Joshua 1:4-5 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. [New International Version]
Exodus 23:31 I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you. [New International Version]
Numbers 13:29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan. [New International translation]
Summary
References to the Mediterranean Sea are common in scripture. The Hebrews simply referred to the Mediterranean Sea as "the sea" or "the great sea." It was like living near Lake Merritt in Oakland and just calling it "the lake." The word Mediterranean comes from the Latin word "medierraneus," meaning "in the middle of the land" (from medius "middle" and terra "land"). And, in ancient Biblical times the Mediterranean seemed to be the center of the ancient world. It bordered Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor and Palestine.
The Mediterranean Sea or "the sea" is the scene of many memorable Biblical events. The Prophet Jonah, trying to run away from the LORD, boarded a ship in Joppa and was caught in a storm that rose up in "the sea." See, Jonah 1:4. Paul is later shipwrecked in Malta after voyaging on the sea. Acts 27-28. Paul traveled the sea on many of his missionary journeys.
The scriptures above also reference "the sea."
The Mediterranean Diet
According to WEBMD the Mediterranean diet is more a way of eating than an actual formal diet plan. It generally features foods eaten in Greece, Spain, Southern Italy and France, countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean diet or other "heart-healthy" diets, emphasizes eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil, yogurt (and fish and whole grains on non-raw days). "Mediterranean Diet: Topic Overview," notes that "The fats allowed in the Mediterranean diet are mainly from unsaturated oils such as fish oils, olive oil, and certain nuts or seed oils (such as canola, soybean, or flaxseed oil) and from nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds). These types of oils may have a protective effect on the heart." See, www.webmd.com.
In a special health report published by the Harvard Medical School in: "Does your diet deliver the daily recommended dose?" it recommends that the Mediterranean diet can be used as a guide to healthy eating because it provides a wide array of vitamin and minerals.
Numerous studies affirm the disease-fighting powers of this approach. The first U.S.-based study of the diet confirmed that the more closely people followed the Mediterranean eating style, the lower their risk of dying from either heart disease or cancer....a two-year-long study found that dieters lost more weight on a Mediterranean diet than a low-fat diet.
See, A Harvard Medical School Special Health Report: "The truth about Vitamins and Minerals: Choosing the nutrients you need to stay healthy." www.health.harvard.edu.
The article suggested that one way to approach healthy eating is by "not worrying too much about the details" and instead focusing on the big picture: eating a balanced diet of colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans nuts, etc. The article notes that "A simple apple or piece of broccoli could have plenty of nutrients besides vitamins and minerals that might interact to improve your health. For example broccoli contains isothiocyanates, which may have anti-tumor properties." The article also offers some helpful advice about what should not be included in the Mediterranean diet:
Liquid sugars, which are found in soft drinks, sports drinks, iced teas and sweetened waters, have no benefits for health and are clearly linked to higher risk of obesity, diabetes, and perhaps heart disease. There is no reason to include these in your diet. Skip the sugary drinks and have some unsweetened tea or sparkling water instead.
Id. The article also notes that some may get tired of apples, bananas, and grapes and suggests trying a kiwi, mango, fresh pineapple or some of the more exotic fruit now found in many groceries stores or that you blend your fruit or vegetables into a smoothie. For example, the article provides the following simple fruit smoothie recipe:
¾ cup plain yogurt
½ cup berries (fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries or other berry of your choice
½ ripe banana
½ cup pineapple juice
Optional: 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (for healthy omega-3 fats)
Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend to combine.
For extra flavors: add a dash of ground cinnamon, a splash of vanilla,
Some mint or another flavoring.
SELF EXAMINATION
Our church just celebrated its 95th church anniversary. We decided to get back to "basics" and read "I Am A Church Member," by Dr. Thom Rainer. Some groups in our church, including our Pastor's Thursday night Bible study group, are still studying some of chapters and principles of this book on self-examination.
No matter what your age, physical and spiritual self-examinations are important. Unless your doctor suggests otherwise, adult women are encouraged to perform a breast self-examination at least once a month. See, http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam.
According to the Testicular Cancer Research Center, "for men over the age of 14, a monthly self-exam of the testicles is an effective way of becoming familiar with this area of the body and thus enabling the detection of testicular cancer at an early—and very curable—stage." TCRC suggests that the point of self-examination is not to find something wrong today but to learn when things are normal and to make sure nothing has changed. For more information and how to perform such a self-examination go to http://tcrc.acor.org/tcexam.html.
For many, a diet self-examination may be long overdue. How would you characterize your diet? "Mindful," "Indulgent," "Haphazard," "Fast Foodish," "Hit and Miss," "Sweet," "Healthy" or "A Work In Progress?" How close do you come to the Mediterranean style of eating? How close are you to following the diet that your doctor recommends or following the diet you know you should follow?
The words "But let a man examine himself" [or "Let a woman examine herself,"] are familiar words. Many of us hear these words every month. See, I Corinthians 11:28.
Today, let us really examine ourselves. Let us examine what we eat. Let us examine our prayer requests. Let us pray for a spirit of self-examination so that we might navigate well and weather the "storm" on "the sea of life.' Pray that GOD create within each of us a clean heart and a right spirit. Psalms 51:10.
Be well and Be Blessed.
