Choose Life

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Contents

PREAMBLE...................................................viiINTRODUCTION...............................................ixDedication:................................................xviiAcknowledgements...........................................xixDefinitions:...............................................xxiMEDICAL DISCLAIMER.........................................xxiii1. Seven Things in the Garden of Eden.....................12. The Importance of Water................................253. Detoxification and Food Additives......................434. Supplements............................................735. Tips for Enhancing Food Nutrition......................856. The Benefits of Exercise...............................937. Simple Changes to Enhance Health.......................978. The Aging Process......................................1099. Spiritual Gifts and Optimal Health.....................11910. The Benefits Of Fasting................................127REFERENCES:................................................135RECOMMENDED BOOKS:.........................................149

Chapter One

God created our bodies to withstand a broad range of hostile internal and external environments. Truly

We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

Now, it's time to learn how to enhance our health through proper nutrition. This planet was designed by our Creator to help us function and fulfill our God given destinies while we are on assignment on the earth.

It is imperative that we adopt the attitude of a student. In other words, we want to continuously find ourselves on a journey for knowledge. The God of the universe is forever unfolding and revealing His truths to us through that part of Himself known as the Holy Spirit.

As it is in the spiritual realm, so it is in the physical realm. There is more information on nutrition available to us now than 20 years ago. I anticipate that something as easy as Googling on the internet to obtain information today may be replaced over the next five years with some quantum leap modality to obtain information in a more rapid manner. This is particularly pertinent since nano-technology is now readily available.

There are certain principles which are foundational in the field of nutrition. These principles are analogous to the Bible containing basic principles by which we Christians live our lives. However, as God in His sovereignty has allowed mankind to increase in revelatory knowledge of His written Word, He has similarly allowed mankind to obtain a wealth of knowledge regarding nutrients and their impact on the human body.

Of course, in the future that information will increase exponentially. So we must determine to further our nutritional education not only to enhance our own health, but to enhance the health of our families and all those the Lord brings across our paths in the ministry of this information. After all,

The purpose of science is to seek to understand the mind of God. -Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727).

In the beginning there was God and He created mankind and designed the earth in such a way that it would sustain mankind. Mankind in turn would have authority in the earthly realm and act as God does in the heavenly realm. In the Garden of Eden among every other provision, God provided perfect food.

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all of 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

What might have been provided in the Garden? First, a variety of fruit bearing trees. Nuts that are grown on trees containing a rich source of proteins for our bodies. Also, remember that avocados are grown on trees and they provide us with an excellent source of good fats for our bodies which assist hormonal health, lubricate our joints, and buffer our systems from acidity. Olive trees provide olives that contain oil which is rich in antioxidant properties when ingested orally, and this oil is also a good lubricant for our skin.

Jesus came to the earth so that we could have life and have life more abundantly. BUT ... how can we live an abundant life when we are chronically tired, suffer from joint pain, early heart disease or cancer and a host of other degenerative diseases?

New products have recently emerged containing a plethora of antioxidants such as pycnogenol, grape seed extract, grape skin extract, resveratrol, alpha lipoic acid (which contains restorative properties for our nervous system and brain) and bilberry extract, just to name a few. It has been discovered that a diet rich in antioxidants may prolong life by improving circulation as well as blocking free radicals.

Free radicals are molecules that cause damage to our cells. Free radicals are a by-product of strenuous exercise and our metabolism. In our bodies, certain free radicals are actually utilized by the body in killing certain viruses, bacteria, and fungi which have invaded the body. However, ungoverned, free radicals can cause major tissue destruction in such a way that cancerous changes may occur.

Free radicals left unchecked lead to premature aging and disease as a result of cellular destruction. If the immune system is working at its best and antioxidants are blocking free radicals from causing cellular damage, then the aging process may be slowed down, and some of the cellular reactions that initiate cancer can be averted all together.

Free radical activity has been estimated by scientists to cause about 10,000 free radical "hits" each day to each cell in our bodies. We have billions of cells in our bodies, so the amount of damage that cells incur depends upon how well the cells are protected by antioxidants. In other words, the higher the level of antioxidants, the greater the amount of protection for your cells.

