How To Really Live!

How to Really Live!
Eight Principles to Optimum Health
by
Vernon Sparks, M.D.

2 HOW TO REALLY LIVE!
© 2009
Vernon Sparks M.D.
Published
by
DIGITAL INSPIRATION
1481 Reagan Valley Road
Tellico Plains, TN 37385
www.vsdigitalinspiration.com
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CONTENTS
PURE AIR ............................................ 5
SUNLIGHT .......................................... 11
ABSTEMIOUSNESS ............................... 18
REST .................................................. 26
EXERCISE ........................................... 32
PROPER DIET ..................................... 38
W ATER .............................................. 48
TRUST IN DIVINE POWER .................. 55
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5
I.
PURE AIR
T
HE NEEDS of our body consist of the sum of the needs of
each of the trillions of cells which make up our body. The basic
needs of these cells are nutrients, water, oxygen, and the elimi-
nation of waste products. Of these necessities, oxygen is the most criti-
cal. We can go weeks without eating, and days without drinking, but our
tissues can store only minute amounts of oxygen and thus our cells must
have a continuous supply of fresh oxygen from outside of our bodies.
Each cell must have oxygen in order to burn food to obtain energy and
heat. Without oxygen, for only a few minutes, the cells die. For this
reason, a good supply of oxygen is very important for our health.
Respiration refers to all activities of our bodies related to oxygen,
from obtaining it from outside of our bodies until it is utilized by each cell.
Respiration also includes the removal of carbon dioxide gas, a waste
product of the cells.
Good breathing begins with the air around us. The air normally
contains 20%, or 1/5 part of oxygen. It also contains small amounts of
carbon dioxide, the waste product expelled by the breathing of all ani-
mals, as well as man.
There is a very important relationship between the animal kingdom
and the vegetable kingdom. The plants produce and liberate oxygen into
the air, where it is inhaled by animals and man for the sustenance of
their lives. In return, man and animals produce and exhale carbon diox-
ide which is then absorbed by the plants for their sustenance. That which
is waste to one is food to the other. Man needs the plants for oxygen and
the plants need man and animals for carbon dioxide.
The air circulates around the earth approximately forty times each
year. While it passes around the earth, it is contaminated by many sub-
stances that are toxic to our cells. As it passes over the centers of popu-
lation and industry, literally millions of tons of smoke, dust, and a wide
variety of chemicals are added to it each year. The air, in many areas, is
so polluted that it irritates the eyes, the nose, and the lungs, causing a
great increase in respiratory diseases.
“The very atmosphere of the cities is polluted. . . .
“From the standpoint of health the smoke and dust of the cities are
5
very objectionable.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 81-82.
Persons with previous respiratory or heart disease are especially
susceptible to the problems of air pollution. Severe air pollution can re-
sult in their premature death. Children are also affected greatly by im-
pure air. One study showed that children with parents who smoke suffer
twice as many respiratory problems as do the children of nonsmoking
parents. It is also known that those with respiratory problems when
young have a greater incidence of respiratory diseases when older.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas produced by burn-
ing fuel without adequate air. Tobacco smoke and the exhaust from
motor vehicles are probably the most common sources. The carbon
monoxide unites with our red blood cells and prevents them from carry-
ing normal amounts of oxygen. It can affect our judgment, and in high
doses it can result in death. Smokers have increased amounts of it in
their blood and so do the nonsmokers who breathe their polluted air.
Those who live next to busy streets, or who walk, jog, drive, or ride a
bicycle in heavy traffic, also get increased amounts of carbon monox-
ide. Persons with anemia, heart disease, or respiratory illnesses are espe-
cially affected by it. Lead poisoning can also be a problem for those who
are exposed to large amounts of exhaust from motor vehicles burning
leaded fuel.
Modern man pollutes his air with many chemicals, the results of
which may take years to discover. Harmful effects appear in unex-
pected ways. It is even being found that a chemical used in indoor air
fresheners is a potent cancer-causing agent in animals. Aerosol hair
sprays cause a temporary constriction of the airways of even healthy
individuals. In some, the effect is so marked that they suffer chest tight-
ness and other respiratory distress.
Fortunately, not only man’s respiratory system, but also the rain and
the plants of the earth serve as air conditioners for the air we breathe.
The rain helps to wash out the impurities of the air, and when the air
leaves the cities and passes over the farms and forests, the plants re-
move the excess carbon dioxide and replenish the oxygen. The farther
we live from cities, factories and busy streets, the better quality of air
we will generally breathe, and certainly it will be better for our health.
Pure fresh air is one of God’s natural remedies.
It is not sufficient, however, that our homes are where there is pure
fresh air. We must permit this fresh air to enter our homes and buildings.
The outside air must have entrance to our homes both day and night.
PURE AIR 7
“In the construction of buildings, whether for public purposes or as
dwellings, care should be taken to provide for good ventilation and plenty
of sunlight. Churches and schoolrooms are often faulty in this respect.
Neglect of proper ventilation is responsible for much of the drowsiness
and dullness that destroy the effect of many a sermon and make the
teacher’s work toilsome and ineffective. . . .
“In the building of houses it is especially important to secure thor-
ough ventilation and plenty of sunlight. Let there be a current of air and
an abundance of light in every room in the house. Sleeping rooms should
be so arranged as to have a free circulation of air day and night. No
room is fit to be occupied as a sleeping-room unless it can be thrown
open daily to the air and sunshine.” The Ministry of Healing, 274-275
If we use an air conditioner, and especially if it is primarily recircu-
lating the internal air, it is necessary for good health to frequently air out
the building. It is best to eliminate the disagreeable odors from our sur-
roundings, not with a deodorant, but by replacing the contaminated air
with fresh air. We are counseled to clean up the waste and decaying
vegetation from around our homes. This will help to provide us with
better air to breathe.
“Shade trees and shrubbery too close and dense around a house
are unhealthy; for they prevent a free circulation of air, and prevent the
rays of the sun from shining sufficiently through. . . . Numerous shade
trees cast off many leaves, which, if not immediately removed, decay,
and poison the atmosphere. A yard beautified with scattering trees, and
some shrubbery, at a proper distance from the house, has a happy, cheerful
influence upon the family, and, if well taken care of, will prove no injury
to health.” Selected Messages, book 2, 463-464
Breathing refers to the act of increasing the size of the thoracic
cavity so that the air with oxygen will be sucked into the lungs. It also
applies to the action of decreasing the size of the thoracic cavity which
results in an exhalation of old air, which carries the waste product car-
bon dioxide. In order that our cells can have good respiration, we must
have good habits of breathing.
We nearly always breathe without thinking. So much so, that we
tend to believe that breathing is automatic just as is our heartbeat. It is
true that our breathing is sufficiently automatic to prevent us from dying
from lack of air, but good breathing requires a conscious development of
good habits of breathing.
Many of us have the custom of hunching over, permitting our shoul-
ders to fall forward while we are sitting or standing. When we do this,
we prevent the full expansion of the chest, thus, causing pressure upon
the lungs and preventing their most healthful function. Bad posture is a
habit, and a bad one. Good posture can also be a habit and a great help
toward good health. We should sit and stand erect. This permits a fuller
use of the lungs.
Another factor in good breathing is the appropriate use of the dia-
phragm and the abdominal muscles. Many of us, due to habit, tend to
breathe superficially, only with the upper chest. This, the most common
way to breathe, is also the most deficient.
The best form of breathing is to introduce air by means of increas-
ing the size of the thoracic cavity by the contraction of the diaphragm.
The diaphragm is a muscular wall which separates the thoracic cavity
from the abdominal cavity. The muscular wall forms a dome-like protu-
berance into the thoracic cavity. When it contracts, it moves down to-
ward the abdomen, thus, expanding the lungs and introducing fresh air.
Each time the diaphragm contracts toward the abdominal cavity, the
digestive organs must be able to move out of its way. For this to be
possible, the abdominal wall must be able to expand outward. The style
of clothing, many times, hinders correct breathing. Clothing which tends
to constrict the waist interferes with the up-and-down movement of the
diaphragm. We are so accustomed to our clothes being tight around our
waists that we have formed the bad habit of breathing almost entirely
with our upper chest instead of using our diaphragm and abdomen. The
Lord has given us good counsel.
“The lungs should be allowed the greatest freedom possible. Their
capacity is developed by free action; it diminishes if they are cramped
and compressed. Hence the ill effects of the practice so common, espe-
cially in sedentary pursuits, of stooping at one’s work. In this position it is
impossible to breathe deeply. Superficial breathing soon becomes a habit,
and the lungs lose their power to expand. A similar effect is produced by
tight lacing. Sufficient room is not given to the lower part of the chest;
the abdominal muscles, which were designed to aid in breathing, do not
have full play, and the lungs are restricted in their action.
“Thus an insufficient supply of oxygen is received. The blood moves
sluggishly. The waste, poisonous matter, which should be thrown off in
the exhalations from the lungs, is retained, and the blood becomes im-
pure. Not only the lungs, but the stomach, liver, and brain are affected.
The skin becomes sallow, digestion is retarded; the heart is depressed;
PURE AIR 9
the brain is clouded; the thoughts are confused; gloom settles upon the
spirits; the whole system becomes depressed and inactive, and pecu-
liarly susceptible to disease.” The Ministry of Healing, 272-273
“Every article of dress should fit easily, obstructing neither the cir-
culation of the blood nor a free, full, natural respiration. Everything worn
should be so loose that when the arms are raised the clothing will be
correspondingly lifted.” The Ministry of Healing, 293
Many of us breathe from 12-18 superficial breaths per minute, when
with proper exercise and effort, we can learn to spontaneously take only
8-10 deeper diaphragmatic breaths per minute. Mr. William Knowles of
England developed the efficiency of his breathing to such an extent that
he normally breathed only 4 times per minute. Professional singers and
public speakers must learn to breathe properly. They learn to breathe in
with a downward movement of the diaphragm and an outward move-
ment of the abdominal wall. They learn to exhale, by means of a con-
traction inward of the abdominal muscles, thus squeezing the diaphragm
upward into the thoracic cavity and expelling the air from the lungs.
Breathing properly of fresh pure air will decrease the incidence of
chest colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma. Deep breathing will not
only help to prevent these diseases, but will also help to improve the
health of those suffering from them. The correct use of the respiratory
organs will help improve speaking and singing. Correct breathing will
provide a better quantity of oxygen and a better elimination of carbon
dioxide from the cells. Each of our organs will function better. We will
have better digestion, our minds will be clearer and more active. We will
have less fatigue and will rest better. Our whole state of physical and
spiritual health will improve by means of correct breathing of God’s pure
air. We will be a better witness to those about us of how to give glory
and honor to our Creator.
“Air is the free blessing of Heaven, calculated to electrify the whole
system. Without it the system will be filled with disease and become
dormant, languid, feeble.
“Air, air, the precious boon of heaven which all may have, will bless
you with its invigorating influence if you will not refuse it entrance.
Welcome it, cultivate a love for it, and it will prove a precious soother of
the nerves. . . . The influence of pure, fresh air is to cause the blood to
circulate healthfully through the system. It refreshes the body and tends
to render it strong and healthy, while at the same time its influence is
decidedly felt upon the mind, imparting a degree of composure and se-
renity. It excites the appetite, and renders the digestion of food more
perfect, and induces sound and sweet sleep.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 701-
702
“In order to have good blood, we must breathe well. Full, deep
inspirations of pure air, which fill the lungs with oxygen, purify the blood.
They impart to it a bright color and send it, a life-giving current, to every
part of the body. A good respiration soothes the nerves; it stimulates the
appetite, and renders digestion more perfect; and it induces sound, re-
freshing sleep.” The Ministry of Healing, 272
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II.
SUNLIGHT
T
HE SUN is one of the most important objects in our natural
world. It gives light and heat to the earth during the day, and
reflected from the moon, its light provides us company during
the night. Without the sun, this earth would always be darker than mid-
night and much colder than any naturally cold place here on earth. The
earth would be completely without life.
With a certain amount of reason, many primitive people through the
centuries, have worshiped the sun as the god of the universe. Although
the sun is not the god of the universe, it was created by God for our
benefit. It is a marvelous creation.
The sun is the time-clock of this world. Each setting of the sun
marks the beginning of a new day, and seven settings of the sun mark
one week. One revolution of the earth around the sun measures one
year. The earth’s relation to the sun also determines our four seasons.
Sunlight, by acting upon the leaves of the plants and upon the algae
of the earth’s bodies of water, produces the oxygen so essential to our
lives. It is also believed that oxygen is produced by sunlight acting on
water vapor in the earth’s upper atmosphere.
Sunlight is the indirect producer of the primary energy sources on
this earth. It acts to vaporize water, forming the clouds which give rain
and snow to fill the streams that drive our hydroelectric plants. Uneven
heating of the earth’s air creates winds that propel our sails and wind-
mills. Its action upon the trees has produced wood for burning, and the
buried plant and animal life of ages past give us our coal, oil and gas.
The sun has a marked effect upon plant life. Some of us have seen
grass or a plant grow underneath a board, or perhaps on the dirt floor of
some dark, abandoned building. The plant is very pale and weak. If after
some time it does not receive light, it will eventually die. All plants need
sunlight in order to sustain life. The leaves of plants are normally green
due to the presence of a substance called chlorophyl, which is produced
by the action of the sunlight. The starch which we find stored in the
roots of some plants such as potatoes and yams is first produced in the
leaves of these plants, due to the action of the sun. In the same way the
vitamins, flavors, sugars and other nutrients which form in the grains
11
and fruits are first produced in the leaves of plants, due to the action of
the sunlight. Thus, animals and mankind are dependent upon adequate
sunlight for the production of their foods.
