Table Of Content

Counsels on Diet and Foods Ellen G. White 1938 Information about this Book Overview This ePub publication is provided as a service of the Ellen G. White Estate. It is part of a larger collection. PleasevisittheEllenG.WhiteEstatewebsiteforacompletelistofavailablepublications. AbouttheAuthor EllenG.White(1827-1915)isconsideredthemostwidelytranslatedAmericanauthor,herworkshavingbeen published in more than 160 languages. She wrote more than 100,000 pages on a wide variety of spiritual and practicaltopics. GuidedbytheHolySpirit, sheexaltedJesusandpointedtotheScripturesasthebasisofone’s faith. FurtherLinks ABriefBiographyofEllenG.White AbouttheEllenG.WhiteEstate EndUserLicenseAgreement Theviewing,printingordownloadingofthisbookgrantsyouonlyalimited,nonexclusiveandnontransferable licenseforusesolelybyyouforyourownpersonaluse. Thislicensedoesnotpermitrepublication,distribution, assignment, sublicense, sale, preparation of derivative works, or other use. Any unauthorized use of this book terminatesthelicensegrantedhereby. ©Copyright2010bytheEllenG.WhiteEstate,Inc. For more information about the author, publishers, or how you can support this service, please contact the Ellen G. White Estate: (email address). We are thankful for your interest and feedback and wish you God’s blessingasyouread. You Should Read This HowThisBookCametoBe Decadesbeforemanyphysiologistswereconcernedwiththecloserelationshipbetweendietandhealth,Ellen G.Whiteinherwritingsclearlypointedouttheconnectionbetweenthefoodweeatandourphysicalandspiritual welfare. In her discourses and writings from 1863 onward, she discussed frequently the importance of diet and adequatenutrition. Hercounsels,aspreservedinpamphletsandbooks,inthejournalsofthedenomination,and in personal testimonies, have exerted a strong influence on the dietetic habits of Seventh-day Adventists, and indirectlyhavelefttheirimpressuponthegeneralpublic. Mrs.White’swritingsregardingfoodsandahealthfuldietweredrawntogetherin1926inatopicallyarranged workdesignedtoserveprimarilyasatextbookforstudentsofdieteticsattheCollegeofMedicalEvangelistsat LomaLinda. Thisinitialprinting,titledTestimonyStudiesonDietandFoods,wassoonexhausted. A new and enlarged volume, titled Counsels on Diet and Foods, Appeared in 1938. It was referred to as a “secondedition,”andwaspreparedunderthedirectionoftheBoardofTrusteesoftheEllenG.WhiteEstate. A thirdedition,printedinasmallerpagesizetoconformtotherequirementsoftheChristianHomeLibraryseries, waspublishedin1946. Thepresenteditionisthefourth,andinvolvesnochangeintextorpagination. ThisIsaUniqueCompilation In assembling the materials comprising Counsels on Diet and Foods, an effort was made to include the full rangeofinstructiononthesubjectfromMrs. White’spen. TheresultingcompilationisuniqueamongtheEllen G.Whitebooks, foritpresentsthecounselsclusteredtopicallyunderageneralheading,withnoattempttoprovideacontinuity inreading. EachsectioncontainstheE.G.Whitematerialsthat,assembled,makearepresentativepresentationofthetopic dealt with. Nothing that would make a substantial contribution has been ignored. Often in the original sources many phases of health instruction are treated together in one paragraph. To give all the context in such cases wouldhaveinvolvedconsiderablerepetition. Throughtheuseofcrossreferencessuchrepetitionisminimized. While the limitations of space and the effort to avoid repetition have made it inadvisable to include every statementonthemoregeneralphasesofthedietquestion,acompleteandcomprehensivepresentationoftheE. G.Whiteteachingshasbeengiven. PerilofTakingaPartfortheWhole Thefactthatthisvolumeisconstructedsomewhatlikeanencyclopedia,isolatingthemajorpresentationsand groupingthembytopic,makesitaconvenientreferencework. Buttheencyclopediadesignalsomakesthebook onethatmayeasilybemisused. Togaintheauthor’sintentandthefullimpactofallherteachings,itisimperative thatthebookbestudiedasawhole. ThereadershouldbearinmindthatasingleEllenWhitestatementonsomephaseofthesubjectofnutrition may come far short of expressing her full intent and understanding of the nutritional needs of the body. For example, in a sentence appearing on page 314 of this book, taken from Testimonies for the Church 2:352, she says: “Grainsandfruitspreparedfreefromgrease, andinasnaturalaconditionaspossible, shouldbethefood for the tables of all who claim to be preparing for translation.” In the light of other of her statements, clearly it wasnotMrs. White’sintenttoteachthatthosepreparingfortranslationshouldreducetheirdiettosimply”grains