Based on the writings of Ellen White, here is some guidance on health and diet: ### The Foundation: A God-Given Diet Ellen White emphasizes that our diet has a profound impact on our physical, mental, and spiritual health. The ideal diet is one that is simple, natural, and nourishing. * **The Original Diet:** The diet chosen by our Creator is presented as the most healthful: "Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing" (MH 296.1). * **Simplicity is Key:** Foods should be prepared simply, avoiding harmful additives: "Fruits, grains, and vegetables, prepared in a simple way, free from spice and grease of all kinds, make, with milk and cream, the most healthful diet" (HL 78.6). ### The Connection Between Diet and Health Your eating habits are directly linked to your overall well-being. * **Physical and Moral Health:** "The diet affects both physical and moral health" (HL 76.3). * **Mental Clarity:** For those with important responsibilities, especially spiritual ones, a temperate diet is crucial. "Rich and luxurious food should have no place upon their tables" (GW 229). Many who struggle with dull minds or feeble spiritual aspirations are encouraged to look at their dietary habits (CTBH 83.1). ### Practical Guidance and Avoiding Extremes While advocating for reform, Ellen White also cautioned against ignorance and extremism. * **Proper Nourishment is Essential:** It is a primary duty to provide the body with nourishing food. She warned that some have adopted a diet so meager that it cannot sustain them in health, which she called "health deform" instead of health reform (6T 373.3). She states, "A diet lacking in the proper elements of nutrition brings reproach upon the cause of health reform" (9T 161.3). * **Consider Individual Circumstances:** Diet should be adapted to personal needs. "Our diet should be suited to the season, to the climate in which we live, and to the occupation we follow" (MH 296.2). * **Flexibility and Compassion:** When teaching health principles, especially to the poor or those in different parts of the world, she advised against prescribing the "strictest diet." She wrote, "I cannot say to them: 'You must not eat eggs, or milk, or cream. You must use no butter in the preparation of food.' The gospel must be preached to the poor, but the time has not yet come to prescribe the strictest diet" (9T 163.1). In summary, the guidance points toward a simple, plant-based diet as the ideal for physical, mental, and spiritual health, while also emphasizing the need for wisdom, balance, and consideration of individual circumstances.

Based on the writings of Ellen White, coffee is not considered good to drink; in fact, it is described as a "hurtful indulgence" (CTBH 34.4). Her writings consistently advise against its use due to its harmful effects on the body and mind. ### Effects on the Body and Mind Ellen White explains that the stimulation from coffee is not a source of true strength but rather a form of nervous excitement that ultimately weakens the body. * **Nervous Excitement, Not Real Strength:** The energy felt after drinking coffee is described as a "false strength." The writings state that "what seems to be strength is only nervous excitement, and consequently must be an injury to the system" (CTBH 31.2). This stimulation is temporary and comes at a cost, as the "nervous system has borrowed power from its future resources for present use" (CTBH 31.2). * **Exhaustion and Weakness:** The initial stimulation is always followed by a negative reaction. "The after-effect is exhaustion, prostration, paralysis of the mental, moral, and physical powers" (CTBH 34.4). This cycle of stimulation and depression wears away the body's life forces. * **Mental and Physical Impact:** Coffee is said to "becloud the intellect and benumb the energies" (SL 32). Over time, this can lead to "trembling nerves and lack of self-control" (CTBH 35.1). The physical toll is also noted, as "Tea and coffee drinkers carry the marks upon their faces. The skin becomes sallow, and assumes a lifeless appearance" (2T 64.1). ### The Difficulty of Quitting The habit of drinking coffee is presented as a serious one, comparable to other addictions. * **An Addictive Habit:** She noted that for some, "it is as difficult to break up the tea-and-coffee habit as it is for the inebriate to discontinue the use of liquor" (CTBH 34.5). * **Overcoming the Craving:** For those who stop, there will be a period of suffering and feeling a loss. However, she encourages persistence, stating they "will overcome the craving and cease to feel the lack. Nature may require a little time to recover from the abuse she has suffered; but give her a chance, and she will again rally and perform her work nobly and well" (MH 335.3). In summary, the clear counsel from Ellen White is to completely avoid coffee. She states, "In relation to tea, coffee, tobacco, and alcoholic drinks, the only safe course is to touch not, taste not, handle not" (MH 335.3).