10 Reasons to Hate Veg*ans

It's continually amazing to me how intense are the feelings of meat eaters when they become aware they've come into contact with a veg*an (vegetarian/vegan). Rarely do they ask pertinent questions: "Why did you decide to abstain from animal products?"; "Have you found your diet/lifestyle to be beneficial?"; even, "How are you doing with your decision?"

Instead, they either step back, aghast and fearful of infection with the disease, or they attack: "What're you some kind of hippy nutcase?"; "There's nothing in the Bible that says eating meat is a sin - IN FACT! God tells us to eat meat!"; and the fake caring, "Oh dear! How do you get your protein? Aren't you afraid you'll get sick?" (Like they go around counting how many grams of protein, etc. they eat!)

So many of them wind up getting all confused and tangled up in their false claims and fears, it's rather sad to watch them. Therefore, I thought I'd help our my carcass-eating friends with a list of good, solid reasons to hate veg*ans:

1. Them durn veg*uns are always tellin me how meat and good stuff will hurt me! How dare they stick their ol noses in my business? If I want to ruin my and my kids' health, that's my own business! I can push any dangerous substance on my kids I want to, like hamburgers, hot dogs, cigarettes, beer, meth, milk, sodie pops. They're my kids!
2. Looking smug while sitting there all skinny and healthy and all! If I want a 52 inch waist line, I'll durn sure have one! I don't need your ol pink cheeks grinnin at me when I try to get up from my chair.
3. They don't hold up their end on supporting the healthcare industry. Why is it, me and my kids have to be sure the doctors and hospitals and clinics stay in business? Stoopid veg*ans don't have to go to them near as much as we*uns do. Just ain't fair! (Where's my heart pills, Mother, I'm a gittin worked up!)
4. And how come I have to pay more for life insurance then them? If I'm gonna die sooner, seems like mine should cost less!
5. They don't have to walk near as far as I do when they go grocery shopping! There dumb ol produce department is always at the front of the store, while my meat, cheese, and budder is all the way at the back! Don't the grocery store people know we get short of breath quicker?
6. They make me sick, goin on and on about how my beloved meat is hurting the environment. Who cares about the chicken, cow, and pig poop anyways? That's just good fertilizer to grow more crops to feed my animals. Who cares if it takes a whole lot more veggies to make a little bit of meat? Ain't like people's starvin, is it?
7. They make me feel uncomfortable with all their talk about sufferin and tortured animals. I can't help it if animals gotta be penned up tight all their lives so I can eat a big ol greasy burger. It ain't none a my business how the food gets to my plate, just so long as there's plenty of it!
8. If they're so concerned about the starving children in third world countries, let them kids raise their own cows and pigs and chickens! I don't know what they'll feed their animals! Send them some food for the animals! Starvin kids across the world ain't my concern, as long as my kids get hot dogs and pertater chips!
   
9. It also annoys me when they start off talkin about God meanin for us to be veg*uns in the beginning. That was then, in the Garden of Eden. I don't care what God wanted us to do. I ain't never killt no body - not directly, anyways. I CAIN'T LIVE WITHOUT MY MEAT!
10. When we all get old, I've heard them veg*uns will be stealing our wives and husbands in the nursing homes! It ain't fair! Not only will they live longer, they'll be in better shape! Stoopid veg*uns! Wow! muy hearts a'poundin outta my chest! Mother! where's them heart pills? Better call 9-1-1 agin, Mother. I'm having another one of them attacks!

Feel free to pass this along to your meat eating friends. Just don't wait too long - you may be too late!

The Price of Laziness

It's been a rough week. I started out last weekend feeling oddly like I had the flu or something - achy, upset stomach, etc. Then, just out of the blue, I happened to check my blood sugar - it was 385! That's more than twice what it was at its worst two years ago when I first got it.

My vegan diet got me out of trouble then, bringing my numbers all back down into healthy levels, but apparently my occasional "allowances" have been adding up. First I let cooking oils back in - granted I used extra virgin olive, but it's still oil*. Then I began falling for my old temptress, cheese**. Only a little, at first, but then eating pizza fairly often - even plain cheese pizza with all the different kinds of cheese. I should have recognized that I was getting too far off track when I began buying into the whole "eggs are part of a healthy diet" jazz and started eating EGGS#!

