choosing safe, natural foods, herbs and supplements
choosing safe, natural foods, herbs and supplements
Well Being
What fuel do we put in our bodies?
We encourage everyone to take responsibility for their health and well-being. Our usual pattern is to visit the doctor when we get ill, but unfortunately we do not spend time caring for our health.
Perhaps we take more time taking care of other things, even our cars! What fuel are we putting into our bodies?
Health Incidents
My interest in health and well being began when I was fifteen. I lived on a cane farm a few miles west of Home Hill in North Queensland. My brother Terry was nine. I had ridden my bike 15 miles to Groper Creek one Sunday morning for a day’s fishing. When I arrived home I had an evening meal and went to bed. I was pretty tired.
In the early morning hours I woke up with excruciating pain in my lower right abdomen. Dad came rushing into the room when I was on the floor crying in agony. He carried me to the car for a quick trip into town to see Dr Golding.
The doctor dragged himself from bed and said it was appendicitis. I was taken straight to the hospital.
I didn’t know much about appendicitis, but I did know the surgeon would remove the organ and this frightened the daylights out of me.
In the morning I had more pain medication. There was a sign above my pillow, “NIL BY MOUTH. WATER ONLY.” I was waiting to be whisked off to the operating room, but it never came!
The water fast continued for three days – no food, just lots of water. My pain gradually subsided. On the third morning it was no longer a worry.
Dr Golding visited me and said I was a very fortunate young man. He told me what caused the problem and gave me some advice. He said to make sure I had bowel motion every morning. The rubbish had to be removed from my body each day.
The incident frightened me. I went to all the bookshops and libraries and read the same thing – the major cause of appendicitis was constipation.
I believed that God had made me a certain way, and from that time on I always tried to answer “Nature’s Call” as soon as possible after I found the right information.
As I grew up I noticed other problems emerging.
I loved meat and dairy, especially cheese, ice cream, cakes and cream buns! Not to mention soft drinks and delightful sweets! I was following the SAD diet—the Standard Australian Diet.
I was having troubles with asthma, blood poisoning, tonsillitis, boils, tinea, infections and everything else that was going around.
While I was Headmaster at Mona Mona Mission in early 1961, I was at my wit’s end. I was married and had two lovely children. They were having health problems too. I was greatly perplexed. I wondered whether our lifestyle and food were causing the problem.
I had an horrendous tonsils operation in Cairns Hospital in my mid twenties and nearly didn’t make it through.
I did my homework again. I came across what were called “God’s eight natural laws”. I have since followed these created, natural principles of health. I further read other materials on healing. I made significant life style changes. I saw incredible, quick improvement in my health and in my family. As an example, my asthma just left after giving away dairy products – and that really shocked me and spurred on my thirst for more knowledge on natural healing.
Along with others who have journeyed into natural health, I hope you may also consider your own health in a positive way. The option is to do nothing, to end up in crisis, to use the wrong fuels, or to develop a pattern in life for living in supportive ways to the body which affects our entire health, mind, and those around us.
Don and Naomi Menkens
NEWSTART
A mnemonic to help us start
Nutrition
Nutrition
Fruits, nuts, grains and vegetables, prepared in as simple a manner as possible, free from grease
One only has to observe the shopping carts in supermarkets to see how people are eating large quantities of processed, refined, packaged foods and drinks. These have high amounts of sugar, flavourings and chemicals to preserve what would otherwise spoil quickly.
Even fresh fruits and vegetables grown commercially are sprayed with insecticides, fungicides, pesticides, hormones and preservative compounds before they reach consumers.
A number of foods are genetically modified. Are there potential effects for consumers?
We feel it is a good practice to learn how to read the labels on foods and find out what the sections and contents mean. Learning to leave a product on the shelf takes practice at first.
In developed countries, “flesh” foods have often become a norm. It is fair to say since the arrival of fast food chains, TV dinners and the like, people have become unhealthier over time. Obesity rates and trends are a leading problem even with our children.
Medical practitioners may offer good advice, however the remedy is often simple – put the right fuel into your “body machine”. Let’s think about how we may stop flooding our system with toxic chemicals or harming our bodies with other habits, including “social drugs”, that actually destroy the body you were given with disease and ultimately death.
