It Is Written

Healing Foods of the Bible

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

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Series Code: IIW

Program Code: IIW001299A


00:10 ♪[Theme Music]♪
00:20 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:23 Thanks for joining me today.
00:25 Well, you know how it goes.
00:26 You get sick.
00:27 You need some help.
00:28 You go to the doctor.
00:30 And the doctor writes you a prescription.
00:33 You take it to the pharmacy or to the drug store.
00:35 You get your little bottle of magic.
00:37 You take one three times a day, and given three or four or five
00:41 days, you're back to good health.
00:43 That's pretty typical
00:44 for those of us living in the Western world.
00:47 In Bible times, however, things were rather different.
00:51 When we consider the Bible,
00:52 we think of God as the Great Physician.
00:55 And in the absence of cardiologists and
00:58 rheumatologists and all the other ologists,
01:02 people then had to deal with rudimentary methods of healing.
01:05 Or they dealt with God, the Great Physician.
01:11 Today, we're going to talk about healing foods of the Bible.
01:15 The thought is that perhaps the Great Physician has given us
01:20 medication that we can get at other places than the drugstore.
01:25 Perhaps at the supermarket or right out of our garden.
01:29 I'm being joined today by my special guest,
01:31 Dr. John Westerdahl,
01:33 a nutritionist from the Bragg Health Institute
01:36 in Santa Barbara, southern California.
01:38 Dr. Westerdahl, thank you for joining me today.
01:40 >>Dr. John Westerdahl: Great to be with you, John.
01:41 >>John: Now, this idea of health and the Christian anyway.
01:45 Why does it matter that Christians look after their
01:48 health, that believers in God should look after their health?
01:51 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well, you know,
01:52 in the Bible it tells us that our bodies
01:54 are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
01:57 In other words, we need to take care of it,
01:58 not defile that temple,
02:00 but take good care of it and put good things into it,
02:03 is very important.
02:04 >>John: Yeah, but, but, I don't mind getting right into it,
02:06 but it's my body.
02:08 I can do whatever I want with it.
02:10 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well actually, we were bought with a price.
02:13 Jesus dying on the cross for us.
02:15 So it's not totally our body.
02:16 God gave us this magnificent creation
02:19 that we need to take care of.
02:20 >>John: As a matter of fact,
02:22 it says right in that very verse you were referencing,
02:23 “for you are not your own.”
02:25 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right.
02:27 >>John: So that idea that I can do whatever I want with my body
02:28 because, after all, it's mine, it isn't yours really, is it?
02:31 >>Dr. Westerdahl: It really isn't.
02:32 >>John: It belongs to God.
02:34 >>Dr. Westerdahl: We inherited it from God.
02:35 >>John: Let me share a Bible verse here that I think
02:36 is very relevant to what we're talking about.
02:38 How about that? Turned right to the page.
02:39 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Okay.
02:40 >>John: 3 John, verse 2.
02:43 And John, who wrote Revelation and wrote the Gospels,
02:45 he wrote the little Johns as well, three of them.
02:47 3 John 2: “Beloved,
02:49 I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper
02:52 and be in health,
02:54 even as thy soul prospereth.”
02:56 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right. And it's connected.
02:57 Because if we are healthy, we can communicate better with God.
03:03 Our minds are clearer.
03:04 We're enjoying life.
03:05 It's kind of hard to be rejoicing all the time
03:09 if you're sick.
03:10 And by having good health, we're of clear mind,
03:13 we can really enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
03:17 >>John: John made it very clear that there's a direct
03:18 relationship between our physical health
03:21 and our mental and spiritual health.
03:23 >>Dr. Westerdahl: There really is.
03:25 It's really a wholistic approach that the Bible's all about.
03:27 Wholistic with a W.
03:30 Body, mind and spirit, it is all related.
03:33 And, and the things we're going to talk about today,
03:34 the foods that we eat,
03:36 have a direct relationship and helping us improve that health.
03:39 >>John: Yeah, this looks pretty good.
03:40 I'm not sure whether to talk to you or just,
03:43 just eat the set.
03:44 >>Dr. Westerdahl: There's a lot food here to eat today,
03:45 and all healthy.
03:46 >>John: Maybe a little bit of both.
