Based on the writings of Ellen White, the concept of "unclean foods" extends beyond the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament to encompass a broader principle of health and spiritual well-being. The core idea is that anything unwholesome or injurious to the body is considered defiling. ### The Principle Behind "Unclean" Foods Ellen White explains that the dietary laws given to Israel were not arbitrary. The things prohibited were genuinely unwholesome, and labeling them "unclean" was meant to teach a crucial lesson: "That which corrupts the body tends to corrupt the soul. It unfits the user for communion with God, unfits him for high and holy service" (MH 280.4). ### Categories of Unwholesome or "Unclean" Foods Her writings identify several types of food and preparation methods that are considered harmful or defiling: **1. Inherently Unwholesome Meats:** The original distinction between clean and unclean animals is affirmed. She notes that God forbade the use of swine's flesh and other animals "as likely to fill the blood with impurities and shorten life" (3SP 63.2). **2. Improperly Prepared and Rich Foods:** A significant focus is placed on how food is prepared. Poor cooking and complicated recipes are strongly discouraged. * **Poor Cooking:** "There is more religion in good cooking than you have any idea of. When I have been away from home sometimes, I have known that the bread upon the table, as well as most of the other food, would hurt me... It is a sin in the sight of Heaven to have such food" (CTBH 157.3). * **Rich and Complicated Mixtures:** "Rich and complicated mixtures of food are health destroying" (HL 83.5). **3. Specific Harmful Items:** Certain common articles of diet are identified as particularly damaging: * **Grease and Fat:** "You should keep grease out of your food. It defiles any preparation of food you may make" (2T 63). The grease cooked into food is said to render it "difficult of digestion" (CTBH 46.3). * **Cheese:** "The effect of cheese is deleterious" (CTBH 46.3). * **Spices and Condiments:** "Spices at first irritate the tender coating of the stomach, but finally destroy the natural sensitiveness of this delicate membrane. The blood becomes fevered, the animal propensities are aroused, while the moral and intellectual powers are weakened" (CTBH 46.3). * **Flesh-meats, Butter, and Rich Pastry:** These are grouped with cheese and spiced foods as items that "do their work in deranging the stomach, exciting the nerves, and enfeebling the intellect" (CTBH 46.3). **4. Stimulants:** While not always labeled "unclean," stimulants are presented as defiling and contrary to God's will. * "Those who have received instruction regarding the evils of the use of flesh foods, tea and coffee, and rich and unhealthful food preparations... will not continue to indulge their appetite for food that they know to be unhealthful. God demands that the appetites be cleansed" (9T 153.4). ### The Spiritual Connection The ultimate goal of avoiding these foods is to achieve "Christian perfection." Ellen White states, "It is impossible for those who give the reins to appetite to attain to Christian perfection" (CTBH 46.3). By choosing a simple, nutritious diet and discarding "unwholesome recipes," believers can better preserve their health, strengthen their moral powers, and honor God.