The amount of sunlight received affects the nutritional value of the
food. The internal pale leaves of cabbage and lettuce do not have as
much flavor, as many vitamins or minerals, and therefore are not as high
in nutrition as the outer darker leaves which have been exposed to sun-
light. For the same reason, celery exposed to the sunlight is green in
color and is more nutritious than celery grown in the shade.
“The pale and sickly grain-blade that has struggled up out of the
cold of early spring puts out the natural and healthy deep green after
enjoying for a few days the health-and-life-giving rays of the sun. Go
out into the light and warmth of the glorious sun, . . . and share with
vegetation its life-giving, healing power.” My Life Today, 138
The sun is one and one-third million times larger than the earth and
located 93 million miles away. It is a ball of hydrogen gas where at its
core, under extreme heat and pressure, four atoms of hydrogen are
believed to be fused into one atom of helium releasing vast quantities of
electromagnetic energy.
Only about one two-billionths of the produced energy strikes this
earth. It arrives after about 8 minutes travel time in various wave lengths.
It is estimated that only about 1% of the sun’s radiated energy is visible
to our eyes and is referred to as sunlight. Some of the invisible waves of
lower frequency are called infrared and they are what we feel as heat.
Some of the invisible waves of higher frequency are referred to as ultra-
violet. This is the most biologically active portion of the suns radiation,
but it is the most easily blocked by clothing and glass.
Sunlight has another very important effect upon our surroundings.
In 1877 it was first proved that sunlight kills germs. For some years
physicians making house calls had noted considerably more cases of
infectious disease on the shady side of a street than on the sunny side.
From then, until there was a wide availability of antibiotics, sunlight was
used with great benefit in the treatment of infections. Thus we can un-
derstand the following counsels of the Spirit of Prophecy.
“Every form of uncleanliness tends to disease. Death- producing
germs abound in dark, neglected corners, in decaying refuse, in damp-
ness and mold and must. . . . Perfect cleanliness, plenty of sunlight, careful
attention to sanitation in every detail of the home life, are essential to
freedom from disease and to the cheerfulness and vigor of the inmates
SUNLIGHT 13
of the home.” The Ministry of Healing, 276. “Shade trees and shrub-
bery too close and dense around a house are unhealthful; for they pre-
vent a free circulation of air, and shut out the rays of the sun. In conse-
quence of this, dampness gathers in the house. Especially in wet sea-
sons the sleeping rooms become damp, and those who occupy them are
troubled with rheumatism, neuralgia, and lung compaints which gener-
ally end in consumption.” Counsels on Health, 58
It is interesting to note that the Spirit of Prophecy frequently asso-
ciates the benefits from sunlight within a room with good ventilation of
pure air through open windows and/or doors. This statement is sup-
ported by the fact that the ultraviolet rays of sunlight, which are the
primary rays that kill germs and affect our biologic functions, are largely
blocked by glass and thus enter in primarily when there is good ventila-
tion.
“If the windows were freed from blinds and heavy curtains, and
the air and sun permitted to enter freely the darkened rooms, there would
be seen a change for the better in the mental and physical health of the
children. The pure air would have an invigorating influence upon them,
and the sun that carries healing in its beams would soothe and cheer, and
make them happy, joyous, and healthy.” Healthful Living, 229.
Sunlight affects our bodies directly by acting upon our skin and
upon our eyes. Sunlight enables us to see our surroundings but it also
works through our eyes to help set our internal biologic clock. Over one
hundred bodily functions operate on a rhythmic cycle regulated greatly
by the light and dark periods of day and night. For example, our body
temperature is lowest about 3 a.m. and highest about 3 p.m. This inter-
nal clock is referred to as the circadian rhythms. Our bodies function at
their maximum efficiency and are better able to resist disease when we
are active during daylight and rest during the dark. Less than ideal health
is more a result of ignoring this principle of nature than we usually real-
ize.
Jet-lag is perhaps the best-known problem related to poor regula-
tion of our circadian rhythms. It is well recognized that as we pass sev-
eral times zones in a few hours many persons notice symptoms of inabil-
ity to sleep, digestion troubles, slowed nervous functions, tiredness and
increased irirritability. It can take from 2 to 14 days for our bodily func-
tions to get totally back to normal. The problem is worse if we travel
from west to east rather than east to west. Recovery is hastened if
there is good exposure to sunlight, especially in the mornings.
Night workers tend also to suffer from misfunction of their circa-
dian rhythms. It is known that there are more accidents and errors at
work around 3 a.m. There tends to be an increase of sleep problems,
digestive difficulties, nervous problems and even heart disease. Usually
the regular night worker is affected the least and the worker who ro-
tates shifts the most, especially if the worker rotates from night shift to
evening shift to day shift, rather than the reverse.
A more common problem is the less than ideal body function re-
lated to turning night into day and day into night. “Some . . . are much
opposed to order and discipline. . . . They lie in bed some hours after
daylight, when everyone should be astir. They burn the midnight oil, de-
pending upon artificial light to supply the place of the light that nature
has provided at seasonable hours. . . . Thus they are sleeping soundly
when they should be awake with nature and the early-rising birds. The
precious habits of order are broken; and the moments thus idled away in
the early morning set things out of course for the whole day.
“Our God is a God of order, and He desires that His children shall
will to bring themselves into order, and under His discipline. Would it not
be better, therefore, to break up this habit of turning night into day, and
the fresh hours of the morning into night?” Evangelism, 651.
“Unhealthful habits of every order—late hours at night, late hours
in bed in the morning, . . . are to be overcome.” Sons and Daughters
of God, 171
There is a problem related to inadequate sunlight referred to as
SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which manifests itself in the fall
and winter when the days are shorter and there is less time to get good
exposure to sunlight. It is characterized by depression, sadness, anx-
iousness, irritability, appetite and weight problems, sleep difficulties, and
an increase in work and interpersonal problems. It tends to be prevented
by, and also respond to, treatment with good midday exposure to sun-
light. It improves even if it is cloudy, but it will take longer.
The skin of our body is the largest organ which we have. It is also
more important for our health than we many times believe. It is very
complex and marvelously made. Each person has nearly 19,000 square
cm of skin surface. Each centimeter of skin has 3 million cells, 10 hairs,
100 sweat glands, one meter of blood vessels, four meters of nerves and
thousands of special cells and sensory apparatuses to detect cold, heat,
pressure and pain.
Cholesterol and fatty acids are normal constituents of our skin.
SUNLIGHT 15
They help to waterproof our skin, and also, under the effect of sunlight,
some of the cholesterol is transformed into vitamin D which is so essen-
tial to our health. Just a few minutes of sunlight each day on our nor-
mally exposed skin provides all of the vitamin D that we need.
Skin which has a good suntan has three times more power to kill
germs than does skin without a suntan. This is an excellent reason to
spend as much time as possible in the sun.
“I must be a learner always as to how to take care of this building,
the body God has given me, that I may preserve it in the very best
condition of health. . . . I must get all the sunlight that it is possible for
me to obtain.” Medical Ministry, 230
This quotation introduces the subject of how much sunlight is ben-
eficial? There is the controversial matter of skin cancer which the ma-
jority of scientists attribute to excess sunlight. Scientists say that sunlight
can change fatty acids and cholesterol in the skin into free radicals which
prematurely age the skin and lead to cancerous changes in the skin. This
is the reason there is a great deal of advice nowadays to avoid sun
exposure as much as possible. These apparent effects of sunlight seem
to be more marked, the higher the fat content of the diet and to become
worse with unsaturated, liquid fats in the diet. It also seems to be worse
with the conconsumption of partially hydrogenated oils.
There is other scientific information which helps us to better under-
stand this problem of sunlight and skin cancer. It seems that the vitamins
A, C and E, and the mineral selenium, tend to block the formation of the
free radicals from fatty acids and cholesterol. If these vitamins and this
mineral are low in our diet, it is believed that more free radicals are
formed in our skin and that the risk of skin cancer is increased.
There are very likely other yet undetermined factors in the causa-
tion of skin cancer. Undoubtedly, if one follows all of the principles of
Healthful Living, including a low fat, vegetarian diet, high in natural
foods, one’s risk of getting skin cancer is greatly diminished.
It is also important to prevent sunburning to help decrease skin
cancer. If we have not been getting regular sunlight we need to gradu-
ally increase our exposure until our skin is well tanned. Some persons’
skin is very light and will not tan. They may always need to limit their
exposure so that there is minimal or no redness the next day (perhaps a
maximun of 20-30 minutes sunlight daily). If they have to be outdoors
more than this length of time, then they should wear long sleeves and a
wide brimmed hat. A tanned person should be able to benefit from an
hour or more daily in the sunlight.
It is best to avoid suntanning creams, lotions or blockers. The re-
fined oils in most of these are also transformed into free radicals by the
sunlight. Expose your skin to what it can tolerate without burning and
then keep it covered.
The invisible ultraviolet rays, which are the most biologically active
rays in sunlight, are blocked by the upper atmosphere in the early
mornorning and late evening. In summer they are active from about 8
a.m. to 4 p.m. and in the winter from about 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. One must
keep this in mind, and also the fact that the higher the elevation where
one is, the stronger the rays are. Also, the clouds only block about 20%
of the ultraviolet rays and burning can still occur on a cloudy day.
Sunlight has other beneficial effects upon our bodies. Mrs. White
tells us that exposure to the sun is good for our digestion. “They who
work in the open air will feel less injury from the use of fleshmeats than
those of sedentary habits, for sun and air are great helps to digestion,
and do much to counteract the effect of wrong habits of eating and
drinking.” T 159. This statement is supported by science. Sunlight also
increases the number of red and white blood cells. The red cells carry
oxygen to all the body and the white cells help to combat infection and
increase our immunity. It has been shown that sunlight decreases the
incidence of internal cancers. Sunlight lowers blood cholesterol. If our
blood sugar is too high exposure to the sun helps to lower it. It also
increases the strength of our heart, permitting our heart to beat slower.
It increases our muscular strength and endurance. It improves our toler-
ance to stress. It helps to regulate and control the hormones of our body.
Truly, sunlight is a benefit to every aspect of our health. God considers it
one of His physicians.
Certainly we can all benefit from regular exposure to sunlight. It
would be well if we could spend as much as an hour daily in the open air
and if possible combine the sun exposure with suitable exercise. If we
are sick, then certainly we need to have regular, controlled sunbathing.
In the construction of our homes, our offices, schools and hospitals,
it is best to design them in such a way that the sun can enter into each
room, not just through window glass, but through open windows.
“In the construction of buildings, whether for public purposes or as
dwellings, care should be taken to provide for good ventilation and plenty
of sunlight. . . . In the building of houses it is especially important to
secure thorough ventilation and plenty of sunlight. Let there be a current
SUNLIGHT 17
of air and an abundance of light in every room in the house. Sleeping-
rooms should be so arranged as to have a free circulation of air day and
night. No room is fit to be occupied as a sleeping-room unless it can be
thrown open daily to the air and sunshine. . . . “ The Ministry of Heal-
ing, 274-275
“No room in the house should be considered furnished and adorned
without the cheering, enlivening light and sunshine, which are Heaven’s
own free gift to man. . . . When God had made our world, and darkness
was upon the face of the deep, He said, Let there be light, and there was
light. And God saw the light that it was good. Shall we close our houses,
and exclude from them the light which God has pronounced good?” My
Life Today, 138
Even though sunlight may bleach the color of curtains, rugs, and
furniture, it is still preferable to keep the curtains open in order to allow
the sun to enter and to purify the rooms. We also need to take care that
the trees and plants close to the building do not provide too much shade
so as to prevent the sun from shining in. Bedrooms and especially the
rooms of those who are ill need the daily entrance of sunlight. Rather
than neatly making our beds early each morning, it would be much more
healthy if we would remove the bed linens and air them in the sun for
several hours each day. (See Counsels on Health, 56, 196)
Certainly the sun was designed by our Creator to help us prevent
disease and if we are ill, to help us recover. It is also a symbol of the life
we are to live. “The sun, gilding, tinting, and then glorifying the heavens
with its blaze of light is a symbol of the Christian life. As the light of the
sun is light and life and blessing to all that live, so should Christians, by
their good works, by their cheerfulness and courage, be the light of the
world. As the light of the sun chases away the shades of night and pours
its glories on valleys and hills, so will the Christian reflect the Sun of
Righteousness which shines on him.” Our High Calling, 296. Sunlight
is free to the poor as well as to the rich. Most of us need to use it more
than we do.
III.
ABSTEMIOUSNESS
A
BSTEMIOUSNESS is one of God’s remedies. It means the
sparing use of something, usually in the area of food or drink.
The term Temperance has essentially the same meaning, and is
more commonly used. The underlying meaning of both terms is “to dis-
pense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is
healthful.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 562.
Certainly the opposite of Temperance is a serious problem in our
world today. “InTemperance, in the true sense of the word, is at the
foundation of the larger share of the ills of life, and it annually destroys
its tens of thousands. For inTemperance is not limited to the use of
intoxicating liquors; it has a broader meaning, and includes the hurtful
indulgence of any appetite or passion.” Temperance, 137.
The abuse of harmful substances is certainly widespread today,
and seems to be on the increase. Much of it begins by wanting to belong
to some special group—to be like someone else. We refer to this as peer
pressure. The use of what are considered “hard” drugs usually begin
with peer pressure to be part of the crowd by using some milder sub-
stance. As the body accustoms itself to the milder effect, it tends to
crave a stronger effect and thus the user many times progresses to
more harmful substances.
Addiction refers to the fact that the body actually develops a physi-
cal dependance upon the active ingredient in the abused substance. This
dependance is manifested by the fact that increasing amounts are needed
in order to obtain the same desired effect, and if the use is stopped there
are definite unpleasant symptoms referred to as withdrawal.
Many, many substances have a true addictive effect upon the hu-
man body, and all are harmful to a greater of lesser degree.
