Dr. Christopher taught us to eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds in their wholesome state. What does this mean?
In his Just What is the Word of Wisdom book Dr. Christopher states, “A ‘wholesome’ plant, seed, herb, fruit, or vegetable, … is one which, if planted again would grow. It is still healthy and in a whole state, having in it the life and all its constituted parts.” So
wholesome means life – in a state of growth.
Dr. Christopher further teaches, “When we take death into our body, or in other words, something which has been killed whether plant or animal
through processing, procedure of cooking, or treating chemically, we are putting death upon ourselves through overworking our system and poisoning our body. When, on the other hand, we take live food into our body in the form of raw fruits and vegetable, herbs and etc., we are taking LIFE into our body, and we are taking food for both our spiritual and our mortal or temporal body.” (Just What is the Word of Wisdom, Dr. John R. Christopher)
Now is the best time to be eating foods that are in their whole state with “life” in them. Fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant in our gardens and farmers markets. Our tastes change the more we eat these wholesome foods,
and we start to crave the energy and life we gain from eating this way.
How can we continue eating living foods when the harvest season ends, and we no longer have access to the freshest
fruits and vegetables? The answer is simple: we can grow our own living food throughout the winter in our kitchen from our stored grains and seeds. Essentially, we can sprout!
Sprouting and
eating living foods provides the nutrients our bodies need in a form that is easily assimilated. This nutrient dense food will not overwork our bodies; therefore, we find that we don’t need to eat as much to gain the same benefit. This is an important concept to grasp. More value is gained from eating a small amount of live food than the same amount (or more!) of “dead” food. Additional benefits include increased energy and clarity of mind.
Start sprouting today! Soak 1 ½ tablespoons of seeds or grain in a quart jar of water overnight. Alfalfa or chia seeds grow quickly and are an easy place to start. In the morning drain the water and rinse the seeds/grain. You
can use a sprouting lid or cheesecloth to keep the seeds in the jar. Lie the jar on its side and cover with a towel. Rinse the seeds multiple times a day (or at least morning and night). You will have beautiful sprouts that are ready to eat in 2-4 days. Use these on salads or just to snack on throughout the day. Experiment with different seeds and grains – see the included recipe for an idea of how to use wheat sprouts.
We are only as healthy as the food we eat. I encourage you to put this to the test. Increase your consumption of living foods and observe the benefits that come. You may be pleasantly surprised.
