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Friday, November 2, 2012

Adam and Eve After the Pill: Is Food the New Sex?


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!

God is Love, and He loves us!!!

St. Isadore, patron of farmers, pray for us!
St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein), pray for us!

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