For a number of years, marijuana has been a popular recreational
drug. It was felt for a long time to be harmless. However, it is now
known that marijuana decreases the body’s immune system, it damages
cell chromosones; it increases male sterility and is just as harmful to the
lungs as tobacco. Certainly it is not a safe substance to use.
The most recent drug to gain wide popularity has been cocaine. It
also was thought at first to be harmless, but the opposite has been shown
18
ABSTEMIOUSNESS 19
to be true. This fact has been dramatically publicized by the sudden
deaths of some well-known persons after an apparent use of cocaine. It
has been found to cause seizures, brain hemorrhages or strokes and
various other neurologic and general health problems. A more recent
form of the drug is called “crack.” It is cheaper, more potent and, if
anything, more dangerous.
These are just two examples of the so-called hard drugs that soci-
ety recognizes as being harmful and therefore are illegal. However,
greater emotional, physical, social, spiritual and financial harm is suf-
fered by our society due to the use of a number of “socially-acceptable”
subtances.
Alcohol is the most frequent drug of abuse, even among youth. In
Genesis 9 we have the record of Noah being drunken from wine and
how it created social problems. Canaan was cursed because of the epi-
sode, and humanity has suffered under the curse of alcohol ever since.
“Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and
thine often infirmities.” 1 Timothy 5:23. Many people have interpreted
the above counsel of Paul to Timothy to indicate that alcohol in modera-
tion is beneficial and recommended by the Scriptures. We need to be
guided by this following statement of the Lord’s messenger. “The Bible
nowhere teaches the use of intoxicating wine, either as a beverage or as
a symbol of the blood of Christ.” Healthful Living, 113
Science has noted that alcohol in “moderation” lowers blood cho-
lesterol and it is felt that it may decrease the incidence of heart attacks.
Thus, some physicians are recommending the moderate or controlled
use of alcohol. Many times it is recommended to take some alcoholic
beverage at bedtime to assist in sleeping. They do this in disregard of the
addictive action of alcohol and of its many harmful effects within the
human body.
“Persons may become just as really intoxicated on wine and cider
as on stronger drinks, and the worst kind of inebriation is produced by
these so-called milder drinks. The passions are more perverse; the trans-
formation of character is greater, more determined and obstinate. A few
quarts of cider or sweet wine may awaken a taste for strong drinks, and
many who have become confirmed drunkards have thus laid the foun-
dation of the drinking habit. . . . Moderate drinking is the school in which
men are receiving an Education for the drunkard’s career. The taste
for stimulants is cultivated; the nervous system is disordered; Satan keeps
the mind in a fever of unrest; and the poor victim, imagining himself
perfectly secure, goes on and on, until every barrier is broken down,
every principle sacrificed.” Healthful Living, 112
“When there has been a departure from the right path, it is difficult
to return. Barriers have been removed, safeguards broken down. One
step in the wrong direction prepares the way for another. A single glass
of wine may open the door of temptation which will lead to habits of
drunkeness.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 578
In 1985 there were approximately 18 million Americans suffering ill
health of some type due to the use of alcohol. This number does not
include the multiplied millions of family members who suffered along
with them. Alcohol-related problems cost our society 117 billion dollars
in 1983. An estimated 10% of all deaths (40-50% of all traffic fatalities)
and 10% of work-related accidents are alcohol related. Alcohol is asso-
ciated with 35-50% of marital violence. And yet alcohol use is so so-
cially acceptable that American youth are using it at an increasingly
younger age.
Alcohol causes much of its harm to the human body because of its
effect upon the red blood cells which are essential for the transport of
oxygen to every body organ. Alcohol makes the red cells sticky, and
they make clumps of cells that can no longer pass through the smaller
blood vessels. This deprives organ cells of oxygen and nerve cells begin
dying when they lack oxygen for only 5-6 minutes. It has been shown
that there are some nerve cells that die with every alcoholic drink. Be-
cause of the tremendous number of nerve cells initially, the loss is not
noted perhaps until the process has been repeated for many years. “At
the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” Proverbs
23:32.
Recently it has been shown that alcohol consumption by the preg-
nant woman can cause a pattern of birth defects in the child referred to
as the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The defects include mental retardation.
At present, scientists doubt that there is a “safe” level of alcohol use
during pregnancy. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whoso-
ever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Proverbs 20:1.
With reason we are told that “When Temperance is presented as a
part of the gospel, many will see their need of reform. They will see the
evil of intoxicating liquors and that total abstinence is the only platform
on which God’s people can conscientiously stand.” Testimonies, vol. 7,
75
Another widely used harmful substance is tobacco. It is commonly
ABSTEMIOUSNESS 21
known that the tobacco user suffers from a wide variety of increased
health problems. Tobacco is the leading single cause of premature death
in the United States. Its use causes more than 1000 unnecessary deaths
every day! It results in increased death from coronary heart disease;
vascular disease such as strokes and gangrene; cancers of the lung,
larynx, oral cavity and esophagus; chronic bronchitis and emphysema,
and allergic diseases. It has been estimated that it results in increased
medical costs of up to eleven and one-half billion dollars annually.
Even more tragic is the effects of passive smoking on those forced
to breathe the polluted air of the smoker. It has been determined that
some harmful ingredients are higher in secondhand or sidestream smoke
than in that inhaled by the smoker. A nonsmoker can first experience the
effects as a fetus, carried by its mother who smokes or is exposed to
secondhand smoke. Such a fetus has a greater chance of being miscar-
ried or born prematurely and if carried to term, it will be smaller than
normal. Such a fetus will also have a greater chance of contracting
certain forms of childhood cancer. This harmful exposure can continue
after birth through breathing secondhand smoke and also as nicotine in
the mother’s milk.
Children of parents who smoke have twice the incidence of lung
problems such as bronchitis, and pneumonia. Nonsmoking women whose
husbands smoke have a three times greater risk of suffering a heart
attack than nonsmoking women whose spouses don’t smoke. They also
have a 30% greater risk of lung cancer.
How up to date are these nearly 100-year-old words of God’s spokes-
woman! “Wherever we go, we encounter the tobacco devotee, enfee-
bling both mind and body by his darling indulgence. Have men a right to
deprive their Maker and the world of the service which is their due?
Tobacco is a slow, insidious poison. Its effects are more difficult to cleanse
from the system than are those of liquor. It binds the victim in even
stronger bands of slavery than does the intoxicating cup. It is a disgust-
ing habit, defiling to the user, and very annoying to others. We rarely
pass through a crowd but men will puff their poisoned breath in our
faces. It is unpleasant, if not dangerous, to remain in a railway car or in
a room where the atmosphere is impregnated with the fumes of liquor
and tobacco. Is it honest thus to contaminate the air which others must
breathe?” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 33-34.
We find another sobering statement in the book Temperance. “The
infant lungs suffer, and become diseased by inhaling the atmosphere of
a room poisoned by the tobacco user’s tainted breath. Many infants are
poisoned beyond remedy by sleeping in beds with their tobacco-using
fathers. By inhaling the poisonous tobacco effluvia, which is thrown
from the lungs and pores of the skin, the system of the infant is filled
with poison. While it acts upon some infants as a slow poison, and af-
fects the brain, heart, liver, and lungs, and they waste away and fade
gradually, upon others, it has a more direct influence, causing spasms,
fits, paralysis, and sudden death.” Testimonies, vol. 58-59
Another widely used but harmful substance is that of caffeine. It is
a stimulant found in regular coffee, tea, several medications and in over
two thirds of the soft drinks consummed in the U.S.
Caffeine is a nervous system stimulant acting to temporarily stimu-
late the nerves to a more rapid function but without providing any of the
energy or other nutrients utilized by that function. As the caffeine wears
off the nerves are then in a depressed state causing the “need” for
another dose of caffeine. Caffeine is definitely addictive and a lowering
blood level creates symptoms such as headache, tiredness, depression
and anxiety. After taking another dose of caffeine, such a person will
temporarily feel better and thus he comes to believe that he or she needs
the caffeine. The truth is that the undesirable feelings are caused by the
caffeine.
“Tea and coffee do not nourish the system. The relief obtained
from them is sudden, before the stomach has time to digest them. This
shows that what the users of these stimulants call strength is only re-
ceived by exciting the nerves of the stomach, which convey the irritation
to the brain, and this in turn is aroused to impart increased action to the
heart and short-lived energy to the entire system. All this is false strength
that we are the worse for having. They do not give a particle of natural
strength.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 65
“Tea is poisonous to the system. Christians should let it alone. The
influence of coffee is in a degree the same as tea, but the effect upon
the system is still worse. Its influence is exciting, and just in the degree
that it elevates above par, it will exhaust and bring prostration below
par.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 421
“Coffee is a hurtful indulgence. It temporarily excites the mind to
unwonted action, but the aftereffect is exhaustion, prostration, paralysis
of the mental, moral, and physical powers. The mind becomes ener-
vated, and unless through determined effort the habit is overcome, the
activity of the brain is permanently lessened.” Ibid.
ABSTEMIOUSNESS 23
Caffeine has been shown to be related to heart- rhythm distur-
bances. Caffeine increases the loss of calcium in the urine and is
undoubtably an important factor in osteoporosis where bones can frac-
ture with even minor injuries. Caffeine decreases blood flow to the brain.
Caffeine and similar substances are also found in diminishing amounts in
coffee, tea, cocoa and chocolate, and are suspected of being a factor in
cystic disease of the breast.
Heavy drinking of caffeine beverages can lead to a conditon re-
ferred to as caffeinism. It can be confused with anxiety neurosis, with
symptoms consisting of dizziness, agitation, restlessness, recurring head-
aches and difficulty in sleeping. Interestingly, these symptoms are nearly
the same as with caffeine withdrawal.
The question arises as to the possible harmful effects of cocoa and
chocolate. Cocoa was widely used in the time of Ellen White, but she
did not mention it. However, cocoa and chocolate can definitely contrib-
ute to problems such as migraine headaches, allergies, acne and per-
haps other illnesses. They also contain high amounts of fat and sugar
and thus should probably be used sparingly, if at all.
For many years there was no direct evidence that coffee drinking
was related to coronary heart disease. However, just recently a 25-year
study revealed a two- to threefold increase in coronary heart disease in
those who drank 5 or more cups of coffee per day. There was also
some increased risk in those persons who drank as little as 1 to 2 cups of
coffee per day. Heavy coffee drinking has also been linked to elevated
levels of blood cholesterol. Coffee affects the function of the liver, caus-
ing confusion in the levels of blood sugar and aggravating the condition
of those suffering from diabetes. Drinking tea with the same amount of
caffeine does not cause these effects and thus indicates that they are
the results of some other ingredient(s) than caffeine in the coffee.
Decaffeinated coffee is also as irritating to the stomach as is regular
coffee.
Other dangerous substances used by many persons are the tablets
to calm one’s nerves, tablets to sleep, tablets to take away sleep, and
products such as amphetamines to aid in the reduction of weight. It
seems that people cannot do anything in a natural way, but must have a
drug to control each aspect of their lives. Some of these products are
less dangerous than others, but many of them have a tendency to form
addiction. It is best to avoid the use of them and to live as natural a life
as possible.
There is an interesting correlation between the use of any stimulat-
ing substance and the craving to use other stimulants. This correlation
has been shown to be true in animal studies, and many humans can
testify to the same experience in their own lives. “Many parents edu-
cate the tastes of their children and form their appetites. They indulge
them in eating flesh meats and in drinking tea and coffee. The highly
seasoned flesh meats and the tea and coffee, which some mothers en-
courage their children to use, prepare the way for them to crave stron-
ger stimulants, as tocacco. The use of tobacco encourages the appetite
for liquor, and the use of tobacco and liquor invariably lessens nerve
power.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 488-489
Even highly seasoned and rich food is a factor. “The food is often
such as to excite a desire for stimulating drinks. Luxurious dishes are
placed before the children—spiced foods, rich gravies, cakes, and past-
ries. This highly seasoned food irritates the stomach, and causes a crav-
ing for still stronger stimulants.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 235
An even more facinating correlation is that found between poor
nutrition and the use of alcohol. Rats fed a typical U.S. teenage diet,
marginally adequate in vitamins and minerals, will gradually increase
their voluntary consumption of alcohol. This tendency is reversed when
they receive a good balanced diet. It has been shown that alcoholics
given a good balanced diet have less of a craving for alcohol. This effect
is even greater if the balanced diet is vegetarian. Thus we can see the
importance of good nutrition in helping ourselves and our children to
resist the use of these many harmful substances. “When the message
comes to those who have not heard the truth for this time, they see that
a great reformation must take place in their diet. They see that they
must put away flesh food, because it creates an appetite for liquor, and
fills the system with disease.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 268-269
We must guard against the very beginnings of inTemperance.
“InTemperance commences at our tables in the use of unhealthful food.
After a time, through continued indulgence, the digestive organs be-
come weakened, and the food taken does not satisfy the appetite. Un-
healthy conditions are established, and there is a craving for more stimu-
lating food. Tea, coffee, and flesh meats produce an immediate effect.
Under the influence of these poisons the nervous system is excited, and,
in some cases, for the time being, the intellect seems to be invigorated
and the imagination to be more vivid. Because these stimulants produce
ABSTEMIOUSNESS 25
for the time being such agreeable results, many conclude that they really
need them and continue their use. But there is always a reaction. The
nervous system, having been unduly excited, borrowed power for present
use from its future resources of strength. All this temporary invigoration
of the system is followed by depression. In proportion as these stimu-
lants temporarily invigorate the system will be the letting down of the
power of the excited organs after the stimulus has lost its force. The
appetite is educated to crave something stronger which will have a ten-
dency to keep up and increase the agreeable excitement, until indul-
gence becomes habit, and there is a continual craving for stronger stimulus,
as tobacco, wines, and liquors. The more the appetite is indulged, the
more frequent will be its demands and the more difficult of control. The
more debilitated the system becomes and the less able to do without
unnatural stimulus, the more the passion for these things increases, until
the will is overborne, and there seems to be no power to deny the un-
natural craving for these indulgences.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 487-488
Abstemiousness will indeed help prevent and alleviate many health
problems. But the most important benefit is that of spiritual health.
