Being raised in the church there was no real discussion on taking care of your body on a physical level. Only in regards to premarital sex, and weed & alcohol consumption. Half of the time the majority of the congregation were either smokers, drinkers, and/or overweight. Of course, if we ran into a certain scripture pertaining to gluttony (for example) then there would be an elaboration....a brief one.
I did learn, however, learn about the story of Daniel. To summarize, Daniel was a man who refused to eat the food of the King (flesh foods & wine) and decided to partake in a (vegan) fast consisting of whole grains, fruits vegetables and strictly water. By the time it was all said and done as noted in Daniel 10:3 & Daniel 1:15 it states:
3" I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.....15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food."
It intrigued me how Daniel strayed from flesh foods and did not consider it a key component in optimal health. Fast forward to now many faiths, condone not only eating flesh meat but in some cases even pork. The consumption of pork in particular goes against the Old Testament law.
Over the years. I would occasionally run into a vegan or vegetarian and hear horror stories about how the animals are treated before they are turned into food. But I didn't immerse myself in it until reading Queen Afua's book Sacred Woman. In the book she explained how flesh foods cause dis-ease and other behavioral issues, and that the ultimate goal of eliminating meat out of our diet (in addition to other processed/ refined foods) should be attained.
A little over a week ago, I decided to watch Vegucated on Netflix. In this documentary you had four people exploring the vegan diet and learning how meat is processed and fed to the masses. By the end of the movie, I was able to witness first hand how these animals were not only forced to live in an unnatural environment but were also abused and savagely murdered at these factory farms.
Chicks were ground alive. Chickens were de-beaked without sedation. Cows were castrated without sedation. Baby calves were ripped away from their mothers without being properly weaned. Pigs were electrocuted and shot in the head among each other. Chickens would be so pumped up in steroids to be larger they would collapse and no longer be able to walk These animals (cows, chickens and pigs) were fed corn, which goes against their natural environment entirely. In addition to that, all of these animals had to live in their own feces. This is in part why most antibiotics do not go to humans but in fact these animals. I even found out that even so called "organic:" meats can not necessarily be excluded from this kind of treatment. It only, in part, ensures that they are not fed any growth hormones.
I had to think about it. Animals have spirits. It implies that in not only in the Bible but other forms of spirituality as well. Just like our pets have emotions and personalities, so does every other animal. If I ingest the meat of an abused animal what kind of spirit(s) am I putting in my body? On a spiritual level, what does that really mean? After watching the movie it validated in my mind the importance of returning to the original way of eating as discussed in Genesis 1:29. More and more studies are proving that eating meat can be linked to may different illnesses that plague us all. Recalls on meat are a common part of our society now with issues of contamination. So what do you do? Do you continue to consume or do you pause in angst?
When you sit down to eat your next meal ask yourself this: are you eating for physical gratification only or are you also eating for the nourishment of your soul?
