How do I do this?
Hints and Tips
All Latter Day Saints have been admonished, through scripture and through our leaders, to follow the nutritional guidelines set forth in the Word of Wisdom, Doctrine and Covenants, Section 89. Ironically, through the modern day health awareness movement, more non-members than members live this way, unknowingly obeying commandments were given by the Lord. Very few members do follow the nutritional aspects of the Word of Wisdom, not for lack of unwillingness, but more so for a lack of know how.
4. Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days , I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation.
10. And again verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man.
11. Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof, all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
12. Yea, flesh also of the beasts and fowls of the air, I, the Lord have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving: nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;
13. And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
14. All grain is ... to be the staff of life, not only for man, but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that creep on the earth;
15. And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess hunger.
16. All grain is good for the food of man, as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground;
18. And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health to their naval and marrow to their bones;
19. And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures.
20. And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
21. And I, the Lord, ...promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them,... & not slay them.
Having myself made the transition from the “Standard American Diet”, or SAD, to one that is based on the principals of the Word of Wisdom, I understand what it takes to be successful in doing so. It is not enough to just merely have a testimony of the Word of Wisdom, you must also have the necessary tools to achieve living accordingly. Here are a few additional ways to ease your transition:
* Take your time A slow change is a permanent change. Don’t overwhelm and shock your body and your family by drastically changing your eating habits and style in a short period of time. Gradually incorporating these principals will make for a joyous journey, one that no one, including yourself, will resist and resent.
* Don’t be what I call, a ‘Food Nazi’
….not allowing your kids to enjoy an occasional treat here and there at a birthday party, etc., unless there is a health concern to overcome quickly. If you live the SPIRIT of the Word of Wisdom, there will be no reason to be a ‘Food Nazi’. Having negative motivating influences, such as guilt, anger, disappointment, fear, control, etc. will drive the Spirit away and defeat your purpose, and may lead to some destructive eating behaviors and mindsets. Living the Word of Wisdom is just as much a spiritual challenge and blessing, as it is a physical. Your family will learn more from your example and attitude than anything else. Plus, one “not so great thing” won’t kill you and may serve as a lesson to you. If after eating healthy, you fall off the wagon, so to speak, it is a great opportunity for you to reflect on how beneficial and important it is to live in accordance with the Word of Wisdom. Many times my children will make a connection to how they are acting or feeling negatively with what they ate that day, or at least I will help guide them through remembering what they ate and ask them if they feel a particular food was the cause of their headache or stomache ache or what have you. Then that way, they become their own masters, and it is a positive, empowering journey for them.
* Be patient in seeing the results and blessings
Some blessings are immediate, and others can take months or years.
* Pray for the strength, faith, and endurance this takes. Your body and palate has probably grown very accustomed to the taste and texture of processed foods, and therefore you’re going to crave familiar foods. Your body may also go through a detoxification period, especially if you were a heavy junk food eater. Mild flu like symptoms are common and expected when your body detoxifies. Also, getting used to not having your favorite snack or meal (especially milk and meat, which are very addictive) around can be one of the hardest things to overcome. This becomes a discipline and strength of the mind, body, and spirit. Also trust that your body will get its required nutrients without an excess of milk and meat, like Americans have been indoctrinated into thinking. The Lord knows what he’s doing.
* Shop at the Farmer’s Market, if available, or start a garden The easiest way to know what is seasonal in your area is by buying local at the farmer’s market or by starting your own garden or garden co-op. (Gardening also fulfills another commandment from our Prophets). Additionally, you are supporting a small business and getting the most nutrients from your produce by eliminating extreme temperature changes in shipment, avoiding unripe produce that was picked to early (so it was able to make it on the truck to the other side of the country or world, thereby reducing the amount of nutrients), ensuring how your food was grown, and by eating what is native to your area.
* Additionally, through my research, I came to realize that milk and eggs also have their seasons,. The main season for milk and eggs is in Spring (hence Easter eggs) and Fall. You can still naturally obtain milk and eggs from animals when it is hot or cold, but not in abundance or in good quality unless you intervene in their natural cycles with hormones, antibiotics, etc.
In reference to verse 4 about the evils and designs:
“The foods used by many careless or uninformed modern people yield a shortage...of many necessary food factors, especially of vitamins and minerals. ...because so much of the food so-called civilized man today is preserved, salted, sugared, purified, polished, pickled, canned, extracted, concentrated, heated, dried, frozen, thawed, stored, packaged, processed, and refined!...The Word of Wisdom warns against the ‘evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days.”
~ Apostle J.A. Widtsoe, 1950
Since 1950 hormones and antibiotics for animals, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides for plants and feed has also been added to that list, in my opinion. This means that if you get a confirmation to do so, to grow and buy organic, non-genetically engineered (GMO’s) food and seed when possible. Many argue that this puts a strain on your budget, but once you take the money that was intended for animal products in the hot months and put it towards produce and grain, and vice versa, you will find that you will incur no added expense.
