I Thought God's Original Diet Would Be Enough

Recently, in response to a Health Tip titled “Vitamin B12 – Are You Deficient”, I received a letter from Emma asking: the following question: “I am just wondering how God intended us to get our B12? If the Hallelujah Diet is the way God intended us to eat, why is it lacking this important nutrient, vitamin B12?” Because there were a number of other people wanting to know the answer to the same question I am devoting this Health Tip to answering Emma’s question as well as “Why I No Longer Believe God’s Original Diet Contains All the Nutrients Needed For Man to be Properly Nourished.” When I began Hallelujah Acres over 20 years ago and designed the Hallelujah Diet (which I patterned after God’s Original Genesis 1:29 Diet as found in the Bible), I believed that all man had to do was consume the nutrients God had placed in the fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts in the garden. I believed these nutrients were all that one needed to supply the body with the full spectrum of nutrients necessary to sustain life and experience health. At the time of founding Hallelujah Acres and designing the Hallelujah Diet, I didn’t believe that supplements were necessary. And sure enough, people were getting well on this diet and sending me incredible testimonies of healing from all kinds of physical problems without supplementation. But not everyone was experiencing these wonderful improvements in their health by simply following the Hallelujah Diet. Why? Dr. Donaldson Joins Hallelujah Acres Then around 1997, I received a letter from Michael Donaldson, a young Christian man and a student about to graduate from Cornell University, where Dr. T. Colin Campbell (author of The China Study) taught. Dr. Donaldson had just earned a PhD in Chemical Engineering. In his letter, he shared how his wife had some difficulties during a pregnancy and after adopting the Hallelujah Diet her problems were resolved. He went on to say that most of his fellow graduates were planning a career in the drug industry. Well, Michael being a Christian and not wishing to pursue a career in the drug industry, shared that he would rather come to work for Hallelujah Acres and do research on the Hallelujah Diet. He wanted to help us ensure that there were no weaknesses in the diet and in what Hallelujah Acres was teaching. I wanted the Hallelujah Diet to be the most up-to-date word on nutrition and so I asked Michael to come for an interview. After the interview I was so impressed by this young man, his love for the Lord, his education, and his desire to make sure that the Hallelujah Diet was the most up-to-date and last word on nutrition, that I hired him. He has now been leading our research department here at Hallelujah Acres for nearly 20 years, helping us to stay current with the most recent scientific research findings in nutrition and helping us formulate the nutritional supplements and products that carry the Hallelujah Diet label. Health Ministers Found To Be B12 Deficient One of Dr. Donaldson’s first concerns after he came on board at Hallelujah Acres was in regard to B12: Were those following the Hallelujah Diet receiving sufficient B12 from the Hallelujah diet? Could a deficiency in B12 be a reason that some were not receiving complete healing following the Hallelujah Diet? In an effort to find the answers, he tested 100 Health Ministers for B12 sufficiency. These were Health Ministers who had been on the Hallelujah Diet for at least 2 years. To our amazement, 47% of those tested were deficient. Result: The Hallelujah Diet Lacks Vitamin B12 How could God’s Genesis 1:29 diet, on which the Hallelujah Diet was based – be deficient in such an important nutrient? Dr. Donaldson’s further research revealed something very interesting: Vitamin B12 is not available in any plant-sourced food! (Not even in blue green algae where it is in an analog form, not useable by the body.) The next thing we learned was that though vitamin B12 does not come in the plant, the potential for B12 DOES exist on the surface of the plant in the form of friendly bacteria (if the plant has not been subjected to excessive sanitation before consumption). In other words, in the case of a carrot, the friendly bacteria in the soil that clings to that freshly harvested carrot is used by the body to manufacture vitamin B12. In His perfect planning, God did not intend us to receive our B12 from the foods we eat, but from the friendly bacteria clinging to the food when it is harvested. Today, because we sanitize our foods so thoroughly before consuming, our bodies do not get the friendly bacteria they need to manufacture B12 on their own. Some say that eating meat is necessary to get the bacteria to manufacture B12… but is that really true? Not according to research that shows that 39% of those who eat animal products daily are also deficient in this vitamin. Dr. Blaylock, in the September 2014 issue of the Blaylock Wellness Report states: “Studies have shown that elderly people have a high incidence of B12 deficiency. In fact, among those in nursing homes, the incidence is as high as 80 percent.” It is therefore recommended that everyone, carnivore or vegan, consume a sublingual vitamin B12. Is There Another Nutrient Missing From The Hallelujah Diet? In a recent Health Tip we looked at another very important vitamin that is lacking in God’s Original Diet as well as in the Hallelujah Diet: Vitamin D3. The reason vitamin D3 was lacking in God’s Original Diet was because God did not intend man to get his vitamin D3 from what he ate, but rather from something else God created – the SUN! Throughout history, from the time of Adam and Eve until most of our grandparents (or at least most of our great grandparents), exposure to the sun was an almost daily experience as they labored in the sunlight for their food. Then came World War II, when many of these farm folks, especially the women, left the farms for the factories, as their men went off to war. As a result, most of these farm people greatly reduced their sun exposure because they were living and working mostly indoors. This lack of sun exposure became even more pronounced when doctors began telling people to avoid sun exposure for fear of developing melanoma cancers. Then the manufacturers of sunscreens told us we must use their products to shield ourselves from the sun’s rays. All these events have taken us further and further away from natural sun exposure. As a result, we have seen a serious deterioration in the health of the people. In recent years, we are just now beginning to realize that exposing our skin to the sun is an absolute necessity if we are to protect ourselves from germs, viruses, bacteria and cancers — so that