The Physical Aspect by Silvia Pel

”And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)

In our last study we looked at how Christ is our example – He had a balanced development of the 4 aspects of life: Mental, physical, spiritual and social. We have now come to the 2nd point: The physical aspect.

The physical aspect we can divide into two categories:

1. What we put into our bodies
2. What we do with our bodies / expose our bodies to

Let us go back to Eden to discover Gods original plan for mankind when it comes to these points. Remember that God is working on the plan of restoration.

1. What we put into our bodies – God’s original plan

In the first chapter of the Bible we find Gods A-plan for mans diet. One of the first directions God gave to the human beings after He created them was how they were to nourish their bodies:

“So God created man in his own image… And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every three, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” (Genesis 1:27-29)

The Creator knew that a diet from natural plant sources would be the most nourishing food. Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. It was never Gods plan that we should kill to eat. It’s true that God gave man the right to eat meat after the flood had desolated the earth. Never the less they had to bear the consequences of that choice. Immediate results were seen after their change of lifestyle. Their life span dropped drastically after they started eating meat. Before the flood man lived close to a thousand years. After they started eating meat, the life span was cut to half quite abruptly – and soon it decreased to an average of 200-250 years.

Even when God allowed mankind to eat flesh-foods, He gave them directions for what kind of meat that would be the best. The Creator knew the constitution of His creatures, and He classed them into two categories: Clean and unclean. The flesh of those animals that were nourished by greens, which lived a healthy life in the fields and had a good removal of wastes from their bodies, would not be so harmful. The Creator had clearly set forth His A-plan, but in His patience He was willing to direct mankind even in their B-choice, that it would work out as good as possible. He told them how they could slay the animals in a humane way, with the least suffering on the part of the animals – and how they could drain the flesh from blood. Blood and fat from the animal kingdom was forbidden food.

Through the wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness, God miraculously fed the people. He fed them with the food that would be the most nourishing to their bodies, give them strength and energy, keep them from disease and give them a sweet temperament. Flesh food arouses the animal passions and increases bad temper. God gave the people “angel-bread” – nourishing manna raining down from heaven. But the people were not satisfied. In Egypt they had got the taste of the stimulating and spicy meat. Their appetite and passions craved for the flesh-pots, and they cried: “Who shall give us flesh to eat?” (Numbers 11:4) It was not because God was not able to provide meat for them, that He rained the bread from heaven. He had their well-fare in mind. They were to be His special people. He wanted them to have clear conceptions to comprehend His will and reflect His image. They would also need strong physical frames to manage the rough wilderness life. But just like in the beginning, God in His patience was willing to let them have their will. He gave them meat – and that in abundance. They could not restrain themselves, temperance was sacrificed on the alter of lust, appetite and passion – but they had to bear the consequences: “And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place ‘the graves of lust’, because there they buried the people that lusted.” (Numbers 11:33-34)

God honours them that honour Him. By following Gods original plan, we prove to Him that we believe that He is perfect in wisdom – our supreme and unfailing Counsellor. He is ready to reward them that show implicit trust in Him. The story of Daniel is a beautiful illustration is this respect. This young Hebrew boy – taken captive to a foreign country – demonstrated a determination and firmness to principle, that is a shining example to every youth of today: “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank” (Daniel 1:8). Daniel knew that in order for him to have a clear mind and strong body, it would be best for him to follow Gods A-plan diet. In the position he now was in – surrounded by the deceiving influences of a luxurious and idolatrous nation – he would need the kind of nourishment that would make him ready to receive divine impressions and make wise judgements. “Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse (the same diet as in Genesis 1:29) to eat, and water to drink”, he requested (Daniel 1:12) God rewarded his faithfulness: “And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat… God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom… And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.” (Daniel 1:15-20)

We have looked at the first point of the physical aspect: What we put into our bodies, in the light of Gods original plan for mankind. Let us go to the next point: What we do with our bodies / expose our bodies to:

2. What we do with our bodies / expose our bodies to – God’s original plan

The home of our first parents was a garden. They were surrounded by nature’s peaceful surroundings, fresh air and clear water. Their daily exercise they got by dressing the garden to keep it. God was their private teacher, and while He taught them of the mysteries of nature, their intellect was expanded.

“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every three that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden… And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it.” (Gen. 2: 8-10+15)

It was God’s desire and plan that mankind should always live surrounded by His beautiful handy-work. Nature is testifying of the Creators love – it brings us in contact with the Almighty. Still nature has a soothing influence. We absorb all the beauties that appeals to the senses. As we look to the majestic mountains, we are inspired with awe. As we smell the tiny flowers, we feel invigorated. As we feel the gentle breeze or warm and bright rays of the sun, peace and rest fills our soul. As we taste the clear mountain water or delicious forest-berries, we taste some of the goodness of the Lord.  

