eve (the very first man and woman, created by God) ate a diet primarily of fruits and vegetables.

  • In Genesis 3:19, bread is mentioned!

  • Genesis 9:3-4 alludes to eating fruits, vegetables AND fully-cooked meat

  • In Genesis 18:5-8, we’re told that Abraham fetches bread and that he has Sarah make “cakes” upon the hearth & also that Abraham fetched a tender calf and dressed it (cooked & seasoned it?), along with butter and milk.

  • Genesis 19:3 mentions Unleavened Bread!

  • Genesis 25:30 & 34 describe a pot of (red) lentils with bread (& water?)

  • Genesis 27:7 mentions venison & “savory meat“.

  • Genesis 42:1-3 mentions CORN!

  • Genesis 43:11 records Jacob sending fruits, balm, honey, spices, myrrh, nuts & almonds with his sons to Egypt, to go buy food.

 

Note: that was all a PRE-EGYPT DIET! But during their time in Egypt & AFTER Egypt, here’s some items that were ADDED to the biblical diet:

 

  • Numbers 6:3 mentions grapes AND “grape juice“

  • Numbers 11:5 mentions fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions & garlic (while still in Egypt)

  • Numbers 11:7 mentions manna & coriander (post-Egypt)

  • Numbers 11:32 mentions quail

  • Numbers 13:23 mentions GRAPES, pomegranates, & figs

  • Numbers 14:8 mentions milk & honey

  • Numbers 18:12 mentions oil, wheat & first-fruits

  • Exodus 12:8 mentions roasted lamb & bitter herbs (along with unleavened bread)

  • Exodus 30:22 mentions sweet cinnamon & calamus (Verse 24 mentions cassia but not sure if that’s an edible delicacy or not!)

  • Job 6:6 mentions EGGS & SALT

  • Job 10:10 mentions milk & curdled cheese (cottage cheese?)

  • Ezekiel 4:9 mentions wheat, barley, beans, millet, & spelt

  • 2 Kings 4:39 mentions GOURDS

  • Isaiah 17:6 mentions OLIVES

  • Amos 7:14 mentions sycamore fruit (wild figs?)

  • Song of Solomon 2:5 mentions flagons (?) and APPLES!

  • Matthew 13:31 mentions mustard/mustard seed

  • Matthew 23:23 mentions mint, anise & cumin

  • Mark 1:6 mentions locusts & wild honey

 

Conclusion? The Lord’s people (though they occasionally consumed roasted meat) tended (overall –  as a collective whole?) to mostly just stick with FISH, GRAINS, BEANS/LENTILS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, SPICES & HERBS! (Atleast that’s how it appears in the bible, anyways!) So believe me, we can all learn ALOT from that! (Especially ME! haha).

Many people don’t realize this but there is actually a SPIRITUAL component to diet! (Yes! It’s true!) We know from the very beginning of the Garden of Eden that Satan loves to have his COUNTERFEITS! Therefore, God designed healthy, organic NATURAL food in the Garden of Eden, right?

But Satan came along and (over the years) designed food that’s very, very BAD for our health (i.e. food with high sugar, sodium & trans-fat content, etc.!) Satan’s latest food design is “G.M.O.s”, which stands for Genetically Modified Organisms! Therefore, if you SEE on the package/packaging: “Made with genetically-modified/partially genetically-modified ingredients/engineering”, DON’T CONSUME IT! Enough said!

Alot of health gurus today claim that eating “unhealthy food and/or fast food” every great once in awhile (in moderation) isn’t too bad for us. Yet, what happens GENETICALLY when we consume unhealthy food? The “fat” from that food CLINGS around/onto our organs! (I bet alot of people didn’t know that……heck, even I myself didn’t know that, until most recently!)

That’s why, when we consume massive amounts of unhealthy food, we start to feel “bloated” and the fat just “clings” to our bodies (both inside and out!) And when trying to lose weight, the last 20 lbs. are THE HARDEST to lose! Why? Because it’s really hard to get that fat clinging onto our organs to LEAVE!

