Chapter 33—Original Diet
Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 118
When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt, it was His
purpose to establish them in the land of Canaan a pure, happy, healthy
people. Let us look at the means by which He would accomplish
this. He subjected them to a course of discipline, which, had it been
cheerfully followed, would have resulted in good, both to themselves
and to their posterity. He removed flesh-food from them in a great
measure. He had granted them flesh in answer to their clamors, just
before reaching Sinai, but it was furnished for only one day. God
might have provided flesh as easily as manna, but a restriction was
placed upon the people for their good. It was His purpose to supply
them with food better suited to their wants than the feverish diet to
which many of them had been accustomed in Egypt. The perverted
appetite was to be brought into a more healthy state, that they might
enjoy the food originally provided for man,—the fruits of the earth,
which God gave to Adam and Eve in Eden.
The Ministry of Healing, 295-296
In order to know what are the best foods, we must study God’s
original plan for man’s diet. He who created man and who understands
his needs appointed Adam his food. “Behold,” He said, “I have given
you every herb yielding seed, ... and every tree, in which is the fruit of
a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.” Upon leaving Eden
to gain his livelihood by tilling the earth under the curse of sin, man
received permission to eat also “the herb of the field.”
Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for
us by our Creator. These foods, prepared in as simple and natural
a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing. They
impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect, that
are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet.
290