03:48 Well, it's interesting, isn't it,
03:51 that the Bible talks so much about health?
03:55 Why do you think that is?
03:57 >>Dr. Westerdahl: This book, I believe,
03:58 is one of the greatest books ever written on total wellness,
04:01 preventive medicine, lifestyle medicine.
04:04 God's concerned about our health.
04:05 He wants us to be healthy.
04:07 Within the pages of the Bible
04:09 we see a lot of health principles given to us.
04:12 So it's all there, and He wants us to take advantage of this
04:15 so that we can live life more abundantly.
04:18 >>John: Now, you mentioned something just a moment ago.
04:19 You said lifestyle medicine.
04:22 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes.
04:22 >>John: Now, what's that?
04:23 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Lifestyle medicine, it's a new,
04:25 emerging type of medicine that's coming into our country today.
04:28 There's actually what we call the American College
04:30 of Lifestyle Medicine,
04:31 where there are physicians who are specializing
04:34 in treatment with lifestyle, diet, exercise,
04:39 stress management, spiritual wellness,
04:42 as opposed to using just medications.
04:44 Not that they won't use medications for emergencies
04:47 or as needed with patients.
04:50 But, we are finding out more and more, that the foods that we eat
04:54 are healing to our bodies.
04:55 If we eat the right type of diet,
04:58 we can prevent, treat, and even reverse
05:00 many of the diseases that are killing us today.
05:03 >>John: Now, I have heard of people with diabetes...
05:05 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes.
05:06 >>John: ...getting off their diabetes medications,
05:08 and seeing their adult-onset diabetes going away.
05:11 I've heard of people reversing heart disease.
05:13 I, I must be responsible enough to say, perhaps
05:16 this isn't possible for everybody.
05:17 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Right.
05:18 >>John: But certainly for many people,
05:20 there are some well-known physicians
05:21 who have said that they can get,
05:22 they can reverse heart disease without using medication in,
05:28 in many instances.
05:29 This is very exciting.
05:30 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes, it is.
05:31 And it's very well documented in medical literature.
05:33 Lifestyle medicine, using lifestyle to treat diseases,
05:38 to prevent diseases, and in many cases even reverse the diseases.
05:43 >>John: Now, it was Hippocrates that said,
05:45 “Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food.”
05:50 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes.
05:51 >>John: If some of us were honest with ourselves,
05:53 and we went into the pantry or the food cupboard at home,
05:56 we'd say, well, you know, those chocolate cookies
05:58 aren't going to be much in the way of medicine.
06:02 So when Hippocrates said that, what foods was he referring to?
06:07 >>Dr. Westerdahl: He was talking about natural,
06:09 whole, unprocessed foods.
06:12 That's what he promoted with his own patients.
06:14 He used nutrition with his patients.
06:16 He used lifestyle medicine.
06:17 >>John: You know, there are a lot of diets available today,
06:19 and some of the well-known ones, South Beach,
06:21 Atkins, Paleo, um, seafood, that is,
06:25 see food and eat it.
06:26 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right (laughs).
06:28 >>John: But what about this Mediterranean diet?
06:30 You hear a lot about that.
06:31 It's hyped as, or promoted as being very good.
06:33 Is it very good?
06:34 And if it is, why?
06:36 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well, the traditional Mediterranean diet
06:37 is very good.
06:38 And it is healing, uh,
06:40 because it's a diet that's based on whole,
06:43 unprocessed food, mostly from plant foods.
06:47 The types of fat that you find in the Mediterranean diet
06:49 are the healthier types of fats, in general,
06:52 as compared to the high-saturated fats,
06:54 high-cholesterol foods that we eat in the Western countries.
06:57 >>John: Well, there's a lot of food in front of us here,
06:59 and I'm guessing that much of this is
07:01 representative of the Mediterranean diet.
07:03 I see figs, and I see dates, and I see grapes and raisins
07:08 and grains, and good stuff.
07:11 The healing foods of the Bible.
07:13 We'll find out what they are specifically,
07:15 and how they can be a blessing to you,
07:18 with Dr. John Westerdahl, in just a moment.
07:21 >>John: The Bible tells us that our body
07:23 is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
07:25 God wants us to have good health.
