Many people say “The Bible recommends eating bread so why are so many people avoiding bread these days?”
Or many people say “In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve only ate fruits and vegetables…there is proof that the best diet is raw vegan.”
What is wrong with these argumens?
Number one: they have validity for the times when they were truly applicable.
In the Garden of Eden it is true: Adam and Eve were told by their Creator to eat every herb and fruit of the tree….but He also put into the ground all the nutrition needed by a human being and therefore, in the Garden of Eden, the vegetables and fruits had everything needed for good health.
However, after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, things changed. Over generations the earth became less productive, less nutritious and the Almighty then gave permission to people to eat meat.
So nowadays, people who wish to follow a totally raw diet may not be getting the nutrition they need because the quality of the earth and the quality of produce is no longer what it was. Also, unless a person grows their own vegetables, what you buy in the supermarkets are not the same quality….we do not know how long they sit on the shelves, how they were grown, how much nutrition they may be lacking etc.
That does not mean we should avoid vegetables or all fruits, but certainly we cannot depend on them for nutrition the way we may believe.
As for bread, yes, the Bible does speak about bread. The Rambam (Maimonides), the greatest physician to live, also spoke about eating whole grain sourdough bread….and definitely it is beneficial. In today’s world, the quality of flour is no longer what it used to be. In the past people actually ground their own grains to produce flour. Now we buy flour in bags and have no idea how old or rancid it may be. Also if grains are not organic they definitely are not very healthy because they are grown and processed with pesticides, sprayed with glyphosate etc. So if you want to eat bread, make it the best you can with organic grains and make it sourdough.
In general, eat as healthy and balanced as you can in order to maximize your nutrition. What everyone says is “healthy”, may not be as healthy as we think. Everyone says “eat lots of salads and vegetables”. Sounds good, right? But is it? Salads are only healthy if the quality of greens are good. Same with vegetables. And of course if your body can digest raw foods well….everyone is different. So keep a good variety of foods and eat with gratefulness.
Is low carb really important?
I do believe there is some benefit in many cases, especially since the quality of carbs is not like it used to be in today’s world, people do not exercise or use as much energy as they used to, and many people have difficulty digesting certain carbs for various reasons.
I am not an advocate of cutting out all carbs. I think there is a place for carbs. But I do feel it is important to lower carbs for many people, especially as people age and also for those struggling with weight gain. It helps control insulin levels and avoid insulin resistance. It helps prevent developing diabetes type 2. It helps prevent weight gain and certainly lowering carbs can add nutrition since people focus more on proteins and vegetables than making the main meal carbs.
However, if someone does well with carbs, I feel there is nothing wrong with a healthy, organic, sourdough bread in the morning. It gives energy and fills a person. Breakfast is an important meal! Nevertheless, the key is to eat moderately: you don’t need a huge amount of bread. One or two slices is enough.
Throughout the day it is good to lower carbs: for example, try making lunch a salad, some baked vegetables, and a protein. And avoid heavy carbs vegetables like potatoes.
For supper have again a protein and some vegetables or salads, but you may add a little carbs in order to sleep better. The key is to use very few carbs. For example, a small serving of basmati rice, a small baked potato, a small serving of healthy organic pasta etc. Or, substitute some bean dish because those also have carbs but add good fiber.
The idea again is to balance meals properly and to be full (meaning satisfied, but not stuffed) and still feel energetic.