There are several reasons to eat healthy besides considering our own invidivual needs. With more and more people becoming conscious of what chemicals are put into their bodies, the holistic perspective can take the sidelines if the consciousness is not there. This holistic perspective should be at the forefront.
Some of us are already aware of the fact that we can not continue to eat ham-burgers, barbeque pork ribs and beef ribs for those "thinking" that they are eating healthy by not eating pork. Unfortunately for many of us, we have eaten so much chicken that many of us walk and begin to resemble chickens. It is becoming normal to see americans with protruding stomachs, large trunks and gil like lower chins.
It does not have to be this way. Aging should be like wine in body and mind. The purpose of this article is not to tell you what to eat or how to eat. It is to grab your attention briefly to consider the ecological effects of our stomachs conditioned desires. Please consider the following:
It can take 10 fossil fuel calories to produce each food calorie in the average American or S.A.D. (Standard American Diet). 2,000 calories of food can take about 20,000 calories to grow and get it in front of your stomach on your plate or box carton of food-stuff. In short, to grow, process and deliver to a family of four each year requires the equivalent of 34,000 kilowatt-hours of energy or more than 930 gallons of gasoline. What a waste of energy!!!
According to an article written by Thomas Starrs at chair@ases.org, which some of the information in this article is based from, David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agricultural science at Cornell University estimated that if all of humanity ate the way Americans ate, fossil fuels would be exhausted in just seven years. Keep in mind that fossil fuels are what we use for gas and we are not even considering fossil fuel consumption from our vehicles at this point.
According to Starrs, much of this energy consumption comes from growing grains that require further processing to be eaten. This is a double whammy. First, highly processed grains can create mucous build-up causing all kinds of problems. The more known problems are constipation, diabetes and digestion issues, which some term irritable bowel syndrome or leaky gut syndrome.
A 2 pound box of breakfast cereal requires the equivalent of burning half a gallon of gasoline. This is crazy consumption as is evident. This means that you are wreaking havoc on not only our bodies by adding to the possibility of cavities, constipation, so-called flu or cold, which is really a mucous build-up, yet we are abusing the world's resources. So, we have to pay individually and cause the world to suffer as well. With a holistic perspective, we know that we are interdependent and not altogehter independent, so respect for the environment is at the forefront in our actions.
Fresh raw fruit such as an apple or carrot gives us the caloric energy needed, but feeding these foods to a pig and then eating the pig reduces the energy available by a factor of 10 according to Starrs. This reminds me of speaking with a customer representative at the Vitamin Shoppe. The lady was trying her best to influence me on the benefits of the programs in "The Maker's Diet" and this author's other book, which I only browsed through and did not find anything useful besides telling people that ask me, don't do it, there are better works based on scientific data. She told me that vitamin B12 was not best absorbed by eating vegetables and that the best absorbption is by eating meats.
Not that we judge by merely looking at the external, yet this customer representative was literally about 150 pounds overweight. Our outerworld can be a reflection of our inner world. She went on about needing to eat meat and that a vegetarian diet was unhealthy. I browsed the book, "The Maker's Diet" and it spoke of eating eggs, beef and chicken if I remember correctly. I was actually shocked. Free-range, religious beliefs or not, there is too much evidence and clinical studies avaiable to prove that our best protein and nutrition absorbption and assmilation are not from animals, yet from a good cross or combination of vegetables and fruits.
This brings us back to a holistic perspective. If we only consider our stomachs, then we may think narrowly, selfishly and individually. Life is bigger than our stomachs. While she was talking, I thought to myself, why get the vitamin B12 second hand from the animal, why not direct? Remember, if we feed the same apple or carrot mentioned above to a pig and then eat the pig, it reduces the energy available by a factor of 10. Pigs use most of their energy to stay alive and stores a fraction of this in the parts that many of us eat. Oh, I forgot to mention that some of us eat every part of the pig, chitlins, pig feet and pig testicles. It takes 68 calories of fossil fuel to produce one calorie of hog, swine or pork, whichever term you use and 35 calories to produce one calorie of beef.
I have heard and seen many religious and secular people go on a fruit, vegetable, raw food, liquid intake program and water fast. How many people have we heard of going on a pig, beef or chicken fast? Actually, many people sort of do this on a daily basis without knowing it. If they would subtract the white flour bun or bubble gum bread or glue-like food such as macaroni and cheese that they eat with these meats, it would be a meat fast. Have you ever heard of anyone, besides football players or special programs seen on TV that we may never verify, go on a meat based program in order to get stronger mentally physically and spiritually? If so, please email me and let me know how it works and the results. Please.....
Ask yourself what the energy consumption is to eat fresh raw fruits and vegetables locally grown? What does it cost you to get food at the local farmers market, down the street or in your backyard? 80% of the grains are used to feed livestock. Consider all the McMurder burgers and Home of the Whopping Death that some of us consume.
According to the article, the food in the local grocery stores are shipped an average of 1,500 miles. For instance, table grapes grown in Chile, transported to California and shipped by truck to Iowa have travelled over 4,200 miles. Consider the carbon dioxide emissions, gasoline usage, accidents from trying to make the deadline shipment and the lack of fresh foods that one pays for. We are not speaking of manufactured food, genetically engineered vegetarian or totally processed products called foods.
Consider the Hawaiian pineapple that travels by air rather than by ship, considered to be the most carbon intensive food, contributes approximately 40 pounds of carbon dioxide per pound of pineapple. I enjoy eating pineapples as you do, yet have an ethical and ecological position as well. This goes for bananas made by Dole, Del Monte and Chiquita in regard to their inhumane practices, organic or conventional. For a visual documentation of this, take a look at the documentary Lifeand Debt.
While embarking on our journey for better health, quality of life and our interdependent needs, let us keep a holistic perspective in mind. What we do today not only affects our bodies minds and spirits tomorrow, yet will affect what happens on the other side of the planet and our future.
For any comments, concerns, suggestions or corrections, feel free to contact me at khaazra@dpeeps.com