Antioxidants may also repair cartilage and connective tissues in our bodies. It is now known that OPCs (oligomeric proanthocyanidins)- a group of powerful antioxidant nutrients - bind to the skin proteins, collagen and elastin, to seal leaky capillaries and to protect tissue. The majority of our antioxidants come from a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. In the Garden of Eden there were fruits, vegetables, nuts, and herbs. There were no synthetic pesticides or synthetic chemical fertilizers in the Garden of Eden where the Lord created the perfect food for man.

There was most likely very little oxidation occurring in the physical body after eating this proper diet in the Garden of Eden. A way to understand oxidation is to consider the process in which a piece of metal, after being exposed to the elements, becomes rusty. Likewise in our body's oxidation processes, aging is due in part to the deterioration of internal organ systems and their functions. Sort of like the internal rusting of our bodies' engines, so to speak. For the occasional chemist reading this book, oxidation's medical definition:

Oxidation is the process by which oxygen is added to a metabolite; or the valence of the atomic substance is increased by the adding on of one or more electrons or the loss of hydrogen, as when iron is changed from the ferrous (2+) to the ferric (3+) state."

"An antioxidant is an agent that inhibits oxidation, thus preventing rancidity of oils or fats, or the deterioration of other materials through oxidative processes."

Since man was created to be an eternal being, it is safe to assume that there was minimal oxidation which the body could completely recover from, or perhaps there was no oxidation in our bodies until after the fall of mankind into sin. After man sinned, death set in - Genesis 3:17-19 ... for dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return." We must also keep in mind that after the flood there was a change in the atmosphere, the environment and man's diet (Genesis Chapters 6-9).

The Lord placed seven things in the Garden of Eden for mankind:

Trees

Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

Tree of Life

Pison River

Gihon River

Choose Life

Hiddekel River (now known as the Tigris river)

Euphrates River

Trees in general were for food. In fact, the Lord God commanded the man:

Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. -Genesis 2:16-17

Secondly, located in the middle of the Garden of Eden was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil from which the Lord commanded Adam not to eat. The Lord God gave Adam a choice to either obey or disobey making the consequences of disobedience clear.

Unfortunately, due to Adam's disobedience, our bodies are mortal instead of immortal and we have inherited a natural tendency to sin, known as iniquity, the tendency to break the heart of God.

"Mankind lost God-consciousness and gained self-consciousness. Mankind lost the power to do good, and gained the power to do evil. Thus, instead of becoming like God, they became unlike Him, in that it is morally impossible for God to sin. Adam lost that glorious sinlessness and innocent-looking countenance comparable to that of Elohim (Father God)."

We must make a conscious decision everyday to eat what is healthy for our bodies. Otherwise, we wind up eating foods that are full of chemicals, foods that are over processed, and foods with such minimal nutritional value that they are called "empty calorie foods."

The Lord did not create us to be robots but free will beings created in His image and likeness. God's design and desire from the beginning was to have a special, intimate relationship with us based on that free will. Thus, we have choice - we have the power to choose Him and His awesome plan and to walk in close relationship with Him - or not.

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou (you) and thy seed (your children) may live." Deuteronomy 30:19

Let's choose to make wise decisions that will enhance our health since God has given us the ability to choose and make wise choices. I know - old habits are hard to break. But, if we commit to eating healthier and exercising every day over the next 30 days, a new habit will be formed which stands a good chance of replacing the old bad habit. We'll start slowly, by making small, but consistent changes in our lifestyle to enhance our health. This way, we'll be choosing life!!

Thirdly, God placed the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. This tree allowed Adam and Eve to live eternally, and they were allowed to eat of this tree freely, prior to sinning. However, after Adam and Eve sinned, they were forbidden to eat of the Tree of Life.

To ensure that they did not eat from this tree again, God drove Adam and his wife out of the Garden of Eden, placing Cherubim (a group of a specific type of angel) and a flaming sword at the east of the Garden of Eden to prevent anyone from approaching the Tree of Life.

Have you considered why God didn't want Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Life after sinning? In the book of Revelation chapter 22, verses 1 through 5, the tree of life is mentioned again. The tree of life produced twelve kinds of fruit, one fruit for every month. The leaves of the Tree of Life were for the healing of the nations. This Biblical passage suggests that the Tree of Life contained abundant life and potentially perpetual health.

However, God in His mercy removed sinful mankind from the Garden of Eden. If Adam and Eve in their sinful nature, had continued to eat of the Tree of Life then they might have lived forever separated from God. Their ultimate fate might have been the same as satan's. By removing them from the Tree of Life, God showed mercy, saving them from eternal damnation and having a plan in place for their salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who would provide the means for mankind to be reconciled to the Father God in an intimate relationship once again.