andfruits.” Pennedin1869inthesettingofcounselagainsttheuseofmeat,thisstatementseemstomake“grains andfruits”standforthenonmeatdiet. The statement does not mention nuts, vegetables, or dairy products, all of which Ellen White recognized as importanttoabalancednutritionalprogram. Anotherstatementonthesamepage(314),writtensometwentyyearslater,indelineatingadietintendedto impartnourishmentandgiveenduranceandvigorofintellect, mentions“fruit, grains, andvegetables”prepared with “milk or cream.” Nuts are not mentioned. Across the page in another paragraph written in 1905, “Grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruits” are listed as taking the place of meat. In this statement milk is not mentioned. Yet milkisincludedinher1909 statement that appears on page 355: “Vegetables should be made palatable with a little milk or cream, or something equivalent.... Some, in abstaining from milk, eggs, and butter, have failed to supply the system with propernourishment,andasaconsequencehavebecomeweakandunabletowork. Thushealthreformisbrought intodisrepute.” There are a number of other instances similar to those cited above where Ellen White does not in a given statementenumeratealltheelementsofanadequatediet. Caremustbeexercisedtogethercompletethoughton eachsubject. Anisolatedstatementshouldnotbeusedbyitself,lestthepartbetakenforthewhole. ACallforEveryonetoStudy EllenWhitedidnotintendthatherwritingsalongnutritionallinesshouldexcludetheneedforearneststudy to find the best and most agreeable diet, taking advantage of a growing knowledge, and the experience and investigationofothers. Shewrote: “Tokeepthebodyinahealthycondition,inorderthatallpartsofthelivingmachinerymayactharmoniously, shouldbethestudyofourlife.”—Page18. “Itisplainlyourdutytogivethese[nature’s]lawscarefulstudy. Weshouldstudytheirrequirementsinregard toourownbodies,andconformtothem. Ignoranceinthesethingsissin.”—Ibid. ClearlyMrs. Whitefeltthateachpersonshouldbecomewellinformed,takingadvantageoftheadvancements ofscience innutritionalinvestigations,solongastheconclusionsharmonizewiththecounselsgiventhroughinspiration. TheHazardsofExtremes EllenWhitewasnotslowtopointoutthehazardsofextremes,orinattention,orlaxityinprovidinganadequate dietforthefamily. Thisfactisillustratedbythestatementthatthemother“byill-prepared,unwholesomefood” might actually “hinder and even ruin both the adult’s usefulness and the child’s development” (p. 476). In the samestatementshecalledfor“providingfoodadaptedtotheneedsofthebody,andatthesametimeinvitingand palatable.” Whilethereasonsforincludingsomedairyproductsinabalanced,adequatedietwerenotfullyunderstood, Ellen White spoke in favor of them, and even cautioned against eliminating them. Today in the light of the knowledge that certain minute nutrients are vital to body functions, we have a better understanding. Some of these nutrients, while apparently not present in all-vegetable diet, are available in adequate amounts in a lacto-ovo-vegetariandiet. ThisisparticularlyimportanttochildrenwhoseproperdevelopmentEllenWhitestated mightbehinderedby"ill-preparedunwholesomefood.” Near the turn of the century Ellen White began to write that because of accumulating disease in the animal kingdomallanimalfoods,includingmilk,willintimehavetobegivenup(seepp. 356,357);yetatthesametime she repeatedly cautioned against premature steps in this direction and in 1909 declared that the time will come whensuchmaybenecessary,buturgedagainstcreatingperplexityby“pre-matureandextremerestrictions.” She counseledthatwe“waituntilthecircumstancesdemandit,andtheLordpreparesthewayforit”(pp. 355-359). It was the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet that sustained Ellen White in active service well into her eighty-eighth year. EmploySoundPrinciplesinStudy Certainsoundprinciplesmusteverbeappliedinthestudyofthedietarycounselsfoundinthisbook. Allthe instructions,asabroad,consistent,well-balancedwhole,shouldbestudiedwithanopenmind. Careshould betakentoreadtheentirestatementonagiventopic. Then,togainthefullintentoftheauthor,statementshould beputwithstatement. Ifonestatementdoesnotseemtoaccordwithanother,thestudentwoulddowelltotrace one,orboth,totheoriginalsettings. ThestudentshouldalsofollowEllenWhite’sexampleinrecognizingthreebasicprinciplesasenumeratedon page481: 1. “Thedietreformshouldbeprogressive.”—TheMinistryofHealing,320. 2. “Wedonotmarkoutanypreciselinetobefollowedindiet.”—TestimoniesfortheChurch9:159. 3. “Imakemyselfacriterionfornooneelse.”