But the devil has always worked to counteract God’s plan. The first human being that he was able to conquer as his subject, he inspired with a spirit of rebellion against Gods plan to “replenish the earth” (Gen. 1:28). “Cain went out from the presence of the Lord… and he builded a city” (Gen. 4:16-17). The decedents of Cain developed a rebellion against God, which best can be described in this sad picture painted by the Creator himself: “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually… and it grieved him at his heart.” (Gen. 6:5-6) If this situation would be allowed to continue unhindered, the very image of God would soon be fully extinguished, and there would be little hope for future generations. God had to send the flood to sweep away all the evil influences. But the enemy was still active to counteract God’s original plan. Shortly after the flood we read about another conspiracy against Gods command to spread and dwell surrounded by God’s nature: “And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech… And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Gen. 11:1,4) God saw that this centralisation into a man-made structure would lead the people away from the Creator into a condition similar to what brought the flood upon the earth. He Himself came down to counteract their plans: “So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth” (Gen. 11:8).

All throughout time God has raised up mighty servants, proclaiming His message, and pointing people away from the man-made and superficial to God’s love and majesty. But look at some of these great men: Abraham, Moses, David, John the Baptist… Where did they get their education? God brought them in contact with nature – surrounded by the tokens of His love, His teachings would make a deeper impression and more sense to them. Abraham chose to live in the wilderness, while Lot pitched his tent towards Sodom. We all know the outcome of that story. Moses was brought up in all the luxury and artificial splendour that the court of a world-empire could display. But God had to lead him into the wilderness to make him fit for the great task of leading his people out of slavery to the promised land. David was born to be a king, but spent his youth among the hills of Betlehem - He lived a simple and unpretending life among the sheep, communing with God through those wonderful psalms. John the Baptist was not directed to the big centres of learning of that time – he was brought into the wilderness to commune with God.

In contrast we could have talked about the leading figures of the world empires – Nimrod, Pharoah and Belsassar – which would seek satisfaction, learning and power through man-made inventions, rather in the simplicity of nature which reveals the God of love. Rather than bringing a more fulfilling way of living, they would pass on a spirit of self-exaltation, rebellion and denial of the Creator.

While Christ was on earth, he would love to teach in the grandest cathedral ever known – His own handy-work, the nature. He would draw the attention of the people to the wonders of nature, and through them to the Creator and the principles of His kingdom.

The plan of restoration

Physical health – what we put into our bodies, what we do with or bodies or expose our bodies to… We have discovered Gods original plan for these aspects of life. Ultimately our Saviour is working on bringing us back to Eden made new.
But still we are living in this world, flooded by misery and disease. The good news is that even in this polluted world we may have a better life quality by following the principles God has ordained for our well-being. Already now God is working on the plan of restoration – and just those that are willing to cooperate with Him in this process, will be able to experience the full and complete restoration promised.

Escaping the diseases of Egypt

Modern medical research proves that the diet and counsels on lifestyle practices given by our Creator is the best. By following them we will protect ourselves from the lifestyle-diseases that prevail in our world today. This was God’s purpose for His people from the very beginning. To the Israelites He promised:
”If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” (Ex. 15: 26)

What are the diseases of spiritual Egypt, which is the world? The recipe for how God’s people today can escape them is the same – and the promise is just as strong and valid! It’s true that environmental or inherited factors play a role, and sickness may strike even the most righteous (look at Job). But many of the lifestyle-diseases that are on the rise world-wide can be prevented by following the health-principles we have received from our Maker. Let us look at a few of them:

Cancer:

The definition of cancer is actually an unregulated multiplication of cells. If the immune system is weak, this uncontrolled multiplication of unhealthy cells may cause tumours. These in turn may spread through the blood stream and / or lymph system to vital organs.

The experts propose that 80-90% of cancer is ”environmental” – in other words due to:
-what we put into our bodies
-what we allow our bodies to come in contact with
-what we do with our bodies

These were the points we started out with as the physical aspect – and these things we can do something about by:
-avoiding those things which are harmful
-make use of those factors which prevent cancer

Which factors are cancer-causing:

Tobacco:
Smoking is the number 1 cause of cancer. Worldwide 3 million people die every year of smoking. This equals one death every 10th second. We have massive documentation of the destructive power of tobacco. 4000 chemicals have been identified in tobacco smoke, of which many are directly cancer-causing.

Alcohol:
Extensive studies show that even a moderate use of alcohol may increase the danger of developing cancer up to 50-100% compared to those who never drink.
In one study breast-cancer cells were injected into rats. They were divided in 3 groups: One group got no alcohol. The second group was given a blood-percentage of 0.15 % alcohol, while the third group was given a blood-percentage of 0.25 %. In the second group the amount of tumours doubled compared to the abstemious rats. The third group, however, had 8 times as many tumours as the abstemious rats! Alcohol definitely weakens the immune-system. Even a nights feasting may accelerate the metastasis-process.