Fourthly, there was a river with four heads or tributaries. The first went out of Eden to water the garden (Genesis 2:10) and was called Pison. This portion of the river surrounded the land of Havilah which contained gold. The land of Havilah is today known as Saudia Arabia and Yemen.

The fifth provision was the head of the river called Gihon and this is the portion of the river that surrounded the land of Ethiopia. Ethiopia still exists today in northwest Africa.

The sixth provision was of water and this was the third tributary of the river called Hiddekel which went out toward the area east of Assyria. Assyria was an ancient political state located at the upper Tigris (Hiddekel) River in what is now modern day Iraq.

Lastly, the seventh provision was the Euphrates River. It is interesting to note that four out of seven items in the Garden of Eden were channels of water. Four-sevenths is almost 60% and our bodies are made of approximately 65% - 70% water.

It is interesting that the Holy Spirit has revealed that there were seven items in the Garden of Eden that have some benefit to mankind. Those seven items are actually comparable to seven types of nutrients that we should include in our diet as we journey toward optimal health.

These nutrients include:

1) vitamins and trace elements (both which are integrally involved in thousands of enzymatic processes in the body)

2) minerals

3) glyconutrients

4) carbohydrates

5) proteins

6) fats

7) antioxidants.

The Holy Spirit is the Person of the Godhead who gives us discernment between good and evil. It is the gift of discernment that allows us to judge what foods are friendly to our bodies and which are not. The number seven symbolizes perfection or completeness. It is said to be the number of God. There are seven of the many gifts of the Holy Spirit which I have found to be important for optimal health as well (we will discuss these spiritual gifts in a later chapter).

Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be as meat. Genesis 1:29

Herbs play an important role in our diet. Herbs such as cilantro, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, dill etc., may be easily included in our diet by adding them to a salad or a cooked dish as a seasoning. Herbs provide us with seasoning to increase the enjoyment of eating. Herbs also provide us with vitamins, antioxidants, and flavonoids.

Bioflavonoids, otherwise known as flavonoids, "are a class of thousands of beneficial compounds found in plants."

"There are thousands of bioflavonoids found in nature. Flavonoids are found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, Cacao and in beverages such as tea and wine. Many flavonoids are pigments that provide several fruits with their blue and purple colors and some of the reds and emerald greens. Studies have shown that bioflavonoids possess anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, and even anti-carcinogenic (anti-cancer causing) properties."

Our diets should be rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables. These provide many of our antioxidants that help our bodies function, along with complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and fiber to enhance proper digestion and elimination.

The river tributaries of Havillah and Pison are linked to gold and bdellium which are both minerals in the earth. Our bodies were made from the ground and require minerals, including trace elements, such as zinc and selenium, in our diets. Trace elements are those minerals that are needed for our bodies to function optimally, but in minute amounts.

The Euphrates River was and still is a water supply in Syria and the surrounding territories of Iraq. As we read about the Euphrates River we should be reminded that we must have plenty of water in our diet. Again, our bodies are composed of approximately 70% water and many symptoms of illness are linked with dehydration (www.watercure2.com).

Many people do not drink adequate amounts of clean water. A rule of thumb is to consume about one-half your body weight in pounds in the same number of ounces of water per day. Also, keep in mind that as we age, our thirst mechanism is not as accurate as it was when we were children. Therefore, by the time that we actually "feel" thirsty we have often already become dehydrated.

Due to overuse of our farm lands and the increase in synthetic fertilizers, the soil has been depleted of many of the minerals and trace elements that would provide a rich source of nutrients for the produce that is currently grown on conventional commercial farms. The nutrition (phytonutrients) that was present in fruit 50 years ago is now down to approximately 4% of its original nutritional value.

For example, two peaches would have supplied a woman's RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of vitamin A in 1951. Today, she would have to eat almost 53 peaches to meet this same requirement!

"Four recent studies compared nutrient data from as early as 1930 to as recent as 1999 for the US, the UK and Canada. No matter the country, the results are strikingly similar: the vitamin and mineral content of fruits and vegetables is decreasing."

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Choose Lifeby Denice D. Cook Copyright © 2010 by Denice D. Cook, M.D. . Excerpted by permission.
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