The Mediterranean Diet

 

The Mediterranean Diet is absolutely the most healthy method of eating that has ever been devised. This is also known as the Bible Diet. From the beginning God related to man what he should and should not eat. This prescription has stood the test of time and still holds true today. Hard to believe? Let’s do some basic research and discover some astounding basic facts. Woven into Ancient Hebrew, Arabic and Greek Manuscripts are clues to health and healings that was only recently validated by science and medical research Genesis 1:29 “And God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the land, and every tree with seed in it’s fruit; you shall have them for food.”

 

Eating plants and seeds, whole grains, but not bleached, is the core for ingesting healthy foods. Grains and some plants help to lower cholesterol levels and protect against high blood pressure. This diet is low in sodium and rich in potassium. Fruits are loaded with fiber which speeds up the elimination of harmful substances from our bodies. People around the world who follow this diet usually live healthier and longer lives than Americans who have added so many processed foods and fats to their diets, along with too many sweets.

 

Leviticus 7: 23-24. “You shall eat no kind of fat, of ox or sheep, or goat. The fat of the beast that dies of itself, and the fat of one that is torn with beasts, may be put to any other use, but under no circumstances are you to eat of it.” God is talking about saturated fat from animals, not from plants such as olives and olive oil, which is high in plant fat. Deuteronomy 8:8 “A land of wheat and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive trees, and honey.” Olives and olive oil contain mono-saturated fat, which lowers the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) and raises the level of good cholesterol (HDL) while it enhances the body’s immune system. People do need fats in their diets, the kind found in nuts and barley.

 

A footnote:

All human cells are able to reproduce themselves a certain number of times. This is about fifty times, which would place human life span between 115 and 120 years. This is known as the cellular timetable.

 

Genesis 6:3. “But his days shall yet be a hundred and twenty years.” The Jewish Old Testament, or Old Covenant, reveals insights about:

 

1. Ways to avoid infectious diseases.
2. Ways to isolate infection.
3. Military hygiene.
4. Reasons to avoid harmful foods.
5. Prohibitions against eating fatty foods.
6. Avoidance of the consumption of blood.
7. Healthy foods that can lengthen life and help prevent sickness.

 

 

Leviticus 3:17.  “It shall be a perpetual statue for your generations in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.” Over 53 percent of people in industrialized countries die of heart disease, caused by fat deposits that clog up the arteries, often beginning in the teen years.

 

1. Eat lean beef no more than three to four times per month.
2. Use only olive or canola oil when cooking.
3. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables daily.
4. Eat fish, like Salmon and Cod at least two to three times per week.

 

Leviticus 11: 9-11 and 12. “These shall you eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that you may eat. But all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all the creeping things in the waters, and of all the living creatures; which are in the waters, (Hath no fins nor scales in the waters,) that shall be an abomination unto you.”

 

What about pork?

 

Leviticus 11:7 “And the swine, because it divides the hoof, and is cloven footed, but does not chew the cud, it is unclean to you.” This was written long before science discovered that pork could carry deadly trichinosis infection. Besides, pork is loaded with harmful fat.

 

Now let’s get into the details of the Mediterranean Diet.

 

The diet of Middle Eastern people is very similar to the diet described in Genesis. First, we are to avoid obesity, that puts stress on the heart, and to not worry.

 

Luke 21:34–35 “But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed - weighed down - with the giddiness and headache and nausea of self-indulgence, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to this life.”

 

So, what do we eat to stay healthy and physically fit that conforms to this diet?

 

1. Clean, lean meat from animals with divided hooves; animals that are cud chewing. Leviticus 11:2-3.
2. Fish with fins and scales. Leviticus 11: 9 and Deuteronomy 14:9.
3. Cucumbers, melons, leeks onions and garlic. Numbers 11:5.
4. Grapes and wine. Deuteronomy 8:7-9, John 15.
5. Wheat, barley, vines (grapes), figs, pomegranates, olive oil and honey. Deuteronomy 8:8.
6. Raisins and apples. Song Of Solomon 2:5.
7. Bread. Ezekiel 4: 9
8. Beans. Ezekiel 4: 9.
9. Honey, pistachio nuts and almonds.  Genesis 43: 11.
10. Yogurt and milk. Isaiah 7: 15, 22 and Proverbs 27:27.

