Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets

J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Jul;109(7):1266-82.

Position of the

American Dietetic

Association: vegetarian

diets.

Craig WJ, Mangels AR; American

Dietetic Association

Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI, USA.

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegandiets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes. A vegetarian diet is defined as one that does notinclude meat (including fowl) or seafood, or products containing those foods. This article reviews the current data related to key nutrients for vegetarians including protein, n-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, and vitamins D and B-12. A vegetarian diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients. In some cases, supplements or fortified foods can provide useful amounts of important nutrients. An evidence- based review showed that vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate inpregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes. The results of an evidence-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lowerrates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Features of a vegetarian diet that may reduce risk of chronic disease include lower intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol and higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy products, fiber, and phytochemicals. The variability of dietary practices among vegetarians makesindividual assessment of dietary adequacy essential. In addition to assessing dietary adequacy, food and nutrition professionals can also play key roles in educating vegetarians about sources of specific nutrients, food purchase and preparation, and dietary modifications to meet their needs.

Americans

Eat Themselves To Death

Government: Obesity, Inactivity Nearly As Deadly As Tobacco In U.S.

By Bootie Cosgrove-Mather AP) Inactive Americans are eating themselves to death at an alarming rate, their unhealthy habits fast approaching tobacco as the top underlying preventable cause of death, a government study found.

In 2000, poor diet including obesity and physical inactivity caused 400,000 U.S. deaths - more than 16 percent of all deaths and the No. 2 killer. That compares with 435,000 for tobacco, or 18 percent, as the top underlying killer.

The gap between the two is substantially narrower than in 1990, when poor diet and inactivity caused 300,000 deaths, 14 percent, compared with 400,000 for tobacco, or 19 percent, says a report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This is tragic," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, CDC's director and an author of the study. "Our worst fears were confirmed."

"It's going to overtake tobacco" if the trend continues, Gerberding said. "At CDC, we're going to do everything we can to prevent it," she said. "Obesity has got to be job No. 1 for us in terms of chronic diseases."

The researchers analyzed data from 2000 for the leading causes of death and for those preventable factors known to contribute to them. Like tobacco, obesity and inactivity increase the risks for the top three killers: heart disease, cancer and cerebrovascular ailments including strokes. Obesity and inactivity also strongly increase the risk of diabetes, the sixth leading cause of death.

The results appear in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials discussed the findings Tuesday at a Washington news briefing where they announced a public service ad campaign using humor to get Americans to pay attention to the dangers of inactivity and obesity.

"I am working very hard at CDC to walk the talk," Gerberding said in a telephone interview, noting efforts the agency has made at CDC offices to improve the health of its 9,000-plus employees.

They include putting music, lights and fresh paint jobs in stairwells to encourage employees to use the stairs for exercise. Also, besides the current indoor smoking ban, CDC will ban smoking from outside all of its buildings starting later this year.

In order, the leading causes of death in 2000 were: Heart disease, cancer, strokes and other cerebrovascular disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, unintentional injuries, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, Alzheimer's disease, kidney disease, and septicemia.

The underlying preventable causes of death were, in order: tobacco, poor diet and physical inactivity, alcohol, microbial agents, toxic agents, motor vehicles, firearms, sexual behavior and illegal drug use. Together, these accounted for about half of all 2.4 million U.S. deaths in 2000.

An editorial accompanying the study in JAMA says national leadership and policy changes are needed to help curb preventable causes of death.

"After all, wisdom is knowing what to do next. Virtue is doing it," said editorial authors Drs. J. Michael McGinnis and William Foege. McGinnis is with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Foege is with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/09/health/main604956.shtml

Sesame Sunflower Bread

Sesame Sunflower Bread

1 cup ground flax seeds

1/3 Cup whole flax seeds

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons yellow onion, chopped

1 1/3 cups water

2/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Mix ground and whole flax seeds, salt, garlic, onion, and water. Add sunflower and sesame seeds and mix well.

spread batter evenly on one dehydrator tray. Dry at 105°F for 4 hours. Flip and dehydrate another hour before serving.