“Through appetite, Satan controls the mind and the whole being.” Chris-
tian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 37. “It is impossible for those
who give the reins to appetite to attain to Christian perfection.” Ibid., 46
Indeed, “the only safe course is to touch not, taste not, handle not,
tea, coffee, wines, tobacco, opium, and alcoholic drinks.” Testimonies,
vol. 3, 488
By a moment-by-moment surrender of our appetites and desires to
the Lord, He gives us the power to follow the principles of true Temper-
ance in dispensing “entirely with everything hurtful” and in using “judiously
that which is healthful”. Patriarchs and Prophets, 562
IV.
REST
I
’M SO TIRED” is one of the most common complaints of man
kind. There are several types of tiredness or fatigue. There is mus-
cular fatigue due to muscular work. With muscular fatigue, we are
relaxed and we sleep readily. There is fatigue of the nervous system due
to mental concentration and continuous use of the nervous system. With
fatigue of the nervous system, our muscles are tense and we frequently
find it difficult to sleep. Occasionally, we experience one or the other of
these types of fatigue, but generally, we experience various combina-
tions of these two types.
These types of fatigue are called true fatigue or physiological fa-
tigue because the cells of the muscles and the nervous tissues have run
low on nutrients and have accumulated waste products. Thus, these
cells are truly tired and unable to continue working at maximum effi-
ciency. With true fatigue, the body tissues actually need rest in order to
recuperate.
There is another type of fatigue which is very common, but which
is a false or psychological fatigue. It is not caused by an actual use of
the muscular or nervous systems. It springs from boredom, stress, and/
or a sense of guilt. At one time or another, we have all experienced this
type of fatigue. It is characterized by a feeling of tiredness even after
having a good night’s rest. Millions of people complain of chronic fatigue
which is caused by depression caused by boredom with their job or their
social life, or due to a sense of guilt. Many people go through life accom-
plishing much less than they can because they feel or think that they are
more tired than they actually are. One scientist stated that most of us
automatically and unconsciously limit our exertional effort to approxi-
mately 50% of our capacity. There is much truth in the saying “You can
do it if you think you can.” A positive outlook on life, though not the full
answer to fatigue, can help us feel less tired.
What is the antidote for fatigue? True physiological fatigue requires
rest in order for the deplenished tissues to restore and prepare them-
selves for future activity. Thus, true fatigue from physical activity re-
quires physical rest. Thus it is that our bodies require sleep in order to
have energy for the next day. “Sleep, nature’s sweet restorer, invigo-
26
REST 27
rates the weary body and prepares it for the next day’s duties.” Adventist
Home, 289
Our Creator has also given us a weekly rest—the seventh day. The
Sabbath helps to break the monotony and boredom of life and by assist-
ing in our communion with our Creator and Saviour. It also helps to bring
us into harmony with with our fellow men. Thus the prime causes of
psychological or false fatigue are alleviated.
Recreation means to re-create, and ideally it is a form of rest. “There
is a distinction between recreation and amusement. Recreation, when
true to its name, re-creation, tends to strengthen and build up. Calling us
aside from our ordinary cares and occupations, it affords refreshment
for mind and body, and thus enables us to return with new vigor to the
earnest work of life. Amusement, on the other hand, is sought for the
sake of pleasure and is often carried to excess; it absorbs the energies
that are required for useful work and thus proves a hindrance to life’s
true success.” Education, 207
Most people think of sports when they think of recreation. How-
ever, we should not limit our recreation to comparatively useless activi-
ties. Reading an informative article or book can re-create a physical
laborer. Gardening, or other useful physical exercise can re-create the
mental laborer. A change in activity recreates. Recreation can very well
consist of alternating useful activites. “As a rule, the exercise most ben-
eficial to the youth will be found in useful employment. The little child
finds both diversion and development in play; and his sports should be
such as to promote not only physical but mental and spiritual growth. As
he gains strength and intelligence, the best recreation will be found in
some line of effort that is useful.” Education, 215
We spend nearly one-third of our lifetime sleeping. However, sleep
is a subject that man has knows very little about. Only in recent years
has science begun to understand some aspects of it. By measuring man’s
brain waves, it has been determined that there are four stages or levels
of sleep. Normally, we spend the night going up and down these four
levels of consciousness as if on waves. Usually, we ride five or six of
these “waves” each night. The deepest and the most superficial levels
of sleep seem to be the most essential to rest. The deepest level of sleep
is occurring when the individual is the most difficult to arouse, and is
essential to adequate rest. It is when the brain is the least active. The
most superficial level of sleep is also essential to rest. It is during this
stage of sleep that the person dreams.
Dreaming is apparently essential to normal sleep. We dream nearly
25% of the time we are asleep. It is at this level of sleep that we assimi-
late our most recent life into the whole of our past and file in our memory
banks our most recent experiences. We cannot recall the majority of our
dreams but occasionally, we can recall the last dream of the night.
Mrs. E.G. White tells us that “The multitude of dreams arise from
the common things of life, with which the Spirit of God has nothing to
do.” Testimones, vol. 1 569. She also states that late suppers can be a
cause of unpleasant dreams.(see Counsels on Health, 119.) Dreams
can also be instigated by God or by the Devil. “The multitude of dreams
arise from the common things of life, with which the Spirit of God has
nothing to do. There are also false dreams, as well as false visions,
which are inspired by the spirit of Satan. But dreams from the Lord are
classed in the Word of God with visions and are as truly the fruits of the
spirit of prophecy as visions.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 569.
Each of our body cells, during our waking hours, is working for the
welfare of the whole body. Thus in the daytime the nerve cells are car-
rying messages to and from all parts of the body, and the digestive cells
are active in gathering food for the entire body. When we sleep, the
majority of these activites decrease to a minimum. At night-time the
cells concern themselves primarily with their own well-being. The expe-
riences of the previous day are filed away. The last of the waste prod-
ucts is cleaned out, and fresh energy is metabolized and stored for the
next day. Sleep is a time when we are unconscious; however, our body
cells are not completely inactive. They utilize this time to take care of
their own essential needs and to prepare for future service. Because of
this fact, the basal metabolic rate (the rate of oxygen consumption) dur-
ing sleep decreases only about 10-20%.
The need for sleep varies from person to person. An adult needs 6
to 10 hours’ sleep. Babies and children need more sleep. Older people
apparently can get by with less sleep. One physiologist believes that
persons with a larger capacity for curiosity need less sleep than do oth-
ers.
Into this modern life, we tend to cram more activity than we should.
Many people get less sleep than they need and build up a chronic sleep
shortage. This lack first manifests itself by decreased muscular coordi-
nation and poor timing. As the sleep debt worsens, one’s sense of touch,
pressure and temperature is reduced. One’s hearing may be impaired
and the ability to judge distances can be lost.
REST 29
A person deprived of sleep for several days becomes irritable and
experiences visual illusions, sensations, nonsensical thoughts and disori-
entation. This leads to psychotic actions. After about 100 hours without
sleep, delirium sets in. Apparently in early English history people were
sometimes condemned to die by being prevented from sleeping. They
always died raving maniacs.
Our bodies get more out of our sleep when we have regular hours
for rest. “The importance of regularity in the time for eating and sleep-
ing should not be overlooked. Since the work of building up the body
takes place during the hours of rest, it is essential, especially in youth,
that sleep should be regular and abundant.” ED p. 205 Our body organs
function in harmony with an internal time clock. Irregularity in sleeping
prevents the maximum harmonious function of our body.
When is the best time to go to sleep? Many people go to bed late at
night and sleep late in the morning. Some must work during the night and
sleep during the day. However, this arrangement is not natural and should
be avoided as much as possible. The Spirit of Prophecy speaks against
the habit of turning day into night and night into day. It is for our good to
live in harmony with the order and discipline of our Creator. See Child
Guidance p. 111-112 There is some truth to the saying, “Early to bed and
early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealth and wise.”
At one time or another, all of us experience the inability to sleep
called insomnia. Approximately one out of every seven persons in the
United States considers himself to have a chronic inability to sleep. Studies
show however that these persons usually sleep longer than they think
they do. Measurements of the brain waves of poor sleepers show that
they do not experience the four levels of sleep in a normal pattern. There-
fore, they do not feel as if or believe that they have slept as long as they
have. Worry and excessive mental activity are probably the most com-
mon causes of insomnia.
The greatest help for much of mankind’s inability to sleep is faith in
a Higher Power and a knowledge of a forgiveness of sin—sin against
their fellow man and their Creator. Trust in God and a clear conscience
will do much to insure peaceful sleep. In The Story of Redemption p.
294-295, is described the peaceful sleep of Peter, the night before his
scheduled execution. “On this last night before the execution a mighty
angel, commissioned from Heaven, descended to rescue him. The strong
gates which shut in the saint of God open without the aid of human
hands; the angel of the Most High enters, and they close again noise-
lessly behind him. He enters the cell, hewn from the solid rock, and
there lies Peter, sleeping the blessed, peaceful sleep of innocence and
perfect trust in God, while chained to a powerful guard on either side of
him. The light which envelops the angel illuminates the prison, but does
not waken the sleeping apostle. His is the sound repose that invigorates
and renews and that comes of a good conscience.”
Another common cause of insomnia is the use of substances such
as tobacco, alcohol, tea and coffee. We need to learn to give our bodies
proper rest and nutrition instead of the stimulants so frequently used.
“The continued use of these nerve irritants is followed by headache,
wakefulness, palpitation of the heart, indigestion, trembling, and many
other evils; for they wear away the life forces. Tired nerves need rest
and quiet instead of stimulation and overwork. Nature needs time to
recuperate her exhausted energies.” The Ministry of Healing, 326-
327
Undoubtably, the stimulation of reading exciting stories or the ob-
serving of exciting television programs or movies is also a big cause of
insomnia and poor sleep. Late suppers force the digestive system to
work overtime. This disturbs the normal pattern of sleep and when the
person awakens, his whole system is unrefreshed and unready for the
duties of the new day. See Education, 205, pr. 3; Counsels on Health,
118, pr. 3.
We usually feel drowsy shortly after a meal because the digestion
of the food draws blood away from the brain. Also one of the products
of the digestion of protein seems to stimulate drowsiness. When we
sleep or are very inactive right after eating, the fat we absorb from our
meal tends to form into larger particles. These large fat particles may
then obstruct small blood vessels. This fact perhaps explains why many
persons die in their sleep. Moderate exercise such as a brisk walk after
eating helps to invigorate and equalize the circulation and helps to pre-
vent the formation of large fat particles in our blood. It also helps to
prevent drowsiness and is a definite aid to digestion. See Medical Sci-
ence and The Spirit of Prophecy pp. 19-21. Midday naps will be more
beneficial if taken before the meal. Even though food causes drowsi-
ness, the sleep obtained soon after eating is not the most effective or
healthful. It is best to sleep on an empty or nearly empty stomach.
Many people, when they cannot sleep properly, resort to the use of
sleeping pills. Some people take liquor or barbiturates or tranquilizers in
order to calm down and relax and help to induce sleep. However, re-
REST 31
search shows that these substances induce abnormal patterns of sleep.
The persons using these products sleep, but they do not have a refresh-
ing type of sleep. They awaken still anxious; and tend to gradually in-
crease the amount of the drugs. Sedatives and sleeping pills, if used at
all, should be resorted to only during the rare crisis brought on by serious
illness, trauma or grief.
What can we do to prevent false psychological fatigue and to ob-
tain restoration from true physiololical fatigue? In the first place our
body rests best if it is physically tired. Approach life with the Christian
motto “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might.”
Increased physical activity, causing the muscles to be restep forward to
refreshing rest. “Those who are always busy, and go cheerfully about
the performance of their daily tasks, are the most happy and healthy.
The rest and composure of night brings to their wearied frames unbro-
ken slumber.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 529. We should have a variety of
useful activities throughout the day. Regular hours for rest will also be a
benefit. Avoid stimulating foods, drinks and programs. Do not attempt to
rest without first making right with God and your fellowman the wrongs
committed during the day. Go to bed at a reasonable time, and arise
when nature awakens. Spend some time each morning in private devo-
tions. These practices will be of great assistance in assuring your body
the refreshing and restoring rest it needs.
Certainly “the sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat
little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.”
Eccl. 5:12.
V.
EXERCISE
M
ATTHEW 25:29: “For unto everyone that hath shall be
given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath
not shall be taken away even that which he hath.”
The human body operates on the same basis as nature, adjusting to
the demands placed upon it. What we do not use we tend to lose. The
human body is different from a machine. A machine when used has a
shortened useful life span, whereas the human body when used tends to
have a lengthened and strengthened life span.
This principle is especially true in regard to the some 400 muscles
of our bodies. If we do not use them, they become less capable of use.
If we exercise them, they become stronger and more capable of use.
Thus exercise benefits the muscles themselves.
The principle benefit for the body derived from exercise, however,
is the improvement in blood circulation throughout the whole body. Many
problems and complaints can be caused by unbalanced circulation. Dull-
ness of the mind, decreased memory, muscular aches and pains, easy
tiredness, digestive problems and chronic fatigue can all be caused by
poor circulation. Nervous tension with its resultant heart palpitations,
shortness of breath, and sleeplessness can be aggravated by unbalanced
circulation.
We have all noted that when we do continuous mental activity with-
out physical activity for an hour or two, our minds get foggy and if we
continue this for several hours, many times our heads will feel feverish.
We will even have a headache, with our feet and extremities feeling
cold. This is caused by continuous activity of one part of the body draw-
ing the blood to that part of the body. In a short time the blood is actually
in excess in the active organ. The veins are dilated and the blood flows
sluggishly. This results in a decreased delivery of oxygen and a decrease
in removal of waste, carbon dioxide and other products. Thus the func-
tion of the organ diminishes with diminished physical activity.