An unhealthy diet:
35-60 % of all deaths caused by cancer may be due to bad eating habits. The statistics show that the more consumption of fat (especially saturated – from animal sources) a nation has, the more cancer-deaths. Unsaturated fats (mono-/poly-) as found in f. ex. olive-oil, may on the other hand even be cancer-preventive.

The studies also showed that meat in itself has cancer-causing propensities. Read meat has the greatest percentage of increased cancer risk. Chicken, fish, egg and milk may also increase the risk for certain cancers. Egg actually scored the highest risk-percentage, when it came to colon-cancer. Especially harmful is grilled meat. A dangerous carcinogen called Benzopyrene is created – one of the chemicals we find in tobacco. 1 kilo steak produces the same amount of Benzopyrene as 600 cigarettes.

Coffee:
Recent studies also indicate that coffee increases the risk of certain cancers. One study involving 24.000 persons, showed that drinking 2 or more cups per day, doubled the mortality-risk of bladder-cancer. Theobromin, found in chocolate, is also cancer causing. 20 mg or more per day, doubles the risk of prostata cancer.

Cancer-preventive elements:

Strengthen your immune-system! How? Through the diet, exercise and stress-control!

Diet:

Vitamin A is a strong antioxidant, which helps the body to get rid of chemicals and free radicals, which may harm the cells and develop cancer-tissue. It stimulates the immune-system. Mice that got vitamin A, boosted their T-lymphocytes, a variation of white blood-cells, which destroys cancer-cells. This vitamin also aids the cells in a normal, controlled development, which may help to break down cancerous cell-multiplications to normal, controlled development.

Betacaroten, the preformed A-vitamin, has proven to be especially cancer preventive. Non-smokers that eat much Betacaroten through vegetables and fruit, may just have 70% risk of lung-cancer compared to those who eat little Betacaroten.
Lycopene is also a compound in this A-vitamin family. It gives the red colour to tomatoes and strawberries. Studies have shown a marked decreased risk for certain cancers among those who eat products with high Lycopene-values.
Vit. C and E also prove to be cancer-preventive.

Phytochemicals is another natural chemical that is important in the battle against cancer. The kale-family is especially rich in this chemical: Brussel-sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, turnips, kohlrabi, collards, cabbage… Fruit and soy-products are also rich in Phytochemicals. Among those who eat much fruit and soy-products, we find the least cancer-cases. Onions and garlic are other sources. They have proven to decrease the risk of certain cancers drastically. They are boosting the immune-system!

Fiber is also an important factor in cancer-prevention. Research shows that those who eat much fat and little fiber have 4 times as high risk of colon-cancer as those who eat much fiber and little fat.

Elements in a cancer-preventing lifestyle:

-God’s A-plan diet
-Proper weight
-Regular meals, no snacking
-Daily exercise
-Moderate sunlight
-Avoid stress – cast your burdens upon the Lord!

Heart/bloodvessel diseases:

Heart-diseases are responsible of taking most lives world-wide. Research shows that 9 of 10 heart-attacks may be prevented by an optimal lifestyle.
Heart/bloodvessel-disease has a gradual development. The arteries stiffen, and a blockage develops. This process is often referred to as Artheriosclerosis. When the blood is not able to pass through anymore to vital organs, it’s life-treatening.

There are 3 main reasons triggering Artheriosclerosis:
-Smoking
-High blood-pressure
-High cholesterol

A Finnish study of 14.000 men and women showed that by decreasing the cholesterol-level, lower the blood-pressure and stop smoking, men’s mortality-rate dropped 55%, and women’s mortality-rate dropped 68%.

Smoking:
Medical research proves that smoking significantly increases the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases. Some of the explanation may be the nicotine, which causes heart rhythm problems. If a person has heart attack, sudden death is more likely because nicotine in the blood renders the heart more irritable. Smoking also causes the platelets to be more sticky and clump in an unnatural way. This may stop the blood-flow in narrow passages of important arteries/blood-vessels.

High blood-pressure and cholesterol:
High blood-pressure is related to Artheriosclerosis – where cholesterol is one of the main factors. When the arteries are stiff and clogged, the heart needs to pump with greater force. Lifestyle-changes have proven to make a big difference for people struggling with high blood-pressure. This is some of the factors that have been tested to work.
-Total vegetarian, low salt, high fiber diet
-Abstinence from alcohol, tobacco and coffee
-Increased physical activity – especially aerobic exercise

Cholesterol is a natural, necessary component in the human body. But the body produces what is needed, and it is optimal to not get any cholesterol through the food. This we manage with a total vegetarian diet, which contains no cholesterol.
It’s important, though, to distinguish between the two types of cholesterol. LDL and VLDL cholesterol is harmful, while HDL cholesterol actually protects against heart-diseases by removing cholesterol from the arteries and brings it to the liver, where it is removed through the stools. LDL stores the cholesterol in the arteria-walls

