Genesis 1:29: And GOD said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all of the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed…. [King James Translation]
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. Herb bearing seeds and trees yielding seed are mentioned.
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 do I eat?”
What to Eat
Actually, there is plenty to eat. Genesis states that there were trees with edible food in the Garden of Eden for the first man and woman. 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 edible 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, Pine, Hazelnuts 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, 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.
Take a family outing down the vegetable section or buy a small sample of a bunch of vegetables, bring them home and see how many fruits and vegetables your family members or friends can name.
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
- Spinach
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
- Super Greens
Some grocery stores have salad bars with a variety of salad ingredients so you can experiment and sample a variety of ingredients.
Again, puts some samples of nuts, fruits and vegetables in small bowls and let your family experiment making salads. You may even want to give out small prizes or points to the person who can name the most fruits and vegetables. In order words, mealtime can be nutritious, educational and fun. Try something new in 2018 during mealtime in your household. You can even prepare little informational notecards describing where the particular fruit, nut or vegetable you are eating is usually grown or locally grown in your state or when it first introduced in America.
Benefits of Eating Raw
Some of the benefits of eating raw include:
- Raw foods tend to be of better nutritional quality, therefore, you eat less;
- Raw foods have more vitamins and nutrients than cooked foods;
- Raw foods have more “natural” flavors than cooked foods, so there is less need to add salt, sugar, spices or other condiments;
- Raw foods tend to have the best balance of nutrients, water and fiber for meeting the body’s needs;
- Raw foods save you money on utility costs (e.g. gas and electric and other appliances used to cook or heat meals);
- Raw foods tend to lower the risk of certain diseases and illnesses;
- Raw foods are more environmentally friendly (e.g. eliminates the need for cans, paper, plastic and other items necessary for processing and cooking foods);
- 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, consider setting aside some time today or this month to re-examination your habits or goals. 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?
If you have a medical condition (e.g. diabetic, have a physical injury, tend to catch colds, or have other medical issues) you may want to consult with your personal physician regarding your raw diet to make sure your diet does not negatively interact with any medications you may be taking, if you also taking medication. As Michelle Healy notes in her article, grapefruit is not the only food that can affect medications. See, “Grapefruit not only food that can affect medication,” by Michelle Healy, USA Today, January 20, 2013, www.usatoday.com.
This year, make greater spiritual health and greater physical fitness one of your primary goals.
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. 2 Cor. 4:16. Every day when we have fallen short , we seek forgiveness and start again the next day. But we do not journey alone. Pray also one for another.
Happy 2018!
Be prayerful, have fun, continue to exercise, enjoy your new beginning and BE BLESSED!
