I have been on one of my jaunts, and down numerous rabbit holes looking for good food.
I have come to the conclusion that pretty much everything needed for our consumption for a healthy life is tied up in nature, and more pertinently in the small but mighty seed.
In my meanderings I started off in Genesis, and found, what seems to me to be a comprehensive summary of God’s provision of food for man and beast. I read that on the third day God spoke –
” And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ” Genesis 1:12
Seeds are the primary method of propagation in most plant families.
And so God in His goodness and provision perpetually stocked up man’s pantry for food, as a self producing food factory, all through seeds.
When I told my husband that seeds are good for him, he promptly told me that he was not a budgie !! That is what comes to most minds when we speaks of seeds. But seeds are so much more than bird food or cattle feed.
I researched and read that there are different types of seeds.
GRAINS : A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legumes. Grains and cereals are synonymous with caryopses the fruits of the grass family. ref : Wikipedia
Examples of grass seeds : maize, millet, barley, oats, rye, spelt,wheat, sorghum.
If you think about it these form the basis of our cereals, providing health-sustaining food for our bodies.
They form the staple diet of many people groups, and their nutritive value is immense.
Legumes : or grain legumes are members of the Pea family and they are higher in protein.
Some examples : Chickpeas, common beans, common garden peas, fava beans, lime beans, lentils, lupins, mung beans and soybeans.
HERBS
In general use, herbs are plants with savoury or aromatic properties that are used for flavouring and garnishing food, medicinal purposes or for fragrances. Ref : Wikipedia
Some examples : Basil Parsley, Thyme, Sage and Dill.
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
Botanically speaking, a fruit is a seed-bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant, whereas vegetables are all other plant-parts, such as roots, leaves and stems for example :
Fruit – apples squash tomatoes, – while roots such as beets, potatoes turnips, and leaves such as spinach, kale and lettuce, and stems eg. celery, broccoli are all vegetables
Ref : http://www.livescience.com
Fruit trees :
The fruit tree and their seeds provide us, with a little heaven on earth.
Fruit has natural filtered water, natural sugars, vitamins, minerals, flavours and other nutrients too. Cool and refreshing, nutritious and absolutely delicious all at the same time – and a veritable natural pharmacy !
Dr Cherry in his book The Bible Cure says :
Grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables are sources we have available to us for carbohydrates.
The main focus of your food intake should come from the following groups of complex carbohydrates
+ Green/yellow vegetables.
+ Grains, including cereal, rice, whole grain breads,
+ Fruits.
+ Beans and Peas
What astonished me, was the fact that this food is self-generating – of course terms and conditions apply e.g. good soil, moisture, sunlight, and air must be in supply.
One definition of a seed : A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plant which occurs after fertilization and some growth with-in the mother plant. Ref : http://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/seed
What is an Ovule ? – the part of the ovary of seed plants that contain the female germ cell and after fertilisation becomes the seed.
Perhaps that is a bit to much information ! But seemingly a pattern is set, which I suspect is a pattern for not only food but for the way of Life itself. The ovule, is where the seed grows. Humans too come from the same concept. There must be a blue print for the pattern of Life.
The life-cycle of the seed, to me, reflects such a pattern.
However, apart from the marvellous provision that the seed provides for our good food, our health and well-being, the seed also illustrates for us life-lessons.
“Be fruitful and multiply’ That is the purpose of the seed to be productive and to cause increase.
“There will always be seed-time and harvest time – a pattern for the prosterity of life. There are seasons in our personal lives too …… ” a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to make war and a time to make peace”
“Sowing and reaping” is a principle not only applied to the farmer, but to reciprocity, to finance and even hinge on justice and reprisal.
Seeds are in our genealogies.
(Yes, somewhere in every family tree there may be a nut!)
God planted a seed in Abraham, with the promise of many many descendants, even while his wife Sarah was old and barren. Abraham believed God, and so began the story of the People of Faith, who would exponentially grow in history, to make the invisible God known to the nations of the world.
Hidden in plain sight, but perhaps a little obscure in the heap of histories, is Jesus Christ, who is Abraham’s Seed, (ref : Gal 3:16)
God’s promise of salvation for the People of His Promise, that would extend far beyond Abraham’s imagination.
Not all seeds grow, but all have potential to grow – (author unknown)
A seed can hold a destiny, because faith (what you think and what you believe) is like a seed. The promises of God are the seeds of faith. We can believe them, nourish them in our thought-life to grow a better and more abundant tomorrow.
The Seed is the word of God – Luke 8:11
It is good spiritual food for intellectual understanding, and the sound development of mind, soul, and spirit – and that of our societies !
But there is another life lesson the seed brings to us, and it is that of transformation.
“……… unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. (John 12:24
If a grain of wheat dies, it can produce and become more. More grain, – and more bread to give food and life to many who are hungry.
That is perhaps the hidden essence of life – to die so that there can be a rebirth. A surrendered life of ‘becoming’ is an ongoing process, but carries with it seeds of great magnitude, and a new consciousness. One just has to ponder the story of the Cross of Christ, and the resurrection power of transformation.
All plant life starts with seeds. They are small, but they are mighty. Seeds are not just little ‘husky’ things, but carry various and necessary compounds that work in our bodies in many precise and methodical ways to grow cells or to repair damaged ones. Therein lies the wonder of the seed.
Seeds, plants and nutrition all have a part to play in the restorative power that can bring healing and wellness to a sick body.
Plants are loaded with essential minerals, vitamins and disease-fighting nutrients that are often lacking in our modern-day diets.
I read of some cancer fighting plants, with their unique compounds found in their substance : There are many more of course
Garlic and Onions : – Allium compounds, which increase activity of immune cells that fight cancer and indirectly help to break down cancer causing substances.
Grapes : contain ellagic acid., this compound blocks enzymes necessary for cancer cells to grow, thus slowing the growth of tumors. Grapes also contain compounds that can prevent blood clots. Another substance in grape skins (resveratrol) prevents deposit of cholesterol in arteries.
Citrus Fruits – contain limonene, which stimulates cancer-killing immune cells (T-lymphocytes and others) Oranges are shown to have strong anticancer benefits.
Some 60 anti-cancer chemicals contained in citrus fruits.
Tomatoes – contain lycopene, an anti cancer substance, some researches suggest may be stronger than beta carotene.
Watermelons, Carrots and Red Peppers also contain this powerful substance.
Broccoli and Cabbage – contain indoles, can effect estrogen converting it to a benign form that will not stimulate abnormal breast cancer cells. These cruciferous vegetables contain multiple cancer fighting chemicals. Brussel Sprouts and Cauliflower also fall in this category.
Ref : The Bible Cure. Dr Reginald Cherry M.C. Siloam Press.
I for one, would like to applaud those who are sowers of seeds, the farmer, the teacher and the preacher, for they scatter seeds that bring us good food for increased growth, health and sensible development.
But there are those who would modify the preciousness of the seed. These modifiers are those who tamper with the health and well-being of many generations to come !! To them I say ‘hands off our seeds’.
So in my jaunt in search of good food, the seed became the focal point of consideration. Think about it, what comes first : the seed, the plant, the flower, the fruit, the death and then the rebirth – a cycle and a pattern for the good life, both physical and spiritual.
All that, and more is the precious seed from which plants grow and provide us with the most, and the best nutrition for sustaining the life of man and beast here on earth.
Here’s to good food and good health. Let’s be thankful and eat from God’s sustenance for us, provided ultimately through the Seed.
CareSA 