Generally fat increases the risk of a high serum cholesterol. Saturated fat actually increases the serum cholesterol more than cholesterol you get through the food. But polyunsaturated fat has the opposite effect – it lowers serum cholesterol. Saturated fat has indeed double effect, which means that you have to have the double amount of polyunsaturated fat to achieve your goal of lowering the cholesterol. From this knowledge the P/S-ratio has been developed. If the food-items score above 2, they have a lowering effect on the bad cholesterol. Peanuts and coconut score under 2, while almonds and walnuts score above 2.

When cholesterol comes in contact with oxygen, it easily produces oxidized cholesterol. Oxidized cholesterol is especially harmful. In studies it has caused harm to the blood-vessels of animals within just a short time. Oxidized cholesterol we find especially in ripened cheese compositions that combines milk, egg, and sugar.

Animal protein drastically increases the cholesterol, while vegetable protein may have a lowering effect. By changing from skimmed-milk protein to soymilk protein, the cholesterol levels may decrease with 60-80 mg/dl in less than 3 weeks.

Fiber also aids in lowering the cholesterol. Those who eat much fiber have 65 % less risk of heart-diseases. Oats and buckwheat has proven to be effective cholesterol-reducers. In meat we find no fiber!

Several vitamins work as antioxidants, reducing the risk of heart-diseases – especially vitamin E, C and Betacaroten. Through a balanced vegetarian diet, you should obtain the vitamins needed.

Triglyserids is a chain of fatty acids that transports fat in the blood-stream, and increases the risk of heart-diseases. The higher the triglyserids, the lower the HDL-levels seems to be.

How can we lower the triglyserid-levels?
-Weight control
-Exercise
-Eat less fat
-Stress-control
-Stop smoking
-Abstain from alcohol
-Avoid sugar

How can we increase HDL-levels?
-Exercise – aerobic: Heart rhythm increases, and deep breathing is induced
-Garlic, ginseng, onion, vitamin C and E
-Stop smoking

Trust in God is also an important aspect as we discuss heart-diseases. Stress is a promint factor, and by casting the burdens upon God, trusting in His care and communicate with our faithful Friend and Maker, we have a great advantage. We can also clearly see that His counsels to us are ”to-us-ward”!

AIDS:

AIDS stands for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome, and is always brought about through receiving the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Worldwide more than 21 million people have HIV, and an average of 8500 become infected every day. The truth is that if the laws of God were followed, these dark numbers would not exist.
It’s true that in certain situations HIV is passed on to innocent victims – because there is a lack of information and education/investigation. This is a challenge to our society worldwide. But when we look at the big picture, AIDS is largely brought about by sexual immorality or drug use. If good routines are followed, it is in prosentage just a few cases that are transmitted through blood-transfusion or other hospital practises. Even transference from mother to child by birth may to a large degree be prevented – and it accounts for a relatively small number of the total AIDS cases.

As for the other lifestyle-diseases we have discussed, God has an answer:

-God’s ideal is monogamous marriage with a lifetime commitment.
-Sexual activity outside this commitment is a sin.
-This single principle followed would do more to solve the AIDS problem than any approach currently available.

For those who have acquired HIV, there is still a lot of hope. This is a virus that attacks the immune-system, but by God’s grace you can do a lot to counteract the works of the virus. You can strengthen your immune-system!
Here are certain factors to consider:

-Stress-management
It is proved that stressful life events associated with depression can worsen HIV infection. It may increase the risk of developing AIDS 4-fold. Stress-factors may be present and unavoidable. As you may have noticed, stress is a main factor in all the lifestyle diseases we have looked at so far, which is topping the mortality-list worldwide.

-Exercise
Moderate exercise seems to decrease the likelihood of progression to AIDS.

-A healthy diet
Studies have shown that those with the highest blood-levels of vitamin E, acquired from a natural diet, have 34 % reduced risk of developing AIDS, compared to those who have low levels of vitamin E. Whole plant foods are rich in Phytochemicals, and are better sources than supplements.
It is also important to have sufficient B12 values. Studies have shown that those with low B12 have twice the risk of progressing  to AIDS.
A rich plant-food diet may also increase levels of Glutathione, a potent antioxidant produced by the body. High levels of Glutathione may play an important role in slowing the progression of HIV infection.
There are many more points that could be mentioned on how to boost the immune system. A strong immune system renders us less likely to become HIV infected – and develop AIDS if we are HIV positive.

Praise God – He has given us a wonderful plan to have a strong physical health. He is our Creator, and it’s fascinating to see His manifold counsels for our whole being.

“Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward; they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” (Psalm 40: 5)

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