07:26 We need to take care of ourselves.
07:28 The question is, how do we do that?
07:31 Let me show you how with:
07:33 “Healing Foods of The Bible”
07:34 which I co-wrote with Dr. John Westerdahl.
07:37 It's life-changing and health-saving.
07:40 “Healing Foods of The Bible”
07:41 call 1-800-253-3000,
07:45 write to the address on your screen,
07:46 or visit iiwoffer.com.
07:51 ♪[Music]♪
07:54 >>Announcer: Planning for your financial future
07:55 is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship.
07:59 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer
08:02 free planned giving and estate services.
08:05 For information on how we can help you,
08:07 please call 800-992-2219.
08:12 Call today, or visit our website:
08:14 hislegacy.com.
08:17 Call 800-992-2219.
08:22 >>John: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
08:25 Thanks for joining me today.
08:26 With me is Dr. John Westerdahl,
08:29 a nutritionist from the Bragg Health Institute
08:30 in Santa Barbara, California.
08:32 And today we are talking about healing foods of the Bible.
08:35 I'm interested in the idea that foods can actually heal,
08:39 like medicine.
08:41 So in front of us here,
08:42 there's all kinds of different foods.
08:44 Let's talk about what you have, and how and why it's healing.
08:48 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well, here you go.
08:49 An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
08:50 You've heard that.
08:51 >>John: That's good for, good for non-doctors,
08:53 not so good for doctors though, I suppose.
08:55 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right, because an apple is an amazing
08:57 food, because when you eat these apples,
08:59 you can lower your cholesterol.
09:01 They are high in soluble fiber that actually binds cholesterol
09:06 and helps you remove that from the body.
09:08 And studies have shown
09:09 that people who have a couple of apples a day
09:11 in their diet can reduce their cholesterol
09:13 by as much as 10 percent.
09:14 >>John: That's pretty good.
09:16 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And the other amazing thing about apples
09:17 is they're high in what we call polyphenol antioxidants.
09:21 These are substances that are naturally occurring,
09:23 primarily in the skin of the apple,
09:26 that have anti-cancer properties,
09:28 heart disease prevention properties.
09:30 They prevent the oxidation
09:32 or the aging of the cells in the body.
09:34 There's some wonderful things.
09:35 And, you know, this is true:
09:37 an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
09:38 >>John: Very good.
09:38 Apples.
09:39 Wonderful.
09:40 And an apple is certainly biblical.
09:42 We read about apples in the Bible many, many times.
09:45 Okay.
09:45 A healing food of the Bible.
09:47 What else we got?
09:48 >>Dr. Westerdahl: So the next one is apricots.
09:50 And, by the way, when you read in the Bible,
09:53 when it talks about golden apples,
09:56 it's probably an apricot.
09:57 They're very rich in the, what we call carotinoids,
10:00 beta keratin, which makes it that bright yellow color.
10:04 These pigments that you find in apricots
10:06 also have anti-cancer properties,
10:09 and it's a great food for overall health.
10:11 It's great, and delicious too.
10:13 >>John: Now, let me ask a question about color.
10:15 You should eat foods of different colors, correct?
10:19 And, if I'm right, why is that?
10:21 >>Dr. Westerdahl: I recommend eating a rainbow of colors,
10:23 of food, because all these different colors in food,
10:26 God has put these colors in all these different foods,
10:29 and they all have special benefits.
10:31 The more colorful the diet, the better it is for you,
10:34 as opposed to the white bread and the white sugar,
10:38 and all those white refined foods,
10:40 where all the color has been taken away.
10:41 Well, a lot of those nutrients have been taken away.
10:43 So most scientists and nutritionists will tell you
10:46 to eat a colorful diet with lots of fruits and vegetables.
10:49 >>John: All right, good.
10:50 Okay, what else we have?
10:51 >>Dr. Westerdahl: The other is a Bible grain: barley.
10:54 And barley, in the Holy Land and in the Middle East,
10:58 is considered a heart medicine.
11:00 >>John: No kidding.
11:01 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Amongst the common people.
11:02 Because it is high in soluble fiber,
11:04 which can actually help you lower your cholesterol.
11:08 Barley has been shown to lower the bad type of cholesterol,
11:11 what we call the LDL cholesterol,
11:13 and actually help and increase the good cholesterol,
11:16 the good-guy cholesterol, called HDL cholesterol.
11:19 The high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
11:21 >>John: Now, isn't that also true of oats?
11:23 Oatmeal.
11:24 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes.
11:25 >>John: Porridge, where I grew up.
11:26 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Oats is another grain that has some
11:28 similar properties as far as cholesterol-lowering benefits.
11:31 >>John: So when the Bible was talking about barley,
11:33 it was talking about something that didn't just make
11:34 a good biblical point, but it was good for you.
11:37 >>Dr. Westerdahl: It was. It is.
11:38 >>John: And can help to reverse significant disease.
11:41 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes.
11:42 And it's a very rich source of antioxidants,
11:44 particularly what we call tocotrienols,
11:46 which is related to vitamin E.
11:48 >>John: How do you eat barley?
11:50 Many people are wondering, what do I do with this?
11:52 Do I put it in a stew, do I fry it?
11:54 Can I...
11:55 >>Dr. Westerdahl: You could...
11:56 >>John: Can I bread it and deep fry it?
11:57 >>Dr. Westerdahl: No, you don't want to do that!
11:58 >>John: All right.
12:00 >>Dr. Westerdahl: But you can use it and make a flour with it,
12:02 and use it in grains and different types of healthy
12:04 bakery-type products.
12:06 Also, just cooking barley up is really good.
12:09 It's very good to add, just as a cereal.
12:12 And you'll find, of course, barley a lot in vegetable soups.
12:15 >>John: What's next? What have we got?
12:16 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well, the next one is nature's candy: dates.
12:19 Well, dates, of course,
12:20 are very high in calories from natural sweets.
12:23 But they're very high in nutrients as well,
12:26 like potassium, magnesium.
12:28 They're a very good source of dietary fiber.
12:30 This is a healthier sweet than candy.
12:32 >>John: Healing foods of the Bible.
12:33 So far, apples, they're good.
12:36 Um, apricots, they're wonderful.
12:38 Barley, that's good stuff.
12:40 Dates, they're magnificent.
12:42 This all tastes good.
12:44 And it's extraordinarily good for you,
12:46 even to the point of being healing.
12:49 Healing foods of the Bible.
12:50 We'll be back with more in just a moment.
12:54 “Every Word”
12:55 is a one-minute, Bible-based daily devotional
12:58 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw,
13:00 and designed especially for busy people like you.
13:03 Look for Every Word on selected networks,
13:05 or watch it online every day on our website,
13:08 itiswritten.com.
13:11 ♪[Theme music]♪
13:16 >>John: Now I have no idea how companies
13:18 actually do this research,
13:20 but a survey of two thousand adults in the United Kingdom
13:22 found that people there spend more time sitting on the toilet
13:26 than they spend exercising.
13:28 Three hours and nine minutes a week on the throne
13:30 versus 90 minutes a week exercising.
13:33 A quarter of the people exercise only 30 minutes or less.
13:36 Which is surprising.
13:37 If you're trying to figure out how a person can spend
13:39 189 minutes a week... and you're going,
13:41 “That's seven days, times...and how long would that take...?”
13:45 you've got to factor in smartphones,
13:47 which are driving up the amount of time
13:49 people spend... you know.
13:51 3 John 2 says,
13:52 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things
13:54 and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
13:58 Might be time to get a little more exercise,
14:00 might be time to look after ourselves a bit better.
14:03 And where did you watch this?
14:05 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written.
14:06 Let's live today by Every Word.
14:12 >>John: This is It Is Written.
14:13 Thanks for joining me today.
14:15 In the Bible the wise man urged us to eat for strength.
14:19 And the same book, the Holy Bible,
14:21 reveals to us that there are healing foods,
14:24 foods that you can eat that taste good and are good for you,
14:28 even to the point of helping you combat
14:30 some pretty significant diseases.
14:32 Dr. John Westerdahl, tell me about some more
14:34 healing foods of the Bible.
14:36 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well, another one is figs,
14:38 and that can be dried like this, or also fresh.
14:40 These figs are, of course, very sweet.
14:42 They're almost like a candy as well.
14:44 But they're a very good source of potassium.
14:47 They're a very good source of the soluble fiber,
14:49 to also lower your cholesterol.
14:51 And they're a wonderful food.
14:53 They can be incorporated in many different types of food.
14:55 >>John: Jesus cursed a fig tree, but I'm sure many times
14:58 He ate figs and blessed other fig trees as well.
15:00 >>Dr. Westerdahl: I believe He did.
15:02 >>John: These are real good things.
15:03 Okay, so figs: biblical, good for you.
15:05 What else?
15:06 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And then garlic,
15:06 one of my favorite vegetables.
15:09 Garlic actually was a food and a medicine
15:12 with the children of Israel long before Moses led them.
15:15 And, uh, what's exciting about garlic
15:17 is it's a heart-healthy food,
15:20 been shown in a number of studies to help you lower your
15:22 bad LDL cholesterol and increase the good HDL cholesterol.
15:26 It prevents blood clotting, has antibacterial properties,
15:30 and is listed as one of the top anti-cancer foods.
15:33 >>John: Fantastic. I like that.
15:35 All right.
15:36 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And then we have grapes,
15:38 and also raisins.
15:40 >>John: Do you think that grapes that were brought back
15:41 from the Promised Land were that size, or a little bit bigger?
15:43 >>Dr. Westerdahl: I think they were a lot bigger.
15:45 >>John: A little bigger.
15:46 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And it's amazing how big
15:46 some of these grapes are.
15:47 >>John: Yeah.
15:49 >>Dr. Westerdahl: But grapes, uh, are rich in antioxidants
15:50 and phytochemicals.
15:51 One of the ones that we know of, particularly in the red grape,
15:54 in the skins and even in the seeds,
15:56 is resveratrol, which is considered a very healthy
15:59 antioxidant that you find in grapes.
16:01 >>John: So, so far, you know, out of everything we've talked
16:03 about, you have to cook the barley,
16:04 and you probably wouldn't want to eat too much raw garlic,
16:07 but all the rest of these things are not very expensive,
16:10 some of them positively inexpensive,
16:11 and they taste good.
16:12 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And they taste good,
16:13 and they add a lot of great flavor to food as well.
16:15 >>John: Now, there are many people who are not convinced
16:16 that leafy green vegetables can taste good.
16:19 I beg to differ.
16:20 You've got there collard greens and curly kale.
16:22 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right.
16:23 >>John: And spinach, by the look of it.
16:24 And, you know, Popeye showed us, all you need to do
16:26 is eat that stuff and get big muscles.
16:28 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right.
16:28 And the, in the Holy Land
16:30 they ate a lot of green vegetables with their diet.
16:33 And these things are high in antioxidants,
16:36 they're high in lutein,
16:37 which is the antioxidant that's good for your eyes, also.
16:40 You can put it in different types of recipes and flavorful
16:43 soups, and get all these healthy nutrients from the greens.
16:46 And what's popular now is,
16:47 a lot of people are putting these in smoothies,
16:49 mixed with apple juice and a little bit of banana,
16:52 and they're getting their greens in their diet that way,
16:54 in a nice, flavorful way.
16:55 >>John: Drinking their greens.
16:57 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Drinking their greens.
16:57 >>John: All right.
16:58 Now, I know there's more.
16:59 There are more healing foods of the Bible.
17:01 >>Dr. Westerdahl: There's a lot more to share.
17:03 >>John: Okay, we'll be back
17:03 with those healing foods of the Bible.
17:06 We'll find out exactly what they are
17:07 and how you can enjoy them and be blessed by them.
17:11 More in a moment.
17:13 >>John: The Bible tells us that our body
17:15 is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
17:17 God wants us to have good health.
17:18 We need to take care of ourselves.
17:20 The question is, how do we do that?
17:23 Let me show you how with:
17:25 “Healing Foods of The Bible”
17:26 which I co-wrote with Dr. John Westerdahl.
17:29 It's life-changing and health-saving.
17:32 “Healing Foods of The Bible”
17:34 call 1-800-253-3000,
17:37 write to the address on your screen,
17:39 or visit iiwoffer.com.
17:44 >>Announcer: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written
17:45 exists because of the kindness of people just like you.
17:49 To support this international life-changing ministry,
17:52 please call us now at 800-253- 3000.
17:56 You can send your tax-deductible gift
17:58 to the address on your screen,
17:59 or you can visit us online at iitiswritten.com.
18:03 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support.
18:06 Our number again is 800-253-3000.
18:10 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
18:14 >>John: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
18:17 Thanks for joining me.
18:18 In the last couple of minutes, my guest,
18:19 Dr. John Westerdahl, has rushed off to the grocery store
18:23 and rushed back again, with more healing foods of the Bible.
18:26 And they look great.
18:27 I see hummus, and pistachios and honey,
18:31 and olives; some of my favorite foods.
18:33 How are these healing foods of the Bible?
18:36 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well, they're all great,
18:37 and they're delicious and nutritious.
18:38 And we're going to start off with the first ones,
18:40 and these are beans, peas and lentils.
18:42 These are the fava beans from the Holy Land
18:44 that were used quite often,
18:46 and the white beans that were used often in biblical times,
18:48 as well as the lentils.
18:50 And these beans, peas and lentils
18:51 are very rich sources of vegetable protein,
18:55 high levels of protein,
18:57 without all that cholesterol and saturated fat
18:59 you get from meat products and so forth.
19:02 And, uh, they are also, one of the other benefits
19:04 with this is they're high in the soluble fiber.
19:07 So, not only do they have no cholesterol or saturated fat in
19:11 them; they have a fiber that helps you lower your
19:13 cholesterol, because of the soluble fiber.
19:16 >>John: Something about fibrous foods, too:
19:17 you eat them and you feel more full than if you're eating
19:20 foods that lack fiber and they're just kind of empty.
19:22 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right.
19:23 And the one thing they're finding out more in the research
19:25 today is eating more beans is very helpful for diabetics
19:29 trying to keep their blood sugar under control.
19:30 >>John: Correct.
19:31 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Now, one of the foods that,
19:33 uh, another type of bean, actually,
19:36 a legume, is, is garbanzo beans.
19:39 And, of course, you make hummus with them.
19:41 And that's one of the traditional Bible foods,
19:44 healing foods, that was used in ancient times as a,
19:47 as a garnish, or a relish, I should say,
19:49 to use with, like, that whole-wheat pita bread.
19:51 >>John: Now, in some places we call these chickpeas.
19:54 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes.
19:55 Chickpeas is another common name for them.
19:56 >>John: But as long as you can call the end product hummus,
19:58 you're doing okay.
19:59 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right.
19:59 >>John: This is fantastic stuff.
20:00 >>Dr. Westerdahl: It really is.
20:01 >>John: Okay, and it's not hard to make.
20:03 It's easy to find.
20:04 Not too expensive to buy by any stretch of the imagination.
20:06 Add to that some pita bread, and you're good to go.
20:09 >>Dr. Westerdahl: You really are.
20:10 >>John: And this is good for you.
20:11 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And it's good for you as well.
20:12 >>John: In Bible times, and in the Mediterranean part
20:14 of the world, they eat this.
20:15 >>Dr. Westerdahl: They eat that all the time.
20:17 It's just, it's a staple.
20:18 >>John: Um-hmm. Let's go to the next one.
20:20 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Okay, the next one is a grain,
20:22 and this is millet.
20:23 When someone tells you they eat like a bird,
20:25 they're probably eating millet,
20:26 because that's what bird seed is.
20:28 >>Dr. Westerdahl: But millet is used in many bread products.
20:31 It's a grain in itself that you can cook up
20:33 and make as a hot cereal.
20:35 And it's a very good source of fiber,
20:37 and provides some vegetable protein as well.
20:39 >>John: And what I can, what I can see here is that
20:42 if somebody's eating stuff they know is just not real good,
20:45 you can substitute some things out
20:47 and some things in to take their place.
20:49 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes.
20:49 >>John: And just simple changes result in
20:51 really good benefits to the health.
20:52 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Right.
20:53 Getting the wide variety of foods is important.
20:55 And, you know, choose the ones that you like,
20:56 and try different recipes.
20:58 Now, of course, since the Garden of Eden times,
21:00 nuts were eaten all the time by,
21:03 in the Middle East and in Bible times.
21:05 You've got pistachios, as you mentioned, walnuts, almonds.
21:09 All these were favorite nuts and are still used traditionally
21:12 in the Mediterranean diet.
21:13 >>John: Um-hmm.
21:14 Very good for you, they taste wonderful.
21:16 Walnuts loaded with Omega-3s,
21:18 which are, uh...
21:20 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes.
21:20 >>John: ...good in combatting cancer
21:22 and other illnesses as well.
21:23 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes. They have the healthy types of fat.
21:25 And antioxidants, particularly vitamin E.
21:28 >>John: Great.
21:29 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And, of course, there's
21:30 olives and olive oil, when you think of the Mediterranean diet,
21:34 is very important.
21:36 All types of different olives were eaten.
21:38 Olive oil, and olives, of course,
21:40 have the heart-healthy type of fat.
21:43 When you look for an olive oil, you want to make sure you get,
21:44 ideally, organic, extra virgin olive oil.
21:48 First cold press is really important.
21:50 So it's a healthier type of fat, mono-unsaturated fat.
21:53 And also with olive oil, you see this one here from Greece,
21:57 has, you see it's cloudy.
21:58 That means it's unfiltered and unrefined.
22:01 Many of the olive oils you get in the market are filtered,
22:05 so they're clear, but you're losing a lot of those important,
22:08 healthful benefits when you, when you refine the olive oil.
22:10 >>John: I'll give this back to you.
22:11 Is there a wrong way to use oil?
22:13 I mean, should I deep-fry my candy bars in this,
22:16 in this good, unfiltered Greek olive oil?
22:19 >>Dr. Westerdahl: No, that would ruin this Greek olive oil.
22:22 In fact, it would damage it and destroy a lot of
22:24 the health properties that you find in it.
22:26 >>John: How should I eat this?
22:27 >>Dr. Westerdahl: To use olive oil, first, cold pressed,
22:30 lower temperatures like on your salad-type foods is very good.
22:34 But if you do it with cooking,
22:35 use it at low temperature cooking,
22:37 because cooking high temperatures
22:38 with oils really destroys it.
22:40 >>John: And clearly there's a way to eat
22:42 that doesn't contribute to your overall well-being.
22:44 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Right.
22:45 >>John: So that's why we're talking about
22:46 healing foods of the Bible today.
22:48 And these are all the good things.
22:51 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Then we have leeks,
22:52 and that's a famous Jewish food, right?
22:55 And onions.
22:57 >>John: The Welsh love leeks.
22:58 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And these have a lot of the similar properties
23:00 that I mentioned earlier with garlic.
23:02 They have antibacterial properties.
23:04 They have heart-healthy properties.
23:06 And, of course, the great thing about onions and leeks,
23:08 they add great flavor to your recipe.
23:10 >>John: Oh yeah. They smell great.
23:12 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Then comes pomegranate.
23:14 And pomegranates are an anti-aging food
23:16 that has become very popular lately.
23:19 And what's nice, you can get the pomegranates and cut it open,
23:22 try to get these little insides out.
23:25 But now you can go to the grocery store,
23:27 and they're all opened up for you,
23:29 and you can buy them all peeled and all that for you.
23:32 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And, of course, pomegranate juice
23:34 is another concentrated way of getting it,
23:36 and that's also very popular these days.
23:38 Pomegranates are high in antioxidants,
23:40 and particularly ellagic acid,
23:42 which seems to have some anti-cancer properties
23:45 as well as heart-health benefits as well.
23:48 >>John: Now, I see in front of you,
23:49 you have wheats, and then bread, which is a product of wheat.
23:52 So what is it about wheat that's particularly good for us?
23:55 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well, wheat has a lot of B complex vitamins.
23:58 It has a lot of fiber.
23:59 And you've got to get the whole wheat bread,
24:01 and whole wheat, to make sure you get that fiber.
24:03 And it has some other interesting antioxidants that
24:06 can be beneficial to our heart health as well.
24:08 And, of course, wheat provides a lot of
24:10 good healthy calories to our diet.
24:12 >>John: What we know, just to reiterate here,
24:14 a lot of people who are sick today wouldn't be if they had
24:17 adopted a healthy diet earlier in their lives.
24:19 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes.
24:20 >>John: So we're encouraging people today,
24:22 to really preserve their health, eat well,
24:25 live long, and prosper.
24:27 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right.
24:28 >>John: All right, the Bible way.
24:29 >>Dr. Westerdahl: The Bible way. And then we have honey.
24:31 There's one thing the Bible talks about: a little bit of
24:33 honey's good for you, but too much can make you sick.
24:37 It adds a lot of great flavor sweetness to foods
24:39 and your recipes, and putting on some food.
24:42 But use it in moderation.
24:43 >>John: And in the Bible,
24:44 God used honey as a symbol of good things.
24:46 Even a symbol of his law.
24:47 “Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb,”
24:50 we read in the word of God.
24:51 Now, I'm fascinated because in the Bible
24:54 there's actually a bread recipe.
24:56 >>Dr. Westerdahl: There is.
24:57 >>John: No kidding. I'm going to read it.
24:58 It's in Ezekiel, chapter 4.
25:01 Ezekiel 4:9.
25:03 “Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley,
25:06 and beans, and lentils, and millet,
25:09 and fitches, and put them in one vessel,
25:13 and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the
25:15 days that thou shalt lie upon thy side.”
25:17 And he specifies those days.
25:19 And the fitches is spelt, another grain.
25:21 And we have it here.
25:23 Lentils and millet and spelt and wheat and barley,
25:28 and those beans there.
25:29 And here's the bread.
25:32 Uh, the recipe found in Ezekiel 4 and verse 9.
25:36 Smells good, and it tastes great.
25:39 >>John: Ezekiel 4:9.
25:40 Who knew that God put a bread recipe right there in the Bible?
25:45 Well, some did.
25:46 Most people have no idea.
25:47 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right.
25:48 >>John: And these are healing foods of the Bible.
25:50 >>Dr. Westerdahl: They are, John.
25:51 And we want to get as much of these types of,
25:54 varieties of foods in our diet every day,
25:56 so that we can enjoy good health and wellness.
25:58 >>John: Um-hmm.
25:59 It's important, too, because that's God's plan for us.
26:01 >>Dr. Westerdahl: It is.
26:01 >>John: To live well in this world,
26:03 to enjoy good health in this world,
26:05 to fend off as many illnesses and diseases as we can.
26:08 If we live longer, we have more time to
26:09 donate and dedicate to God.
26:10 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Correct.
26:12 >>John: If we live healthy, we have more energy to give to God.
26:14 If we adopt God's diet, healthy body,
26:17 healthier mind, we can hear God's voice better.
26:19 Isn't that true?
26:20 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right.
26:21 >>John: And Jesus, in John 10, verse 10,
26:23 said one reason He came to this world is that we might have
26:26 life, and have it more abundantly, not less.
26:30 And too many of us are ripping ourselves off,
26:33 because we're not eating the healing foods of the Bible.
26:37 Dr. Westerdahl, thank you for joining me today.
26:39 This has been a blessing.
26:40 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Great being with you today, John.
26:41 >>John: And I'm hungry now.
26:42 >>Dr. Westerdahl: I am too.
26:44 >>John: But let's pray, because some of us have got some work
26:45 to do in our diet,
26:46 and all of us want to enjoy the blessing of God.
26:50 Let's thank Him for these healing foods of the Bible.
26:53 Our Father in Heaven, we are grateful,
26:55 that You have put into these wonderful,
26:57 natural things the very things we need
27:02 to do well in this world.
27:04 Right there on the shelves of the supermarket,
27:07 or in the gardens that grow where we live,
27:10 You have loaded into these wonderful things
27:13 health and wellness,
27:15 in such a way that it will bless us in this world
27:17 and into the world to come.
27:20 So guide and bless us, please.
27:22 I want to thank You for providing that which You have
27:25 provided, the healing foods of the Bible.
27:28 May they bring healing and life to us.
27:31 I pray with thanks in Jesus' name,
27:35 Amen.
27:36 >>John: I'm glad you've joined us today.
27:38 I look forward to seeing you again next time.
27:40 Until then, remember:
27:42 “It is written:
27:43 ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
27:46 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”
27:50 ♪[Theme Music]♪


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Revised 2018-03-07