If you miss scrambled eggs, this Tofu Scramble Recipe is for you! An easy vegan breakfast staple made with just 7 ingredients in 10 minutes.
NEWSTART: "T" For Temperance
Temperance Principle
From the Seventh-day Adventist Diet
“Abstemiousness in diet and control of the passions, will preserve the intellect and give mental and moral vigor, enabling men to bring all their propensities under the control of the higher powers, and to discern between right and wrong, the sacred and the common.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 491
What is Abstemiousness?
Abstemiousness is an old word that simply means temperance. It's synonyms include self-discipline, moderation and restraint. Abstemiousness is one of the eight SDA health principles and is especially relevant to diet.
Why is it Important?
Self-control or discipline, is a predictor of how “successful” you will be in life. I put successful in quotes because there are many different forms of success with the most common ones being money, career and status. While self-control can definitely help you reach those forms of success, it also helps you to achieve whatever you put your mind to. It is critical to achieving any short term or long term goals. It's been shown that children with higher self-control grow up to be wealthier and healthier than their counterparts. While still in school, self-control is a stronger indicator (even over IQ) of how well a student will do academically.
Self-control is a huge part of life in whatever field you end up in and it's important for your overall well-being and health. Furthermore, developing self control allows the body to be servant to the mind rather than the mind be servant to the body.
Abstemiousness and Diet
In diet, abstemiousness/temperance is important in avoiding foods and drinks that are harmful to you and your body. Many are of the view that we should consume everything, however, in moderation. Here is an important consideration; One of the first principles of detoxing is to avoid what is harmful to the body that you are trying to detox from. Some examples of things that Adventists avoid include animal products, fast food, alcohol, drugs, tobacco and caffeine. The idea here is that it's important to only eat foods that benefit our bodies so that our bodies can function optimally.
Of course, there are members whether through ignorance or other habits, who do struggle in following an abstemious diet. Fortunately, the great thing about temperance or self-control is that by practicing it, it becomes easier to make smarter decisions which will lead to better health and in turn, a better overall lifestyle. Most lifestyle diseases do not develop over night. Gradually, our lifestyle practices over the years add up. This is a key reason why following an abstemious diet should not be over looked or taken for granted. The temptation to eat and drink as we please is mostly because oftentimes we do not immediately experience the negative results. However, prolonged wrong habits will eventually result in disease.
Abstemiousness and Frugality
The principle of abstemiousness/temperance and frugality go hand in hand. As it relates to diet, in an effort to avoid poor and harmful food choices, you will quickly realize that your spending will also change drastically. You will become more frugal as you stop buying many food items and meals that no longer serve your health objectives. Examples of such foods may include meats, cheese and eggs, which have become quite costly. As your drinking habits change, you will also spend less on intoxicating drinks. You will reach for healthier yet more cost effective drinks such as water. Being abstemious in your food and drink consumption choices will also help to be more vigilant as it relates to your consumer spending in general. As you avoid the temptation of compulsive buying, this will eventually lead to a general abstemious life.
A short note on alcohol
It adds no nutritional value to the body and is considered a homeostatic threat. Because it is water soluble, it diffuses into the majority of tissues, particularly the liver. It is not enough to be temperate while drinking alcohol. It is better to avoid it completely.
Trying to Lose Weight or Eat Healthier?
Learning to practice self-discipline in small areas of your life can help you achieve your goals and improve your lifestyle. The best way to “learn” better self-discipline is to focus on only one thing at a time. Very few people do well trying to change everything at once. When they become overwhelmed and fail, they feel as if they don't have any self-control or will power, when in reality, they just aren't utilizing it effectively. For instance if your goal is to cut out all fast food and stop biting your nails then you should just focus on cutting out fast food first. When you have been successful for 30 days straight, then you can start working on not biting your nails. By doing it this way, you will see a positive cycle start to form.
http://www.pnas.org/content/108/7/2693.full.pdf+html
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/willpower.aspx
Continue with the NEWSTART Bible principles for health.
NEWSTART: "S" For Sunlight
Sunlight Principle
From Seventh-day Adventist Diet
“Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in Divine power-these are the true remedies”- Ellen White.
Is Sunlight Still A Good Thing?
As Adventists part of our health message has always been that exposure to sunlight is a great thing. In today’s world though, we don’t hear a lot of positive messages about the sun. We are told to put on (chemical laden) sunscreen and avoid sun exposure to limit our chances of skin cancer. But, are there positive aspects of sun exposure? Well, we know that everything needs some sunlight to live right? That’s a pretty important aspect of our sun!
