Kathleen O’Bannon - Nutrition and Health in the Bible

Nutrition & Health in the Bible

The Smart Guide to the Bible Series

Kathleen OBannon, CNC

Larry Richards, General Editor

Thomas Nelson

Since 1798

www.ThomasNelson.com

Nutrition Health in the Bible

The Bible Smart Guide Series

Copyright 2008 by GRQ, Inc.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Originally published by Starburst Publishers under the title Health & Nutrition: Gods Word for the Biblically Inept. Now revised and updated.

This book is intended for educational purposes only. Neither the publisher nor the author intends this book to be used for diagnosing or prescribing in any way. If you have any medical or health problems, see your doctor or the appropriate healthcare practitioner. If you have spiritual concerns, consult with your pastor or a counselor specializing in this area.

Thomas Nelson, Inc. titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com .

Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version ( NKJV ), copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

To the best of its ability, GRQ, Inc., has strived to find the source of all material. If there has been an oversight, please contact us, and we will make any correction deemed necessary in future printings. We also declare that to the best of our knowledge all material (quoted or not) contained herein is accurate, and we shall not be held liable for the same.

General Editor: Larry Richards

Managing Editor: Lila Empson

Scripture Editor: Deborah Wiseman

Assistant Editor: Amy Clark

Design: Diane Whisner

ISBN 10: 1418510033

ISBN 13: 9781418510039

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 RRD 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Chapters at a Glance

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Whole GrainsThe Good Grains

Brown or White?

Vegetables and Your Heart

Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Two Kinds of Fiber

WheatGrain #1

Barley in the Bible

Fed on Bread

Some Whole-Grain Brands

Its Essential!

BeansOur Health Food

Lower Your Cholesterol

Lentils: The Bibles Very First Vegetable

Soybeans and Beta-sitosterols

Daniel Put Vegetables to the Test

Fresh Is Best

What Is a High-Fiber Diet?

Powerhouses of Phytochemicals

Broccoli Sprouts, Cabbage, Ginkgo Bilbao Garlic

The Nuts on Solomons Trees

Flaxseed Oil for Health

Fruit in the Mediterranean Diet

Olives: The Green and Black Fruits

What Phenolics Can Do for You

Milk, It Does a Body Good

Fermenting Helps

Balance the Bacteria

Cheese: Can You Stomach This?

Whey More Protein

Dry Eye Syndrome

Bone Loss

Dementia, Aging, ADHD, and DCD

Depression in Adults and Children

Heart Disease and Fish Oil

Parsley, the King of Herbs

Dandelion, the Not So Lowly Weed

Chinese Parsley, Cilantro, or Coriander: Whats In a Name?

PH Balance and Grasses

Greens and Eye Problems

Forbidden Vegetable Fats

How Much Protein Do You Need?

Eggs in the Jewish Diet

Keep It Clean

You Are the Temple of God

Land of Milk and Honey

Salt in the Bible Diet

Not All Salt Is the Same

Water: Liquid of Life

Wine in the Mediterranean Diet

Is It Kosher?

Meat and Milk Together

Wash Those Hands and Feet

Safe Food Handling

Regulations About Mildew or Plague

Ahab: Eat, Eat, Eat!

The Most Incredible Diet!

Music Lifts and Depresses the Soul

Psychoneuroimmunology

Gifts of Healing

Overweight in Bible Times

Dont Fall for It

How Your Body Works

Do You Take Sugar?

Yeah, Yeah, but I Want to Know About Weight Loss

Eating Disorders in the Bible

Whew!

Not Enough Love

The Cure!

Things to Avoid

Pray for One Another

Your Body Is Gods Temple

A Poultice of Figs

How Can I Know What to Do?

Turn to God

The Rainbow of Hope

Jesus the Walker

Not Your Everyday Stroll

Walking Is Good for Older Folks

Make It Really Count

Seven Feasts

They Ate on a Couch

Why Cant I Eat That Anymore

It Makes Me Feel Strange

Fasting from What?

Why Fast?

Some Toxic Substances

Fasting Cures

The Reward of Fasting

Breakfast

Soups

Lunch or Dinner

Snacks or Appetizers

Breads and Quick Breads

Salads

Recommended Dietary Allowances

Its As Easy As 1, 2, 3!

Conversions

Vitamins

Minerals

Welcome to Nutrition & Health in the Bible The Smart Guide to the Bible. The Bible contains a lot of information on health, nutrition, foods, cooking, and even cures for many recently discovered health problems (also called diseases at one time or another). Who would have thought that 2,000 to 5,000 years ago the inspired writers of the Bible would know that we were going to do this book? There is a vast amount of information in the Bible that corresponds to health and medical information just published.

To Gain Your Confidence

Nutrition & Health in the Bible The Smart Guide to the Bible is a unique book. In it I have compared modern scientific research with what the Bible has to say on topics like food, exercise, and keeping healthy. Scientists and theologians can make things so complicated; its difficult to make sense of what theyre saying. You can be sure that I have tried to make this material as simple as possible without sacrificing accuracy. I believe using the Bible to learn about nutrition and health should be useful and exciting!

We all know that the Bible was written in the area of the world that is called the Mediterranean. Yes, thats right, the Bible is the first Mediterranean diet book. By diet I dont mean weight loss; I mean your daily food, your daily regimen of eating, your food lifestyle. Many of the foods that are now being touted as healthy foods like olive oil, yogurt, whole grains, fish, millet, and bitter herbs were all part of the Bible lifestyle, the original Mediterranean diet.

Why Use the Bible to Learn About Nutrition and Health?

One New Testament writer put it this way: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:1617 NKJV ). This tells me that the Bible should be used as a guide for life and living. No matter what your life needs are, the Bible can guide you. I have found this to be especially true in the area of nutrition and health, and as you read this book, I think you will find the same.

How Is This Book Organized?

As you study Nutrition & Health, keep in mind the two main divisions: Smart Guide to Nutrition and Gods Word on Good Health. Smart Guide to Nutrition is about the foods to eat and how they will help you. Gods Word on Good Health is about healthy living. You know what I mean: exercise, weight loss, feasting, fasting, health diets, and more.

Nutrition & Health The Smart Guide to the Bible is a unique book. In it, I have compared modern scientific research with what the Bible has to say on topics like food, exercise, and eating disorders. Scientists and theologians can make things so complicated, its very difficult to make any sense of what theyre saying. You can be sure that I have tried to make this material as simple as possible without sacrificing accuracy. I believe using the Bible to learn about nutrition and health should be useful and exciting!