The American Heart Association says, “The major kinds of fats in the foods we eat are saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and trans fatty acids. Saturated fats, trans fats, and dietary cholesterol raises blood cholesterol. A high level of cholesterol in the blood clogs the arteries and is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack.” A study by the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center stated, “The fourth most common cause of prostate cancer may be related to saturated fat consumption.” Do they agree with or dispute the question: Is eating healthy Scriptural? They don’t consider whether it is Scriptural or not – they just state the facts related to fats in our diet.
Saturated fats come from animals. Leviticus 7:23-24 records God’s instructions regarding eating animal fat. He says, “You shall not eat any fat from an ox (beef), a sheep, or a goat. Also the fat of an animal, you must not eat.” (The fat was actually burned on the altar as an offering.). This is the ‘what’ (do not eat animal fat); the American Heart Association and the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center supply the ‘why’ – animal fat clogs our arteries and may lead to coronary heart disease and heart attack, and it also may cause prostate cancer. Heart attack and cancer – two deadly reasons to pay attention to what Scripture says regarding unhealthy eating.
Yes, I know. Meat with fat is juicy and tasty. But, God told us the danger of eating animal fat way back in Leviticus. God even lists animals that are edible: animals with split hooves and chew the cud, but not those that have split hooves but do not chew the cud such as the camel; and those that chew the cud but do not have split hooves such as the rock badger or the pig. However, any fish with fins and scales is on the ‘good-to-go’ list.
Ezekiel 4:9 gives us the OK to eat grains and beans and lists them: wheat, barley, millet, lentils, soybeans, and spelt. Ezekiel 4:9 breads and cereals (found in most grocery stores) contain these organic sprouted grains and beans. God created fruit trees and veggie gardens before He created man, so that man would have everything he needed to live healthy lives. Of course, man came up with his own concoction of things to “enhance” the flavor or the appearance of foods when he refined, bleached, added preservatives, switched natural sugars with artificial sweeteners, added chemicals, fertilized with every chemical imaginable and even some unimaginable ones, and a myriad of other food-altering mechanisms.
Daniel is a classic and Biblical example that eating veggies was better than eating the choice, rich foods of King Nebuchadnezzar when he took the veggie challenge. He ate veggies and drank water for ten days while the other youths ate the fattening foods of the king. After the ten-day period, Daniel was found to be healthier than the other youths!
Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are rampant in our country. It’s not difficult to figure out why. We just need to check our grocery list.
So, yes, eating healthy is definitely Scriptural.