Yet let me take this one step further: Is it possible that the “fat” clinging onto our life-giving organs is actually “sin” in disguise? Let me elaborate on this. WHEN we (perpetually) eat unhealthy food, we are no doubt catering to the flesh, our “own” desires, am I right? So as “punishment”, that “sin” clings to us/our bodies in the form of “fat”. And UNTIL we repent of the “sin” of gluttony/unhealthy eating by changing our diet/lifestyle (outside of special medical conditions where people TRULY can’t manage their weight), that “fat” is no doubt gonna STAY THERE!

It sounds SO EASY, yet, DIET is one of THE HARDEST things to overcome! (Believe me, I know!) It takes strong will-power and DISCIPLINE to push through it (a healthy diet, that is!) It takes dedication and a TRUE desire to change! It’s SO hard though to eat healthy when we’re CONSTANTLY bombarded with newspaper/online/radio fast food ads & commercials, when some of the people around us aren’t eating healthy, when “bad food” is SO much cheaper at the grocery store than healthy food and “tastes” SO much better, when there’s a McDonald’s or Sonic at almost every corner, etc!

However, let me be honest in saying that I’ve struggled with my diet for several years of my life! At age 25, I had a near-death experience where I almost died of a massive heart attack. I talk about that experience in my page entitled: “My Additional Near-Death Experiences”. At the time, I thought I had had a heart attack due to not hardly eating anything that day. But then I was “informed” that it was in fact the TYPE of food I was consuming that almost did me in! Trans-fat, artery-clogging food (Gardetto’s snack mix). Since then, I’ve tried to severely LIMIT any junk food in my diet (though from time to time, I still struggle with it, sometimes!)

But yet, the question that never fails to leave me is this: why does junk food taste SO GOOD and why does healthy food (overall) tend to taste SO BLAND? The answer lies in SPIRITUAL WARFARE *and* in science! In fact, I most recently read a news article that claimed that experts found that sugar is 8 times more addicting than cocaine! (8 Times! Can you BELIEVE it?)

Though to be sure, it didn’t really surprise me. Because the physiological effects are likely the same: A person who’s addicted to sugar craves it like nobody’s business, feels “physically ill” and/or “highly irritated” when they don’t get any, and also becomes more and more addicted to it (over time), which oddly enough, only manages to make them feel EVEN MORE “lethargic”/”hazy-minded”.

Therefore, the body getting addicted to sugar (through dopamine receptors) is the SCIENCE part of it. Yet, what is the SPIRITUAL WARFARE part of it, you may be wondering?

Think back to a time most recently when you were at the grocery store. And as you walked by the fresh-smelling bakery department, how many of you were tempted to buy some cakes, cookies or brownies? Or as you browsed through the frozen section, how many of you were tempted to buy onion rings, steak fries, or fattening frozen dinners?

Or how many of you have been tempted to order a pizza or grab a burger or taco from a fast-food joint? Be honest! When there’s a “temptation” to eat junk food/unhealthy food, Satan’s not far behind! Honestly! And alot of people don’t realize that SATAN & his demons are the ones TEMPTING PEOPLE to BUY UNHEALTHY FOOD/BEVERAGES!!!!!!!!

Unhealthy food is not only BAD for our physical mind, heart and body, it is also BAD for our SOULS! (Trust me, Jesus taught me that, most recently!) Why? Because we oftentimes consume it in “greed”……..in “lust” of the flesh………We tend to consume of it much more than what is necessary………and even start to think about when we are going to next consume even more of it at a future date (am I right?) And not only that, but our bodies become so addicted to it, that we start to get physically ill if we don’t consume it for awhile. And in turn, our SOULS become ill, as well!

