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A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 

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“Magic Bullets” – 27 December 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

Have you noticed how certain foods become popular as “magic bullets”? Two that come to mind are olive oil and soy, which are considered “health foods” by many people.

Some studies have pointed out that certain populations of the world enjoyed better health and longevity. The conclusions reached by such studies seem to apply to those who are/were less affluent and who do/did not have access to the “foods” of more affluent western nations. Generations seemed to thrive on a diet readily available in their areas, as well as more physical activity.

Instead of analyzing which detrimental foods are not readily available to these populations, the lack of which may be the reason for their good health, oftentimes attention is centered on a “magic bullet” product. For example: soy was often touted as the reason for superior health in Asian countries when actually the restricted consumption of animal products and processed foods, due to their lack of easy accessibility, was probably the reason.

The answer to good health is not simply adding soy products to a western diet full of disease-promoting animal products and highly processed foods, but in avoiding animal-derived and highly processed foods in the first place. There has been a dramatic increase in cancer, heart disease, and other degenerative diseases of affluence in Japanese who consume a western diet full of flesh and dairy products.

The “Mediterranean Diet” appears to have given rise to the popularity of olive oil. Yet in those Mediterranean areas where beef and dairy have become popular and the populace has become more sedentary (as they watch more TV) diseases of affluence are skyrocketing. Obviously, adding olive oil to a flesh and dairy laden, junk food diet will not benefit. It was the available food that generations thrived on that kept these people healthy, not one “magic bullet” component – olive oil.

Copying the eating habits of more affluent nations has promoted a plethora of diseases in populations once looked upon as examples of good health. These countries are paying a steep price for the perceived glamour and status symbols afforded by sought-after, health-destroying fast foods and other animal-derived products.

Here’s an afterthought: Isn’t it interesting how products from physically and emotionally tortured animals have a deleterious effect on the humans who consume them? It is almost as though the animals are being avenged for their suffering.

Go on to: Blood Pressure - 28 December 2006
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