Nut Banana Pancakes

Nut Banana Pancakes

Really good!!!! pancakes. Enjoy with agave syrup, or any jams and butters

2 cups mashed bananas, packed

1 cup walnuts, pecans or brazil nuts,

processed into powder

1 cup flax meal

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup filtered water, or as needed

Blend all ingredients until smooth, spread into pancakes shapes

and Dehydrate for 5 to 7 hours at 104ºF. Flip an dehydrate for another 2 to 4 hours, to desired consistency.

enjoyed!!!!

Super Chia Cereal

Super Chia Cereal

makes 4 servings

1/2 cup chia seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup currant or raisins

1/2 chopped dehydrated apples

3 cups of your favorite milk

topping: Top with fresh fruit before serving

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well. Wait for 5 to 10 minutes for the dry ingredients to become hydrated and add the cereal to thicken. Serve and enjoy

The Health Benefits of the Chia Seed

What makes the Chia Seed the super food that many claim it to be?

• 30% of the chia seed’s oil is Omega 3 oil. 40% of its oil is Omega 6 oil. This provides the nice balance those who take supplemental Essential Fatty Acids are looking for. The chia seed’s substantially dense percentage in alpha-linolenic fatty acid also makes this seed a healthy dietary source of fatty acids.
• You do not need to grind the Chia Seeds to digest it. It is a relatively easy to digest seed, whereas flax seeds are not. Often, one has to grind flax seeds to be able to process them in their digestive system. That is not the case with chia seeds.
• The chia seeds are great for athletes because they are highly hydrophilic. Being hydrophilic means it absorbs large amounts of water. Chia Seeds can absorb over 10 times their weight in water making them a great enhancer in hydrating our bodies. They absorb the water we drink holding it in our system longer.
• Studies show that eating chia seed slows down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrate calories into simple sugars. This leads scientists to believe that the chia seed may have great benefits for diabetics.
• The chia seed gels when becoming wet and this gel, when in our digestive systems, helps prevent some of the food, hence calories that we eat from getting absorbed into our system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes the chia seed a great diet helper. Eating the seeds also helps dieters by making them feel fuller faster so they will be less hungry!
• Chia seeds provide antioxidant activity
• Chia is a great addition to a detoxification program. Chia seeds are high in fiber and in healthy oils making them an excellent addition to many detox programs.
• Mix Chia seeds into yogurt, sprinkle them on cereal in the morning, add to salads, or even add them to your baking. There are many ways to add chia seeds into your daily routine!
• Chia seeds also provide fiber (25 grams give you 6.9 grams of fiber) as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.

Around for centuries, the chia seed in only now starting to gain recognition as the super food that many health gurus have always known it to be. Will this be a short lived health fad or will the chia seed become common place in the household cupboards of the 21st century?

Here are just a few of the many astounding benefits of chia seeds:

• Super-Energizing Power...For Greater Endurance and “Go Power”! Due to its unique blend of Protein, Essential Fats, Fiber, Complex Carbohydrates, and Antioxidants, chia is unrivalled among seeds and grains for providing energy to your body.

• Improves Cardiovascular Health...super high levels of heart-healthy EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids)...chia’s oil contains the highest-known percentage of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, a whopping 62%–64%!

• Stabilizes Blood Sugar...Reduces blood sugar swings...and supports conditions of hypoglycemia and diabetes.

• Reduces Cravings for Sweets and Junk Foods—high soluble fiber content releases natural, unrefined carbohydrate energy slowly into the bloodstream.

• Improves Mental Focus and Concentration. Chia’s balanced essential fatty acids can signficantly boost your brain power...and brighten your mood.

• High-Quality Protein—Chia contains 20% or more protein...a higher percentage protein than found in other grains, such as wheat, corn, rice, or oats.

