Adventist seminar to offer health tips

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Little Rock is shown in this February 2011 file photo. A permanent sign was mountained on the building on North Rodney Parham Road in 2016. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette file photo)
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Little Rock is shown in this February 2011 file photo. A permanent sign was mountained on the building on North Rodney Parham Road in 2016. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette file photo)

Little Rock's Seventh-day Adventist Church will host a free health seminar for three days next weekend, offering tips on lowering blood pressure, reversing type 2 diabetes, losing weight and improving brain function.

The sessions, Friday-Feb. 20, will be held at Delta Hotels by Marriott Little Rock West.

The guest speaker is Dr. David DeRose, pastor of Fort Wayne Seventh-day Adventist Church in Indiana and a physician licensed in California.

DeRose co-wrote "Thirty Days to Natural Blood Pressure Control" and is the author of "The Methuselah Factor: Learn How to Live Sharper, Leaner, Longer, and Better -- in Thirty Days or Less."

Though it hasn't been independently verified by Guinness World Records, Methuselah holds the biblical record for earthly longevity. According to the book of Genesis, the biblical patriarch died at the ripe-old age of 969.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, since its inception, has emphasized the importance of proper nutrition and exercise -- and the emphasis has been beneficial.

A November 2005 article in National Geographic, titled "The Secrets of Long Life," highlighted Loma Linda, Calif., saying the heavily Adventist community produces a surprising number of centenarians and that people there tend to enjoy "more healthy years of life." See: tinyurl.com/2p9fkfcu

Adventists also appear to weigh less than other religious people, according to a 2017 review of quantitative studies published in Obesity Reviews. See: https://tinyurl.com/2p8t62a9

Loma Linda University, where DeRose studied medicine, is an Adventist institution. Since its inception, the denomination has built hospitals in the United States and around the world.

Ellen G. White, whose writings are considered "divinely inspired" by Adventists, repeatedly emphasized the importance of a simple, natural diet.

"Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator," she wrote in her 1905 book, "The Ministry of Healing."

"These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing," White wrote. "They impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet."

Adventists consider pork and shellfish to be unclean; their consumption is forbidden.

Many Adventists go a step further, adhering to a vegetarian diet. In recent years, many have also adopted a vegan diet.

Taylor Hinkle, the pastor of Little Rock Seventh-day Adventist church, said it's important to care for the body as well as the soul.

"The way that Christ ministered to people was both in their physical health and spiritual health," he said. "We actually do a lot of things for the community for just physical health awareness."

Seats for the seminar can be reserved by going to betterhealthevents.org/LittleRock or by calling (888) 304-3406.

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