It Lower Blood Pressure
You might not know that sunlight can lower you blood pressure reducing your risk for heart disease! Researchers found that 30 minutes of sun exposure significantly lowered blood pressure and raised the levels of nitric oxide in the blood stream. Although skin cancer is real risk of UV radiation, heart disease kills many more people then skin cancer does. Martin Feelisch, a professor of experimental medicine at the University of Southampton feels that we need to talk about balancing sun exposure instead of eliminating it completely. Researchers are currently working on discovering the best levels of sunlight exposure for reducing heart disease without significantly increasing skin cancer risks.
Sun Reduces The Risk Of Diabetes
Another little known fact about sun exposure is that it can lower your blood sugar.
Studies have found that Vitamin D can help to lower glucose levels. Research has shown that Vitamin D (sunlight exposure) can be an indicator on whether or not you will develop type 2 diabetes. People who are exposed to the sun, or take quality vitamin D supplements have lower incidences of type 2 diabetes.
It Even Converts Your LDL Cholesterol To Vitamin D
People with high (LDL) cholesterol should also be out in the sun! UVB- one type of radiation found in sunlight actually interacts with cholesterol and changes it into vitamin D. With this being said, it’s important to eat lots of good cholesterol so the sun can convert it into vitamin D. Too little cholesterol=too little vitamin D.
Not Enough Sun?
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to so many other health issues such as…
- ADHD
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Breast cancer
- Colon cancer
- Low Immune System
- Multiple sclerosis
- Obesity
- Ovarian cancer
- Osteomalacia
- Osteoporosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Prostate cancer
- Psoriasis
- Rickets
- Schizophrenia
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Tooth decay
- Tuberculosis
So, perhaps sunlight isn’t such a bad thing! While people should be aware of the risk of skin cancer, they should also be aware of the risks of not having enough sun exposure!
What Now?
It may be possible to decrease the risk of skin cancer while still getting some exposure. People who advocate for sun exposure recommend starting with 5-10 minutes and working your way up to 20-30 minutes. If you have lighter skin you will as much time in the sun as people with darker skin. Also, remember that it’s important that you don’t burn so after a few minutes put on a (chemical free) sunscreen to protect yourself.
Sources:
Martin Feelisch, Ph.D., professor, experimental medicine and integrative biology, University of Southampton, United Kingdom; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., professor, medicine, and associate chief, division of cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine; Jan. 20, 2014, Journal of Investigative Dermatology
http://www.mercola.com/article/vitamin-d-resources.htm
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140623092023.htm
Continue with the NEWSTART Bible principles for health.
Miller's Rules of Bible Interpretation
William Miller was a farmer in the early 1800s who gave his life to God and began intensely studying his Bible.
William Miller was an American religious leader who gained fame for his interpretation of biblical prophecies, particularly those in the Book of Daniel, leading to his prediction of the Second Coming of Christ in 1843. This belief sparked the Millerite movement, a significant religious phenomenon in 19th-century North America.
Ellen White has written positively about Miller in The Great Controversy and elsewhere. She heard him preach, and accepted his teachings, going through the disappointment at age 16. She believed that his preaching fulfilled the prophecies of Scripture, and saw him being guided by the Lord.
Miller never accepted advancing understanding of the disappointment. Ellen White wrote: "I saw that William Miller erred as he was soon to enter the heavenly Canaan, in suffering his influence to go against the truth. Others led him to this; others must account for it. But angels watch the precious dust of this servant of God, and he will come forth at the sound of the last trump."--Early Writings, p. 258.
William Miller's rules for Bible interpretation emphasize a literal, context-aware approach, seeking to understand scripture as its own expositor, and relying on consistent application of its teachings. Key aspects include interpreting figures and parables, recognizing visions, and prioritizing a faith that requires sacrifice. He also stressed the importance of comparing scripture to scripture to understand doctrine and finding the true historical fulfillment of prophecies.
Here are Miller’s rules in his own words*
NEWSTART: "W' For Water
Water Principle
From Seventh-day Adventist Diet
“Water is the best liquid possible to cleanse the tissues…. Drink some, a little time before or after a meal.”—Ellen G. White, Healthful Living, p. 226
I think it goes without saying that water is an especially important part of any diet and lifestyle. Water is one of the eight main health principles that Adventists base their diet on.
Water is the foundation of our body and brain so it’s extremely important to drink enough of it!
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