This is a good explanation of why pork & shellfish are not good for us and why God told us they are "unclean":
March 12, 2012
Video: Why Pork & Shellfish Are Not Good For Us
This video is well worth watching (regardless if you are a fan of Joel Osteen, or not).
March 9, 2012
Why "Easter" Ham?
Ever wonder...
Why ham for dinner on "Easter"?
In Genesis, the Bible tells us of a man named Nimrod.
Genesis 10:1 - This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.
Genesis 10:6 - The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.
Cush married a woman named Semiramis. Cush and Semiramis had a son, which they named Nimrod.
After the death of his father, Nimrod married his own mother and he became a powerful King. Nimrod was the ruler and father of Babylon.
Genesis 10:8-10 - Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.” The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar.
It is important to note that the word mighty in Genesis 10:8 can be translated from Hebrew as tyrant. And, the meaning of the word before (as in before the Lord) in Strong’s Hebrew-Greek Dictionary says, "From the Hebrew, ‘paniym,’ the face (as the part that turns); against, anger, battle, forefront, impudent, untoward, upside down." This indicates something more than Nimrod being a skillful hunter. Rather, it portrays him as blatantly obstinate against God. Nimrod waged battle against God for the loyalty of men.
Nimrod became a "god-man" to the people and Semiramis [his wife and mother] became the powerful Queen of ancient Babylon.
Nimrod was killed, and his wife [Semiramis] claimed that Nimrod had ascended to the sun and was to be called "Baal" - the sun god.
Semiramis also claimed that she had become a goddess, and changed her name to Ishtar, which is pronounced "Easter".
Ishtar became pregnant and claimed it was the rays of the sun-god Baal that caused her to conceive. She gave birth to a son who she named Tammuz. Tammuz (like his supposed father) became a great hunter. When Tammuz was 40 years old, he was killed in a hunting accident by a wild pig.
Ishtar proclaimed a forty day period of mourning each year prior to the anniversary of the death of Tammuz - this was called the 40 Days of Weeping for Tammuz.
For 40 days, all of Babylon gave up luxuries of life and refrained from eating meat.
Every year, after the 40 days, on the first Sunday after the full moon following the Spring Equinox, a celebration was made. It was Ishtar's Sunday and was celebrated by killing a pig (because Tammuz was killed by a pig) and eating the pig on that Sunday.
Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon following the Spring Equinox.
Ishtar's Sunday ham... Easter Sunday ham dinner.
And you may not eat the pig... Deuteronomy 14:8
http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract1.html
http://www.apostolic.edu/biblestudy/files/nimrod.htm
March 1, 2012
For I Was Hungry...
Once per month, Eating Eden will be blogging for Asia about topics affecting the poorest of the poor. Our goal is to raise awareness, provide information and inspire our readers while serving Jesus through the written words in our blog.
We do not receive monetary compensation. We have a heart for the unreached and know that Gospel For Asia is a solid and focused ministry with 100% of support dollars sent directly to the field for intended purposes; nothing whatsoever is deducted for administrative reasons.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sometimes we take for granted the abundance of food available here in the "land of plenty". Each and every one of us is guilty of doing this.
We have every type of food item that we can imagine available right at our fingertips.
We overeat; we over indulge.
We waste food.
The sad reality is that's not the case through-out most of the world...
Imagine with me for a moment that you are so hungry that you have to resort to eating dirt just to fill your belly? What you don’t know is that mud has toxic chemicals in it. As you get sicker and sicker you wonder if anyone can help you. You’ve heard stories of people in the city or in the west who have so much food they actually throw a lot of it away. Yet, you sit in the quarry starving.
The reality throughout India is that over 2 million children die of hunger each year - that’s 6,000 children every day! Along with malnutrition come frequent diarrhea, malaise, and dehydration. For the poorest of the poor quality medical care is non-existent.
The prevalence of malnourishment in India is among the highest in the world, and in places it is nearly double that of sub-Sahara Africa.
But, you can make a difference in someone's life.
By feeding your family more a "healthier" diet, you can make a difference in a child's life half-way across the globe.
How?
Re-think what you are feeding your family, and save money on your weekly grocery bill. Use that savings to help a child in need.
• Commit to Meatless Monday every week and you'll save approximately $5 to $10 (or more!) on your weekly grocery bill. Go one step farther and commit to a "Meatless Wednesday" (or Thursday, or Friday) and save another $5 to $10 every week!
• Instead of store-bought loaves of bread that cost $1.50 to $4.99 each, try baking your own (no, you do not need a bread machine)! In the long run, you save money.
• Forgo that case of plastic bottled water! Not only is this good for the Earth, but saves you money. Get a reusable bottle and a filter for your tap water. Initially, it may cost you a few bucks but you'll end up saving $5 or more per week in bottled water!