Another good example is that if we are inactive after eating, our
digestive process actually will draw excess blood to the digestive or-
gans. This will lead to congestion of the digestive organs and the diges-
tive process will actually be slowed down.
32
EXERCISE 33
Periods of muscular exercise interrupting periods of mental activity
helps to draw the blood away from the brain thus letting the blood flow
faster through the brain, delivering more oxygen and increasing the elimi-
nation of the waste products. Thus the brain is able to function much
better. The same thing happens if one does moderate exercise after
eating. Exercise improves the circulation to the digestive organs improv-
ing the digestion. Thus we see that physical exercise balances or equal-
izes the circulation throughout the body. This improves the function and
health of the entire being.
Testimonies, vol. 3, 490: “If physical exercise were combined with
mental exertion, the blood would be quickened in its circulation, the ac-
tion of the heart would be more perfect, impure matter would be thrown
off, and new life and vigor would be experienced in every part of the
body.” Healthful Living, 132, pr. 586: “The proper use of their physical
strength, as well as of the mental powers, will equalize the circulation of
the blood, and keep every organ of the living machinery in running or-
der.”
The function of the whole body depends on the quickness and effi-
ciency of the circulation. In order to function well, each cell and each
organ needs an adequate supply of fresh oxygen and nutrients and a
quick elimination of the waste products. Thus the quality and efficiency
of the circulation controls the efficiency of all the body organs and body
functions. Also the endurance of our body and its organs is to a great
extent determined by the quality of the circulatory system.
All exercise, unless overdone, is beneficial to a greater or lesser
extent. However, daily exercise to the point where the heart rate is
increased and the respiration is deep and rapid causes a maximum func-
tion of the circulation and has the most beneficial effect on the body.
Our body actually has three blood pumps. The first is the heart
which pumps fresh blood toward the periphery, and through the lungs.
The heart accounts for about two-thirds of the total circulation. The
second pump are the muscles, especially those of the lower extremities
and hips or thighs. Their contraction expresses the used blood back up
toward the heart. The third pump is deep respiration which tends to
draw the blood from the periphery back to the chest cavity and the
heart. Vigorous exercise involves the function of all three pumps at one
time providing the maximum circulation to all the cells and tissues of the
body.
Vigorous exercise produces a maximum function of the circulatory
system resulting in maximum amounts of oxygen and nutrients being
delivered to the tissues and efficient removal of waste products. It causes
a maximal dilation of the blood vessels helping to keep them distensible
and ready for future use. The more the three blood pumps are used, the
stronger they tend to become.
Exercise that is sufficiently vigorous, sufficiently prolonged and
sufficiently frequent will also stimulate the growth and development of
additional capillaries in the body’s tissues. This action also increases the
capacity of these tissues to carry out their functions.
Muscles which contain an increased number of capillaries can do
even more vigorous and more prolonged exercise. This increase in the
number of capillaries results in increased physical endurance and is re-
ferred to as physical conditioning. The heart muscle is especially ben-
efited by an increase in capillaries. This enables it to pump blood more
vigorously and to do so for longer periods of time. Also, if a heart blood
vessel is obstructed causing a heart attack, the extra capillaries of a
physically conditioned heart can better carry oxygen and nutrients around
the obstructed portion, resulting in a smaller and less serious heart at-
tack.
The regular work of some persons provides adequate muscular
exercise. However, most people would benefit by increased exercise.
Testimonies, vol. 2, 525-526: “More people die for want of exercise
than through overfatigue; very many more rust out than wear out. Those
who accustom themselves to proper exercise in the open air will gener-
ally have a good and vigorous circulation. We are more dependent upon
the air we breathe than upon the food we eat. Men and women, young
and old, who desire health, and who would enjoy active life, should re-
member that they cannot have these without a good circulation. What-
ever their business and inclinations, they should make up their minds to
exercise in the open air as much as they can.”
In choosing an exercise program, one should select as far as pos-
sible one that is enjoyable and useful and out of doors in the sunshine
and fresh air.
A wide variety of sporting activities have been popularized as a
means of physical exercise. Sports can exercise the physical body, but
even better yet is useful physical labor to gain the most out of the time
spent. Spaulding-Magan’s Unpublished Testimonies, 70: “All the
teachers need exercise, a change of employment. God has pointed out
what this should be—useful, practical work; but you have turned away
EXERCISE 35
from God’s plan to follow human inventions, and that to the detriment of
the spiritual.”
Healthful Living, 128, pr. 565: “When useful labor is combined
with study, there is no need of gymnastic exercises; and much more
benefit is derived from work performed in the open air than from indoor
exercise. The farmer and the mechanic each have physical exercise;
yet the farmer is much the healthier of the two, for nothing short of the
invigorating air and sunshine will fully meet the wants of the system.
The farmer finds in his labor all the movements that were ever practised
in the gymnasium. And his movement room is the open fields; the canopy
of heaven is its roof, the solid earth is its floor.”
For a number of years science has been saying that to get the
benefit out of exercise, one must get his heart rate up to a certain point
and keep it there for a certain length of time. For the maximum benefit
this advice may be true. However, science is now saying that there is
definite benefit in all physical activity, and encouragement is being given
for everyone to just be active. Regular housework and the repair and
upkeep duties around the home are beneficial.
For its exercise benefits gardening is especially recommended by
science and is also highly recommended by the Spirit of Prophecy. Min-
isters have received this counsel applicable to many people. Healthful
Living, 129, pr. 566: “Brethren, when you take time to cultivate your
gardens, thus gaining the exercise needed to keep the system in good
working order, you are just as much doing the work of God as in holding
meetings.”
A person is very fortunate who can work at least half an hour to an
hour each day in a garden. He will not only obtain good physical exer-
cise and crops of healthful food, but also will have increased peace of
mind as he works more harmoniously with the God of nature.
Walking is also a very highly recommended form of exercise. To
have a good walking program do the following. Set a goal to walk one
mile a day in 15 minutes. Measure a mile course in a safe place. Walk
this course daily at a pace you can easily tolerate. Time yourself and
keep a record of it. Stop and rest at any time you have discomfort or
shortness of breath. When you can walk the course comfortably in 15
minutes, set your next goal of two miles in 30 minutes. When this is
achieved, aim for three miles per day in 45 minutes. And then even four
miles a day in one hour. This goal can be readily divided into two daily
periods of walking.
Between gardening and walking, one can get good exercise all year
round. Healthful Living, 130, pr. 574: “Morning exercise, in walking in
the free, invigorating air of heaven, or cultivating flowers, small fruits,
and vegetables, is necessary to a healthful circulation of the blood. It is
the surest safeguard against colds, coughs, congestions of the brain and
lungs, inflammation of the liver, the kidneys, and the lungs, and a hun-
dred other diseases.”
Testimonies, vol. 3, 78: “Walking, in all cases where it is possible,
is the best remedy for diseased bodies, because in this exercise all the
organs of the body are brought into use. . . . There is no exercise that
can take the place of walking. By it the circulation of the blood is greatly
improved.” Brisk walking exercises and benefits all parts of the body.
Healthful Living, 130, pr. 572: “There is no exercise that will prove as
beneficial to every part of the body as walking. Active walking in the
open air will do more for women, to preserve them in health if they are
well, than any other means. Walking is also one of the most efficient
remedies for the recovery of health of the invalid. The hands and arms
are exercised as well as the limbs.”
However, a variety of exercise will give a better harmony of the
body faculties. Testimonies, vol. 3, 77: “Each faculty of the mind and
each muscle has its distinctive office, and all require to be exercised in
order to become properly developed and retain healthful vigor. Each
organ and muscle has its work to do in the living organism. Every wheel
in the machinery must be a living, active, working wheel. Nature’s fine
and wonderful works need to be kept in active motion in order to ac-
complish the object for which they were designed. Each faculty has a
bearing upon the others, and all need to be exercised in order to be
properly developed. If one muscle of the body is exercised more than
another, the one used will become much the larger, and will destroy the
harmony and beauty of the development of the system. A variety of
exercise will call into use all the muscles of the body.”
Since exercise improves the circulation of the blood throughout the
body, every body organ functions better with exercise. Exercise is help-
ful in diseases of the peripheral arteries and veins. It helps lower el-
evated blood pressure. It helps control appetite and overweight. It ben-
efits diabetes, lung diseases, arthritis, osteoporosis, back pain and chronic
fatigue. With exercise the nervous system suffers less from depression
or anxiety. Tense muscles are relaxed better by exercise than by tran-
quilizers.
E XERCISE 37
The brain worker is more productive with exercise. Education,
209: “He who continually pores over his books will find, after a time, that
the mind has lost its freshness. Those who give proper attention to physi-
cal development will make greater advancement in literary lines than
they would if their entire time were devoted to study.”
The digestive system also is especially benefited by exercise. Es-
pecially is it true if moderate exercise is done right after eating. This
prevents over-congestion and sluggish function of the digestive organs.
Healthful Living, 130, pr. 573: “Exercise will aid the work of digestion.
To walk out after a meal, hold the head erect, put back the shoulders,
and exercise moderately, will be a great benefit. The mind will be di-
verted from self to the beauties of nature. The less the attention is called
to the stomach after a meal, the better.”
If one is to start an exercise program and he is not in good physical
condition, he or she should adopt a progressively more vigorous exercise
program as tolerated. When not in good condition, one should be careful
of overexertion. If his muscles are quite sore following the exercise, he
knows that his exercise was too strenuous. One should progress gradu-
ally as the body tolerates it.
The following statement certainly confirms the importance of physical
exercise: Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 173: “Proper ex-
ercise in the open air and genial sunshine, ranks among God’s highest
and richest blessings to man. It gives form and strength to the physical
organism, and, all other habits being equal, is the surest safeguard against
disease and premature decay. Being man’s natural condition, it also gives
buoyancy and strength to thought, and the mind maintains a healthful
balance, free from the extremes resulting from artificial life.” Undoubt-
edly the most important benefits from physical exercise are those upon
the human mind.
Education, 209: “Physical inaction lessens not only mental but
also moral power. The brain nerves that connect with the whole system
are the medium through which heaven communicates with man, and
affects the inmost life. Whatever hinders the circulation of the electric
current in the nervous system, thus weakening the vital powers and
lessening mental susceptibility, makes it more difficult to arouse the moral
nature.” Thus exercise improves our capacity to relate to God. It en-
ables us to be better able to live in harmony with the Creator. This high
standard should be the primary purpose of all Healthful Living.
VI.
PROPER DIET
W
HEN GOD created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
He designed and built mankind’s bodies to last forever. Dur-
ing creation week, God also provided the natural resources
needed to sustain man forever. Plants were provided to produce oxygen
for man as well as to burn up man’s waste product, carbon dioxide. An
abundance of fresh water was provided. A wide variety of food-bearing
plants were also created. An eternally burning sun was placed in the
heavens to give light and energy, so that the plants could eternally pro-
vide food and oxygen for man. Yes, man was placed in a world with
sufficient natural resources to sustain his life forever.
But man does not now live forever. In fact, one hundred years is
far in excess of mankind’s average life span. What has gone wrong?
What is man missing? Yes, we know that Adam and Eve sinned, and so
has every person since then. However, death is not the presence of
some new entity. It is not something which God has arbitrarily given to
man as punishment for his sins. Death is largely the inevitable result of
the absence and/or misuse of one or more of the natural resources which
God provided for man’s eternal sustenance.
Ponce de Leon is famous for his unsuccessful world-wide search
for a fountain of water containing the missing factors needed to prolong
man’s life indefinitely. True, much of our air and water contain pollutants
which can be harmful to our health. However, fresh air and pure water
are pretty much accessible to all, and as far as we know there are no
missing health-giving factors from air or water which were present in
the Garden of Eden. The sun still circles the earth every 24 hours, and
as far as we know it still sheds the same amount of food and oxygen-
producing energy. However, in respect to our food, we find that great
changes have taken place. In fact, the primary differences in the earth’s
life-sustaining resources between today and the Garden of Eden are in
the area of man’s food.
When Adam and Eve sinned, they deserved immediate and com-
plete annihilation. However, God in His mercy arranged it in such a way
that man’s life would be sustained for sufficient time to give man a
second chance. To accomplish a shortening of man’s life, God could
38
P ROPER D IET 39
have modified or taken away man’s life-sustaining sunlight, air or water.
God chose, however, instead to modify man’s diet. God knew that man’s
life span can be modified by what he eats. Therefore, God removed
from man’s diet the use of the fruit and leaves of the tree of life. To
prevent too great a shock to man’s nutritional status, He told them to add
vegetables to their previous diet of fruits, grains and nuts.
In spite of the addition of vegetables to sinful man’s diet, it was still
deficient in nutrients, and thus man eventually had to die. With the ab-
sence of the Tree of Life, man’s life span was shortened from eternity
to less than one thousand years. After the Flood, God chose to shorten
wicked man’s life even further, and to do so He again modified the diet.
On this occasion He did not remove something more nutritious, but rather
added to man’s diet something less nutritious. Partly owing to the short-
age of fruits, grains, nuts and vegetables right after the Flood and partly
to shorten man’s life, God gave man permission to eat the flesh of the
clean animals. Within just a few generations after this second major
dietary change, man’s life span had dropped to around 200 years. By the
time of David, man’s life span had decreased to the present-day level.
Thus the removal of certain substances from mankind’s diet has
affected greatly his life span. The addition of new substances has short-
ened his life span further. Whenever we fail to eat something which was
in man’s original diet, we generally shorten our lives. Whenever we eat
something which was not in man’s original diet, we also tend to shorten
our lives. Dietary improvement today to man’s health and longevity is
the result of returning, to a greater or lesser degree, to the original diet
as given to man by his Creator.