I can also testify, through personal experience and guidance from the Lord, that an organic garden is quite achievable and easy to maintain. Invest in a good organic gardening book and trust that the Lord made foods perfectly, just like our bodies. If we respect them and don’t alter and abuse them, they will grow the way the Lord intended, in their own season, with the right balance of nutrients, without the help of harmful and synthetic, manmade chemicals. They have grown that way through ages, with the skills obtained and passed down by our ancestors. Apostle Witdsoe was truly inspired and ahead of his time. Additionally, many studies have come about recently, showing us that organic foods are 20-50% more nutritious than their conventionally grown counterparts. So, for example, for every one organic apple you eat, you would have to eat 1 1/2 conventionally grown apples to achieve the same amount of nutrients. So, if you really want the best value, eat as organically as possible.
I promise you that if you incorporate what the Word of Wisdom offers nutritionally, if only just a portion, you will find “wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures”, have increased “health to their naval and marrow to their bones”, you will “run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint” as the Lord has promised. You will bless the generations of your family who come after you by increasing their knowledge and health, whether you begin prenatally with your children or later in life. I am so grateful for all these blessings and for the Lord’s goodness in revealing this scripture in the Latter Days, for I truly have experienced these blessings, and wish for all, members and non-members alike, to also receive these blessings into their lives.
~Amy Jones
An indicator of good health: you need to have a bowel movement 1-3 times a day. Preferably 3 times
~Eat food in its natural, original state whenever possible
~Raw, fresh, unprocessed, unrefined
~Simple, easy, great tasting, great for you
As outlined in these verses, we have been told to eat:
* Produce in its season
* Use meat and animal products sparingly, and only in times of winter, cold, and/or famine
* Use grain as the bulk of our dietary
Additionally church leaders have advised us to eat foods in their original states, avoiding processed, packages, refined, etc. foods. Therefore, we are also to eat
* Whole foods
Rule of thumb #1: If it isn’t a direct result of the earths’ goodness, beware. When looking at packaged food, if you can’t trace it in 2 or 3 steps back to its “roots”, think twice. Ex: The fruit in a fruit smoothie is not in its original state, but go through a checklist like this one:
The food came from the earth, and went to:
1. The blender . Nothing was added or taken away to change it’s nutritional integrity.
Therefore, it is only one step away from the earth, so to speak.
Rule of thumb #2: The Lord has provided specific foods in differing regions around the world for a wise purpose...because the people of that region need the nutrients in their native foods, which are ripe in their own seasons, in order for those people to thrive. You may have to make adjustments according to your native landscape and the produce the Lord has blessed you with where you are.
Easy Substitutes
Buy organic or Kosher: Food that wasn’t grown in soil or harvested with fungicides, pesticides, or herbicides limits the number of carcinogens and chemicals you ingest, which improves the quality and nutrients in your food and helps your body function more efficiently. Organic also ensures that your food wasn’t genetically engineered. Consider starting a garden.
Water: Fill a huge 64 oz mug with clean, filtered water in the morning, carry it with you, and finish it by 8 p.m.
Cereals: Granola, oatmeal (steel cut or oat groats are more nutritious), cream of wheat, shredded wheat, grapenuts. The simple and pronounceable ingredients are the best.
Bread and bread products: wheat instead of white bread, tortillas, muffins
Milk: sub. grain, rice, or soy milk for cow’s milk during the "off seasons".
Rice: use brown rice instead of white
Grains: use any kind of grain in recipes calling for rice or combine rice and grain. Barley, millet, spelt, and wheat are pretty versatile in that way.
Produce: an easy way to shop for produce “in season” is to buy at the farmer’s market from local growers who mainly farm organically and charge as much as or less than the grocer.
Beans: chili, rice and beans, taco salad, refried beans, baked beans, bean soup,
Sugar: sub. honey, honey powder, maple syrup, maple sugar, date sugar, sucanant, cane juice, fruit purees
Flour, white: invest in a grain mill (electric or manual) and grind grain and wheat as needed. Surprisingly easy.
Nuts: make it part of your daily lunch. Peanuts, trail mixes, sunflower seeds, roasted/flavored soynuts, nut butters (almond, macadamia, soy, peanut with no sugar or partially hydrogenated oils)
Breakfast: granola, homemade pancakes and waffles, hot cereal, fruit smoothies, fruit bowl
Lunch: In the spring through the fall, eat a big salad everyday for lunch (many different types – experiment!)
Sprouts: because sprouts are so nutrient concentrated, you could live on sprouts alone. Use in sandwiches, salads, pizza, pasta, etc.
Meat: meat and animal products should be avoided altogether in the summertime, when produce is plentiful. When winter months are here, only eat meat 1-2 times per week.
Cookbook
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