—Letter45,1903. ARecommendationforHealthReform True diet reform will recommend itself because of its good sense. Its fruitage will be seen in good health, strength, a sweet breath, and a sense of well-being. Even the spiritual life may be aided by good health habits. It has been gratifying to witness, through the onward march of scientific study, a full substantiation of many greatprinciplesandevenminutepointsofinstructionrevealedtoSeventh-dayAdventiststhroughEllenWhite’s inspiredpen. Thatthisvolumemayaiditsreadersinobtainingbetterhealth,bothphysicalandspiritual,isoursincerewish. TheTrusteesoftheEllenG.WhiteEstate Washington,D.C. September17,1976 Contents InformationaboutthisBook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 AbouttheAuthor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 FurtherLinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 EndUserLicenseAgreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 YouShouldReadThis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 HowThisBookCametoBe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 ThisIsaUniqueCompilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 PerilofTakingaPartfortheWhole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ACallforEveryonetoStudy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 TheHazardsofExtremes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 EmploySoundPrinciplesinStudy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ARecommendationforHealthReform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 DatesofWritingorFirstPublication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 KeytoCreditsandAbbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Chap. 1-ReasonsforReform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 FortheGloryofGod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 ChoiceofLifeorDeath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 SeekforPerfection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 AQuestionofObedience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 PenaltyforIgnorance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 NotAlwaysIgnorant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 ResponsibilityforLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 AnOfferingWithoutBlemish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 APitifulOffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 WhytheLightonHealthReform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 ImportanceofHealthPrinciples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 IntheFrontRanksofReformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 HealthReformandPrayerfortheSick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 TheChristianRace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Daniel’sExample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 God’sApprovalWon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 UnreadyfortheLoudCry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 PreparationfortheRefreshing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 AppealstotheHesitant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 AllBeingProved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 TrueReformIsHeartReform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 AQuestionofPrimaryImportance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 AUnitedFront . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 StumblingOvertheBlessing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 ConsidertheJudgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Chap. 2-DietandSpirituality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 IntemperanceaSin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 WhenSanctificationIsImpossible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 WillingIgnoranceIncreasesSin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 MentalEffectsofDisobediencetoPhysicalLaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 EffectonAppreciationofTruth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 EffectUponDiscernmentandDecision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 EffectUponInfluenceandUsefulness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 SpecialResponsibilitiesandTemptationsofMinisters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 “DoAlltotheGloryofGod” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 RelationtotheVictoriousLife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 TheRelationofDiettoMorals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 MoralPollutioninEarlyTimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60