The removal of the tree of life from man’s diet resulted in shorten-
ing man’s life from an eternity to about one thousand years. The addition
of flesh meats to man’s diet was associated with a gradual decrease of
life span to approximately 70 years at the time of David. Since David’s
time, man has continued to add, subtract, and distort his diet. Because of
the continued modifying of man’s diet, his present life span would un-
doubtedly be even shorter than 70 years, if it were not for the life-pro-
longing miracles of modern medicine. Science today recognizes that
man’s health and life span are greatly affected by his diet.
The amount of food we eat, as well as the type of food, definitely
affects our health and longevity. In some parts of the world, many are
suffering permanent health damage and even death due to insufficient
food. In other parts of the world, the same lack is present because of an
excess of food. The eating of excess food causes overweight with its
multitude of health problems. According to one authority, approximately
85% of individuals tend to be overweight and as a result they die prema-
turely. If all over-weight could be eliminated, man’s average life span
would increase approximately seven years.
Most people believe that as long as they are not overweight, they
are not eating too much. However, overeating does not always cause
overweight. In most people, excess food is transformed into fat and
stored for future use. However, in other people the excess food is trans-
formed into waste products and the excess work required to eliminate
this waste results in thinness and increased susceptibility to disease.
Thus our weight does not always tell us whether or not we are overeat-
ing. “Some grow corpulent because the system is clogged; others be-
come thin and feeble because their vital powers are exhausted in dis-
posing of an excess of food.” MH 240. Some believe that Americans
could lengthen their life span and be less susceptible to cancer if they
would eat 1/3 and possibly even 1/2 less than they normally do. This
probably can be applied to some other nationalities as well. It is certain
that not only a lack of but also an overabundance of food affects our
health and shortens our life.
Not only how much we eat, but also the type of food we eat affects
our health and longevity. This fact was first demonstrated when the tree
of life was removed from man’s diet. It was again demonstrated after
the flood, when mankind turned largely to foods of animal origin. “After
the Flood the people ate largely of animal food. God saw that the ways
of man were corrupt, and that he was disposed to exalt himself proudly
against his Creator and to follow the inclinations of his own heart. And
He permitted that long-lived race to eat animal food to shorten their
sinful lives. Soon after the flood the race began to rapidly decrease in
size, and in length of years.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 373. Since
the Flood, animal products in our diet have continued to have important
effects upon our health and longevity.
Animal foods are rich in high-quality protein. Because they contain
such large amounts of protein, it is easy to eat more protein than we
need. Studies have shown that excess protein in the diet stimulates rapid
growth and development of laboratory animals. They not only grow faster
and bear young sooner, but they also grow larger. However, these ani-
mals develop more degenerative disease and they die younger than do
animals with a diet with less but adequate protein. Excess protein is also
P ROPER D IET 41
detrimental in kidney disease and to osteoporosis Excess protein in the
diet could very well be a major cause of man’s shortened life span since
the Flood.
When we speak of foods of animal origin, we tend to think of cho-
lesterol. The cells of animals and humans need cholesterol for the for-
mation of their walls and internal structures. Our bodies also need cho-
lesterol for the making of bile salts, vitamin D and hormones and also,
for the waterproofing of our skin. It is interesting to note that fruits,
grains, nuts and vegetables contain no cholesterol. Apparently our Cre-
ator intended that the cholesterol which our own bodies produce should
be adquate for our bodies needs. The cholesterol we eat when partaking
of animal products is in excess of our needs.
In addition to the extra cholesterol, animal products also contain fat
which is not the best quality. When God gave permission to the children
of Israel to eat meat, He forbade them to eat the fat or the blood. (See
Leviticus 3:17.) Science is discovering that fat of animal origin is not the
most healthful. Most animal fat, with the exception of fish oils, is satu-
rated fat. When we eat excess saturated fat, it causes our bodies to
produce even larger quantities of cholesterol. Thus animal products not
only provide additional cholesterol, but their type of fat also tends to
stimulate our bodies to increase their own production of cholesterol.
Excess cholesterol tends to be deposited in our blood vessels and can
result in heart attacks, strokes and gangrene. Thus man’s diet since the
Flood also shortens his life by way of cardio-vascular disease. When
animal fat is heated to a high temperature, it produces cancer-stimulat-
ing agents. This may well be another way in which flesh foods shorten
lives.
Apparently man is relatively insusceptible to disease of plants; how-
ever, he is susceptible to a number of the infectious and parasitic dis-
eases of animals. Brucellosis, tuberculosis and trinchinosis are only ex-
amples of the infectious diseases which can be received by the eating of
animal products. This is another way that man’s post-Flood diet has
shortened his life. Science has discovered that at least some cancers
are caused by a virus. Divine inspiration tells us that cancer is caused
largely from the eating of meat. “Cancers, tumors, and all inflammatory
diseases are largely caused by meat eating. From the light God has
given me, the prevalence of cancer and tumors is largely due to gross
living on dead flesh.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 388
We have seen when God modified the diet of Noah and his sons, he
knew, that combined with the good nutrients in animal products, there
were factors which would shorten man’s life span.
However, the story of man’s diet and shortened life does not end
here. Associated with the Industrial Revolution, there has been a further
modification of man’s food. Wheat, corn and rice are perhaps the most
widely consumed foods in the world, and they are largely consumed in a
refined state. Refining removes major portions of the vitamins, minerals
and roughage. In addition to the refined grains, we also eat large amounts
of refined oils, fats and sugar. Man’s diet at present is much more re-
fined and modified than it was 50 to 100 years ago.
Modern man’s modified diet can affect his nutrition even before he
is born. During the first three months of pregnancy, when the different
organs and body structures are being formed, the nutritional needs of
the developing fetus are small but very critical. If there is any deficiency
of essential nutrients, a wide variety of problems can result. During this
time, the mother usually has a poor appetite, and thus the fetus must
obtain to a certain degree its essential nutrients from the mother’s re-
serves—those nutrients consumed and stored by the mother prior to
pregnancy. Thus if a woman’s premarital and pre- pregnancy diet con-
sists of an inadequate variety of food, or if it contains large amounts of
refined foods, it is very possible that the nutrition of the fetus during its
most critical period, will be deficient.
The modification of modern man’s diet continues soon after he is
born. The majority of modern babies are denied the healthful benefit of
their mothers’ milk. Research has proved that babies who are not breast-
fed have a greater chance of becoming anemic. They also have more
disease and have a greater chance of dying during infancy.
After being weaned, the modern child faces a life of mostly devital-
ized, demineralized, and devitaminized food. The results to his health
and longevity are widespread and science is only beginning to discover
them. It has been found that excess sugar decreases the ability of our
white blood cells to fight infection. It also increases the fat and choles-
terol in our blood, thus increasing the risk of hardening of the arteries.
Refined sugar, oil and shortening contain only calories. Because
they contain no vitamins, minerals or roughage, they are referred to as
“empty” calories. They provide energy, but none of the other nutrients
necessary for using that energy. They displace more nutritious foods
from our diet, and thus increase the risks of disease due to deficiencies
of the other nutrients.
P ROPER D IET 43
Inadequate vitamin C has been associated with decreased resis-
tance to infections, decreased healing, and to an increased risk of reac-
tions to medications. Insufficient vitamin A may decrease our immune
responses, as well as cause poor night vision. Lack of vitamin B can
12
cause anemia. Low amounts of vitamin B may be a factor in asthma
6
and in allergic skin disease. Inadequate vitamin E may cause one type of
muscle cramps and also may be a factor in heart disease and aging.
Deficiency in magnesium may be a factor in heart attacks. Even some
types of mental illness may be a result of mineral deficiencies. The pos-
sible problems are innumerable and probably science will never be able
to detect all of the problems caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies
as a result of poor food availability or selection.
During the last century several discoveries enabled the milling in-
dustry to produce a whiter flour. This process involves the removing of
the outer layers of the wheat kernel along with the germ. Methods were
also developed to remove the outer layers of the rice kernels, producing
white rice. These outer layers of the grains are not only rich in vitamins
and minerals, but also contain the major portion of the cellulose of the
grains. To prevent a total loss of these vitamins and minerals, an enrich-
ment program has been developed to replace some of these nutrients in
white flour. In recent years, a process for enriching white rice has also
been developed. The enrichment programs, however, have never re-
turned any of the cellulose or fiber removed in the processing. As for
white flour, only four of the twenty some elements removed in the refin-
ing process are in the “enrichment” process. Thus “enriched” white
flour is in reality impoverished.
The world of medicine and nutrition has been startled recently by
data revealing that a low amount of bran or roughage may be a caus-
ative factor in many serious diseases. Because food fiber is indigestible,
it was long believed that it could be removed in the processing of our
foods without any harmful effects to our health. Only recently has it
been shown to be beneficial to us in many ways.Indigestible food fibers
such as those in fruits and vegetables and the outer layers of the grains
produce bulk and hold moisture in our intestine. This helps to hasten the
removal of waste products. Fiber also decreases the concentration of
harmful substances and their time of contact with the intestinal tract.
There is now scientific evidence that the removal of food fiber from our
diet is an important cause of a wide variety of diseases such as appen-
dicitis, intestinal polyps, obesity, heart disease, gallstones, diverticular
disease of the colon and even cancer of the colon and rectum.
In addition to the refining of foods, there are other ways in which
we fail to get maximum benefit from our diet. Fruit which is fully ripe
when harvested certainly has a better flavor and probably better nutri-
tion than when it is picked immaturely. Vegetables which are not kept
cool and moist begin to lose their flavor and some of their vitamins soon
after harvest. Heat tends to destroy some vitamins, and thus it is not
wise to eat primarily of cooked and processed foods. We should include
raw foods in as many meals as possible. Vegetables should be cooked
as little as possible, and any excess liquid should not be thrown away, but
should be used in the making of soups, gravies or bread.
Not only is modern man ruining his health and shortening his life by
deleting nutrients from his diet, but he is also adding to his diet many
questionable and harmful substances. We are all aware of the harmful
effects of alcohol, coffee, tea and cola drinks. The use of strong irritants
and spices not only irritates the digestive organs but also creates a de-
sire for the stronger stimulants.
In many countries, man’s diet consists principally of refined and
processed food. To aid with the flavor, color, texture and the preserva-
tion of these foods, approximately 2,000 different chemicals are added
to them. These substances are referred to as additives. A number of
these additives seem to be beneficial; however, the long-term effect of
many of them is unknown, and there are suggestions that some of them
may be harmful. Severe behavioral problems in some children seem to
be due to the presence of food additives in their diet. Certainly, man is
taking a great risk when he consumes a multitude of substances without
knowing what their long-term effects might be.
Another addition to man’s diet which can cause much illness and
even death is the contamination during the storage and/or preparation of
food with bacteria or parasites. In some areas, much of the illness is due
to uncleanliness in the handling, preparation, and serving of food.
Certainly, man’s present diet and his health and longevity are very
different from that of Eden. The ideal diet is not possible this side of
heaven. We must, however, do the best we can here and now to eat as
closely as possible to the ideal diet. The closer to man’s original diet we
can eat, the better health we will enjoy.
Proper diet can be defined as the most healthful diet possible. How-
ever, it is impossible to define a diet which is the proper diet for every-
one at all times. What one person can readily digest, perhaps another
P ROPER D IET 45
cannot. What is available in one area or season is not available at an-
other. What is proper for breakfast is not necessarily best for supper.
What is good nutrition when one is well, is not usually the best when one
is ill. What is proper for hard physical work is not good for sedentary
work. We must individually study and pray in order to know what is the
proper diet for us under varying circumstances. We cannot now partake
of the ideal diet, but we should daily choose the best of that which is
available.
There are certain guidelines which can be of help in choosing your
proper diet. Most nutritionists presently divide all foods into four basic
types—the vegetable-fruit group, the bread-cereal group, the protein
group, and the milk group. However, milk is high in protein and it can be
combined with the protein group. If this is done, one has to remember
only three basic food groups—the bread-cereal group, the vegetable-
fruit group and the high-protein group. The bread-cereal group includes
all grains and their products, such as cereals, noodles and bread. The
vegetable- fruit group contains all fruits and vegetables, except the dried
legumes. The dried legumes, such as beans, peas, lentils and garbanzos
are in the protein group. All nuts, including peanuts are also classed in
the protein group. Eggs, cheese, gluten, milk and also any meat or fish
are in the high-protein group. To have a balanced diet, one needs only to
eat four or more servings each day from each of the three food groups.
Each day one should include in his diet at least one serving of a green
leafy vegetable and one serving of a yellow vegetable or fruit. One
should avoid excessive variety at any one meal, but there should be
variation one meal from the other. The wider variety of food one con-
sumes, the more likely one is to have a well balanced diet. This is espe-
cially true in regard to the vitamins and minerals from the fruits and
vegetables. Adequate protein is usually quite easy to obtain. One of the
legumes, such as beans or garbanzos eaten each day with corn or wheat,
provides adequate protein.
Foods vary from country to country. However, we are told; “In the
providence of God, every country produces articles of food containing
the nourishment necessary for the upbuilding of the system.” Counsels
on Diet and Foods, 94. Many times, we can grow in our own garden
other types, and better quality, of fruits and vegetables than we can
obtain in the store. With a little effort, we can usually grow or obtain a
wider variety of nutritious foods to enable us to leave off some of the
foods which are not so nutritious. It would be beneficial to replace many
of our rich desserts with fresh fruit or to leave them off altogether.
In recent years, recipes have been developed which are tasty and
nutritious without the use of any animal products. Many are following
this type of diet, eating of a wide variety of fruits, whole grains, nuts and
vegetables, and they are benefiting from the results. “In grains, fruits,
vegetables, and nuts are to be found all the food elements that we need,”
Counsels on Diet and Foods, 92. In making major changes in our diet
it is frequently best to make them in smaller steps and to obtain recipes
and assistance from those who are experienced in such changes.