 

Bacteria are needed to make yogurt from milk. Yogurt helps your body synthesize vitamins more efficiently. Bacteria in yogurt also helps us by temporarily occupying an empty niche during antibiotic treatment and preventing germs from growing.

 

Details of the above:

1. Olive oil - replaces most fats, oils, butter and margarine. Extra virgin olive oil is best.
2. Breads - dark, chewy, crusty loaves. Typical white bread in not used.
3. Pasta, rice and potatoes. (Pasta is served with fresh vegetables. Dark rice is better than white rice. Sweet potatoes outrank regular potatoes).
4. Grains - eat cereals containing wheat bran and those that contain oat bran.
5. Fruits - preferably raw. Eat two to three pieces daily.
6. Beans - pintos, great northern, navy and kidneys. At least one cup three to four times weekly
7. Nuts - almonds (ten per day) or walnuts.
8. Vegetables - Dark green in salads, also, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes.
9. Cheese and yogurt. Low-fat or non fat cheese, and fat free yogurt, but not frozen.
10. Fish - cold water varieties, such as cod, salmon, mackerel and trout. They are high in good omega - 3 fatty acids.
11. Eggs - in small amounts, two to three per week.
12. Lean meats - only three times a month, if at all.

 

 

Let’s go into even more detail of what you should be eating.

 

1. Protein - limit to 10 to 15 percent of your total calories. Emphasize fish and chicken (no skins) over red meats.
2. Carbohydrates - grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables.
3. Vitamin “A” - from fruits, vegetables (often orange or yellow in color), apricots, carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, peaches and sweet potatoes, also, water melon, broccoli, collard greens, romaine lettuce and tomatoes.
4. Vitamin “C” - cantaloupe, broccoli, oranges, tomatoes, strawberries, cauliflower and spinach.
5. Fiber - fruits, vegetables, grains, beans and peas.
6. Oils - virgin olive oil.
7. Soybeans - contain genistein, which may cut off blood supply to abnormal growth cells.
8. Chili peppers - contain capsaicin, which may neutralize harmful substances.
9. Garlic and onions - contain allium, which increases the activity of immune cells.
10. Grapes - contain ellagic acid, which blocks harmful enzymes. Also contains compounds that can prevent blood clots.
11. Citrus fruits - contains limonene, which stimulates immune cells.
12. Tomatoes - contain lycopene that can prevent cellular damage. Cooked tomatoes release more protection than raw tomatoes.
13. Tea - contain antioxidants known as polyphencis. Green tea is best. Finally, listen to what Daniel said when he and his friends refused to eat the rich, fat-laden, unhealthy foods from the king’s table. Daniel 1:11-16.

 

“Then said Daniel to the steward..... Prove your servants, I beseech you, for ten days, and let us be given a vegetable diet and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youth’s who eat of the king’s rich dainties be observed and compared by you, and deal with us your servants according to what you see. So the man consented to them in this manner and proved them ten days, and at the end of ten days it was seen that they were looking better and had taken on more flesh than all the youths who ate of the king’s rich dainties. So the steward took away their rich dainties, and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables.”

 

The bottom line is that the creator of life knew what foods were good for man and what foods are harmful, long before science discovered these ancient truths.

 

Using The Mediterranean Diet daily as a normal part of your eating habits will increase your health, give you more energy and stamina, possibly prevent and reverse some diseases, and may allow you to live longer. At the very least, it will give you a more healthy outlook on life and make you more physically fit and feel better.

 

Note: Always consult your doctor if you are allergic to any foods and continue your medical checkups.