• Builds Lean Muscle Mass...Plus it’s useful for weight loss and weight maintenance. Chia is suitable for all lifestyles and dietary regimens, including low-carb diets and vegetarian diets.

• Gluten-Free. Unlike grain-source proteins, chia seed protein contains no gluten. You can eat chia without worrying about gluten if you are sensitive to it…or about developing gluten sensitivity. Chia is an ideal food for individuals with gluten sensitivity, carbohydrate intolerance, hypoglycemia, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or anyone who wants to avoid common gluten-containing grains like corn, barley, and wheat.

• An Ideal Food for nearly everyone, including individuals with food allergies, food sensitivities, or food and chemical hypersensitivity. One study found no evidence of allergic response to chia, even in individuals with peanut and tree nut allergies.

• Super-Hydration and Electrolyte Balance. Chia’s soluble fiber (hydrophilic colloids) massively retains water...keeps you well-hydrated and maintains your electrolyte balance.

• Supports Healthy Elimination and Detoxification—healthy oils and fiber contribute to greater regularity and comfort...beneficial effects not to be underestimated!

• Uniquely Balanced. Chia offers an amazingly balanced ratios of macronutrients...better balanced than most grains, seeds, and many other food

FOOD COMBINATIONS Jacqueline Vandenabeele Raw Chef

-Fettucini squash noodles in Alfredo Sauce-Corn Chips

Today is Sabbath and after a great day on church we had a delicious Raw lunch.

Fetuccini Squash Noodles in Alfredo Sauce with Corn chips and Egg-less Egg Salad

-Corn Chips-

These crispy will save in an airtight container indefinitely.

2 cups ground golden flaxseed

2 cups bicolor corn

2 cup water

2 Tbsp. chili powder

2 cloves garlic.

Blend all ingredients in a high-power blender or a food processor until thick and well

combined. Spread out evenly in 1/4 inch layer over dehydrator tray.

Dehydrate at 115° for 12 hours until crispy. To dehydrate faster, flip over after 8 hours

-Fettucini squash noodles in Alfredo Sauce-

Makes 4 servings

Noodles

4 zucchini squash

Sauce

1 batch garlic Cashew

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

To make noodles, cut the tops and bottoms of each squash. Slice lengthwise as thinly as possible with your slicer, or a knife works fine, too. Stack and cut into wide stripes, just like the shape of fettucini pasta.

Toss noodles wit Garlic Cashew and black pepper (made of papaya seeds)just before serving.

-Alfredo Garlic cashew sauce-

makes 4 servings

juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons

2 cups cashews

3 stalks celery

1/8 yellow onion

2 tablespoons thyme leaves

2 clove garlic

1/2 cup water, as needed

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.

News -Meat, fish protein linked to women's bowel disease

Meat, fish protein linked to women's bowel disease

Anne Harding

NEW YORK

Fri Jun 4, 2010 9:13pm EDT

(Reuters Health) - Eating lots of animal protein appears to increase women's risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a new study from France.

"Our results may help better understand the role of diet in IBD risk," Dr. Franck Carbonnel of the Center Hospitalier Universitaire de Bicetre in Paris and his team write in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. "If confirmed, they can lead to protective strategies, especially in families at risk of IBD, and possibly to advice for preventing relapse."

Inflammatory bowel disease is a collective term for diseases characterized by severe inflammation in the digestive system such as ulcerative colitis, which typically only affects the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can attack the entire digestive tract. IBD, which affects about one in 500 people, has become much more common since World War II, Carbonnel and his colleagues note. The reasons behind the increase are still unclear.

To investigate whether diet might be a factor, the researchers followed more than 67,000 women participating in a long-term study of risk factors for cancer and other common illnesses. The women were 40 to 65 years old when they enrolled in the study.

During follow-up, which averaged about 10 years, just 77 of the women developed inflammatory bowel disease. Ninety percent of women in the current study were eating more than the recommended dietary allowance of protein.

