The "Word of Wisdom" Taught by Master Herbalist David Christopher

Eating In Its Season

What a Word of Wisdom class taught me about balance, temperance — and the humble little experiment I’m starting today.

If you love herbs, you probably know the name Dr. John R. Christopher, the well-known herbalist who founded the School of Natural Healing, and his son David Christopher, a Master Herbalist who runs the school today. I’ve learned so much from their lectures, books, and recordings over the years. This past Saturday my husband and I attended the LDS Wholistic Living Conference in West Jordan, Utah, and out of all the wonderful speakers, I spent my time in two of David Christopher’s classes. One was on the Word of Wisdom — and that’s the one I keep turning over in my mind.

The teaching that landed hardest for me was about eating meat. The Word of Wisdom says flesh is “to be used sparingly,” and that it is pleasing to the Lord for it to be used mostly “in times of winter, or of cold, or famine” (D&C 89:12–13). I’d read those verses plenty of times — but sitting in that class, I realized I’d never really let the words sparingly and in season sink in. I’d been serving meat and dairy without much thought about either.

David reads those verses as a call to eat lighter, plant-forward food when the earth is generous — spring and summer, when fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and grains are in season — and to lean on heartier animal foods when the body truly needs them: deep cold, hard physical labor, scarcity. (That’s one faithful reading of the Word of Wisdom, and the one that spoke to me; thoughtful Latter-day Saints land in different places on exactly what “sparingly” looks like.)

“Eat like a Russian”

He illustrated it with a story about his own son. The Christophers are a family that eats very little meat or dairy, so when David’s son left to serve a mission in Russia, the young man was hesitant to eat meat at all. His father’s counsel was simple: “Eat like a Russian!”

At first the young missionary resisted. He tried to keep to his usual way of eating while spending long days knocking on doors in forty-degrees-below-zero cold, rarely invited inside, out in that brutal weather hour after hour. He grew so weak and sick that he was nearly sent home — until his father finally convinced him that in this season, in this climate, his body genuinely needed the sustenance of meat. He began eating like a Russian, his strength came back, and he was able to finish his mission.

There’s a season for hearty food and a season for light. Wisdom is knowing which one your body is actually in.

That’s the balance I took home. There is a time for meat — the traditional Inuit thrived through the arctic on it — and there’s a time to fill your plate with the fresh, living food of spring and summer. It was never meant to be all-or-nothing. It was meant to be wise.

My little 90-day experiment

So here’s what I’m doing. For the next ninety days I’m going to lean WAY into plants — going very light on flesh and dairy — as a personal reset, just to pay attention and see how my body responds. I’m taking a “before” and “after” photo, and I started today.

…And I’ll be honest with you: I stumbled before lunch! My husband had lovingly made me a salad — with organic chicken in it, which I ate without thinking. Then I made homemade corn tortillas and, out of pure habit, dipped a corner of one into butter. So much for day one! I was amazed how many times my hand drifted toward the Greek yogurt or reached to slice off a piece of Vermont sharp cheddar. Clearly these foods are woven deep into my routine — which is exactly why paying attention feels worth doing.

My cousin has a saying I’m leaning on hard this week: “It is better to have IMPERFECT ACTIVITY than PERFECT INACTIVITY.” A buttered tortilla is not a failed experiment. It’s just a human one.

A friendly nutrition note. If you ever try a plant-forward stretch like this, it’s a lovely way to eat more vegetables and reset your habits — just make it about abundance, not deprivation. Keep getting plenty of protein (beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and eggs if you include them), and keep an eye on iron, calcium, and especially vitamin B12, which is genuinely hard to get without animal foods. Eating lighter on meat should still leave you strong and well-fed. If you have any health conditions, check with your doctor before cutting out food groups for a stretch.

Milk as a condiment

After class I got to talk with Fawn Christopher — David’s wife, who co-hosts their “A Healthier You” radio broadcast — and she offered a line I keep repeating to myself: think of milk as a condiment, not a beverage. That reframe alone changes so much.

My kids have had stuffy noses this week, and over the years I’ve noticed that when we go a stretch without milk, their congestion seems to ease — even though ours is raw milk. (Now, the popular idea that milk makes everyone mucusy hasn’t really held up in studies; but a true dairy sensitivity is a real thing, and if you notice a consistent pattern in your own family, it’s worth watching and mentioning to your doctor.) Honestly, I think our issue is simpler — my kids had been drinking milk like it was the only beverage in the house. For these ninety days, if I buy milk at all, we’ll treat it Fawn’s way: a splash here and there, a condiment, not a flood.

Come do it with me?

I haven’t told anyone but my husband — yet somehow, writing it here makes it real, and gives me a sense of duty to actually finish what I’ve said I’ll do. I could use a little company on this one. If you’ve been feeling nudged toward eating lighter and more seasonally, would you consider joining me? We could cheer each other on. It won’t be effortless — but I think it’s going to be good.

“…flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly.” - Doctrine & Covenants 89:12

With much love, Steffanie

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This reflects our family’s personal, faith-based approach to eating and is not medical advice. Please talk with a qualified healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, feeding young children, or managing a health condition.