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By Dr. Stan Gardner

Click here for a list of Dr. Gardner’s earlier articles on diet and nutrition.

Carbs and diets, theories and counter-theories-what’s a person to do about healthy eating?  Meridian has published several articles about these topics recently. An apt summary of the complexity and practicality of this approach in the modern world (and within the LDS culture) is masterfully done in a couple of recent email letters.  Because of space I have had to condense them slightly.  I want to begin with these letters and my responses; then conclude in a second segment about meats and proteins.

Dr. Gardner,

I would like to raise a few concerns of my own, and would be VERY interested to hear your responses, particularly regarding the Church’s apparent approach to these things.  The issues I raise are related to your articles on carbs, sugars, milk, etc.

Let me say first that of course I agree that healthy eating is important (which can include a reduction in sugars and an increase in complex carbohydrates) and obviously, such healthful eating has benefits.  But I think some of this approach can be taken to an extreme.  And I think some of the letters to the editor reflect such extremes.  I also know that I am not alone in my perspective, for I have spoken with several people about this article.

I look to our Church manuals as a solid guide on how the Brethren view principles in the scriptures.  So I looked up what the Gospel Doctrine lesson manual says about the Word of Wisdom.  I found the following:

In my opinion, some of your personal views and the letters to the editor Meridian posted reflect what I perceive as an extreme view.  In trying to live the Word of Wisdom to the letter, some people champion and preach their own “special diets” and out-of-the-ordinary “food and drink”-things that the Gospel Doctrine lesson warns against.  Perhaps these people really do feel that, for them their approach is the “right approach.”  And I can respect that.  But such approaches should not be preached as THE correct interpretation of the Word of Wisdom for everyone.  I can think of many people who have just eaten and average, balanced diet and have lived long, healthy lives-without adopting any kind of extreme approach.

For example, on writer speaks of the harmful effects of eating animal protein, and yet, the Lord says:

“And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;

“For behold, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ordained for the use of man for food and for raiment, and that he might have in abundance.”  (Doctrine and Covenants 49: 18-19)

Along those same lines, in the article, you seem to present refined carbohydrates as just plain bad, and yet, our own Church food storage program includes enriched white rice and flour, refined sugar, and pasta.  (In addition, if you go to the cannery, you can get pudding, sweetened orange drinks and the like.)  Of course, we are encouraged to have 65% whole grains in our storage, but we are taught balance, moderation, wisdom and order.  I felt those important principles were lost in all the other information in the article.

My point is this:  The Word of Wisdom is specific about certain things we should not take into our bodies.  We all know what those things are, and obedience to those requirements is necessary to be considered temple worthy.

As far as what we SHOULD eat, that is basically left up to the individual to figure out with the Spirit, and with wisdom and order.  If I were to try to eliminate everything included in this article and some of the letters to the editor, I wouldn’t feel the Spirit because I would be too stressed out!  In addition, my family would starve because they would not eat such foods (my children are very young).   I am constantly trying to find ways to expose them to healthy foods, but I can only do so much.  And I feel that’s okay.  The Lord knows I’m trying.  And I will continue to do so (even taking some of the good principles in this article into consideration to find ways to improve)!

I’m concerned that without a balanced perspective on this issue, you may have readers who (given the high regard they have for Meridian), may take the article and letters to the editor to an extreme-and thus go AGAINST the counsel we have received regarding the Word of Wisdom.

Let us all remember the following given by (then) Elder Packer:

“The Word of Wisdom was ‘given for a principle with a promise’ (D&C 89:3).  That word principle in the revelation is a very important one.  A principle is an enduring truth, a law, a rule you can adopt to guide you in making decisions.  Generally principles are not spelled out in detail.  That leaves you free to find your way with an enduring truth, a principle, as your anchor. . . .”

[And I add that each of us may find our way in a little different way.]

Elder Packer continues:

“[L]earn to use moderation and common sense in matters of health and nutrition. . . . Avoid being extreme or fanatical or becoming a faddist.” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Word of Wisdom” The Principle and the Promises,” Ensign, May 1996, 17)

We should all, as President Hinckley is always saying, try to do a little better (because we probably all can improve our diet in some way!)-but remember that moderation, wisdom and order are important in the process.