Women who consumed the most protein were at more than triple the risk of being diagnosed with IBD, the researchers found; animal protein accounted for most of the risk. Risk was specifically associated with high intake of meat and fish, but not with dairy products or eggs.

While experts have long suspected that diet might play a role in inflammatory bowel disease, Carbonnel and his colleagues note, the only links identified previously were with eating a lot of fats and certain kinds of sugars. Those studies were more prone to error than forward-looking or prospective studies like the current investigation. There have also been several studies linking vitamin D deficiency to IBD.

Another recent prospective study found that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids decreased inflammatory bowel disease risk, while eating lots of omega-6 fatty acids increased it, Carbonnel noted in an interview with Reuters Health. Omega-3s are found in fish oil, flax seed oil, and a few other sources; omega-6s, which Westerners tend to eat much more of, are found in several types of vegetable and nut oils.

Meat could contribute to inflammatory bowel disease risk because digestion of animal protein produces many potentially toxic "end products," such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, the researchers note. Also, Carbonnel pointed out, a high-protein diet could alter the mix of bacteria that live in the colon.

"These findings have to be confirmed in other populations, particularly in men and younger subjects," the researcher said, adding that if they are confirmed, the next step would be to conduct a trial comparing the effects of restricted versus unrestricted animal protein on inflammatory bowel disease risk.

Given the large amount of protein women in the study were eating, he added, a restricted diet wouldn't involve radically reducing protein intake, but instead sticking to the recommended amount.

SOURCE: 2a.html American Journal of Gastroenterology, online May 11, 2010.

News -Girls with a high meat diet more likely to start periods early AND increase risk of breast cancer and heart disease

Girls with a high meat diet more likely to start periods early AND increase risk of breast cancer and heart disease

By Daniel Martin
Last updated at 3:20 AM on 12th June 2010

Research: Girls who start puberty early are believed to be at higher risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and heart disease

A diet high in meat may put girls at higher risk of breast cancer and heart disease by bringing on early puberty, according to scientists.

A study of 3,000 girls found that girls with higher intakes of meat and protein were more likely to have started their periods by the time they were 12 and a half.

Girls who start puberty early are believed to be at higher risk of a number of diseases - including breast cancer, ovarian cancer and heart disease.

The study, carried out at the University of Brighton in East Sussex, found that 49 per cent of girls eating more than 12 portions of meat a week at the age of seven had started their periods by 12 and a half.

This compares with just 35 per cent of girls who ate fewer than four portions a week.

And three year olds who ate more than eight portions of meat a week were also more likely to have early periods.

A portion is defined as the normal amount of meat a child would eat in a full meal. A portion is therefore smaller for a 3 year old child than for a 7 year old one.

A small meat-based snack such as a ham sandwich would only be around half a portion, but a Sunday roast would include a full portion.

However study author Dr Imogen Rogers, a senior lecturer at the university's school of pharmacy, cautioned parents cutting meat out of their daughters' diets.

'Meat is a good source of many important nutrients including iron and zinc and there is no reason why girls should adopt a vegetarian diet or that meat in moderation cannot form a valuable part of a balanced diet for children,' she said.

Zinc and iron were both needed in high quantities during pregnancy, she said, which suggests a diet rich in meat could prepare the body for pregnancy. 'A meat-rich diet could be seen as indicating suitable nutritional conditions for a successful pregnancy,' she said.

She said the findings needed repeating in other populations before firm recommendations on diet can be made.

But she added: 'These results add to the evidence that it is healthiest to avoid diets containing very high amounts of meat.'

The research, funded by the World Cancer Research Fund, was published in the journal Public Health Nutrition.

The average age at which girls start puberty fell dramatically over the 20th century: perhaps reflecting easier access to meat. While the average is now 12, although the average is now levelling off.

Obesity is also a factor in the declining average age, but Dr Rogers said it could not be the only one because the average age was now no longer falling even though child obesity was on the rise.

Early periods could be linked with breast cancer - possibly because women are exposed to higher levels of oestrogen over their lifetime.

