Simplicity of Diet by A. E. LEMON

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 14, 1903

Simplicity of Diet

By A. E. LEMON

A. E. LEMON

Simplicity in diet and dress characterized the lives of the pioneers of present truth. They had a great work to do which demanded all their energy and means, and so it was necessary that their manner of life should be simple and abstemious.

Their work was great and important. But the work we are now called to do is the greatest and most important work that any people was ever called to perform.

Our people have, for the most part, nobly endeavored to adopt a wholesome vegetarian diet. But it is ever the tendency of human nature to carry even good things to extremes. So there has been a gradual and increasing tendency to excess in the preparation of appetizing and nutritious foods to supply the place of meats and other discarded articles. The result of this overreaching is that the table is too often heavily supplied with vegetable roasts, “mock chicken,” purées, nut loaf, and many other articles, prepared with a great deal of labor and some expense, which, being tempting to the palate, lead to overeating, and on account of their complexity are hard to digest.

If we place these complex and tempting dishes before children, or even hungry grown people, how difficult it will be for them to keep from overeating! And overeating is the most common and most harmful of all dietetic errors.

Simple foods, prepared as nearly as expedient in their most natural state, in moderate variety, but not in complicated mixtures, should constitute, for those who are not sick, a diet that will amply sustain the physical and mental powers, largely overcome the tendency to overeating, and allow the housewife to spend in a better way the time now used in the preparation of complicated dishes that are inconsistent with a life devoted to the proclamation of “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

The Lord has instructed us on this very point, but we have not closely followed the instruction. Let us read the plain word of the Testimony: “Mixed and complicated dishes are injurious to the health.”—U. T., Nov. 5, 1896, in “Healthful Living,” par. 373. “I advise the people . . . to eat the best home-made

bread, both graham and white, and with dried or green fruits, and let that be the only course for one meal; then let the next meal be of nicely prepared vegetables.”—U. T., Oct. 29, 1894, in “Healthful Living,” par. 375.