The clue that finally got my attention was when I started have "rolling blackouts" where I'd start to do or say something and just phase out. My wife was getting worried and so was I, when I could remember having the blackout. I got a new batch of glucose test strips and found the bad news.

So - go to the doctor and let him insist that I begin Metformin or some other poisonous diabetes drug, or get myself back to basics and clean the machine.

Duh.

I set out Monday morning to renew my commitment to Dr. Barnard's Program to Reverse Diabetes, the book that saved me before. All this week I've had gentle breakfasts: steelcut oatmeal with no butter or oil, just flavorings and flax meal, or rye toast with banana spread (that's a soft banana spread on the toast!). Followed by very basic lunches: frozen fresh veggies with rice or pasta, or beans and rice; and dinner of something similar - or my treat, non fat refried beans and rice and veggie cheese burritos with lots of salsa on top. Oh, and only water to drink. Snacks were some boiled baby potatoes, salad munchies, or crisp rye bread.

Today, five days into the diet, my blood glucose was 185, 245, and 211. Not great, and certainly not where I want or need to be, but one half what it was just a few days ago.

Was it hard? Not really. I am motivated by fear and necessity, so I am sticking with the plan well. It's nice to get back to the basics. I hope I won't have to restart again, but I might. At least I know there is a safe, reasonable solution to run to.

More updates later.

God bless y'all!
Bobby C.



*Any oil contributes to the intermyocellular fats that clog your muscle cells and prevent the proper intake of glucose.
** Cheese is basically condensed, concentrated cow's milk, which means all the blood, pus, and poisons of cow's milk in super strength form!
# Eggs do, indeed, have some good properties: vitamins, amino acids, etc. But they come wrapped in a cholesterol heavy, animal protein, high sodium soup. That's 1028mg of cholesterol (yes, one THOUSAND milligrams - that's FOUR times as much as a fatty 16 ounce T bone steak!). And animal proteins, as opposed to vegetable proteins, are extremely hard on your kidneys. Sodium - don't get me started!

Arguments against an Alternate Lifestyle

While I accept that eating meat is a personal choice, and that it is not considered a "sin" by God or His church (just as smoking cigarettes isn't), it is also true that flesh eating is not what our bodies were designed for. We were created with a specific diet (fuel source, if you will) in Mind - vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes. Carnivorism, or carrion eating, is an alternative lifestyle choice some may choose over the recommended, natural way we were intended to live.


Whether you choose to avoid dead flesh and blood for religious, environmental, or health reasons, here are some facts which may help you explain your choice to others if they pester you - which scavengers tend to do when their own unnatural lifestyle is challenged. And for some reason (conscience perhaps?) just by being a vegetarian, they feel we challenge their alternative lifestyle.


Thoughts?

The Hunger Argument

Number of people worldwide who will die as a result of malnutrition this year: 20 million
Number of people who could be adequately fed using land freed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 100 million
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by people: 20
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 80
Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95
Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90
How frequently a child dies as a result of malnutrition: every 2.3 seconds
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 40,000
Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 250
Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of edible flesh from feedlot beef: 16

The Environmental Argument

Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels
Fossil fuels needed to produce meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 3 times more
Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75
Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85
Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million
Amount of meat imported to U.S. annually from Central and South America: 300,000,000 pounds
Percentage of Central American children under the age of five who are undernourished: 75
Area of tropical rain forest consumed in every quarter-pound of rain forest beef: 55 square feet
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rain forests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 per year

The Cancer Argument

Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week: 3.8 times
For women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week: 2.8 times
For women who eat butter and cheese 2-4 times a week: 3.25 times
Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs. sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times.

The Cholesterol Argument

Number of U.S. medical schools: 125
Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30
Nutrition training received by average U.S. physician during four years in medical school: 2.5 hours
Most common cause of death in the U.S.: heart attack
How frequently a heart attack kills in the U.S.: every 45 seconds
Average U.S. man's risk of death from heart attack: 50 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat: 15 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat, dairy or eggs: 4 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption of meat, dairy and eggs by 10 percent: 9 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption by 50 percent: 45 percent
Amount you reduce risk if you eliminate meat, dairy and eggs from your diet: 90 percent
Average cholesterol level of people eating meat-centered-diet: 210 mg/dl
Chance of dying from heart disease if you are male and your blood cholesterol level

is 210 mg/dl: greater than 50 percent

The Natural Resources Argument

User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock production
Amount of water used in production of the average cow: sufficient to float a destroyer
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of wheat: 25
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of California beef: 5,000
Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13
Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260
Calories of fossil fuel expended to get 1 calorie of protein from beef: 78
To get 1 calorie of protein from soybeans: 2
Percentage of all raw materials (base products of farming, forestry and mining, including fossil fuels) consumed by U.S. that is devoted to the production of livestock: 33
Percentage of all raw materials consumed by the U.S. needed to produce a complete vegetarian diet: 2