Dr Ken Ong, paediatric endocrinologist at the Medical Research Council, said there had been 'vast shifts' in the timing of first periods over the past century.

He told the BBC that the link with meat consumption was a 'plausible' one.

'This was not related to larger body size, but rather could be due to a more direct effect of dietary protein on the body's hormone levels.'

Stuffed Anaheim Chilies with Mole Sauce

All I can say is "Wow!" I'm in love with chiles!!! they are so good!!!

Stuffed Anaheim Chilies with Mole Sauce

makes 4 servings

Chiles

4 Anaheim Chili peppers

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 batch black pepper cheeze

Mole Sauce

1/4 teaspoon dried chi

potle

1 tablespoon pitted dates

1 1/2 tablespoons carob powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 stalks celery,chopped

1/2 tomato, chopped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons water, as needed

To make chiles, slice an opening into your peppers lengthwise. Remove seeds. if you like it spicy, leave a

few of the seeds in the peppers.

Coat inside and outside of

each pepper with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then stuff each pepper full of black pepper cheeze.

To make mole sauce, blend all ingredients until smooth.

Optional: Dehydrate stuffed peppers 1 to 6 hours at

104° F until desired softness. Serve warm with Mole Sauce.

Black pepper cheeze

makes 4 servings

2 cups cashews

juice of 2 lemons, about 4 tablespoons

3 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup water

Process cashews, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, and salt until smooth, adding only enough water as needed to make smooth, creamy texture.

Will keep for four days in the fridge

Go veggie, cut fossil fuels to aid planet: Study

An overhaul of world farming and more vegetarianism should be top priorities to protect the environment, along with curbs on fossil fuel use, a UN-backed study said on Wednesday.

Photograph by: File, CNS

By Alister Doyle, Reuters June 2, 2010 4:02 AM

BY ALISTER DOYLE, REUTERS- Jun 2, 10

OSLO - An overhaul of world farming and more vegetarianism should be top priorities to protect the environment, along with curbs on fossil fuel use, a UN-backed study said on Wednesday.

The report said food production and fossil fuel use caused pollution, greenhouse gases, diseases and forest destruction.

"How the world is fed and fuelled will in large part define development in the 21st century," said the 112-page report by the International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management.

"Agricultural production accounts for a staggering 70 per cent of the global freshwater consumption, 38 per cent of the total land use and 14 per cent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions," said Achim Steiner, head of the UN Environment Program.

The report said consumers could help by cutting down on meat consumption and use of fossil fuels in heating or travel. "Animal products are important because more than half of the world's crops are used to feed animals, not people," it said.

"A substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change, away from animal products."

Researchers said it was no surprise fossil fuels were a top concern.

"More surprising was food production — agriculture, fishing and pasture," Edgar Hertwich, lead author at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, told Reuters.

Reform "will be a titanic task, but one that is essential for our future prosperity and quality of life", Janez Potocnik, European Environment Commissioner, said in a statement.

Increasing wealth in developing nations could mean more damage, such as more demand for meat.

"Meat consumption per capita in China rose by 42 per cent over eight years from 1995 to 2003," said Sangwon Suh of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The study also said that the world should focus on improving use of materials such as plastics, iron, steel and aluminum .

Janet Salem of UNEP said the report should remind people in urban areas that clearance of distant forests — making way for farmland and destroying habitats of animals and plants — could be traced to their choice of food in supermarkets.

"Faraway environmental impacts are related to people in cities," she said.

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Trust In Divine Power

The national mental status in the U.S. appears to be shaky. Depression, despair, stress, anxiety, anger, revenge, prolonged grief, jealousy, and apathy abound. Many others could be listed. These can be powerful disease triggers. The results of a national survey by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare indicated that 25 percent of the population admitted to being under a major degree of stress. One source estimated that perhaps one-third of Americans could be considered mentally healthy.