For the best of health we should limit the amount of sugar, oil and
fat that we eat, and we should use whole-grain cereals and breads in-
stead of the refined flour products.
In addition to providing for ourselves a variety of nutritious food,
we should also have good eating habits in order to have the best diet.
Food should be taken only at regular meal times. Food, eaten within a
few hours after the last meal, prevents proper digestion and may result
in putrefaction of the food. Liquids with our meals tend to dilute the
digestive juices and delay digestion. We should have at least five to six
hours between meals. Breakfast should be one of the heartiest meals of
the day. The evening meal should be very light and many would benefit
by leaving it out entirely. We should always chew our food well and
avoid unpleasant or anxious thoughts or conversations. A pleasant, merry
heart certainly benefits the digestion.
We can see that improper diet has been the greatest factor in the
shortening of man’s life span from an eternity down to its present three
score and ten years. Life and death are to a great extent dependent
upon our diet. The keys to ideal nutrition are the nutritive factors in the
fruits and leaves of the tree of life. In the earth made new, the nature of
the sunshine, the air and the water will not be greatly different from
what it is now. But man will have his ideal diet restored and once again
eternal life will be possible. Just as a worsening of man’s diet has been
the major factor in shortening his life span, just so the ideal diet will be
the major factor in extending his longevity.
“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.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 81
This side of heaven, we cannot have the ideal diet or eternal life,
P ROPER D IET 47
but we can have a proper diet. Yes, it requires study and effort to know
what is a proper diet under varying curcumstances. However, our Cre-
ator has promised to help us. Our efforts to eat properly will be re-
warded with a more healthful and vigorous life here, and we will be
showing to our Creator our desire and eagerness to partake of the ideal
diet of the earth made new.
VII.
WATER
A
LL FORMS of life are dependant upon a continuous supply of
water. Man can live about 6 weeks without food, but only a few
days without water.
The body of the average man contains 50 liters of water, the aver-
age woman has 40 liters. It is the most common ingredient by far in our
bodies. It makes up about 85% of the brain, 75% of the muscles, and
70% of the total body weight.
Water was chosen by the Creator to be the great vehicle of trans-
port within the human system. Oxygen and all of the nutrients are trans-
ported to each of our cells by means of water. The waste products are
carried away by means of water. God designed mankind to be depen-
dant upon a continuous supply of pure water.
Sin has perverted man’s natural taste and desires. Rather than do-
ing that which is best for us, we naturally tend to eat and drink those
things which are not best for us. Just as we cannot depend on our natu-
ral tastes to tell us when, how much, and what kind of foods to eat, we
also cannot depend on our thirst to tell us how much and how frequently
to drink water. We should drink a minimum of 5 to 6 glasses of water
each day even if we do not feel thirsty. If we are doing physical labor or
if it is hot and we are sweating, we should drink an even larger amount.
It has been scientifically demonstrated that if we will drink more
water than our thirst tells us to, we will have greater stamina and
indurance.
The best time to drink water is between meals when the stomach is
empty, or comparatively so. Upon awakening in the morning is an excel-
lent time to drink one or two glasses and again at 10 a.m., 3 p.m., and at
bed-time. Drinking warm water when we first awaken will increase the
function of the colon, as well as help to prepare the whole digestive
system for a hearty breakfast.
If we form the habit of drinking water primarily between meals, we
will avoid interfering with our digestion. Water or fluids with our meals
can affect our digestion in several ways. First, liquids taken with our
foods dilute the digestive juices and therefore delay the digestive pro-
cesses. Second, if the fluids are very cold, slow the enzymatic reactions
48
WATER 49
of the digestion slow down and chill the stomach and other digestive
organs. Thus, in addition to diluting the digestive juices, cold liquids slow
down the production of digestive juices, the activity of the digestive juices
and the muscular activity of the digestive organs. Thus cold drinks have
an even greater effect on the digestion than do cool or warm liquids.
Large amounts of hot liquids over a period of time tend to debilitate the
digestive organs. Small to moderate amounts of juice, milk or soup taken
with our meals, primarily for their nutritive value can be of benefit. How-
ever, mealtime is not the best time to quench our thirst. If we have
developed the habit of drinking adequate amounts of water between
meals and if we avoid highly seasoned and rich foods, we will not be
thirsty at mealtime.
“Many make a mistake in drinking cold water with their meals.
Taken with meals, water diminishes the flow of the salivary glands; and
the colder the water, the greater the injury to the stomach. Ice water or
ice lemonade, drunk with meals, will arrest digestion until the system has
imparted sufficient warmth to the stomach to enable it to take up its
work again. Hot drinks are debilitating; and besides, those who indulge
in their use become slaves to the habit. Food should not be washed
down; no drink is needed with meals. Eat slowly, and allow the saliva to
mingle with the food. The more liquid there is taken into the stomach
with the meals, the more difficult it is for the food to digest; for the liquid
must first be absorbed. Do not eat largely of salt; give up bottled pickles;
keep fiery spiced food out of your stomach; eat fruit with your meals,
and the irritation which calls for so much drink will cease to exist. But if
anything is needed to quench thirst, pure water, drunk some little time
before or after the meal, is all that nature requires. Never take tea,
coffee, beer, wine, or any spirituous liquors. Water is the best liquid
possible to cleanse the tissues.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 420
When it is very hot and we are sweating, the temperature of our
bodies is maintained at a normal degree through evaporation of the sweat
from our skin. When we sweat, we become thirsty and we tend to drink
cold water or other cold liquids to cool off. However, cold fluids will not
cool us off very efficiently or rapidly. The liquids we drink have their
greatest cooling effect when they evaporate from our sweat glands.
Thus the rapidity of their getting from our lips to our sweat glands deter-
mines how quickly they can cool us off. Cold liquids cause a spasm in
the outlet of the stomach. They must be warmed to body temperature
before they can pass into the intestine and be absorbed and carried to
the sweat glands. Cold fluids cause a local cooling of the throat and
stomach, but their principle cooling effect by the sweat glands is de-
layed. However, cold liquids not only cause a delay, but they also force
the body to do extra work in warming them up so that they can be
absorbed. Many times this extra work produces more heat than is neu-
tralized by the coldness of the fluid. Thus the individual is temporarily
warmer after drinking the cold liquid than before. The water in liquids
with nutrients such as juices, flavored drinks and milk cannot be fully
absorbed until the nutrients are digested and also absorbed. Thus liquids
with nutrients cannot cool one as quickly as plain water.
When we are hot and sweaty, we will be cooled most quickly and
efficiently if we drink only slightly cool or even slightly warm water.
Water of this temperature passes quickly into the intestine. There it is
rapidly absorbed and carried to the sweat glands where it can cool us.
Many people experience discomfort in the mouth and even headaches
when they drink very cold fluids. This effect, plus the spasm of the
stomach caused by cold may be a major reason why many do not drink
adequate amounts of water.
The purity of water is also very important. Pure means that the
water does not contain any harmful chemicals, bacteria, viruses or para-
sites. Public water supplies usually have their water purified by filtering
and the addition of chlorine.
There are a number of illnesses caused by impure water. Hepatitis,
polio, and various dysenteries are examples of diseases one can obtain
from the drinking impure water. Giardia is a parasite which can cause
dysentary. On occasions in the United States, people have become ill
from this parasite by drinking from what they thought were pure moun-
tain streams. In many tropical areas the amebic cyst in the water is a
serious threat to health. It is perhaps the most difficult to destroy of all
water-borne infectious agents.
If you are doubtful about the purity of your water, there are several
ways by which you can purify it yourself. The easiest and surest way to
purify water of infectious agents under the majority of circumstances is
to boil it. The length of boiling depends on the height above sea level. At
sea level, boiling for five minutes will kill even amebic cyst. However, at
the altitude of 9000 feet, you need to boil the water forty-five minutes.
An altitude between these two figures will require a proportionate length
of boiloiling time. In some places, you can buy iodine tablets such as
“halozone,” to add to the water. The amount will be according to in-
WATER 51
structions given. Tincture of iodine can also be used in purifying water.
Two drops per quart or liter is usually adequate to kill parasites, bacteria
and amebic cysts. This should be permitted to stand for 30 minutes be-
fore using. Clorox, Purex, or any other brand of household bleach can
also be used for water purification. Just add 4 to 5 drops to each quart or
liter and leave to stand for 30 minutes before using. This has a less
disagreeable flavor than iodine. Chemical treatment of water does not
always destroy the giardia parasite. Soda pop is usually made from pu-
rified water and is bacteriologically safe to drink. However, it carries
comparatively large amounts of sugar, artificial flavorings and colorings
and is therefore not recommended for long-term replacement of water.
Raw vegetables and fruits may also carry amebic cysts, other para-
sites, and even harmful bacteria. If they are well cooked or peeled,
there will be no problem. However, if these are to be consumed raw and
cannot be peeled, then soaking them in one of the above-mentioned
solutions for 30 minutes will be of help.
Nearly all water has varying amounts of different kinds of minerals
and salts dissolved in it. Water may contain varying amounts of calcium,
potassium, phosphorous, sodium, fluorine, sulphur, and other minerals.
Some people feel that water containing certain combinations and amounts
of minerals have beneficial health effects upon the human body. In many
areas of the world, mineral waters are bottled and sold with the idea that
they have health-giving or healthful properties. Modern science has given
very little study to this topic, and thus there is very little confirmation of
these claims. Mineral water therefore may or may not have beneficial
effects.
The hardness of water refers to the amount of minerals dissolved
in the water. Hard water has a large amount of minerals and requires
large amounts of soap to produce a cleaning action. Soft water has very
low amounts of minerals, if any, and it requires very little soap to develop
a good amount of suds. Science feels that the hardness or softness of
water may affect our health; however, there are no firm decisions in
regard to this. Some studies have shown that persons who drink soft
water have a greater incidence of high blood pressure. Other studies
show that persons who drink soft water tend to be protected from the
same disease. At present science cannot give us any answer as to which
is more healthful to drink. However, the Spirit of Prophecy gives us
some definite counsel in regard to this subject. It recommends that we
use soft water for drinking, baking, and even bathing. It states that pure
soft water is one of the most effective remedies for disease.
Many of the minerals which may be found in our drinking water are
necessary for good health. However, these same minerals can be ob-
tained through our food, and thus it is still preferable when possible to
utilize soft water. Fluorine is a mineral which our body needs in small
amounts in order to have strong teeth and bones. Fluorine is present in
some food; however, scientists believe that the only sure source is to
obtain it through drinking water. Many communities are fluorinating their
drinking water where it is deficient in fluorine. Where this program is
carried out and the amount of fluorine in the water is strictly controlled,
it has been shown that persons indeed have fewer dental cavities and
also stronger bones more resistant to fracture, but if fractured, heal more
quickly. Scientifically controlled amounts of fluorine in the drinking wa-
ter is apparently a wise practice.
We have seen the importance to our health of the internal use of
water. Our health is also affected by the way we use water outside of
our bodies. Because of its physical properties, water is very important in
the cleanliness of the outside of our bodies as well as the inside. It also
has great importance due to its ability to add or to take away heat from
the body and to affect the circulation of every organ.
Proper bathing is very important in keeping our skin free from harm-
ful bacteria, dust and waste products. Our skin is constantly losing mois-
ture by means of evaporation. When this moisture evaporates, it leaves
waste products deposited on the skin surface as well as on our clothes
and bedding. When we noticeably sweat, even larger amounts of waste
products are deposited.If we do not bathe frequently and wear clean
clothes and use clean bed linens, we can reabsorb these waste products
and cause an extra load upon the other internal organs.
“A great amount of suffering might be saved if all would labor to
prevent disease, by strictly obeying the laws of health. Strict habits of
cleanliness should be observed. Many, while well, will not take the trouble
to keep in a healthy condition. They neglect personal cleanliness, and
are not careful to keep their clothing pure. Impurities are constantly and
imperceptibly passing from the body, through the pores, and if the sur-
face of the skin is not kept in a healthy condition, the system is burdened
with impure matter. If the clothing worn is not often washed, and fre-
quently aired, it becomes filthy with impurities which are thrown off
from the body by sensible and insensible perspiration. And if the gar-
ments worn are not frequently cleansed from these impurities, the pores
WATER 53
of the skin absorb again the waste matter thrown off. The impurities of
the body, if not allowed to escape, are taken back into the blood, and
forced upon the internal organs.” Selected Messages, book 2, 460.
A daily bath is recommended. “Most persons would receive benefit
from a cool or tepid bath every day, morning or evening. Instead of
increasing the liability to take cold, a bath, properly taken, fortifies against
cold, because it improves the circulation; the blood is brought to the
surface, and a more easy and regular flow is obtained. The mind and the
body are alike invigorated. The muscles become more flexible, the intel-
lect is made brighter. The bath is a soother of the nerves. Bathing helps
the bowels, the stomach, and the liver, giving health and energy to each,
and it promotes digestion.” The Ministry of Healing, 276.
A brief cold bath is stimulating, resulting in increased vigor and well
being. A cold shower is much preferred as a stimulant rather than the
use of coffee, tea or cola beverages. A hot bath is relaxing and it helps to
decrease the discomfort of tired and sore muscles. The heat increases
the number of white blood cells in the blood, thus increasing one’s de-
fenses against infection. A warm bath is calming and tranquilizing and
can be a big help to a good night’s sleep. A hot bath terminated with
cold, or alternating hot and cold baths, increases the circulation and serves
as a tonic to increase the vigor of the body.
