Posted on 11/30/2019 8:33:44 AM PST by rebuildus
Ive been on a long journey to find the optimum diet, particularly for someone who values strength, health AND longevity.
I may have finally found it, and it has been right in front of me all along.
My company nameOld Schoolis not just a name to me, as I have said. It is an all-encompassing idea, that references the timeless, natural truths we have lost in pursuit of science without reason, or if you will, science without God.
I have long pondered the original Old School diet, which He presented to Adam and Eve in the Garden
Look, to you I give all the seed-bearing plants everywhere on the surface of the earth, and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit; this will be your food.
GENESIS 1:29 NEW JERUSALEM BIBLE
This is a vegan diet, though that isnt discussed much. Ive dabbled over the years with this diet, never fully committing to it. Ive learned enough about nutrition to understand the potential benefits, as well as pitfalls to eating this way, and believe Ive covered the nutritional holes sufficiently. I could eat this way, and likely have success with it, if I chose to do so.
But at least for now, I have not chosen to commit to this path.
There are reasons I have not gone this way, starting with my general lack of interest in eating primarily fruits and vegetables. You know how kids often hate eating their veggies? Imagine if that was pretty much all youd be eating? Enough said.
Im also a bodybuilder, and on training days my body asks for a lot of protein. I dont think Adam and Eve had to work the Garden too hard. Remember, God gave them this diet before the Fall, at which time he commanded they work by the sweat of thy brow.
Have you ever worked by the sweat of thy brow? And what kind of food did you crave afterwards?
Quick story: Many years ago, in the early 90s, I moved to Southern Oregon to follow up a job offer from a friend. I arrived in late October. Suffice it to say it is cold there that time of year.
While I was training for my new job, I had to feed myself and pay the bills, so I put an ad in the local paper letting homeowners know Id rake leaves, chop wood, and do other chores they needed for a price. One of the jobs I got hired for was with a tree cutter. He cut dense Madrone trees, which are prized in the area as they make excellent firewood. After a full morning of loading cut Madrone onto the bed of the mans pickup truck, I was starved.
At the time I was in one of my vegan / vegetarian stages, and had brought a sack lunch consisting of sunflower seeds, raisins, and some other grub I dont remember. This just wasnt going to cut it. I mean, I was hungry! And I had lots more loading to do after lunch.
So I drove to the local Jack in the Box, orderedand proceeded to wolf downfour burgers. Boy were they good, and I came back after lunch and knocked out the rest of the work!
I should have realized right then that I was unlikely to give up eating meat! But Im stubborn and a slow learner.
Fast forward to the present. Ive flirted with veganism over and over since then, pulled by the allure of its potential health benefits and simplicityalways with the knowledge that this was Gods original diet plan for mankind.
Before I go further, let me again point out that I think veganism can be done. And of course, it is being done by millions of people, many of them athletes. But just because something can be done, doesnt mean its something Im interested in doing!
I know that veganism is being pushed by celebrities, the media, many on the Left of the political spectrum, and many elites as well. There are many reasons for this, which I wont delve into in this post, but suffice it to say I remain suspicious of their motives.
So theres that.
But bottom line, I believe in feeding my body what I believe it is asking of me. And particularly on training days, its asking me for meat and other animal protein.
Ive written on this blog about my adventures and mis-adventures in the world of food including my last bout passing a kidney stone, which was, shall I say, not fun. Upon retrieving the tiny, jagged offender, I saw that its color indicated a uric acid origin, which is often due toper studiesexcessive animal protein consumption.
So its not as simple as saying, Eat meat, or Dont eat meat. There are questions of amount, quality, timing, etc.
For instance, I have noticed that if I eat heavy animal protein in the evening, and go to sleep before full digestion has occurred, that I often wake up with pain in the lower bowel area. All of this caused me to look further into the proper use of animal protein and fat.
I have an old book that I think everyone should read. Its called Gods Key to Health and Happiness, by Elmer A. Josephson, a Baptist minister, who said he had serious illnesses which were cured by following Bible teachings (essentially following a kosher diet).
The teachings are from the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. Millions of observant Jews have been following these laws with great success for centuries.
Its funny that in our enlightened age, with a new diet popping up seemingly daily, that so little attention has been given to Gods dietary laws.
For me, re-discovering these laws has been a revelation. Eating kosher allows me to eat animal protein, but in a healthy way. Let me explain two big keys in the law that are benefitting me right now, and may be able to benefit you. The two are actually stated in one sentence:
It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.
LEVITICUS 3:17
I know this may bother the Keto people, but thats what the Old Testament says. It is actually difficult to eat the animals fat while eating the meat (unless its ground up). Think of a steak. Youd typically cut away the fat and eat the protein portion. I know when I try to eat animal fat I end up just chewing and chewingit doesnt go down.