Mental state influence on physical problems

If a partial list were to be composed of physical diseases with apparent psychological components, it would look something like this: allergies, asthma, angina, arthritis, back pain, cancer, hair and scalp problems, headaches, heart disease, hypertension, insomnia, impotence, irritable bowel syndrome, skin problems, and ulcers. It has been estimated that 75 percent of all complaints that patients present are stress related.

How does our mind contribute to disease? Negative emotions trigger the release of certain hormones and stimulate the nervous system in such a way as to put stress on the various organs in the body. As these organs are subjected to this stress over long periods of time they become weakened. Once weakened they are more susceptible to disease processes invading from without or being triggered from within. Which organs are affected first, and to what degree, depends upon the person's heredity, constitution, environment, and lifestyle. By the time symptoms of disease occur it is often difficult to trace them from cause to effect and to know for sure which risk factors played the primary role in the disease process.

God's remedy for mankind's problems

The third chapter of Genesis in the Bible tells us the origin of mankind's problems and God's remedy for our situation. Genesis, chapter 3, begins with Eve being led into disobedience. She was deceived, yet the decision was hers to go against what God had said. She then proceeded to involve Adam in disobeying God. Adam was not deceived, yet he, too, chose to join his wife in disobeying his Creator.

Immediately they sensed a change in themselves. It was not the change for the better that their deceiver had promised. Instead, it was a change for the worse. For the first time they felt shame and guilt. They tried to cover themselves by making aprons out of fig leaves. They hid themselves from God and were afraid. When God found them and started questioning them, they began shifting the blame. They would not admit any personal responsibility.

The desire to escape guilt

Does this little scenario sound familiar? It should. Feelings of guilt, fear, and inadequacy accurately portray the sad condition of humanity. These feelings lead us to want to escape. We blame others, all the while seeking to cover up our own deficiencies. Our futile attempts at escapism and coping do not always degenerate to the lowest levels of physical combat, tongue lashings, promiscuity, or criminal behavior. They may assume an air of respectfulness—a little pride, a little self-indulgence, a white lie, a cutting remark that we really didn't mean to be taken seriously.

Just like Adam and Eve, our disobedience to God's will has broken our peace with Him. Unless we are at peace with God we can never be at peace with ourselves or with our fellow human beings. The worst deception that could befall a person then, would be to think he is at peace with God when he is not, to think he has the solution to life's problems when he really doesn't. Many do not recognize it, but they themselves, along with the whole human family, have repeated our first parents' failure and are terminally ill. The Bible defines this illness as sin, but many seem not to be interested in the Remedy.

But for those who do recognize that they have a need and who desire the remedy, God has just the solution. The solution is contained in a promise. In Genesis, chapter 3, God said that He would plant within us a hatred of evil, and that one day good would win over evil. He appointed toil and suffering as a means of developing self-discipline in us so that the evil results of sin already set in motion might be curtailed to some extent. And finally God did an interesting thing. Out of animal skins He made Adam and Eve a suit of clothes and dressed them Himself.

The inadequacy of fig leaves

Wouldn't fig leaves work just as well as animal skins for clothes? Not too many people would think so today. God wanted them (and us) to realize that what they (we) had lost could not be replaced by anything of their (our) own design or devising. They (we) needed a covering crafted by God Himself. In sinning they had lost their righteousness. They had sold out their integrity. A divine plan, rather than a human plan, was needed to resolve the problems.

Now, recall that it was God who created Adam and Eve in the beginning. Therefore everything they had originally came from God, including their righteousness or goodness—a pure, untainted, heaven-inclined mind with no gap between knowing what should be done and doing it. Since what they had lost had been put in them by God, it is clear that only God could put it back. They could no more recreate their minds than they could call a world into existence. They were totally helpless and dependent upon God to restore them.

A conditional restoration

And God did restore them on the spot. No sooner was there an emergency than God was there with the remedy. However, this restoration was conditional upon two things. First, faith in a Redeemer that was to come, and second, their own willingness to render continuing obedience in the future. Every person ever born would have to meet these same two conditions laid down for Adam and Eve in order to be restored. This restoration cannot be inherited; it must be accepted by each person individually.

