Deuteronomy 29: 22-23: Then your children and the generations to come and the foreigners that pass by from distant lands shall see the devastation of the land and the diseases the Lord will have sent upon it. They will see that the whole land is alkali and salt, a burned over wasteland, unsown, without crops, without a shred of vegetation---just like Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, destroyed by the Lord in his anger. [Living Bible translation]
BIBLICAL COMMENTS
The Jewish bible, the Torah, is also called the Pentateuch, which refers to the Five Books of Moses. [“Penta” in Latin and Greek means five.] These books include: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy—the first five books of the Christian bible. Deuteronomy, the fifth book, consists of three sermons or speeches where Moses recounts the law given to him by GOD. The book of Deuteronomy also constitutes the rededication of the people to GOD through the renewal of the covenant between GOD and the people of Israel. It is the repeating of the law and the repeating of the people’s vows to GOD.
The prefix “re” generally means “again” or “go back.” “Deuteronomy” means “second law”, because the book is Moses’ reproclamation of GOD’s divine law to the people a second time. Moses knew that some things are so important they need to be repeated.
SALT, SUGAR and RED MEATS
Since 1980, the Dietary Guidelines For Americans has been published every five years by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines provide authoritative advice and information regarding how to achieve good dietary food habits to promote health and prevent chronic diseases. The guidelines are meant for all Americans age two and older.
In the recently published 2015 Dietary Guidelines, the advisory committee that prepared the Guidelines noted that Americans need to watch their intake of salt, sugars, saturated fats and red and processed meats. The Committee members that made the recommendations noted that Americans consume more than 3,400 milligrams (mg) of saturated fat and sodium per day, while the upper recommended limit is 2,400 mg. One teaspoon of salt is about 2,300 mg.
To put sodium recommendation in an understandable context, it is interesting to note that The American Heart Association recommends that American consume less than 1,500 mg of salt per day, which is less than ¾ teaspoon of salt.
Some of the sources of sodium come from packaged processed foods (e.g. tomato sauces, canned foods, potato mixes, pasta mixes, processed meats); using salt during cooking or in preparing or serving foods, from cured meats and sausages, baking soda found in quick breads and cakes, and salts used as preservatives in condiments such as relishes, sauces and salad dressings, etc.
One of reasons for recommending less salt or sodium intake is its detrimental effect on health. According to Dr. Frank Hu, a Dietary Guidelines for American Committee member, professor of nutrition and epistemology at the Harvard School of Public Health and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School: “The evidence that high sodium intake leads to high blood pressure is strong” and that “there is also moderate evidence of a link between sodium and cardiovascular disease.” See, “2015 Dietary Recommendations Cover New Ground,” by Jonathan Shaw, 2/26/15, Harvard Magazine and See, 2015 Guidelines Executive Summary.
In one study, Dr. Hu and his fellow researchers found that a daily serving of red meat “no larger than a deck of cards,” increased the risk of adult-onset diabetes by 19%. See, “Getting the Red Out: A Diabetes Link to Meat, by Jonathan Shaw, January-February, 2012, Harvard Magazine.
With regard to sugar and fat, the 2015 Guidelines noted:
[M]oderate to strong evidence, higher intake of red and processed meats was identified as detrimental compared to lower intake. Higher consumption of sugar-sweetened foods and beverages as well as refined grains was identified as detrimental in almost all conclusion statements with moderate to strong evidence.
The 2015 Guideline Committee members also noted that:
- 40 percent of the U.S. population doesn’t get enough of vitamins A, D, E, and C, nor folate, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and potassium—not surprising, perhaps, given that Americans don’t eat enough vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and dairy.
- Fully 70 percent of the population doesn’t eat the recommended quantities of fruit. What do Americans eat? The largest caloric contribution in most people’s diets comes from a category called “mixed dishes,” the largest component of which includes burgers and sandwiches.
- Many American adolescent and pre-menopausal women are deficient in iron.
See, “2015 Dietary Recommendations Cover New Ground,” by Jonathan Shaw, 2/26/15, Harvard Magazine, April-May 2015; “2015 Report of the 2015 Dietary Advisory Committee,” www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015.
SOME THINGS ARE WORTH REPEATING AGAIN
One of the January, 2015 Koinonia goals was to “forgo using salt (i.e., shaking salt on food).” Some selected this goal and others did not. However, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines For Americans makes recommendations for ALL American, ages 2 and older.
In other words, we all need to monitor what we eat.
We all need to use less salt. In addition, we all need to monitor sugar intake and the intake of other foods and drinks that may be detrimental to health (e.g. red meat, alcohol, sugary drinks, other nutrient poor foods and beverages).
Some things are so important, it bears repeating: WATCH THE SALT, SUGAR AND RED AND PROCESSED MEAT INTAKE.
Our relationship to GOD and to each other is important to our physical, mental and spiritual health. For Christians, every communion Sunday is a time of rededication—when Christians remember again and again the love GOD exhibited for us. It is when we as Christians rededicate ourselves to HIM. It is worth repeating again and again and again.
We all need to rededicate ourselves to healthier living.
We all need to study and pray.
We all need to, and can do better.
Let’s all re-dedicate our diet, body, mind, will and heart to HIM. Again, and again.
And, BE BLESSED, BE BLESSED and BE BLESSED!
