Reading for Good Health

When I was younger, in the 1960s, I was introduced to a book called “How to Eat to Live” by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah and the leader of the Nation of Islam. It was a popular book with advice on how to live a healthy life. This was a book in a series. Most people have forgotten about this book. It was rejected by some because they saw it as a book based on religion.

However, the book had some good advice and reasons to live a good life. In the introduction of the book, it states the following: “Elijah Muhammad follows the tradition of the prophets and apostles’ teachings as they did not only of spiritual enlightenment but also of physical well-being. Moses   taught his people not to eat the unclean food of the Pharaoh.”

This book discusses the importance of fasting. The bad foods and drinks that we are put into our mouths lead to illness. All men and women want to know how to prolong their lives. Nature teaches us how to stay here on this earth as long as possible.

We only have one life and if this life is destroyed, we would have a hard time trying to get more life. Try to keep living as long as possible. Elijah Muhammad goes on to say that Allah (God) taught me to eat one meal a day. It will keep you here for a very long time. You will be able to live over 100 years.

The advice that Elijah Muhammad gave in his book many years ago is now recognized by many health professionals and the wise among us. Tobacco, alcohol, and cigarettes are not good for us. Stop drinking beer and wine. Today we see much emphasis to refrain from using these products because they shorten our life. Once you get started using these it is hard to stop. You can save hundreds and thousands of dollars if you let these things go. You are only making the people who make these products richer. They are death to your children if they also use them at an early age. They affect the heart, lungs, and other organs of the body.

In this book, Elijah Muhammad gives advice on what foods to eat to stay healthy. He advises people to stay away from all pork products. Eat the best food. Stay away from eating fried foods. Stay away from eating foods that are contained in metal cans as much as possible.

Try to can fruits and vegetables in glass jars. As I read this, it brought back memories of my mother who always canned fruits and vegetables and she stored them in glass jars for the winter months. Try to purchase fresh vegetables. There are many farmers’ markets today. This book was written by Elijah Muhammad and published in 1967.