we could experience the ultimate health God designed for mankind. Science Is Finally Catching Up With God Vitamin D3, produced when the sun’s rays strike the skin, may be the single most powerful protector of the body’s health. God knew what He was doing when He created that first man (Adam) and placed him in a garden where daily exposure to the sun took place. Then after the “fall” God told Adam he would henceforth have to earn his bread by the “sweat of thy face” as he labored in the sun to remove the weeds “thorns and thistles” from the garden. (See Genesis 3:18-19) When man spent time in the garden, we was exposed to long periods in the sun, which resulted in adequate vitamin D3, which in turn provided the immune system with the wherewithal to protect the body from germs, viruses, bacteria, and cancers. Yes, God had it right from the very beginning! Too bad man has been such a slow learner! What We Have Recently Learned About Vitamin D3 When the UVB rays of the sun strike the skin, they trigger biochemical reactions in the deeper cells that generate huge amounts of vitamin D3. Careful sun exposure causes the skin to tan — which provides a natural sunscreen — and reduces the amount of vitamin D being produced, thus preventing an overdose. However, excessive sun exposure before tanning takes place can cause the burning of the skin, which is dangerous, and must be guarded against. Before vitamin D3 from the sun can do its intended task within the body, it must first be converted into its biologically active form. The kidneys are the primary organ that accomplish this. After this conversion, the body is able to recognize and use this vitamin. Once vitamin D3 is active in the cells, its primary role is to help regulate body functions on the level of gene transcription, the process by which genetic information is copied from DNA to RNA. Vitamin D3 has a tremendous effect on the genes and telling them what to do. For instance, adequate vitamin D3 is essential for healthy skin and hair growth. If vitamin D3 is lacking, it can result in an autoimmune reaction that makes a person’s hair fall out or the disruption of skin pigmentation. Many are experiencing excessive hair loss today because of inadequate levels of vitamin D3, as well as a lack of healthy oils being in the diet. Because so many cells throughout the body are dependent on Vitamin D3 in order to carry out their intended tasks, adequate vitamin D3 is a necessity for long term survival. Thus everyone needs to receive their vitamin D3 directly from the sun or by supplementing the diet with vitamin D3. Why We Often Need Supplements I believe God’s Original Diet as found in the Bible in Genesis 1:29, except for vitamin B12 (provided through bacteria on the surface of the food) and vitamin D3 (provided through sun exposure), contained all the nutrients necessary for the sustenance of mankind! But since creation, man has slowly been removing many of these nutrients from the soil in the foods grown on them and by erosion, and they have not been put back in the soil, despite the use of fertilizers, which do not replace nutrients at proper levels. Dr. Whitaker reports that, “Since the 1950’s, the amount of vitamins and minerals in our foods have plunged as much as 60 percent. University of Texas researchers report (in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition) that nutritional data from 1950 to 1999 for 43 different vegetables and fruits show ‘reliable declines’ in the amount of calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and vitamin C over the past 50 years.” Thus many of the foods available for purchase no longer contain all the nutrients required for the sustenance of man, and it is necessary that we consume supplements containing these nutrients to make sure we are not lacking in any of them. Even Our Pets Need Supplementation This past week, Rhonda received an email from her friend, Health Minister Deborah, in Maine. Some weeks ago, Deborah had written Rhonda that her 12-year-old Springer Spaniel named “Cedrik” was deteriorating in health and she was afraid the dog was dying. Rhonda wrote back, encouraging Deborah to sprinkle some BarleyMax on the dog’s food (one of the most nutritionally dense foods I am aware of). Well this week, Rhonda received a letter from Deborah stating that she had taken her advice concerning adding BarleyMax to her dog’s food with these results: “Cedrik is so much better since I’ve put him on BarleyMax. His swelling has gone down. Before he would put his front paw on the sofa and then look at me and I would have to reach down and lift him up so he could sit with me. Now he just jumps up with ease! Thank you so much for sharing with me what BarleyMax could do for my baby.” Nearly 50% of Older Adults Have A Hidden Vitamin Deficiency Nearly 50% of older adults have a hidden vitamin deficiency that causes memory loss, confusion, fatigue, and depression. I know of no other way to prevent these problems than to take supplements, thereby ensuring that I am not deficient in any of the nutrients missing in the foods I eat. Rhonda and I regularly take vitamin B12 and vitamin D3, along with a number of other supplements just to make sure our bodies are receiving all the nutrients necessary to keep our bodies strong and healthy. In addition, we consume plenty of liquids and have a daily exercise program which increases oxygen consumption. I will be 81 years old on my next birthday and still have a strong muscular body and a sound mind. I believe this is because I have a daily exercise program, am on the Hallelujah Diet, and a supplementation program. Rhonda will be 70 years old on her next birthday and we are just like two kids in energy and endurance and youthful thinking. I so often think of what the Bible has to say about all this in Galatians 6:7. My health is not dependent on my doctor or even God! My health is up to me and what I sow into it: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man (or women) soweth, that shall he (or she) also reap.” There is another verse, found in Galatians 6:9 that I also like in regard to all this: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” I don’t expect to live forever, but I know that I am responsible for how I spend my senior years. I can spend them on all kinds of drugs, in doctors’ offices and hospitals, and in poor health, or living an active lifestyle and in a state of good health. God has placed the outcome in my hands and will not do for me what I refuse to do for myself. Next week, the good Lord willing and if the creeks don’t rise too high we will return with another exciting issue of the Hallelujah Health Tip. Trust you will join us and that you will share these Health Tips with friends and loved ones.