| The low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet has a lot of | | | | Testament people. What about dairy products? The |
| followers these days. Yet its effectiveness for | | | | Bible makes few references to any, occasionally |
| long-term weight loss--let alone overall health--has yet | | | | mentioning butter and cheese, usually made from the |
| to be proven. Fortunately, we don't have to resort to | | | | milk of sheep and goats.Besides water, wine is the |
| trial-and-error to find out, and we don't have to wait a | | | | drink most often found accompanying food in the Bible. |
| generation or more. We have written records of what | | | | It was less likely than water or milk to be |
| our earliest ancestors ate--and why, and with what | | | | contaminated, because the alcohol content killed |
| results.According to the Genesis account of Creation, | | | | germs. Often the wine probably was not fermented, |
| God said, "I have given every green herb for food." In | | | | and enjoyed by people of all ages.The diet of New |
| antediluvian (before the Flood) times, people lived much | | | | Testament peoples, as far as we know, was similar to |
| longer and bore children far later in life than people | | | | that of Old Testament peoples. Unlimited seafood was |
| have since. Later, correct diet formed the basis of | | | | available from the Sea of Galilee; seven of Jesus' |
| Mosaic Law, and no other ancient writing regarding diet | | | | disciples were fishermen. Fish could be eaten boiled, |
| is so strict. So, what did God tell His people to eat?The | | | | sun-dried, pickled, or salted.Now, here's the interesting |
| Old Testament Israelites thrived on an almost | | | | thing. Humans began to eat meat only after the Flood, |
| exclusively vegetarian diet. The use of meat may not | | | | when the earth was a wasteland and Noah and his |
| have been forbidden per se, yet it was not considered | | | | family had nothing else to eat until they could establish |
| necessary for health, being generally reserved for | | | | their crops and wild plants flourished again. Whereas |
| special occasions. Protein sources were mainly grains, | | | | God originally said, "I have given every green herb for |
| including wheat, barley, and millet; and legumes | | | | food," He now said, "Every moving thing that lives shall |
| (referred to as "pulse"), such as beans, peas, and lentils. | | | | be food for you." For the first time, humans were |
| Nuts, especially almonds and pistachios, provided an | | | | allowed to include animals in their diet.But here's the |
| additional source.Bread, the basis of everyone's diet, | | | | catch: we don't know if people were supposed to |
| appears frequently in both Testaments. This was | | | | continue eating meat indefinitely, or if it was a |
| whole-grain, unrefined bread, containing the germ, a rich | | | | temporary solution to the food shortage problem. |
| source of complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and other | | | | Postdiluvian peoples have not lived such long lives as |
| nutrients. Bread could be made from other grains | | | | those before, and many suffer from diet-related |
| besides wheat; barley provided fiber and high-density | | | | ailments that were almost unheard-of in those days. |
| lipoproteins, which help control cholesterol. Grains could | | | | Perhaps regular meat eating should be viewed as a |
| also be roasted rather than made into bread.Foods | | | | sacrifice that Noah's family had to make for the |
| were flavored with onions and garlic as well as other | | | | survival of the species. Other episodes have occurred |
| herbs and spices. The manna referred to in Numbers | | | | in human history when similar sacrifices were made: |
| is thought to have been coriander seed.Leviticus | | | | Native Americans, pioneers, people lost in the |
| advises us not to eat animal fat. People used olive oil | | | | wilderness.It is also worth noting that nearly every |
| for cooking as well as flavoring; unlike animal fats and | | | | culture on the planet traditionally has, as its staple food, |
| tropical oils, it guards against heart disease, cancer, high | | | | some type of complex carbohydrate product: Asians |
| blood pressure, and obesity, rather than exacerbating | | | | have their rice; Latin Americans, their tortillas; Irish, their |
| them. Sugar as we know it did not exist; honey, a | | | | potatoes; continental Europeans, their bread. There's no |
| natural sugar, pre-digested by bees, was used for | | | | law against eating a low-carb, high-protein diet. But |
| sweetening.Fruits release digestive enzymes to help | | | | those who do so because they prefer to will not reap |
| metabolize food. Apricots, figs, dates, pomegranates, | | | | the health rewards of those who choose more wisely. |
| and grapes were among those available to Old | | | | |