A couple of friends loaned a book to me recently called Adam and Eve After the Pill, by Mary Eberstat, and it was a real eye-opener, not only about the terrible side effects of contraceptives on all
levels of our health and society, but also about something else: FOOD!
Below is an excerpt from Ch. 6, p. 94, "The Transvaluation of Values, Part One: Is Food the New Sex?":
The
desire for food and the desire for sex share a number of interesting
similarities, as philosophers and artists from Aristotle onward have had
occasion to remark here and there across the centuries. But perhaps the
most important link is this: Both appetites, if pursued without
consequence, can prove ruinous not only to oneself, but also to other
people, and even to society itself. For that reason, both appetites have
been subject in all civilizations to rules both formal and informal.
In
this chapter (p. 99), there is the story of Betty, a homemaker of
thirty years old in 1958, and her granddaughter Jennifer, a college age
young woman of today. Betty's lack of rules and bad habits regarding
food preparation and consumption were very similar to my mother's (and mine).
Jennifer's rules, on the other hand, resembled many college age kids of today: fresh, not canned, possibly vegan. Betty's rules
about sex were also similar to my mother's (and mine); while, Jennifer's
were much like Betty's lack of rules regarding food: live-in boyfriend, contraception, etc.
A
personal awareness of the hypocrisy of championing the rules of sex
(Leaven for Humanae Vitae) while pretty much ignoring the rules of sound
nutrition had troubled me for years, but never was it so well
articulated as in the pages of this book. What I read in this chapter
brought the subject of temperance regarding food to a whole new level
for me. It was not many days after that I learned I have breast cancer!
That
began much more research and a whole new, almost instant change in my
own eating habits and my husband's. I realized that the governing
"rule" as far as following rules about food went for me, growing up and
in my adult years was this: Does it taste good?
My mother was known for her good cooking, and as I thought about it, I
realized that she added sugar to almost everything she cooked. I
realized that that alone caused overeating of
almost
whatever she cooked, at least for me. As a young person, she had been
one of those who was unable
to gain weight no matter how much she ate, so she may have added the
sugar to try to remedy her own need initially. What I discovered in the
book, though, is that she was not unlike many others her age, living in a
post World War II economy of abundance of food and many less healthful
practices regarding it. For me, it resulted in sugar addiction and
obesity.
According
to my doctor and that research, I have also learned that there are
several possible and likely causes for the cancer: 1) use of the Pill in
my early 20's (chemically and emotionally, as in maternal wounds cause more maternal wounds 2) unusual emotional stress within three years prior to
the onset of cancer 3) lifelong consumption of sugar and other
cancer-feeding foods and obesity, and possibly a few other less
surprising factors such as family history of cancer.
So,
most of my time is spent learning new ways to choose, buy, clean,
prepare, and eat foods that will regenerate my immune system. But
eventually, I would love to get out and about and tell others the good
news of the importance of paying just as much attention to food rules as
to sex rules. BOTH forms of purity (temperance) are vitally important
on all levels.
It
is an exciting journey, even though at times scary and difficult. I'm
grateful for the new experience, which I would never have undertaken
without the powerful motive I have now.
I find it very interesting and consoling that it was the Tony Crowe Family that The Leaven
took on as a project in 2010 with your help. Tony and Ann were in the
process of
developing an organic produce farm to provide for their family. I had
no idea at the time why organic food was important, only that they
needed help supporting their family. Today, Tony
and Ann continue to develop their business as best they can in a
country (Ireland) that just opened it's very first abortion clinic ever
(Imagine!), while they raise their nine beautiful children, both
endeavors superbly countercultural to the culture of death.
It's
hard not to connect the dots to to think it's none other than Divine
Providence that now it is organic food that is so important to my health
now. We eat nothing else, and it is worth every penny. By your
contributions, some of you were a blessing to the Crowes, and now they
are a personal blessing to me. I hope to pass it on to you through this
and future writings.
Please
consider watching the link I've included about GMO's (genetically
modified organisms). Nebraska is a high cancer state, and this video
details some reasons that shed light on this reality and more. The
discussion of food is a topic for everyone, though, not just Nebraska.
There is legislation in this regard coming up for a vote in some states
(CA) soon.
Please listen and pass on to those you love!
St. Isadore, patron of farmers, pray for us!
St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein), pray for us!
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