We know all the health issues that people have with animal fat, particularly around the heart. But really, fat affects the whole body. Cutting down on animal fat has helped my digestion, and lessened my lower abdominal / bowel pain. (Im not saying we should cut out ALL fatwe certainly need a fair amount of fat in our dietjust limited animal fat)
The second part of the sentence says not to eat blood. Why? One practical reason is that disease starts in the blood. Something to think about the next time you stare at your bloody rare hamburger.
One of the kosher dietary laws gives instruction on how to draw blood out of an animal before eating it. And as buying kosher meats can be expensive, the author of Gods Key to Health and Happiness gave his own guidelines on how to prepare your own kosher meat:
Soak ordinary meat for half an hour
Drain
Salt heavily
Let set for one hour
Wash and prepare as normal
I have tried preparing meat and eating it in this fashion, and I can say that it feels lighter (it is), I have less reactions to the meat, and digestion is better.
Ive also employed a third dietary change, that, while not strictly kosher, definitely is mentioned often in the Old TestamentIve started to drink some red wine (1 four-ounce serving) with my meat meals, to help digestion. Ive also had good results with this, provided I dont drink too close to bedtime, as Ive never been able to sleep well with alcohol in my system. I know this is true for many others, and there are reasons for this pertaining to alcohols negative effect on deep sleep.
Alcohol does act as a mild depressant, which is another factor. I do not recommend having a meal with wine, and attempting to work out afterwards, even with some time lapse in between. I tried it (with a good two hour-plus time lapse), and felt like I was working out under water. But thats me, and I dont have a high tolerance for alcohol.
Needless to say, having wine with your meal is not for everyone, be they minors, or people with certain health or psychological / addictive issues with alcohol. That being said, Ive often wondered how many modern health issues may be able to be improved through the judicious use of red wine with meals.
For the bodybuilder, power or Olympic lifter, or any athlete who prizes power (which is just about any athlete I can think of), considering the value of eating kosher should be a wina serious competitive advantage. And I have not even discussed the kosher law of only eating fish with scales (filters), and not eating scavenger animals, be they in the water or land. Ive already been following this advice for years.
For the average person who wants to eat meat, but do it in a healthy manner, I recommend that you look into kosher eating. As is so often the case, ancient wisdomin this case the wisdom of the Creator of the universe Himselfproves to be the answer to every problem we are faced with.
Maybe we should start paying better attention.
Patrick Rooney is the Founder of OldSchoolUs.com. Its focus is natural health and independent living. Patrick is the author of GREEK PHYSIQUE: The Simple, Satisfying Way to Sculpt Your BodyEven if Youre Old, Weak, or Broken Down; and is also the creator of Greek Yoga and the Greek Yoga for Beginners video. He offers health and fitness coaching in-person in Middle Tennessee and worldwide via phone, Zoom, and Skype. To reach Patrick, email him at info@oldschoolus.com.
Interesting, thank you for posting.
You’re welcome, crosdaddy
Contrary to popular opinion, too much burger and sausage is not healthy.
Eat lean meats, eggs and fish instead.
And full plates of vegetables, and all the EVOO you want.
No sugar. Ever. Period.
The *Garden of Eden* diet has been around for years.
It’s not enough. It works for Garden of Eden quality bodies, if there hadn’t been a need for more nutrition, God would never have expanded man’s diet.
Our bodies have deteriorated too much since the Fall to make the diet work long term. it’s too nutrient deficient for our bodies today.
Solid points, Mariner, thanks
Thanks, metmom. As I said, I believe it CAN work, but it is a lot of work. Plus, I LIKE eating meat, so there you go
I trim the fat from the meat, but cook it in beef tallow, and butter to get the fats.
It’s not the meat that’s the problem.
It’s all the refined stuff.
It needs to be as close to as God made it as possible, but not necessarily raw. Cooking allows for better nutrient absorption in some foods.
Understand, dfwgator, thanks for the tip!
Good points, metmom
Dr Ornish UNDO IT.
Truthoverpower, what do you mean?
There are some considerations your approach left out which revolve around how things changed at Noah’s flood. The restriction from eating blood is not just Kosher, it was commanded by God to Noah (from whom all people alive today descended) when He first permitted humans to eat meat. And this was reiterated in the New Testament even for Gentiles.
The flood brought about a cataclysmic change to the earth. The ratio of oxygen in the air apparently changed. The intensity of gravity was probably changed, as there was a massive amount of water above the sky before the flood, which is not part of our oceans and polar ice caps. These factors may be why animal protein is needed in our diets.
The prohibition against animal fat in Leviticus 3:17 is only in reference to animal sacrifices. I believe this would only represent a small part of the meat that Jews ate in the Biblical times.
Thanks, unlearner. Interesting thoughts. Sounds like blood was always a no no in God's world :) As for the possible change that caused us to (potentially) need to eat meat now, who knows.
Yep - and God told Peter that, not only were the kosher meats OK to eat, but other meats as well....canine teeth = need for animal protein...
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