A swelling or tenderness localized to a small area of the body can
frequently be greatly alleviated by the use of hot and/or cold soaks or
fomentations. There are some simple rules to keep in mind. If you have
pain or swelling of less than 2-3 days duration, it is usually best to apply
cold. If you have chronic pain or swelling, it is best to apply heat or
alternating hot and cold. Applying cold to a pain of the abdomen of re-
cent onset can decrease the swelling of a possibly inflamed appendix
and help prevent its rupture before surgery can be effected. If heat is
applied to an inflamed appendix, it will temporarily relieve pain, but it will
also increase the ininflamation and the risk of rupture. Acute swelling
from an insect bite or from a bruise or a sprain is best treated with the
application of cold. The cold helps to decrease the swelling and de-
creases the pain and hastens the recovery. If a localized swelling or
tenderness lasts three or four days, then recovery will usually be has-
tened if alternating hot and cold is applied. One is usually safe if he
keeps in mind that if the pain or swelling is of recent onset, apply cold; if
it is of more than 3 or 4 days duration, apply hot or alternating hot and
cold. In receiving or giving water treatments, it is important to avoid
extremes of cold or heat to the extremities of persons who have poor
circulation . This problem is primarily in individuals with diabetes or hard-
ening of the arteries.
Water is one of the most abundant and essential substances in na-
ture. Our lives were created dependent upon its proper use. It is one of
God’s appointed natural remedies. Knowledge of how to use it properly
will benefit us physically, mentally and spiritually.
“In health and in sickness, pure water is one of Heaven’s choicest
blessings. Its proper use promotes health. It is the beverage which God
provided to quench the thirst of animals and man. Drunk freely, it helps
to supply the necessities of the system, and assists nature to resist dis-
ease.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 419.
55
VIII.
TRUST IN DIVINE POWER
I
WILL praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: mar-
vellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalm
139:14
Certainly, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are the mas-
terpiece of God’s creation. Our many trillions of body cells are like a
huge colony of bees, each one industriously working for the common
good. Specialized digestive cells produce a variety of enzymes to digest
our food while other cells absorb the nutrients into our blood streams.
Red blood cells busily carry continuous supplies of fresh oxygen to ev-
ery part of the body. Muscles cells pump the blood, mix the digesting
food, remove the wastes and carry the body from place to place. These
and many other types of specialized cells never fully cease their activi-
ties to provide for the multiple needs of our body.
Just as all effective group activity must be guided and co-ordinated,
so must the innumerable activities of our many cells and organs. Billions
of nerve cells serve to connect each portion and activity of the body to
all others. The nerve cells carry a continuous flow of innumerable mes-
sages co-ordinating and regulating the multiple functions of the body.
The nerve cells can be considered to form the ruling class amongst
the various types of body cells. They serve not only to guide and direct
the rest of the cells, but they are also capable of memory, thought, rea-
son, and choice.
These marvelous capabilities of the nerve cells place man far above
the rest of God’s creation. The ability of the mind to think and to choose
are man’s most important functions. All other bodily functions are nor-
mally subservient to these. Every other organ of the body is to be ser-
vant to the mind. The primary purpose of the body is to provide protec-
tion and sustenance to the mind.
“To become acquainted with the wonderful human organism, the
bones, muscles, stomach, liver, bowels, heart, and pores of the skin, and
to understand the dependence of one organ upon another for the health-
ful action of all, is a study in which most mothers take no interest. They
know nothing of the influence of the body upon the mind and of the mind
upon the body. The mind, which allies finite to the infinite, they do not
55
seem to understand. Every organ of the body was made to be servant to
the mind. The mind is the capital of the body.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 136
It is in the brain that we feel, hear, taste, smell and see. The other
organs such as the eyes, ears and nose serve only as receptors. All
emotions are centered in the brain. All meaningful activity and existence
depend upon the brain. It is with our minds that we communicate with
each other and our brain nerves are the only avenue of communication
with God. Who we are and what we are—our character—is deter-
mined in our brain. Of all our body organs, our brain is the most vital and
important.
“The brain nerves which communicate with the entire system are
the only medium through which Heaven can communicate to man and
affect his inmost life.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 347
There are approximately 100 billion nerve cells in our brain, roughly
equal to the number of stars in our Milky Way. They communicate with
all portions of the body by means of electrical impulses which travel at
speeds up to 225 miles per hour. Our brain is only 2% of our body weight,
but it uses 20% of the oxygen we breathe and it requires one fifth of the
blood our heart pumps.
Man has invented electronic computers with amazing capabilities;
however, our brain has functions and capabilities that all of the elec-
tronic computers of the world functioning together cannot duplicate. How
many computers would it take to remember the odor and taste of a
fresh, crisp apple on a fall day?
The theory of evolution is based on the idea that our many organs
have developed over long periods of time due to specific needs. If this
were true, then we would expect our organs to have no greater capacity
than we use them for. However, our brain has a much greater capactiy
than even the wisest individual has ever used. The tremendous unused
capacity of the human brain is one of the greatest evidences against the
theory of evolution.
We would expect such an important organ as the brain to be af-
flicted by the problem of physical suffering and disease. Satan has done
everything possible to disrupt the proper function of the brain and the
harmonious relationship between it and the other organs. He bombards
man continually with sights, sounds, sensations and emotional experi-
ences which tend to degrade and breakdown the normal healthy func-
tions of the mind. Because of this, thousands suffer from mental illness
and millions more suffer physical disease. Inspiration tells us that 90%
T RUST I N D IVINE P OWER 57
of all disease has its foundation in the mind.
“Sickness of the mind prevails everywhere. Nine tenths of the dis-
eases from which men suffer have their foundation here.” Testimonies,
vol. 5, 444
Reason, a function of the mind, was intended by our Creator to be
the controlling factor in our lives. All body functions and habits were to
be subject to the higher powers of the mind. If this plan had been fol-
lowed, harmful and disease-producing practices and habits would not
exist. Sin can be defined as that which is harmful. Sin causes a disrup-
tion of the harmonious and health-providing relationships between our
various organs and between ourselves and our Creator. Sin dethrones
reason, or the mind, as the capital of the body and places other organs as
the ruling factor in our lives. Too often our stomach and our appetites
rule our lives, and as a result multitudes suffer years of poor health and
die prematurely. Passion too often rules man’s life and disease is the
result. In spite of the wonderful progress of modern health care, man is
still controlled more by appetite, lust, and habit, than he is by knowledge
and reason. Too often man’s mind is not permitted to contribute fully to
his well-being.
We have studied how our lungs, heart, digestive system, muscles,
and other organs can contribute to our health. How can our minds im-
prove our physical health? Certainly a subjection of our other organs
and our habits of living to our knowledge and reason would be a big help.
If we put into practice all that we know about proper breathing, exer-
cise, rest, diet, and the use of water and sunshine, our health would
certainly improve. “If the sick and suffering will do only as well as they
know in regard to living out the principles of health reform perseveringly,
then they will in nine cases out of ten recover from their ailments.”
Medical Ministry, 224
The human mind with all its knowledge and reasoning power, of
itself, cannot solve the problems of disease and death. For maximum
health, our mind is to rule our body, but in turn it must be controlled by
divine power.
How basic and important is the relationship between human life
and divine power? There are at least eight levels or ways by which
divine power can affect our physical health.
The most basic way in which divine power affects our health is life
itself. The physical body supplied with water, air, food, and sunshine is
dead, unless it also contains the spark of life. Science will never produce
life in a laboratory. Man can pass electricity and oxygen through nutrient
broths in a test tube, but he will never produce a living, reproducing
creature. The spark of life comes only from God. “The power that alone
can produce life is from God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 63
The second way in which divine power relates to our health is that
the Creator also maintains our body functions. Our every breath and
every heart beat is the result of the immediate action of God in our body.
“It is not as the result of a mechanism, that, once set in motion,
continues its work, that the pulse beats and breath follows breath. In
God we live and move and have our being. Every breath, every throb of
the heart, is the continual evidence of the power of an ever-present
God.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1062
The third way in which divine power relates to our health is that
God is constantly working in nature in order to provide us with food,
oxygen, water, and sunshine. All nature is under God’s constant care.
“Not only is He the originator of all, but He is the life of everything
that lives. It is His life that we receive in the sunshine, in the pure, sweet
air, in the food which builds up our bodies and sustains our strength. It is
by His life that we exist, hour by hour, moment by moment.” Education,
197-198
The fourth way in which divine power relates to our health is that
God constantly works within us to build up and restore our bodies. When
we are ill or injured, medicine and surgery may help remove the cause
or replace the pieces, but only power from God can restore and heal. All
healing is a result of divine power.
“God’s healing power runs all through nature. If a human being
cuts his flesh or breaks a bone, nature at once begins to heal the injury,
and thus preserve the man’s life. But man can place himself in a position
where nature is trammeled so that she cannot do her work. . . . If to-
bacco is used, . . . the healing power of nature is weakened to a greater
or less extent. . . . When intoxicating liquor is used, the system is not
able to resist disease in its original God- given power as a healer. It is
God who has made the provision that nature shall work to restore the
exhausted powers. The power is of God. He is the great Healer.” Medi-
cal Ministry, 11-12
These first four levels of intervention by divine power in man’s life
are to a great degree provided to man irrespective of whether or not
man mentally is aware of or consciously requests this intervention. Di-
vine power constantly works within us and for us to provide life itself, to
sustain our body functions, to provide us food, water, sunshine, and air,
and to heal us from disease and injury. This is done for the unjust as well
as for the just with little or no involvement of their mental powers.
A human mind in rebellion against God still receives to a great de-
gree, the help of divine power in the four basic ways. However, such a
person’s level of existence is little better than that of the mindless ani-
mals. When we once become aware of, and we place our trust in, divine
power, we have then the opportunity to experience four higher levels of
divine intervention in our physical health. God provides and maintains
temporarily the lives of rebellious men and women only because of His
hope that they might learn to trust in Him. When man learns to trust in
divine power, he really begins to live.
When man trusts in divine power, God then intervenes in his life in
a fifth way. “Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change
may be made in the life. By yielding up the will to Christ, we ally our-
selves with divine power. We receive strength from above to hold us
steadfast. A pure and noble life, a life of victory over appetite and lust, is
possible to everyone who will unite his weak, wavering human will to
the omnipotent, unwavering will of God.” MH 176. Power is provided
by God for man to bring all his habits into subjection to his mind, which
itself is under the control of God. Order is restored to the human body.
Our appetites, passions and desires for those things which are harmful
to us are brought into subjection to divinely enlightened reason. Man can
again be controlled by his mind rather than by his stomach or other
organs. As a result, physical health takes a big step forward.
The person who trusts in God also can experience divine power in
a sixth way. Pardon and forgiveness of sin is available only from God to
those who have faith in Him. “Many are suffering from maladies of the
soul far more than from diseases of the body, and they will find no relief
until they shall come to Christ, the wellspring of life. Complaints of wea-
riness, loneliness, and dissatisfaction will then cease. Satisfying joys will
give vigor to the mind and health and vital energy to the body. . . . The
burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied desires, lies at the very
foundation of a large share of the maladies the sinner suffers. Christ is
the mighty healer of the sin-sick soul.” 4T 579.
The seventh way divine power benefits man is by providing him
daily power to live a life free from spiritual, moral and social sin. Sin
results in “. . . grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust” and these,
“all tend to breakdown the life forces and to invite decay and death.”
. . . Forgiveness of past sins and daily power to live above sin provide
“courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love” (and, these) “promote health and
prolong life. A contented mind, a cheerful spirit, is health to the body and
strength to the soul. `A merry (rejoicing) heart doeth good like a medi-
cine.’ Proverbs 17:22.” The Ministry of Healing, 241. Yes, freedom
from sin—spiritual health—comes from Divine Power and with it physi-
cal health takes another big step forward.
When man trusts in divine power and he is daily experiencing these
seven ways God intervenes in his life, he then has the promise of some
day experiencing the eighth and highest level of Divine intervention in
his physical health. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Rev-
elation 21:4. Yes, trust in divine power opens the door to an eternity free
of disease, pain and death. The eighth level is a big step forward for
physical health. It is when man has the assurance of an eternity before
him that he really begins to live.
We must not fail to mention a ninth way that God in His wisdom at
times benefits us in our physical health. “Is any sick among you? let him
call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing
him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save
the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins,
they shall be forgiven him.” James 5:14, 15. God is able and at times He
has worked marvelous miracles in restoring individuals to health. In ap-
proaching God with such a request, we must have our sins confessed
and repented of and be fully submitted to His all-knowing wisdom. Our
attitude must be that of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not my
will but thine be done.” Luke 22:42.
Trust or faith is based on love. Love is based on knowledge. To
know God is to love Him. To love Him is to trust Him. To trust Him is life
eternal. “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3.
“Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the
use of water, trust in divine power—these are the true remedies.” The
Ministry of Healing, 127
Let us breathe properly of fresh, pure air. Let us expose ourselves
and our surroundings to the healthful rays of the sun. Let us abstain
from those things which are harmful and use in moderation those items
which are healthful. Let us get adequate rest and exercise. Let us par-
take of a proper diet and use an abundance of pure water. If we do
these things, surely we will enjoy better health.
But above all, let us use our mind to know and trust in God. Thank
Him for the life He has given you. Trust Him for the sustenance of your
bodily functions. Trust Him for the material goods to sustain your life.
Trust Him for physical healing. Trust God for power to restore your
mind to the control of your body. Trust Him for forgiveness of the past
and for power to live daily for Him. Finally, use your mind to have faith
and trust that God will save you in His eternal kingdom. With full trust in
divine power, an eternity with God begins today.
Breathe, sunbathe, abstain, rest, exercise, eat, and drink, but above
all trust in divine power. For when you trust in divine power, you really
begin to live.

How To Really Live!

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How To Really Live!

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How to Really Live!

Eight Principles to Optimum Health

Vernon Sparks, M.D.

PURE AIR ............................................ 5

PROPER DIET ..................................... 38

TRUST IN DIVINE POWER .................. 55

TRUST IN DIVINE POWER

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