We realise organic products costs more, but there may be choices we can make on the shopping list – such as organic milk rather than regular milk, or replacing dairy with almond milk on breakfast cereals. These are small but decisive steps in contrast to no steps at all. They add up over time.
Another conscious choice we can make is to use Australian olive oil rather than vegetable oils. We can stay away from all deep fried foods and try to have “greens” with our meals. This is not to say we can be perfect or adjust to all things at once, but it is the change to our pattern of behaviour.
There is a trend to purchase lowest priced produce, but the issue is nutrition and what price points we are willing to reasonably obtain for chosen segments or categories of food. It is too important to justify against lowest price. There is choice, and there is nothing odd about driving to more than one shop on our shopping day.
Then of course is the topic of how we prepare and eat our foods. If we are tuned into change, we will come across food preparations one by one. For example, instead of boiling our greens we can lightly pan fry with some garlic or real ginger. We can make great salads with more finely chopped raw ingredients and spread some avocado on rice biscuits.
What this does imply is some understanding of how we use our time. The time it takes to drive for a take-away could be used to prepare foods on the chopping board. Instead of working on the computer till six at night, we can stop at five, relax a little, and prepare a rewarding meal.
A good place to begin is by purchasing delicious fruits and vegetables for our required vitamins and minerals. Nuts of many kinds provide wonderful unprocessed oils and nutrients for the whole body.
As an example, when we first change from salted nuts and sweets to plant based foods and raw nuts, it does not take too long for our sense of taste to adjust. When we return to old habits such as soft drink, or use the same amount of salt, we may not want it anymore as it is too strong. This is good.
And it is quite easy to try out raw foods such as chopping mushrooms into a salad. Next time buy a stick of corn, try slicing off the corn into the salad bowl. Explore the taste of raw foods. Chomp into a crisp green bean.
Don and Naomi Menkens
Exercise
Exercise
Exercise is a daily essential
Daily exercise if essential to energise and invigorate body and mind. We are made to move. Healthy people have various routines that work for them.
One way is to start on some walks or use the local gym without over-extending yourself or doing moves that are not natural to the body. A good trainer can give lots of invaluable insight for mixing your workouts with body movements and machines if you like that approach.
Exercise involves blood and oxygen circulation – aerobics. There are recommended practices for breathing and heart rate.
Regular exercise stimulates the body’s systems to work at more optimum levels.
It is wonderful if you are near a beach. And even older folks need exercise – if not a necessity. There are many options for us to have physical exercise – even a skipping rope. Activity also helps the mind and is fun too.
Don and Naomi Menkens
Water
Water
Our bodies are 45% to 65% water
Body fat contains approximately 10 percent water, while muscle is approximately 75 percent water. We need to re-hydrate regularly during the day.
Sometimes people think they are hydrated, but are not – for example, change in voice tone, heat stroke and so on.
Drinks that dehydrate contain caffeine, such as that “cuppa” we as Aussies love. It is helpful to drink good quality water throughout the day. Perhaps add a touch of lemon or lime. Good water is “smooth”.
It varies how much people are willing to drink. For example, one can make a habit of a glass of water before breakfast and after dinner. Some people drink three bottles of water a day as they move about in their work jobs. Ourselves, we drink six to eight glasses of water every day, especially if unable to get raw foods on a particular day.
When we use uncooked foods, we aim for high water-content with a high percentage of raw foods, for example 70-80%, for optimum vitality.
Cooking removes much of the goodness in foods, especially the live enzymes.
Live food is essential for maximising vitality. Life and vitality come from living food. We can’t get abundant life force from food that is dead!
Lots of clean pure water is essential to good health. Review your local water supplies and the chemicals added, especially sodium fluoride and chlorine.
Pets need clean, pure water too.
Don and Naomi Menkens
Sunshine
Sunshine
Daily exposure of the skin to sunshine promotes health
Sunshine really boosts the immune system. Vitamin D is produced by the action of sunlight on the skin.
How much time in the sun?
Work out which are the best times in your region for morning and afternoon sun exposure. If you cannot get sufficient sunlight, talk to your practitioners about Vitamin D3.
Too much sun causes burns and severe discomfort. You may protect your skin with long sleeves, trousers and a hat. In high-sunshine areas it is really necessary to wear a hat outdoors.
Review the sunscreens on the market for longer term use. We once saw this label – “Prolonged use may cause cancer.”