“Whose end is destruction, WHOSE GOD IS THEIR BELLY, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” – Philippians 3:19

“Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” – 1 Corinthians 10:7

 

“And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite” – Proverbs 23:2

 

“Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags” – Proverbs 23: 20-21

 

“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make NOT provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” – Romans 13:14

 

“So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; They were not estranged from their LUST. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel” – Psalm 78: 29-31

 

Translation? Gluttony is a SIN! It is likened in the Lord’s eyes to IDOLATRY! And idolatry, as we know from the bible, spiritually equates to “worshiping other gods” (rather that god be money, food, OURSELVES or whatever have ya). Many people today “laugh” at the sin of gluttony and don’t take it seriously BUT THEY DO SO AT THEIR **OWN SPIRITUAL PERIL!**

Although most dietary experts agree that humans “need” sugar in their diets (6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men, MAX!), it’s the over-consumption of it that becomes a big problem! When our bodies and taste buds get so used to sugar and fried foods, that’s what makes healthy foods then taste so “bland” to us.

However…..if we start to severely limit sugar intake and wean ourselves OFF to it, we can get rid of the sugar addiction that’s overtaken us! But beware: As soon as you get rid of the sugar and fried food addiction in your life, Satan & his demons will come back at you like there’s no tomorrow, tempting you with whatever junk foods they possibly can! (I’m SERIOUS on this, folks!) Trust me, they don’t call it SPIRITUAL WARFARE for nothing!

However, in order for healthy food to be good for our mind, heart, body AND soul, one must “give thanks” before consuming food! That’s what the Jews of Old did, back in bible times and I think alot of people FORGET to say “grace” before meals. (Even I myself forget oftentimes!) It’s something that I’ve REALLY been trying to remember to do from now on! For ONLY by the Lord’s good graces are we able to purchase/make a meal every day, am I right?

Theoretically, the world economy could crash tomorrow and all accounts might freeze up. Therefore, we should be thankful for every meal. Although I DO think it would be kind of weird to “give thanks” for an unhealthy meal! Because that unhealthy meal’s gonna later wreck havoc on your body, heart, soul and MIND! (Yes, even the mind!) Research has most recently discovered how too much sugar affects “the mind” (and trust me folks, the news on that is not good!)

On the other hand, research has consistently shown over the years (oddly enough) that all the foods mentioned in the bible (save for the ones that were CONDEMNED in the bible) are actually BENEFICIAL to our health! (See? Jesus really DID know what he was doing, all along, when he commanded his people to eat healthy!)

And not only that, but the foods God condemned in the bible? (Such as PORK?) Today, science has proven them to be some of THE MOST unhealthy foods! (Not to mention that people have actually DIED these days from shellfish poisoning!) So it just goes to show ya! Jesus Christ knows (and has ALWAYS known) what He was doing! So when it comes to your diet…….TRUST JESUS, not fellow mankind!!!!!!!!! That’s what I mean by the question: “Is Jesus in YOUR diet?”

So again, for your benefit, I will re-list all the biblical foods listed up above and also state WHY they are beneficial to one’s health [and again, this is by no means an exhaustive list, there’s probably some biblical foods I missed in the listing]:

 

  • Fruits – Rich in vitamins & minerals, help you feel energized

  • Vegetables – Rich in vitamins & minerals, help you feel full

  • Bread (Whole Grain/Non-refined/Non-bleached) – Contains fiber, vitamin B & minerals

  • Wheat/Grains – Rich in vitamins, minerals, protein & fiber & reduces risk of heart disease/stroke/obesity/diabetes/chronic inflammation/constipation/cancer, etc.

  • Beans/Lentils – Low in fat, heart-healthy, protein-packed, fiber-packed, contains antioxidants, vitamins & minerals, lowers blood sugar/heart attack risk, etc.

  • Meat (NON-PORK) – A). Grass-fed beef is high in protein & vitamins A, B, C & E & beta carotene while B). Bison meat is an excellent source of lean protein with less calories & fat than beef. C). Chicken is high in protein, rich in vitamin & minerals & helps prevent migraine, heart disease, gray hair, cholesterol & diabetes. D). Turkey is high in protein, contains many vitamins & minerals and helps to boost immunity, etc.

