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I have always followed the Word of Wisdom, even eating meat sparingly, but in the last year after finding that no matter what I ate or how much I exercised that my cholesterol levels stayed high, so much so that my doctor wanted to put me on medication, I started looking for alternatives to the drugs. What I learned was that in all the latest studies they have found overwhelming benefits to drinking green tea, something many centurions have in common. My mother started drinking green tea a few years back and has seen a significant reduction in her cholesterol levels, so I braced myself and brewed a cup, adding lots of Splenda. Now almost a year later, I look forward to two daily cups of green tea and I’ve also found a connection to my English grandmothers who are/were defiant Earl Gray tea drinkers. On Wednesday I go in to have my yearly cholesterol test and I’m curious to see the results!
My celestial sex partner and I have ongoing debates about the Word of Wisdom. While he says he has no problem with my tea drinking, I know he thinks his 4-can-a-day Diet Coke plus Red Bull habit is religiously superior. Just last night we got to discussing the merits of coffee and tea and he said the WW specifically calls them bad, but upon my disagreement we raced to the book shelf and found I was correct, the verbiage is “hot drinks,” which was not clarified until a later date when historical records show JS himself was not being a strict observer by using coffee, tea, and wine. Plus, I think the health information we have has evolved from 1833 when this “recommendation” was first revealed and became more culture than doctrine.
So yeah, there are many things that will knock me out of the celestial kingdom, but don’t you cola drinkers and large folks go around wagging your fingers at me- at least my rule breaking might lead to my living until 100.
7/4/08- With regard to this topic, I saw this news story today http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080704/hl_time/doesgreenteahelptheheart
fMh Anniversary
8 months ago
7 comments:
Amen! I always thought that was a stupid rule. I understand that we want to stay away from unhealthy and addictive things (and anyone who says soda isn't is deluded) but there are sooo many benefits to herbal teas, green teas etc. My father brews his own stinging nettle tea for his stomach (acid reflux, ucers etc.) and it makes a huge difference. Why coke should be ok but not this, well it makes no sense to me.
HERBAL teas have never been included in the WoW and, in fact, are encouraged in other talks and advice from the General Authorities.
Green tea has benefits, but there are also other foods, with equal or better benefits, which are not discouraged by the WoW, so green tea is still out in our own home, but so are caffeinated and sugary beverages of other varieties, and most anything with preservatives, etc.
Okay, I'm interested to know why there isn't much response to this blog? Is there so much agreement out there that why bother to respond, or are those who disagree being too polite? Honestly, I want to know from my peers, have we come to a point in health science that maybe the WoW needs to be revisited?
Also to the last poster, yes I could eat other flavanoid sources, but walnut ae high in fat and I can't eat that many blueberries, but good point. I guess is I'm out of the CK because I drink green tea, then it's not a place I'd fit in!
I think it boiles down to, do you feel bad about it? I just went in for my Temple Recomend, and when it came to the WoW I asked my bishop about soda, for I love Coke. He basically said, that it was between me and Heavenly Father, but it is not something that would keep me out of the Temple...unless I felt bad about it. On another note, my Grandparents are some of the best people I know. They are not active, but would like to be. I think that they would even eventually like to go through the Temple, but... they drink coffee every morning. I don't feel like that "rule" should apply to them. And I could be completly wrong.
I don't feel bad about it, but sometimes a little rebellious as I'll purposely order a cup at breakfast when were with my in-laws. I think the only reason I'd feel "bad" about it is that I've been programmed for so many years to have that opinion. Kinda like my friend who doesn't let her kids eat any sugar, I'm sure when they eat candy at my house they feel bad because she's taught them to, but boy they sure do snatch it up and smile!
in this months ensign (july 2008) it had an article on the WoW and the benifits of it... I found it very interesting and that is where i stand.
Here's the text from the Ensign on "hot drinks"
On Hot Drinks and Caffeine
“And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly” (D&C 89:9).
The consumption of coffee or tea, whether hot or cold, is recognized by the Church as a violation of the Word of Wisdom. Coffee and tea contain substances such as caffeine, which has been linked to disease. While the Word of Wisdom does not specifically mention caffeine, it is commonly understood in the medical community that higher doses of caffeine are associated with infertility, Meniere’s disease (a disease affecting balance), insomnia, sudden infant death syndrome (with maternal consumption in utero), and fibrocystic disease of the breasts. In addition, gastric acid disease (ulcers of the stomach and duodenum) may also be linked to consumption of both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, lending credence to the Word of Wisdom’s advice to avoid “hot drinks.” From the perspective of medical science, most investigators who have examined the effects of caffeine suggest that caffeinated beverages should not be consumed in large quantities.6
6. P. Nawrot and others, “Effects of Caffeine on Human Health,” abstract, Food Additives and Contaminates, Jan. 2003, 1–30, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih .gov/entrez/query.
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