Genesis 2:15-16: And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. [King James Translation]
Definition - “Genesis” – mean “beginnings” “birth” or “origin”; the coming into being of something.
Beginning
The book of Genesis, the first book of the Jewish Torah and Christian Bible is about beginnings---the origin of heaven and earth, the creation of the sun, the moon, the stars, animal life, marine life and plant life. Genesis describes the creation of the first man, first woman, the first sin, the origin of sin and the first homicide. It also describes GOD’s commandment regarding the first meal.
Eating Raw
For those who decide to eat raw fruits and raw vegetables on Wednesdays, drink water and tea, meditate on scripture and pray with and for others in “fellowship” it is a beginning too. Often, when someone joins this fellowship and starts to eat raw, one of their first concerns, if they have not eaten raw, before is “what to eat.”
What to Eat
Actually, it turns out that there is plenty to eat. Genesis states that there were trees in the Garden of Eden from which man could eat. Today, there are still trees from which we can eat. There is not only a great number but a great variety as well. Some of the trees with eatable fruit include:
- Apple
- Apricot
- Avocado
- Banana
- Cherry
- Citrus (Orange, Lemon, Lime, Tangerines, Grapefruit, Kumquat etc.)
- Coconut
- Fig
- Guava
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Olive
- Pear
- Peach and Nectarine
- Persimmon
- Plum
- Pomegranate
- Nut Trees (Chestnut, Pecan, Almonds, Walnut, Cashew, etc.)
And, this is just a list of some of the trees. In addition to fruit from trees, there is fruit from bushes, numerous vegetables, nuts, seeds and other raw foods. A walk down the fresh produce sections of the store or a visit to a farmer’s market can reveal just how many varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables there are.
If you like salads, consider sampling the various kinds of ingredients you can use. For example, there are a variety of salad leaves, including:
- Arugula
- Butter Lettuce
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Little Gem Lettuce
- Oak Leaf Lettuce
- Romaine Hearts
- Mache (a.k.a. Lamb’s Lettuce)
- Mizuna
Many stores now package salad greens so that consumers can choose from a number of options. Some stores carry:
- Sweet Baby lettuce
- Sweet Baby Spinach
- Mixed Baby Greens
Some grocery stores have salad bars with a variety of salad ingredients so you can experiment and sample a variety of ingredients.
Food waste has become a concern to the U.S. government, in restaurants and in many households. Many chefs are using carrot tops, beet tops and radish tops in salads and other meals. The outer portion of broccoli stalks can be cut away and the tender inner portion can be cut up and also used in a salad. Remember, it pays to be frugal and to avoid food waste.
Benefits of Eating Raw
Some of the benefits of eating raw include:
1. Raw foods tend to be of better nutritional quality, therefore, you eat less;
2. Raw foods have more vitamins and nutrients than cooked foods;
3. Raw foods have more “natural” flavors than cooked foods, so there is less need to add salt, sugar, spices or other condiments;
4. Raw foods tend to have the best balance of nutrients, water and fiber for meeting the body’s needs;
5. Raw foods save you money on utility costs (e.g. gas and electric and other appliances used to cook or heat meals);
6. Raw foods tend to lower the risk of certain diseases and illnesses;
7. Raw foods are more environmentally friendly (e.g. eliminates the need for cans, paper, plastic and other items necessary for processing and
cooking foods);
8. Raw foods tend to take less time to prepare than cooked foods.
See, www.living-foods.com.
Even if you have been eating raw for a while, today is a day for re-examination. You may want to re-examine how much you eat, what time you eat, or even why you eat when you eat. For example, are you eating because you are hungry? Are you eating compulsively? Is there any food waste? Do you sometimes feel you are eating too fast? Are you eating mindfully, that is are you aware of every bite you are eating, tasting the flavors, aware of the texture of the food, experiencing the satisfaction and pleasure of what you are eating.
Perhaps this year you may want to try something different. One possibility is to invite a friend to eat raw on Wednesdays with you. If you work in a building with stairs consider following the meal with a top to bottom stair walk or some other form of exercise before or after your meal. This year you may want to focus on the quality of food (e.g. organic vs. conventional; more vegetables or more fruit; or juicing fruits or vegetables or consider creating various small snack packets (some full of nuts, some small bite some vegetables, some with seeds, some with pieces of fruit). Or, perhaps you want to sample new teas.
A New Year with a New Beginning
For those who have never practiced eating raw before, today is a beginning. For those who have been eating raw “off and on,” today is also a day to begin again.
Christians begin anew every day. Every day we pray to be more and more like CHRIST. And, every evening, when we reflect on our day and realize we have fallen short , we seek forgiveness and start again the next day.
Life is not a single race or even a single marathon. Eating raw, prayer and meditation, striving for greater spiritual and physical health and striving to be CHRIST like is a journey. We do not journey alone.
So, extend an Eat Raw on Wednesday invitation. Invite someone else to journey with you. Find a Wednesday prayer partner. Just as you examine your physical diet, examine your spiritual diet too. Start a “2016 Gratitude List,” increase your prayer “life,” meditates on what GOD would have you do.
Happy New Beginnings! And, Be BLESSED!
