When God created the world, He placed Adam and Eve in the healthiest, most appropriate place for them to be—the Garden of Eden. Besides the environment, the diet was also designed to give Adam and Eve all they needed. There was no need for vitamin and mineral supplements; the diet was perfect for that environment. God having created everything, knew exactly what was the best diet for humanity to live a long healthy life. In fact, our digestive system was designed for the specific type of food provided. All the macro and micro nutrients that our body requires were present in this diet: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat” (Genesis 1:29).

At the beginning, our first parents had the blessing of eating fruits, grains, nuts and legumes. There was however, one exception to their diet. They were given a wise restriction: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

From the beginning, appetite has been a temptation that has taken millions of lives to the grave. The consequences of Adam and Eve eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were so great that it had an impact on the environment itself. The female reproductive system was modified, the land was cursed and the behavior of animals changed. The consequences of that disobedience have affected every generation thereafter. Ever since the fall of the human race, the battle between good and evil has been ever present, each side fighting for human soul.

Jesus Christ, the Friend and Saviour of humanity, has fought for us since before the fall, giving all who come to Him health and eternal life. Yet Satan, the archenemy of every soul made in the image of God, has also worked. Some of the enemy’s tactics have worked so well since the beginning that he has had no need of changing them—he makes only slight modifications and tweeks for today’s era. Satan has perverted everything that God created perfect. The Sabbath, marriage, a healthy diet, and everything else that God called good the enemy has twisted and perverted—and everything God has warned us of as bad is now perceived as good. It’s totally backwards.

After the flood, humans still had the strength and vitality that came from Adam and Eve. However, with bad behavior and the introduction of meat and indulgence as a common habit, our race began to decline in strength, health, and longevity. The Bible records a gradual decline in the human lifespan. Adam lived 930 years, compared with Abraham who lived 175 years, and today, the average life expectancy is 79 years. In 6,000 years, humanity has shortened life to only 0.085% of what Adam lived. Indeed, the story of humanity would be of a sad ending if Jesus had not come to save us, yet the consequences of bad habits are still unavoidable.

When the people of Israel came out of Egypt, Satan corrupted their taste buds during slavery to such a degree, that manna was unpleasant compared to meat. God attempted to make a health reform in the desert, but Israel refused God’s plan. They cried “give us flesh (meat) to eat!” until God reluctantly went ahead and gave them meat. So corrupt was their desire that they accumulated piles of meat and gobbled it up in a degraded animal-like form. Such was the scene, that God’s anger killed them while the meat was still in their teeth. They ate meat, just to die from it. God’s plan was to reform the people of Israel; He desired to bring Israel back to a way of life that would heal and prepare them for a holy life. But they refused and thus suffered the consequences. (See the history in Numbers chapter 11 and Psalm 78.)

Unlike the people of Israel, Daniel and his friends saw the importance of a health message. If they were going to stay faithful to God in foreign lands, they would need a sharp mind and a healthy body. Sadly these standard bearers were a minority among the Hebrews. If more captives had been like Daniel and his friends, more would have given a good example in Babylon. Daniel and his friends were only four of the many captives, but they were the only ones who declined to eat the flesh food provided by the king. Their choice to follow the Creator’s original diet was the beginning of a successful life, both spiritually and in the ranks of Babylon. It was no coincidence that Daniel received dreams and revelations from God. His unquestionable obedience to the moral and natural laws of God, allowed him to be an instrument of God and for the kings of Babylon and Medo-Persia. God wants to exalt His people just like He did for Daniel and his friends, but few place themselves in a position to receive the heavenly blessings. Daniel and his friends began a life of success with a healthy diet by asking for just vegetables to eat and water to drink. (See Daniel 1:12.) So simple, yet so powerful; it only took 10 days to reveal the big difference between Daniel and his friends compared with the others. At the end of 10 days they looked better and healthier than all the young men who were eating the king’s food. (See verse 15.) Through constant discipline and healthy habits, their mind was sharpened and cleared, so much so that no one in the kingdom came even close to their wisdom and intelligence. The king interviewed them, and among all of them, no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they began to serve in the king’s court. In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them 10 times better than all the diviner-priests and mediums in his entire kingdom. Daniel 1:19, 20.

The health reform message is not a useless protocol—it is a message full of wisdom and power. It is God’s plan to restore His people’s health; a road of preparation to live in heaven and eat alongside Jesus. By appreciating and practicing the health reform message, we honor our God. It allows us to receive blessings from Heaven and puts us in a position to make an impact in society by partaking in a work of great responsibility.

A health message is not a new concept of the 21st century. Since the fall of humanity, God has delivered a message of health to His people. It did not have the title of “Health Reform Message’’ but the idea was the same. It was in 1863 when our benevolent Creator revealed the health reform message to His people through inspired messages given through Ellen G. White. Today more than ever, we need to appreciate the benefits and purpose of the health reform message. This world is plagued with an epidemic of malnutrition and intemperance. In 2016 at least 2.6 million people died from obesity.1 The vast majority—nearly all—premature deaths are due to an unhealthy lifstyle, meaning they are preventable.2 However, since health is not appreciated as it should be, many people refuse it. It is not until sickness comes that many decide to make a change in their life, and in times of sickness a window of opportunity is opened to give the health reform message. It is an opportunity to change the life of a person and introduce Jesus to a new soul. But would you receive a message of health if the person giving the message had a sick face? . . . No! How can a sick SDARM preach about health or about Jesus? In order to speak of Jesus and health we must have them in our life.

By not following God’s health laws, our health is affected and we give a false testimony of our Lord. As representatives of God on this earth, we must do our best to represent God as best as we can. This will create an appreciation and a desire to practice the health reform message. Let us give thanks to the Lord, who gave us the best guidelines to live a life full of health and happiness. With invigorated minds and healthy bodies we can prepare ourselves to receive the latter rain and preach the gospel to every corner of the earth.

Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually. 3 John 1:2.