Ellen G. White’s health and diet guidance emphasizes a balanced, simple, and nourishing approach to eating, tailored to individual needs and circumstances. Here are the key principles from her writings:
1. Simplicity and Wholesomeness: Eat plain, simple, wholesome food, avoiding stimulants and harmful items. Fruits, grains, and vegetables—prepared simply and free from spice and grease, with milk and cream—are considered the most healthful. Food should be thoroughly cooked, neatly prepared, and appetizing.
2. Balance and Nutrition: Diets should provide proper nourishment and variety. Restricting oneself to a very limited diet can be harmful. It’s important to study the effects of diet and avoid neglect or abuse of the body.
3. Individual Needs and Moderation: Not everyone can eat the same foods; what is wholesome for one may be harmful to another. Avoid extremes and do not impose personal dietary views on others. At each meal, choose only two or three kinds of simple food and eat only enough to satisfy hunger.
4. Practical Guidance: Those with sedentary or mental work should practice moderation and exercise daily. Mothers should use common sense in feeding children, as many health issues stem from dietary errors. It’s better to economize on clothing and furniture than to cut back on nourishing food.
5. Adaptation to Circumstances: Health reform should not be taught in its most extreme form to those whose circumstances make it difficult to adopt. The most nourishing food available should be used, especially for the poor.
6. Spiritual and Moral Impact: Diet affects both physical and moral health. Those with spiritual responsibilities should be especially temperate, avoiding rich and luxurious foods.
7. Education and Reform: There is a great need for instruction in dietetic reform, as wrong eating habits contribute to many societal problems. The subject of diet should be studied broadly and deeply, respecting individual differences.
In summary, Ellen G. White advocates for a diet that is balanced, simple, and nourishing, with moderation, variety, and adaptation to personal needs and circumstances. She also highlights the importance of education and the spiritual and moral aspects of healthful living.
Academic References:
- White, E. G. (1909). Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, pp. 161-163.
- White, E. G. (1890). Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, p. 58.
- White, E. G. (1905). The Ministry of Healing, pp. 146, 310, 318-319.
- White, E. G. (1897). Healthful Living, pp. 48, 76, 78.
- White, E. G. (1900). Counsels on Education, p. 163.
- White, E. G. (1900). Gospel Workers, p. 229.
- White, E. G. (1901). Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 373.