• Buy in bulk: flour, rice, grains, oats, etc. You save dollars when you buy items in bulk.
• Skip the drive-through coffee just ONE day per week and save yourself $1.25 to $4.99 (that's $5 to $20 per month)!
If you only incorporated Meatless Monday every week, you would still save $5 to $10 per week - and, that's $20 to $40 per month!
A child sponsorship through GFA provides a daily wholesome & balanced meal, education, medical care, clothing and the Good News of Jesus Christ!
100% of your gift goes to help the child you sponsor. You can read about Gospel For Asia's financial principles HERE.
So, ask yourself this question, and then pray on it and see how God answers:
Can you not eat meat one night per week so a child in India can eat every day?
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.
Matthew 25:35
Cow Dairy Products - Yay or Nay?
In our house we have made the decision to strictly limit cow's dairy products, after reading some scientific research and doing our own Biblical studies.
I will give you the facts that we based our decision on, and then you can decide what is right your family.
Biblical Conclusions
The Bible compares an immature understanding of the Word of God to milk and a mature understanding to meat (but, don't go eating loads of meat!). The idea here is that milk is for infants (immature), and meat is for when we get older (mature) and can chew/handle it.
In Exodus, Israel is described as a land flowing with milk and honey. This is speaking about of rich, fertile land for agriculture (honey = bees and livestock = milk).
The Bible never tells us we should drink cow's milk. The tribes of Israel drank sheep's milk (Deuteronomy 32:14; 1 Corinthians 9:7) and goat's milk (Proverbs 27:27). Goats were reared principally for their milk and for good reason, goat's milk avoids most of the problems associated with cow's milk (click on the highlighted text & scroll to bottom of page for more info on goat's milk).
Scientific Conclusions
Calcium: According to the Physician's Committee For Responsible Medicine, milk’s main selling point is calcium, and milk-drinking is touted for building strong bones in children and preventing osteoporosis in older persons. However, clinical research shows that dairy products have little or no benefit for bones.
A 2005 review published in Pediatrics showed that milk consumption does not improve bone integrity in children. Similarly, the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, which followed more than 72,000 women for 18 years, showed no protective effect of increased milk consumption on fracture risk. In fact, increased intake of calcium from dairy products was associated with a higher fracture risk. An Australian study showed the same results.
As published in the January 2001 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Deborah Sellmeyer, M.D. examined the diets of 1,035 women, particularly focusing on the protein intake from animal and vegetable products. She found: Osteoporosis is NOT a problem that should be associated with lack of calcium intake. Osteoporosis results from calcium loss. The massive amounts of protein in milk result in a 50 percent loss of calcium in the urine.
You can decrease your risk of osteoporosis by reducing sodium & animal protein intake in the diet, increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, exercising, and ensuring adequate calcium intake from plant foods such as kale, broccoli, and other leafy green vegetables and beans.
Cancer: Prostate and breast cancers have been linked to consumption of dairy products, presumably related to increases in a compound called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I).
IGF-I is naturally found in cow’s milk and has been shown to occur in increased levels in the blood of individuals consuming dairy products on a regular basis.
Ovarian cancer may also be related to the consumption of dairy products. The milk sugar lactose is broken down in the body into another sugar, galactose. Research suggests that the dairy sugar galactose might be toxic to ovarian cells. In a study conducted in Sweden, consumption of lactose and dairy products was positively linked to ovarian cancer. A similar study, the Iowa Women’s Health Study, found that women who consumed more than one glass of milk per day had a 73 percent greater chance of ovarian cancer than women who drank less than one glass per day.
Hormones: Milk naturally contains hormones and growth factors produced within a cow’s body. In addition, synthetic hormones such as recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) are commonly used in dairy cows to increase the production of milk. Because treated cows are producing quantities of milk nature never intended, the end result can be mastitis, or inflammation of the mammary glands. Treatment of this condition requires the use of antibiotics, and antibiotic traces have occasionally been found in samples of milk and other dairy products. Pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxins are other examples of contaminants found in milk. These toxins do not readily leave the body and can eventually build to harmful levels that may affect the immune and reproductive systems. The central nervous system can also be affected. Moreover, PCBs and dioxins have also been linked to cancer.
Cholesterol: Dairy products - including cheese, ice cream, milk, butter, and yogurt - contribute significant amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat to the diet. Diets high in fat and saturated fat can increase the risk of heart disease, among other serious health problems.
Diabetes: Insulin-dependent (Type 1 or childhood-onset) diabetes is linked to consumption of dairy products. A 2001 Finnish study of 3,000 infants with genetically increased risk for developing diabetes showed that early introduction of cow’s milk increased susceptibility to Type 1 Diabetes.