The Bible evidence

This beautiful truth about God's rescue efforts in our behalf is recorded all through the Bible. Prophets have seen it in vision and poets have written about it.

"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with a change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by." Zechariah 3:1-5

"I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was a robe and a diadem." Job 29:14

This same truth, that God restores us to moral uprightness, is illustrated in the New Testament Scriptures as well. In the Gospel of Matthew there is recorded a parable Jesus told about a king who sent his servants out to invite everyone they could find to come to his son's marriage.

"And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he said unto him, Friend, how comest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless." Matthew 22:11-12

The parable may seem absurd until one realizes the reason for the king's displeasure. There was no excuse for the guest not to have a wedding garment on because the king himself had provided wedding garments for all the guests. The only thing they had to do was to put them on. There was no excuse to neglect the gift.

"Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 22:13. Just as the ungrateful guest was excluded from the king's wedding, so all those who neglect to put on Christ's righteousness, and instead depend upon their own fig-leaf garments, their good deeds, will meet with similar tragic consequences.

The righteousness of Christ . . . for us

All of the human inventions to make us better people are insufficient to remake one soul into the image of God, much less save an entire planet. Only Christ's righteousness, the covering crafted for us by God Himself, is able to heal the wounds caused by sin and to change the course of our life.

There is one other aspect of God's act in clothing Adam and Eve with skins that must be mentioned. It is the crux of the whole transaction. In fact, it is the center and focus of the whole Bible. You see, in order for God to obtain those skins, some animal must die. An innocent creature had to give its life so that Adam and Eve could be clothed. What did it mean? The lamb was a symbol of God's Son, Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul describes it simply:

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

In order to be able to forgive our sins, to clothe us in His righteousness and to provide us the grace necessary to keep God's law, Christ had to become a man, live a perfect life of obedience on this earth and then suffer the punishment for our sins. Christ succeeded in His mission, just as the Old Testament prophecies said that He would. Christ's victorious life means that we also can have victory over sin by exercising faith in Him. Christ's resurrection is the Christian's assurance of receiving immortality and a perfectly whole body at the resurrection of the just when Jesus returns in the near future.

Anciently these truths were taught by means of a system of sacrificial types and symbols. These "shadows" pointed forward to Christ's incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and heavenly ministry. Now our faith can he based on the reality of an accomplished fact, not just a shadow of something to look forward to.

Shall we trust Him?

There are many questions that come to mind, such as "Why?" To answer them all here would not be possible. If you have questions, write to us. We'd love to hear from you. The answers are in the Bible. What we have dealt with here, in a small way, is the issue of trust. Trusting God enough to surrender your life to Him. Trusting Him with your fig-leaf, bandaid, do-it-yourself, patchwork of human inventions and self-help theories, and letting Him place upon you His perfect royal robe of His own righteousness.

Being thus clothed means we have His mind in us. We have His power to overcome sin, and all the problems that sin causes. The gap between knowing and doing is bridged. We can carry out our good intentions. Positive thoughts and emotions replace the negative.

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:19-25

Christ's sacrifice and reward

God's Son suffered intensely, more than we can know, so that He could have the joy of seeing us clothed in His righteousness. His entire life was one of self-sacrifice. Finally, He was tortured and crucified on a cruel cross. What reward does He want for this sacrifice? All He ever desired was the joy of providing a way for us to live new lives now and at last to be reunited with Him on that brighter shore of eternity. Then God's original plan in creating Adam and Eve will be realized. We with them will enjoy the heavenly reward unhindered and uninterrupted forever.

It is not too late

Perhaps some will think it is too late for them, or that their problems are too complicated, or that they could never be Christians. Away with such thinking. Trust Him all the way and see the salvation of your God. "Let Him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me." Isaiah 27:5

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst . . . . All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:35, 37

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17