  • Milk – Contains vitamin D, helps maintain strong teeth & bones

  • Butter – (In Moderation) – Rich in fat-soluable vitamins, contains alot of healthy saturated fats, lowers heart attack risk, etc.

  • Unleavened Bread – healthy calories, a good source of fiber, rich in B vitamins, & helps you fight free radicals, etc.

  • Corn – Rich in vitamin E & vitamin B constituents, pantothenic acid, prevents cancer & anemia, protects your heart, lowers LDL cholesterol, etc.

  • Honey – (Raw/Unfiltered) – Good source of antioxidants, antibacterial & antifungal properties, heals wounds, helps digestive issues, soothes a sore throat, etc.

  • Spices – (as a whole) – help with inflammation, fight off free radicals, boost the immune system, helps with weight loss, helps to keep the mind sharp, etc.

  • Herbs – (as a whole) – Contain protective polyphenols that contain antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effects, promotes heart health, reduces cholesterol, etc.

  • Nuts – packed with protein, contains mono & polyunsatured fats (i.e. healthy fats), loaded with antioxidants, vitamins & minerals, can help you lose weight, lowers your cholesterol, reduces inflammation, high in fiber, reduces heart attack risk, etc.

  • Almonds – contains fiber & protein, reduces blood pressure & cholesterol, etc.

  • Olives – Good source of iron, anti-inflammatory, reduces free radicals, good for eye health, helps with digestive health, good for skin & hair health, etc.

  • Grapes – Good source of fiber & potassium, RICH in antioxidants, etc.

  • Fish (Wild-caught) – Rich in heart-healthy/anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins & minerals

  • Cucumbers – Good source of fiber, rich in vitamins & minerals, good for your heart

  • Melons – High in water content, excellent source of potassium & vitamin C

  • Gourds – Contains vitamins & minerals, immunity booster, reduces inflammation, improves circulation, strenghtens bones, protects eyesight, maintains heart health, builds muscle, promotes healthy digestion, etc.

  • Leeks – Fiber-packed, contains vitamin & minerals, antioxidants, etc.

  • Onion – Packed with vitamin C, good for heart health, anti-inflammatory, reduces risk of cancer, boosts immune health, reduces blood sugar, etc.

  • Garlic – Packed with fiber, vitamins & minerals, can help combat the common cold, reduces blood pressure, low in calories, helps heart health, etc.

  • Coriander – promotes healthy bones, reduces cholesterol & high blood pressure, etc.

  • Figs/Dates – Fiber-packed, good source of vitamins & minerals, etc.

  • Pomegranates – Fiber-packed, rich in vitamin C, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, etc

  • Oil (Olive Oil) – Rich in anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory, protects against heart disease, anti-cancer properties, may help fight Alzheimer’s Disease, etc.

  • Roasted lamb – rich in vitamin B12, protein & minerals

  • Cinnamon – high source of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, protects the heart, etc.

  • Eggs – (In moderation) – High in protein, contains vitamins & minerals, raise HDL (“the good cholesterol”)

  • Salt – (In moderation) – Contains idoine & minerals; help with fluid balance, nerve transmission and muscle function.

  • Cottage Cheese – Rich in protein, vitamins & minerals, etc.

  • Apples – [“An apple a day TRULY DOES keeps the doctor away”] – Extremely rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, treats anemia, etc.

  • Mustard – Fiber-packed, antioxidants, high in vitamin K & vitamin C, etc.

  • Mint – Treats asthma, reduces depression & fatigue, treats nausea & headache, etc.

  • Anise – Helps treat asthma, bronchital cough, nausea, indigestion, etc.

  • Cumin – Iron-packed, boosts immune system, helps with respiratory disorders, etc.

  • WATER – Hydrates the body, helps with weight loss, keeps cells running smoothly & in optimal health, good for skin, face & hair health, helps a person sleep at night, helps wash away fat that clings to heart/organs, etc. 

  • ETC.

 

For more about Bible foods including traditional Bible feast recipes, check out A Biblical Feast by Kitty Morse. Also check out the following: