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Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW015093S
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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. 00:29 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 00:40 days, you're back to good health. 00:42 That's pretty typical 00:44 for those of us living in the Western world. 00:46 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, 01:01 people then had to deal with rudimentary methods of healing. 01:05 Or they dealt with God, the Great Physician. 01:10 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. 01:44 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. 01:56 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. 02:09 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well actually, we were bought with a price. 02:13 Jesus dying on the cross for us. 02:14 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, 02:21 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. 02:26 >>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. 02:33 >>Dr. Westerdahl: We inherited it from God. 02:34 >>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. 02:42 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.” 02:55 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right. And it's connected. 02:57 Because if we are healthy, we can communicate better with God. 03:02 Our minds are clearer. 03:04 We're enjoying life. 03:05 It's kind of hard to be rejoicing all the time 03:08 if you're sick. 03:09 And by having good health, we're of clear mind, 03:13 we can really enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 03:16 >>John: John made it very clear that there's a direct 03:18 relationship between our physical health 03:20 and our mental and spiritual health. 03:23 >>Dr. Westerdahl: There really is. 03:24 It's really a wholistic approach that the Bible's all about. 03:27 Wholistic with a W. 03:29 Body, mind and spirit, it is all related. 03:32 And, and the things we're going to talk about today, 03:34 the foods that we eat, 03:35 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, 03:42 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, 03:50 that the Bible talks so much about health? 03:54 Why do you think that is? 03:56 >>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. 04:06 Within the pages of the Bible 04:08 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. 04:17 >>John: Now, you mentioned something just a moment ago. 04:19 You said lifestyle medicine. 04:21 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes. 04:22 >>John: Now, what's that? 04:23 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Lifestyle medicine, it's a new, 04:24 emerging type of medicine that's coming into our country today. 04:27 There's actually what we call the American College 04:29 of Lifestyle Medicine, 04:31 where there are physicians who are specializing 04:34 in treatment with lifestyle, diet, exercise, 04:38 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. 04:49 But, we are finding out more and more, that the foods that we eat 04:53 are healing to our bodies. 04:55 If we eat the right type of diet, 04:57 we can prevent, treat, and even reverse 05:00 many of the diseases that are killing us today. 05:02 >>John: Now, I have heard of people with diabetes... 05:05 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes. 05:06 >>John: ...getting off their diabetes medications, 05:07 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 05:15 this isn't possible for everybody. 05:17 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Right. 05:18 >>John: But certainly for many people, 05:19 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, 05:27 in many instances. 05:28 This is very exciting. 05:29 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes, it is. 05:30 And it's very well documented in medical literature. 05:33 Lifestyle medicine, using lifestyle to treat diseases, 05:37 to prevent diseases, and in many cases even reverse the diseases. 05:42 >>John: Now, it was Hippocrates that said, 05:44 “Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food.” 05:49 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes. 05:50 >>John: If some of us were honest with ourselves, 05:52 and we went into the pantry or the food cupboard at home, 05:55 we'd say, well, you know, those chocolate cookies 05:58 aren't going to be much in the way of medicine. 06:01 So when Hippocrates said that, what foods was he referring to? 06:06 >>Dr. Westerdahl: He was talking about natural, 06:08 whole, unprocessed foods. 06:11 That's what he promoted with his own patients. 06:13 He used nutrition with his patients. 06:15 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, 06:20 Atkins, Paleo, um, seafood, that is, 06:24 see food and eat it. 06:25 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right (laughs). 06:27 >>John: But what about this Mediterranean diet? 06:29 You hear a lot about that. 06:30 It's hyped as, or promoted as being very good. 06:33 Is it very good? 06:34 And if it is, why? 06:35 >>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. 06:46 The types of fat that you find in the Mediterranean diet 06:48 are the healthier types of fats, in general, 06:51 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, 06:58 and I'm guessing that much of this is 07:00 representative of the Mediterranean diet. 07:02 I see figs, and I see dates, and I see grapes and raisins 07:07 and grains, and good stuff. 07:10 The healing foods of the Bible. 07:12 We'll find out what they are specifically, 07:15 and how they can be a blessing to you, 07:17 with Dr. John Westerdahl, in just a moment. 07:20 >>John: The Bible tells us that our body 07:22 is the temple of the Holy Spirit. 07:24 God wants us to have good health. 07:26 We need to take care of ourselves. 07:27 The question is, how do we do that? 07:30 Let me show you how with: 07:32 “Healing Foods of the Bible” 07:34 which I co-wrote with Dr. John Westerdahl. 07:36 It's life-changing and health-saving. 07:39 “Healing Foods of the Bible” 07:41 call 1-800-253-3000, 07:44 write to the address on your screen, 07:46 or visit iiwoffer.com. 07:51 ♪[Music]♪ 07:53 >>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 08:01 free planned giving and estate services. 08:04 For information on how we can help you, 08:07 please call 800-992-2219. 08:11 Call today or visit our website: 08:14 hislegacy.com. 08:16 Call 800-992-2219. 08:21 >>John: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 08:24 Thanks for joining me today. 08:25 With me is Dr. John Westerdahl, 08:28 a nutritionist from the Bragg Health Institute 08:30 in Santa Barbara, California. 08:31 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. 08:40 So in front of us here, 08:41 there's all kinds of different foods. 08:43 Let's talk about what you have, and how and why it's healing. 08:47 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well, here you go. 08:48 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. 08:54 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right, because an apple is an amazing 08:56 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 09:05 and helps you remove that from the body. 09:07 And studies have shown 09:08 that people who have a couple of apples a day 09:10 in their diet can reduce their cholesterol 09:12 by as much as 10 percent. 09:14 >>John: That's pretty good. 09:15 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And the other amazing thing about apples 09:17 is they're high in what we call polyphenol antioxidants. 09:20 These are substances that are naturally occurring, 09:23 primarily in the skin of the apple, 09:25 that have anti-cancer properties, 09:27 heart disease prevention properties. 09:30 They prevent the oxidation 09:31 or the aging of the cells in the body. 09:33 There's some wonderful things. 09:34 And, you know, this is true: 09:36 an apple a day keeps the doctor away. 09:37 >>John: Very good. 09:38 Apples. 09:38 Wonderful. 09:39 And an apple is certainly biblical. 09:41 We read about apples in the Bible many, many times. 09:44 Okay. 09:44 A healing food of the Bible. 09:46 What else we got? 09:47 >>Dr. Westerdahl: So the next one is apricots. 09:49 And, by the way, when you read in the Bible, 09:52 when it talks about golden apples, 09:55 it's probably an apricot. 09:56 They're very rich in the, what we call carotinoids, 10:00 beta keratin, which makes it that bright yellow color. 10:03 These pigments that you find in apricots 10:05 also have anti-cancer properties, 10:08 and it's a great food for overall health. 10:10 It's great, and delicious too. 10:12 >>John: Now, let me ask a question about color. 10:14 You should eat foods of different colors, correct? 10:18 And, if I'm right, why is that? 10:20 >>Dr. Westerdahl: I recommend eating a rainbow of colors, 10:22 of food, because all these different colors in food, 10:25 God has put these colors in all these different foods, 10:28 and they all have special benefits. 10:30 The more colorful the diet, the better it is for you, 10:34 as opposed to the white bread and the white sugar, 10:37 and all those white refined foods, 10:39 where all the color has been taken away. 10:40 Well, a lot of those nutrients have been taken away. 10:42 So most scientists and nutritionists will tell you 10:45 to eat a colorful diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. 10:49 >>John: All right, good. 10:49 Okay, what else we have? 10:50 >>Dr. Westerdahl: The other is a Bible grain: barley. 10:53 And barley, in the Holy Land and in the Middle East, 10:57 is considered a heart medicine. 10:59 >>John: No kidding. 11:00 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Amongst the common people. 11:01 Because it is high in soluble fiber, 11:03 which can actually help you lower your cholesterol. 11:07 Barley has been shown to lower the bad type of cholesterol, 11:11 what we call the LDL cholesterol, 11:12 and actually help and increase the good cholesterol, 11:15 the good-guy cholesterol, called HDL cholesterol. 11:18 The high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. 11:20 >>John: Now, isn't that also true of oats? 11:22 Oatmeal. 11:23 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes. 11:24 >>John: Porridge, where I grew up. 11:25 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Oats is another grain that has some 11:27 similar properties as far as cholesterol-lowering benefits. 11:30 >>John: So when the Bible was talking about barley, 11:32 it was talking about something that didn't just make 11:33 a good biblical point, but it was good for you. 11:36 >>Dr. Westerdahl: It was. It is. 11:37 >>John: And can help to reverse significant disease. 11:40 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes. 11:41 And it's a very rich source of antioxidants, 11:43 particularly what we call tocotrienols, 11:45 which is related to vitamin E. 11:47 >>John: How do you eat barley? 11:49 Many people are wondering, what do I do with this? 11:51 Do I put it in a stew, do I fry it? 11:53 Can I... 11:54 >>Dr. Westerdahl: You could... 11:55 >>John: Can I bread it and deep fry it? 11:56 >>Dr. Westerdahl: No, you don't want to do that! 11:57 >>John: All right. 11:59 >>Dr. Westerdahl: But you can use it and make a flour with it, 12:01 and use it in grains and different types of healthy 12:03 bakery-type products. 12:05 Also, just cooking barley up is really good. 12:08 It's very good to add, just as a cereal. 12:11 And you'll find, of course, barley a lot in vegetable soups. 12:14 >>John: What's next? What have we got? 12:15 >>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. 12:22 But they're very high in nutrients as well, 12:25 like potassium, magnesium. 12:27 They're a very good source of dietary fiber. 12:29 This is a healthier sweet than candy. 12:31 >>John: Healing foods of the Bible. 12:32 So far, apples, they're good. 12:35 Um, apricots, they're wonderful. 12:38 Barley, that's good stuff. 12:39 Dates, they're magnificent. 12:41 This all tastes good. 12:43 And it's extraordinarily good for you, 12:45 even to the point of being healing. 12:48 Healing foods of the Bible. 12:49 We'll be back with more in just a moment. 12:53 “Every Word” 12:54 is a one-minute, Bible-based daily devotional 12:57 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw, 12:59 and designed especially for busy people like you. 13:02 Look for Every Word on selected networks, 13:04 or watch it online every day on our website, 13:07 itiswritten.com. 13:10 ♪[Theme music]♪ 13:15 >>John: Now I have no idea how companies 13:17 actually do this research, 13:19 but a survey of two thousand adults in the United Kingdom 13:21 found that people there spend more time sitting on the toilet 13:25 than they spend exercising. 13:27 Three hours and nine minutes a week on the throne 13:29 versus 90 minutes a week exercising. 13:32 A quarter of the people exercise only 30 minutes or less. 13:35 Which is surprising. 13:36 If you're trying to figure out how a person can spend 13:38 189 minutes a week... and you're going, 13:40 “That's seven days, times...and how long would that take...?” 13:44 you've got to factor in smartphones, 13:46 which are driving up the amount of time 13:48 people spend... you know. 13:50 3 John 2 says, 13:51 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things 13:53 and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 13:57 Might be time to get a little more exercise, 13:59 might be time to look after ourselves a bit better. 14:02 And where did you watch this? 14:04 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 14:05 Let's live today by Every Word. 14:11 >>John: This is It Is Written. 14:12 Thanks for joining me today. 14:14 In the Bible the wise man urged us to eat for strength. 14:18 And the same book, the Holy Bible, 14:20 reveals to us that there are healing foods, 14:23 foods that you can eat that taste good and are good for you, 14:27 even to the point of helping you combat 14:29 some pretty significant diseases. 14:31 Dr. John Westerdahl, tell me about some more 14:33 healing foods of the Bible. 14:35 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well, another one is figs, 14:36 and that can be dried like this, or also fresh. 14:39 These figs are, of course, very sweet. 14:41 They're almost like a candy as well. 14:43 But they're a very good source of potassium. 14:46 They're a very good source of the soluble fiber, 14:48 to also lower your cholesterol. 14:50 And they're a wonderful food. 14:52 They can be incorporated in many different types of food. 14:54 >>John: Jesus cursed a fig tree, but I'm sure many times 14:57 He ate figs and blessed other fig trees as well. 14:59 >>Dr. Westerdahl: I believe He did. 15:01 >>John: These are real good things. 15:02 Okay, so figs: biblical, good for you. 15:04 What else? 15:05 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And then garlic, 15:05 one of my favorite vegetables. 15:08 Garlic actually was a food and a medicine 15:10 with the children of Israel long before Moses led them. 15:14 And, uh, what's exciting about garlic 15:16 is it's a heart-healthy food, 15:19 been shown in a number of studies to help you lower your 15:21 bad LDL cholesterol and increase the good HDL cholesterol. 15:25 It prevents blood clotting, has antibacterial properties, 15:29 and is listed as one of the top anti-cancer foods. 15:32 >>John: Fantastic. I like that. 15:34 All right. 15:35 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And then we have grapes, 15:37 and also raisins. 15:39 >>John: Do you think that grapes that were brought back 15:40 from the Promised Land were that size, or a little bit bigger? 15:42 >>Dr. Westerdahl: I think they were a lot bigger. 15:43 >>John: A little bigger. 15:44 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And it's amazing how big 15:45 some of these grapes are. 15:46 >>John: Yeah. 15:48 >>Dr. Westerdahl: But grapes, uh, are rich in antioxidants 15:49 and phytochemicals. 15:50 One of the ones that we know of, particularly in the red grape, 15:53 in the skins and even in the seeds, 15:54 is resveratrol, which is considered a very healthy 15:58 antioxidant that you find in grapes. 16:00 >>John: So, so far, you know, out of everything we've talked 16:02 about, you have to cook the barley, 16:03 and you probably wouldn't want to eat too much raw garlic, 16:05 but all the rest of these things are not very expensive, 16:08 some of them positively inexpensive, 16:10 and they taste good. 16:11 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And they taste good, 16:12 and they add a lot of great flavor to food as well. 16:14 >>John: Now, there are many people who are not convinced 16:15 that leafy green vegetables can taste good. 16:17 I beg to differ. 16:18 You've got there collard greens and curly kale. 16:21 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right. 16:22 >>John: And spinach, by the look of it. 16:23 And, you know, Popeye showed us, all you need to do 16:25 is eat that stuff and get big muscles. 16:27 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right. 16:27 And the, in the Holy Land 16:29 they ate a lot of green vegetables with their diet. 16:32 And these things are high in antioxidants, 16:34 they're high in lutein, 16:36 which is the antioxidant that's good for your eyes, also. 16:39 You can put it in different types of recipes and flavorful 16:41 soups, and get all these healthy nutrients from the greens. 16:45 And what's popular now is, 16:46 a lot of people are putting these in smoothies, 16:48 mixed with apple juice and a little bit of banana, 16:50 and they're getting their greens in their diet that way, 16:53 in a nice, flavorful way. 16:54 >>John: Drinking their greens. 16:55 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Drinking their greens. 16:56 >>John: All right. 16:57 Now, I know there's more. 16:58 There are more healing foods of the Bible. 17:00 >>Dr. Westerdahl: There's a lot more to share. 17:01 >>John: Okay, we'll be back 17:02 with those healing foods of the Bible. 17:04 We'll find out exactly what they are 17:06 and how you can enjoy them and be blessed by them. 17:10 More in a moment. 17:12 >>John: The Bible tells us that our body 17:14 is the temple of the Holy Spirit. 17:15 God wants us to have good health. 17:17 We need to take care of ourselves. 17:19 The question is, how do we do that? 17:22 Let me show you how with: 17:24 “Healing Foods of the Bible” 17:25 which I co-wrote with Dr. John Westerdahl. 17:28 It's life-changing and health-saving. 17:31 “Healing Foods of the Bible” 17:32 call 1-800-253-3000, 17:35 write to the address on your screen, 17:37 or visit iiwoffer.com. 17:42 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 17:44 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 17:48 To support this international life-changing ministry, 17:51 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 17:55 You can send your tax-deductible gift 17:57 to the address on your screen, 17:58 or you can visit us online at iitiswritten.com. 18:02 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 18:05 Our number again is 800-253-3000. 18:09 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 18:13 >>John: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 18:15 Thanks for joining me. 18:16 In the last couple of minutes, my guest, 18:18 Dr. John Westerdahl, has rushed off to the grocery store 18:21 and rushed back again, with more healing foods of the Bible. 18:25 And they look great. 18:26 I see hummus, and pistachios and honey, 18:30 and olives; some of my favorite foods. 18:32 How are these healing foods of the Bible? 18:35 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well, they're all great, 18:36 and they're delicious and nutritious. 18:37 And we're going to start off with the first ones, 18:39 and these are beans, peas and lentils. 18:41 These are the fava beans from the Holy Land 18:43 that were used quite often, 18:44 and the white beans that were used often in biblical times, 18:47 as well as the lentils. 18:48 And these beans, peas and lentils 18:50 are very rich sources of vegetable protein, 18:53 high levels of protein, 18:55 without all that cholesterol and saturated fat 18:58 you get from meat products and so forth. 19:01 And, uh, they are also, one of the other benefits 19:03 with this is they're high in the soluble fiber. 19:06 So, not only do they have no cholesterol or saturated fat in 19:09 them; they have a fiber that helps you lower your 19:12 cholesterol, because of the soluble fiber. 19:14 >>John: Something about fibrous foods, too: 19:16 you eat them and you feel more full than if you're eating 19:19 foods that lack fiber and they're just kind of empty. 19:21 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right. 19:22 And the one thing they're finding out more in the research 19:24 today is eating more beans is very helpful for diabetics 19:27 trying to keep their blood sugar under control. 19:29 >>John: Correct. 19:30 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Now, one of the foods that, 19:32 uh, another type of bean, actually, 19:34 a legume, is, is garbanzo beans. 19:37 And, of course, you make hummus with them. 19:40 And that's one of the traditional Bible foods, 19:42 healing foods, that was used in ancient times as a, 19:45 as a garnish, or a relish, I should say, 19:48 to use with, like, that whole-wheat pita bread. 19:50 >>John: Now, in some places we call these chickpeas. 19:52 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes. 19:53 Chickpeas is another common name for them. 19:54 >>John: But as long as you can call the end product hummus, 19:57 you're doing okay. 19:57 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right. 19:58 >>John: This is fantastic stuff. 19:59 >>Dr. Westerdahl: It really is. 20:00 >>John: Okay, and it's not hard to make. 20:01 It's easy to find. 20:02 Not too expensive to buy by any stretch of the imagination. 20:05 Add to that some pita bread, and you're good to go. 20:07 >>Dr. Westerdahl: You really are. 20:08 >>John: And this is good for you. 20:09 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And it's good for you as well. 20:11 >>John: In Bible times, and in the Mediterranean part 20:13 of the world, they eat this. 20:14 >>Dr. Westerdahl: They eat that all the time. 20:15 It's just, it's a staple. 20:16 >>John: Mm-hmm. Let's go to the next one. 20:19 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Okay, the next one is a grain, 20:21 and this is millet. 20:22 When someone tells you they eat like a bird, 20:24 they're probably eating millet, 20:25 because that's what bird seed is. 20:27 >>Dr. Westerdahl: But millet is used in many bread products. 20:30 It's a grain in itself that you can cook up 20:32 and make as a hot cereal. 20:34 And it's a very good source of fiber, 20:36 and provides some vegetable protein as well. 20:38 >>John: And what I can, what I can see here is that 20:40 if somebody's eating stuff they know is just not real good, 20:43 you can substitute some things out 20:45 and some things in to take their place. 20:47 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes. 20:48 >>John: And just simple changes result in 20:49 really good benefits to the health. 20:51 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Right. 20:52 Getting the wide variety of foods is important. 20:53 And, you know, choose the ones that you like, 20:55 and try different recipes. 20:56 Now, of course, since the Garden of Eden times, 20:59 nuts were eaten all the time by, 21:02 in the Middle East and in Bible times. 21:04 You've got pistachios, as you mentioned, walnuts, almonds. 21:07 All these were favorite nuts and are still used traditionally 21:10 in the Mediterranean diet. 21:12 >>John: Mm-hmm. 21:13 Very good for you, they taste wonderful. 21:15 Walnuts loaded with Omega-3s, 21:17 which are, uh... 21:18 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes. 21:19 >>John: ...good in combatting cancer 21:20 and other illnesses as well. 21:22 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes. They have the healthy types of fat. 21:23 And antioxidants, particularly vitamin E. 21:26 >>John: Great. 21:27 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And, of course, there's 21:29 olives and olive oil, when you think of the Mediterranean diet, 21:33 is very important. 21:34 All types of different olives were eaten. 21:36 Olive oil, and olives, of course, 21:38 have the heart-healthy type of fat. 21:41 When you look for an olive oil, you want to make sure you get, 21:43 ideally, organic, extra virgin olive oil. 21:46 First cold press is really important. 21:49 So it's a healthier type of fat, mono-unsaturated fat. 21:52 And also with olive oil, you see this one here from Greece, 21:55 has, you see it's cloudy. 21:57 That means it's unfiltered and unrefined. 22:00 Many of the olive oils you get in the market are filtered, 22:03 so they're clear, but you're losing a lot of those important, 22:06 healthful benefits when you, when you refine the olive oil. 22:09 >>John: I'll give this back to you. 22:10 Is there a wrong way to use oil? 22:11 I mean, should I deep-fry my candy bars in this, 22:15 in this good, unfiltered Greek olive oil? 22:18 >>Dr. Westerdahl: No, that would ruin this Greek olive oil. 22:20 In fact, it would damage it and destroy a lot of 22:23 the health properties that you find in it. 22:24 >>John: How should I eat this? 22:25 >>Dr. Westerdahl: To use olive oil, first, cold pressed, 22:28 lower temperatures like on your salad-type foods is very good. 22:33 But if you do it with cooking, 22:34 use it at low temperature cooking, 22:35 because cooking high temperatures 22:37 with oils really destroys it. 22:38 >>John: And clearly there's a way to eat 22:40 that doesn't contribute to your overall well-being. 22:43 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Right. 22:44 >>John: So that's why we're talking about 22:44 healing foods of the Bible today. 22:46 And these are all the good things. 22:49 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Then we have leeks, 22:51 and that's a famous Jewish food, right? 22:54 And onions. 22:55 >>John: The Welsh love leeks. 22:57 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And these have a lot of the similar properties 22:59 that I mentioned earlier with garlic. 23:01 They have antibacterial properties. 23:02 They have heart-healthy properties. 23:04 And, of course, the great thing about onions and leeks, 23:07 they add great flavor to your recipe. 23:09 >>John: Oh yeah. They smell great. 23:10 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Then comes pomegranate. 23:12 And pomegranates are an anti-aging food 23:15 that has become very popular lately. 23:17 And what's nice, you can get the pomegranates and cut it open, 23:20 try to get these little insides out. 23:23 But now you can go to the grocery store, 23:25 and they're all opened up for you, 23:27 and you can buy them all peeled and all that for you. 23:31 >>Dr. Westerdahl: And, of course, pomegranate juice 23:33 is another concentrated way of getting it, 23:35 and that's also very popular these days. 23:36 Pomegranates are high in antioxidants, 23:38 and particularly ellagic acid, 23:41 which seems to have some anti-cancer properties 23:43 as well as heart-health benefits as well. 23:46 >>John: Now, I see in front of you, 23:47 you have wheats, and then bread, which is a product of wheat. 23:51 So what is it about wheat that's particularly good for us? 23:53 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Well, wheat has a lot of B complex vitamins. 23:56 It has a lot of fiber. 23:57 And you've got to get the whole wheat bread, 23:59 and whole wheat, to make sure you get that fiber. 24:02 And it has some other interesting antioxidants that 24:04 can be beneficial to our heart health as well. 24:07 And, of course, wheat provides a lot of 24:08 good healthy calories to our diet. 24:11 >>John: What we know, just to reiterate here, 24:13 a lot of people who are sick today wouldn't be if they had 24:15 adopted a healthy diet earlier in their lives. 24:18 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Yes. 24:19 >>John: So we're encouraging people today, 24:21 to really preserve their health, eat well, 24:24 live long, and prosper. 24:25 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right. 24:26 >>John: All right, the Bible way. 24:27 >>Dr. Westerdahl: The Bible way. And then we have honey. 24:29 There's one thing the Bible talks about: a little bit of 24:32 honey's good for you, but too much can make you sick. 24:35 It adds a lot of great flavor sweetness to foods 24:38 and your recipes, and putting on some food. 24:40 But use it in moderation. 24:41 >>John: And in the Bible, 24:42 God used honey as a symbol of good things. 24:44 Even a symbol of his law. 24:46 “Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb,” 24:48 we read in the word of God. 24:50 Now, I'm fascinated because in the Bible 24:52 there's actually a bread recipe. 24:54 >>Dr. Westerdahl: There is. 24:55 >>John: No kidding. I'm going to read it. 24:57 It's in Ezekiel, chapter 4. 24:59 Ezekiel 4:9. 25:01 “Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, 25:04 and beans, and lentils, and millet, 25:08 and fitches, and put them in one vessel, 25:11 and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the 25:14 days that thou shalt lie upon thy side.” 25:16 And he specifies those days. 25:17 And the fitches is spelt, another grain. 25:20 And we have it here. 25:21 Lentils and millet and spelt and wheat and barley, 25:26 and those beans there. 25:28 And here's the bread. 25:30 Uh, the recipe found in Ezekiel 4 and verse 9. 25:34 Smells good, and it tastes great. 25:37 >>John: Ezekiel 4:9. 25:39 Who knew that God put a bread recipe right there in the Bible? 25:43 Well, some did. 25:44 Most people have no idea. 25:45 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right. 25:46 >>John: And these are healing foods of the Bible. 25:49 >>Dr. Westerdahl: They are, John. 25:50 And we want to get as much of these types of, 25:52 varieties of foods in our diet every day, 25:54 so that we can enjoy good health and wellness. 25:56 >>John: Mm-hmm. 25:57 It's important, too, because that's God's plan for us. 25:59 >>Dr. Westerdahl: It is. 26:00 >>John: To live well in this world, 26:02 to enjoy good health in this world, 26:03 to fend off as many illnesses and diseases as we can. 26:06 If we live longer, we have more time to 26:08 donate and dedicate to God. 26:09 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Correct. 26:10 >>John: If we live healthy, we have more energy to give to God. 26:12 If we adopt God's diet, healthy body, 26:15 healthier mind, we can hear God's voice better. 26:17 Isn't that true? 26:18 >>Dr. Westerdahl: That's right. 26:19 >>John: And Jesus, in John 10, verse 10, 26:21 said one reason He came to this world is that we might have 26:24 life, and have it more abundantly, not less. 26:29 And too many of us are ripping ourselves off, 26:31 because we're not eating the healing foods of the Bible. 26:35 Dr. Westerdahl, thank you for joining me today. 26:37 This has been a blessing. 26:38 >>Dr. Westerdahl: Great being with you today, John. 26:39 >>John: And I'm hungry now. 26:40 >>Dr. Westerdahl: I am too. 26:42 >>John: But let's pray, because some of us have got some work 26:43 to do in our diet, 26:44 and all of us want to enjoy the blessing of God. 26:48 Let's thank Him for these healing foods of the Bible. 26:51 Our Father in heaven, we are grateful, 26:53 that You have put into these wonderful, 26:56 natural things the very things we need 27:00 to do well in this world. 27:02 Right there on the shelves of the supermarket, 27:05 or in the gardens that grow where we live, 27:08 You have loaded into these wonderful things 27:11 health and wellness, 27:13 in such a way that it will bless us in this world 27:15 and into the world to come. 27:19 So guide and bless us, please. 27:20 I want to thank You for providing that which You have 27:23 provided, the healing foods of the Bible. 27:26 May they bring healing and life to us. 27:29 I pray with thanks in Jesus' name, 27:33 amen. 27:34 I'm glad you've joined us today. 27:36 I look forward to seeing you again next time. 27:38 Until then, remember: 27:40 “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:44 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” 27:48 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2022-07-12