Return To Eden
The Power of Diet
Purity Through Diet?
I've been on a whole food plant-based diet since 2016. Since then I've learned a lot about healthy eating and a little about how the early Christians viewed meat. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered recently that eating meat can affect our sexuality, which in turn can affect our desire for God during temptations. Eating food can help us, or it can harm us. Eating can keep our desires pure or it can twist them. This is certainly new knowledge to me. I'm looking forward to the fruitfulness of my new, prayerful and holy diet as I unite it more fully to Christ. ~John L. Banda
Diet Makes a Difference
Diet Makes a Difference
Go To Time: 39:25 of the video. What? Eating for sexual purity? What's this all about? Could this be what's needed in the church? in Christian life? (Especially here in America where meat is consumed the most; and sexuality is way out of control). Could eating a whole food plant-based diet help us to experience better control over twisted sexual desire? Could it help us to grow in holiness? Does eating meat increase the lust we experience? Many of the early Christians believed this, which is why many of them abstained from meat, or were vegetarian. They wanted to be closer to God. Let's take a look at what Dr. David Anders has to say on this matter. Go to time: 39:25 of the video. I've included the written explanation below if you prefer to read it.
Eating for Sexual Purity
Eating for Sexual Purity
What is the Biblical or historical justification for not eating meat on Fridays during Lent (or really on any day of the year for that matter)? Dr. David Anders says: "Eating meat, I want you to go back to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th century, actually pretty much go back to any time before the invention of modern agriculture. Meat is a luxurious food. To this day it remains the costliest food to produce. It is a kind of indulgence and Lent is not a time of indulgence but of penance of abstinence of abnegation as we do penance for ourselves and try to unite ourselves to God. Now, the Church Fathers, the Doctors of the Church also believed that when we consume highly palatable foods, which basically means sugar, salt and fat; that we render ourselves more susceptible to lust, to the temptations of the flesh. That actually has been scientifically validated. I’m not going to cite the studies. I’ve actually written some articles on that for our local paper and I’ve actually done the research. Highly palatable foods do tend to activate the pleasure receptors in the brain in such a way that makes us more prone to seeking further gratification of those very same desires in whatever way you might engage them; that includes through illicit sexual activity. If you read St. Thomas in the Suma on the fast of the Church he gives as a reason to fast from meat specifically so that we can contain the fires of lust, so we can learn to tame our passions; and there is actually neuro-scietific evidence for that claim. You might add that the Church doesn’t require you to fast from sugar, it requires you to fast from meat but just as a personal word of counsel if that’s your goal, if your goal is (purity) let’s bring the dopamine levels down a little bit, then fasting from meat and animal products and sugar, salt and fat (highly palatable foods)......and eating a lot of fiber and vegetables is a good way to do that. ~from the Radio Program Called To Communion. Dr. David Anders has improved his health through a whole food plant-based diet.