Energy from the sun every day, promotes life and health in all living things whether in the ocean, the air or on land.
Don and Naomi Menkens
Temperance
Temperance
Leaving all things harmful
Let’s leave all things harmful and use the good in moderation. This is a great practice to follow to prevent long term damage to the body and its cells.
Avoid completely alcohol, tea and coffee. Refined sugar, most processed and refined foods are quite harmful to the body; care in avoiding saturated fats, cola drinks and other soft drinks; follow strategies to remove addictions and life style dependencies on these foods, and particularly for alcohol, tea, coffee, tobacco, and drugs.
In our home we use many lovely herbal teas. We especially like dandelion, licorice and peppermint. We use raw honey or stevia for a sweetener.
Be careful not to overwork. Take time to rest and enjoy your family, friends and the beautiful things of nature which can be found and enjoyed in our world.
For those of us who consider God as our Maker, we take rest on the Sabbath, and take time out to commune and pray in a special way with our Maker on His special day as in Genesis 1 and 2 of the Scriptures.
Try a food diary
Don and Naomi Menkens
Air
Air
Pure air is essential for good health
Breathing deeply every day will flood the cells with fresh life-giving oxygen. Try some deep breathing while exercising different muscle groups of the body. The brain needs oxygenated blood to enable clear thinking and a happy attitude. Even in winter it is good to have some fresh air flowing through one’s sleeping area.
Of course country air, where there are trees, has much better oxygen content than air in towns and cities.
Enjoy the fresh air outdoors and the beauty of natural surroundings to lift your spirit.
Don and Naomi Menkens
Rest
Rest
During sleep the cells of our body are repaired
During sound sleep the cells of the body are repaired, re-energised, and wastes removed.
Normally we need six to eight hours of sound sleep each night.
If you suffer from disturbed sleep, you may benefit from looking for answers. There are several areas of sleep specialisation.
An old but good saying is that an “hour’s sleep before midnight is worth two hours after”, or “early to bed and early to rise, makes a man happy, healthy and wise.”
Our bodies operate in what scientists call circadian rhythms. From about noon each day are the 8 hours of “intake” time.
From 8 pm to 4 am is the repair cycle – no snacks at this time. The hormone melatonin is produced this time of night. It helps promote sound sleep.
From 4 am to noon is the waste cycle. These are only approximate times. They can vary and be changed by our patterns or habits.
Sleep recharges our batteries, to be ready for the next day.
We need rest, recreation, holidays, and can usually tell when we need these times.
We notice the effect of being weary and the need for times of rest, just as in our Christian teaching, Jesus Christ gave time to the disciples – times to come apart from the crowds and rest a while. We believe in a loving Creator who has designed time for us to rest and to be with Him and honour Him. Many practitioners of health, artists, and people from all walks of life know of benefit from time with God.
Don and Naomi Menkens
Trust
Trust
I am fearfully and wonderfully made!
The human body has in-built abilities. Really, they are outstanding. (Be sure to read my amazing story.)
The “body machine” is indeed very remarkable in God’s creation. The more I study it, how it works, the more I exclaim with King David, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” Psalm 139:14 – All praise to our omniscient Creator!
Our God is everywhere. His ear is not so heavy that He cannot hear whenever we need Him. He “never slumbers nor sleeps.” Psalm 121:4
Sometimes He says, “Wait a while” – we just have to trust Him because, “Above the distractions of earth He sits enthroned. All things are open to His divine survey, and from His great and calm eternity, He orders that which His providence sees best.” Morgan Hill Sermon 417
Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a Friend.
“Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the Hand of Faith, to unlock Heaven’s Storehouse where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence.” SC 94
How important is my health to you and me? It is incredibly important because without health, the richest man is poor.
Some references to health from the Bible scriptures are:
1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Our bodies are much more than a “machine”. We have souls, mind, intelligence, spirit, all designed and made for communicating and goodness. As we attend to our spirit we show a responsibility that further helps our wholeness and ability to be well with ourselves, with our Maker and with others.
Don and Naomi Menkens
8 Created Principles of Health
There are many resources available to explore these NEWSTART principles, such as publications, local practitioners, TV documentaries, and Internet articles.
However, a great source of information is from others who have adjusted their patterns of living and eating which we can hook into.