What’s a person to do?  As far as I see it, I can’t win!

Someone else writes:

Dr. Gardner,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing such coherent, thoughtful, intelligent articles regarding food.  I have avidly read each one of them.  I keep thinking that I will find something that I disagree with but so far you have answered and touched on several articles that have concerned me, including: autism, chronic fatigue, low-carb, healthy foods, sugar substitutes, etc.  I appreciate your study and focus on pure, wholesome foods.  You write with clarity and tempered wisdom.

I have struggled with health issues for 15 years.  Most have stemmed from and been a reaction to a continuing problem with depression and obesity.  They are family traits on both sides.  For the last six years, I have been particularly frustrated with these problems and have spent a lot of time researching, reading and trying to change.  In the last year, many of these answers have come together.  I realize now what a major impact processed carbs have had on my insulin levels and as I have converted to brown rice, yams, squash, potatoes, oatmeal, etc., my blood sugar has leveled out.  I consume 2 ounces of low fat protein 5 to 6 times per day and I couple that with steamed vegetables, fruits, and these more wholesome carbs. 

My energy level has increased significantly-I actually have dependable energy for most of the day.  I also drink 100 ounces of water a day.  I’ve known for a long time that I needed to eat more fruits and vegetables and now I actually do! My depression has been relieved (with the help of 40 mg of Prozac a day) and I lost 55 pounds in four months.  I feel like a completely new person.  I also have been going to a holistic herbalist for the past several years and have gleaned knowledge from her tutelage.  I have been quiet about sharing what I know because I don’t want to be ridiculed.  So, it is amazing to me to hear you, a doctor, so thoughtfully and carefully present these things that I already believe are truth!  Thank you!  Thank you for being courageous and voicing the truth.  I do not want to be a fanatic or an extremist and I find it so encouraging to have you write these things that I believe.  I will continue to look for your writings.  I appreciate every word.

And lastly, these two:

This is the first time I’ve read an article by Dr. Gardner, and I love him already!  It was just a little while ago that I realized we’d been “sold down the river” by our modern system of eating.  I’ve diligently tried to eat food the way God gave it to us, and to avoid anything that comes in a package.  (Well, okay, that’s really hard, but I eliminate as much as possible.)  One and a half years into this new diet, I wish I had done this all my life.  What a difference it makes in my health and outlook.  I nearly gag when I see so many people chugging down the coke nonstop.  But thanks for making more of us aware of what REALLY is out there.

I am new to Meridian and overjoyed to find Dr. Gardner.  I have only read his recent responses to emails regarding a previous article, but I was astounded at his insight, his balance, his content, and tone.  I have wondered why LDS people are often so oblivious to diet and exercise as a part of living the commandments.  We should take more care if for no other reason that that we are commanded to show gratitude, and how can you do that when you are trashing the gift?  I live in Oregon where thinking outside the box is the norm (I sometimes wish some boxes existed here) and so I’ve happily been introduced to the health benefits of many alternative forms of medicine and lifestyle. 

For example, the use of homeopathy, under a skilled and trusted practitioner, has completely changed my family’s health, we haven’t bought soda in a decade, we drink filtered water, eat tofu, compost our kitchen scraps, and were practicing yoga long before Madonna made it faddish.  All this is very acceptable in our community, but has all been looked at askance and even ridiculed by our LDS community.  Thank you for helping us feel a tiny bit more acceptable if not yet mainstream.  And your quote, “Any time you think outside of the accepted ‘box,’ you must be better prepared to defend it than if you live within the ‘box’-and you must be wiser about those with whom you share your thinking!” is going on my refrigerator.  Maybe I’ll even cross stitch it.  Just kidding.

The articles on carbohydrates, fats, fluids and meats which have appeared in Meridian Magazine and appear today represent an interpretation of the Lord’s law of health, and not the interpretation.  Each individual must prayerfully make personal choices for himself or herself. 