Intolerance: Lactose intolerance is common among many populations. Up to two-thirds of the world's population are lactose-intolerant, according to the Surgeon General's 2004 report on Bone Health: approximately 95% of Asian Americans, 74% of Native Americans, 70% of African Americans, 70% of Jewish descent, 53% of Hispanic, and 15% of Caucasians. We personally do not think God designed us to drink cow milk. Sure, some people can "tolerate" it but Jesus, Moses, Noah, Abraham, etc. were probably lactose intolerant.
Vitamin D: Individuals often drink milk in order to obtain vitamin D in their diet, unaware that they can receive vitamin D through other sources. The natural source of vitamin D is sunlight. Five to fifteen minutes of sun exposure to the arms and legs or the hands, face, and arms can be enough to meet the body’s requirements for vitamin D. Other good vitamin D sources can be found here.
Lobbyists: New York University professor Marion Nestle writes extensively in Food Politics how lobbyists have influenced the government’s nutritional guidelines. It’s the profit motive, as Nestle explains in her book “Food lobbyists, therefore, are people who ask government officials to make rules or laws that will benefit their clients’ companies, whether or not they benefit anyone else.” So, if a particular type of food gets the governments’ stamp of approval, then it's likely that sales will increase. The dairy industry spends millions promoting consumption, such as in the “Got Milk” ad campaign.
Links:
February 28, 2012
Guest Post from One Lovely Crafternoon: Crunchy Granola
Today's guest blog post is from my wonderful (and very creative) friend, Michelle, over at One Lovely Crafternoon. She provides us with her yummy recipe for Crunchy Granola! Enjoy!
Ingredients
3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Handful of almond slices
Handful of pumpkin seeds
Directions
Line a pan with parchment paper [so you don't have to chisel out the baked on granola later]. Bake granola at 350 degrees for um... well.... no idea, as I rarely remember to set a timer! I'm thinking it takes about 20 minutes. Just until it is kind of golden. As it cools, I like to stir it around in the pan a few times to break it up. Otherwise it will turn into a big granola brick, which can be a little tricky to eat.
Michelle's granola recipe is similar to a granola recipe I use (I will it post another day). Baking time for my recipe calls for 40 minutes in a 300 degree oven (but my recipe calls for 4 cups oats).
Eat Less.
"Pay more, eat less. The American food system has for a century devoted its energies and policies to increasing quantity and reducing price, not to improving quality. There’s no escaping the fact that better food - measured by taste or nutritional quality (which often correspond) - costs more, because it has been grown or raised less intensively and with more care.
Not everyone can afford to eat well in America, which is shameful, but most of us can: Americans spend, on average, less than 10 percent of their income on food, down from 24 percent in 1947, and less than the citizens of any other nation.
And those of us who can afford to eat well should. Paying more for food well grown in good soils - whether certified organic or not - will contribute not only to your health (by reducing exposure to pesticides) but also to the health of others: the people who grow it and the people who live downstream, and downwind, of the farms where it is grown.
“Eat less” is the most unwelcome advice of all, but in fact the scientific case for eating a lot less than we currently do is compelling. “Calorie restriction” has repeatedly been shown to slow aging in animals, and many researchers (including Walter Willett, the Harvard epidemiologist) believe it offers the single strongest link between diet and cancer prevention.
Food abundance is a problem, but culture has helped here, too, by promoting the idea of moderation. Once one of the longest-lived people on earth, the Okinawans practiced a principle they called “Hara Hachi Bu”: eat until you are 80 percent full.
To make the “eat less” message a bit more palatable, consider that quality may have a bearing on quantity: the better the quality of the food I eat, the less of it I need to feel satisfied. All tomatoes are not created equal." -Michael Pollan, Food Rules: An Eaters Manual
"Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons..." Proverbs 23:20
"They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things. Their minds are set on worldly things." Philippians 3:19
February 27, 2012
Soft Pretzels
Here's a super easy (and fun!) snack idea... Soft Pretzels!
Ingredients:
~ Makes 6 large or 12 small pretzels ~
3 1/2 cup flour (I use white whole wheat)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoon salt (preferably coarse)
1 tablespoon yeast, dissolved in the water
1 cup water, fairly warm, but not hot
Separately in a small bowl: 2 teaspoons baking soda mixed with 1 cup hot water
Optional: 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon of water (in a separate small bowl)
Directions:
Mix water/yeast, brown sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add flour and and mix until dough is smooth. Add more flour if sticky.
Divide the dough into 6 or 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a thin rope. Twist into desired shapes (we made some "traditional" pretzel shapes, and even a few shaped like fish!).
After shaping, dip the pretzels into the water-soda solution. Place on a greased baking sheet (or baking sheet covered in parchment paper) and let raise for approx. 35-40 minutes.
Brush with beaten egg and water solution (optional). Then sprinkle with topping of your choice:
Course Salt
Sesame Seeds
Parmesan Cheese
Cinnamon
Bake in hot oven at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until well browned. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)