In my medical practice, the people who come to me for treatment are usually quite ill, although many are also interested in preventing illness by being proactive in their health.  Some have bodies that have been out of balance for some time, and they are feeling the effects of poor diet, toxins, stress, and other factors which combine to make us sick.  Their immune system is not functioning properly, and they need to take action to restore their bodies to health.  Many of the quotes which I have gathered from the scriptures and Church leaders in the present and past have helped me in my quest to provide better health options for my patients, and I share them with you.  I believe that our bodies are capable of healing themselves when they are given the proper “tools”-nutrition, fluid, rest, and other elements of good health-to rebuild, restore, and replace what has become dysfunctional. 

Those of you who have health issues which are troubling to you will find that many of these suggestions for a healthier body will benefit you, if they are applied in your life.  The suggestions are intended to provide a dialog of options for you if your body is out of balance, and a resource if you want to increase the healthy options for you and your family.

Brigham Young made this promise: “If you observe faithfully the Word of Wisdom, you will have your dollar, your five dollars, your hundred dollars, yea, you will have your hundreds of dollars to spend for that which will be useful and profitable to you.

“Why should we continue to practice in our lives those pernicious habits that have already sapped the foundation of the human constitution, and shortened the life of man to that degree that a generation passes away in the brief period of from twenty-seven to twenty-nine years? The strength, power, beauty and glory that once adorned that form and constitution of man have vanished away before the blighting influences of inordinate appetite and love of this world.

“The health and power and beauty that once adorned the noble form of man must again be restored to our race; and God designs that we shall engage in this great work of restoration. Then let us not trifle with our mission, by indulging in the use of injurious substances. These lay the foundation of disease and death in the systems of men, and the same are committed to their children, and another generation of feeble human beings is introduced into the world. Such children have insufficient bone, sinew, muscle, and constitution, and are of little use to themselves, or to their fellow creatures; they are not prepared for life. 12:118 [1]

I wonder if sometimes we are afraid to explore options and think them through prayerfully for ourselves.  We are perhaps worried that others might find our actions and ideas too extreme.  I recently read a devotional address by Elder Henry B. Eyring, entitled “A Child of God.” [2]   In it, Elder Eyring describes five characteristics of a great learner:

1. Welcome correction
2. Keep commitments
3. Work hard
4. Help other people
5. Expect resistance and overcome it

In our quest to learn how to become healthier, there will be many different perspectives on health and its elements.  Again, the Spirit is paramount.  It will guide us in our quest.

As our bodies clean themselves from harmful substances, and we listen to our bodies, we will each discover things unique to our bodies.  I would challenge all to prayerfully consider their dietary intake in relation to the Lord’s law of health, and not let “tradition” dictate their eating patterns.  Just as each of us has a unique personality, we each have unique health needs and concerns.  Seeking the Spirit’s guidance in what we eat can help us learn how to feel and be our personal best.

Let’s look at what Elder. John A. Widtsoe had to say in his book, The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation.  In Chapter 4, entitled “Evils and Designs,” he made this comment about refined food: “Modern knowledge has given man the power to refine his foods, until some of them may become very much changed from the natural conditions in which they are found.  The common use of such refined, and in most cases concentrated foods, has at times, for want of adequate knowledge, led to injurious results.” (page 40) And on food fraud:  “The best protection against food fraud is to use natural foods and food products, even though the cost may seem higher.” (page 36)

To continue, John A. Widtsoe commented in Chapter 12 entitled, “Grains,” on sugar:  “There are many disadvantages resulting from the excessive use of sugar as food.  It is an artificially prepared product, is totally lacking in protein, mineral salts and vitamins.  It is distinctly a habit-forming food; those who have never used it do not like it, but a taste for it is readily acquired, after which one is tempted to overeat on sweet foods which leads to an unbalanced diet.  This habit-forming nature has contributed greatly to the consumption of sugar.” (page 180).  Elder Widtsoe quotes McCollum on page 180:

“Sugar, being readily soluble, is quickly absorbed from the digestive tract, and if eaten too freely at one time tends to enter the blood faster than the liver and other tissues can abstract it and causes a high tide of sugar in the blood. . . .Nature did not intend that we should eat freely of the simple sugars and did not make them available.  She gave us much starch instead.  This was a wise provision, since starches eaten with an ordinary meal require several hours for complete digestions and absorption; hence the resulting glucose enters the blood slowly and does not cover the high tide of blood sugar.”  And one last quote:  “One of the commonest dietary errors of today is the overeating of starchy foods, with or without fats and sugars, such as macaroni, rice, cereals, cakes, pastry and desserts-thereby satisfying the hunger so that no desire remains for foods that contain building materials with regulating minerals and vitamins.”  (page 177)

Our food storage is designed to sustain us in times of famine (disasters, wars, truck strikes).  Although we are encouraged to rotate and make use of our food storage items on a regular basis, it is difficult to match the quality of fresh foods with stored foods.  I’ve not ever been involved with the choices which the Church makes in their variety of food storage options, so I cannot comment on the question posed in the letter printed at the beginning of this article about the sugar and refined carbohydrates in the Church’s food storage items.  However, there are some whole foods that have enough omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in them that would go rancid (free radical oxidized state) and thus become inedible in their natural stored state.  Pressing these oils out of the stored product is the only way that they could be stored.  I’m not familiar with the sugar content in the Church’s food storage of pudding and sweetened orange drinks.  However, in famine and traumatic situations, people (especially children) handle the upheaval more easily if some of their food choices are familiar. 

When the industrialized world introduced “white rice” to the Japanese population after World War II, beri-beri, which is a thiamin (Vitamin B1) deficiency, occurred in all ages of the population.  The B vitamins necessary for the breakdown of carbohydrates were lacking in the postwar starvation state, and removed from the brown rice when it was polished to make white rice. 

If our food storage contains a high concentration of sweet and sugared products, I would expect to see mild beri-beri symptoms manifested as neurological problems, heart problems, and skin edema, in the event of our having to live entirely on food storage, with no additional fresh/ whole food sources.  In our family food supply, in addition to the grains, we like storing nuts and seeds.  They are an excellent source of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals.  Legumes are also rich in a variety of good fats and proteins and carbohydrates.

The word “fanatic” or faddist is difficult to interpret.  As teenagers, we thought our grandmother was a fanatic about diet, because she believed and stated frequently that white sugar and white flour was bad for you: “The whiter the bread, the sooner you’re dead.”  A number of my nonmember friends think we are unusual (weird? fanatics?) because we don’t drink, don’t smoke and have high moral standards.  “How do you have fun?” they ask.  I wonder if the Nephites thought Samuel the Lamanite was a fanatic, up there on the wall of the city?  Being labeled fanatic may simply be based on the vantage point from which one views another.  In the world of learning disabilities, how many science geniuses (because our schools value science) would be learning disabled if schools valued music and the arts more highly than science and math? 

John A. Widtsoe observed, “Food fads and fancies have therefore multiplied.  Some of these rest upon sound knowledge; many of them are worthless and dangerous.  Here are some of them: use no meat; eat no vegetables; eat only fruit; pay attention only to vitamins; minerals are the only concern; eat very little; fast a great deal; drink nothing but grape juice; eat salads to reduce; eat salads to grow fat, etc., etc.” 

The more I study the counsel of the Brethren and the admonitions given to us by a loving Father in Heaven regarding our health, the more I am convinced that the Lord has provided us with a marvelous plan for wellness through the Word of Wisdom.

Healthful Hints:

1. The Lord has given us a pattern to follow in the foods we should eat and the things we should avoid which can harm our body
2. The Lord has also warned us of “evil and conspiring men” in the last days.
3. Each of us must study the issue of health in our own minds, prayerfully explore what the Brethren and the Lord have had to say about our food, and determine what course is best for us
4. Each of us has the personal responsibility to prayerfully consider our food choices.
5. The definition of “fanatic” probably depends upon your vantage point, your experience, and your perspective