The Antibiotic Argument

Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55  (70% today)
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13
Percentage resistant in 1988: 91
Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban
Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support

The Pesticide Argument

Common belief: U.S. Department of Agriculture protects our health through meat inspection
Reality: fewer than 1 out of every 250,000 slaughtered animals is tested for toxic chemical residues
Percentage of U.S. mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 99
Percentage of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 8
Contamination of breast milk, due to chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in animal products, found in meat-eating mothers vs. non-meat eating mothers: 35 times higher
Amount of Dieldrin ingested by the average breast-fed American infant: 9 times the permissible level

The Ethical Argument

Number of animals killed for meat per hour in the U.S.: 660,000
Occupation with highest turnover rate in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker
Occupation with highest rate of on-the-job-injury in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker

The Survival Argument

Athlete to win Ironman Triathlon more than twice: Dave Scott (6 time winner)
Food choice of Dave Scott: Vegetarian
Largest meat eater that ever lived: Tyrannosaurus Rex (Where is he today?)

Source = "Diet For A New America" by John Robbins

Food for Thought for Food

Plutarch taught: Can you really ask what reason Pythagoras had for abstaining from flesh? For my part I rather wonder both by what accident and in what state of soul or mind did so, the first man touched his mouth to gore and brought his lips to the flesh of a dead creature, he who set forth tables of dead, stale bodies and ventured to call food and nourishment the parts that had little before bellowed and cried, moved and lived.

How could his eyes endure the slaughter when throats were slit and hides flayed and limbs torn from limb? How could his nose endure the stench? How was it that the pollution did not turn away his taste, which made contact with the sores of others and sucked juices and serums from mortal wounds?

It is certainly not lions and wolves that we eat out of self-defense; on the contrary, we ignore these and slaughter harmless, tame creatures without stings or teeth to harm us, creatures that, I swear, Nature appears to have produced for the sake of their beauty and grace. But nothing abashed us, not the flower-like like tinting of the flesh, not the persuasiveness of the harmonious voice, not the cleanliness of their habits or the unusual intelligence that may be found in the poor wretches.

No, for the sake of a little flesh we deprive them of sun, of light, of the duration of life to which they are entitled by birth and being.
-----

We consume the carcasses of creatures of like appetites, passions and organs with our own, and fill the slaughterhouses daily with screams of pain and fear.
-Robert Louis Stevenson
-----
I don't eat chicken anymore. I won't eat it. I won't allow it in my house. -Rodney Leonard - U.S. Poultry inspector

 -----
Based on my experience in Los Angeles, my advice to the public is not to eat meat. - Gregorio Natavidad - meat inspector

Got Milk? Nuts to You!

Man! if it's this easy, why not get all the benefits of almond milk! Read about the nutritional value of almonds below the video ...



Almonds are popular for the following:

• they have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and tonic properties
• help alkalinize the blood and relieve stagnation in the liver,
• help to lubricate the lungs,
• relieve asthma and coughing,
• clear phlegm,
• improve energy and memory,
• strengthen the nervous system,
• increase strength and sexual vitality,
• are known as brain and bone food.

Almond milk can be sweetened with a bit of natural honey or raw sugar added to the blender. It tastes great alone, as a refreshing cold drink, or as a cooking additive in the place of moo milk. Speaking of "that other milk," almond milk has not cholesterol, animal fat, or mucus-making casein.

For those of you trying to cut out dairy and/or meat from your diet (good for you!!), almond milk can be a great help in your growth.

Keep it up!

Stronger Bones? Eat Veggies (not milk!)

For strong bones, milk or veggies? Veggies win hands down - Vegsource.com

If you're loading up on dairy but skimping on vegetables, you could still be at five times the risk of low bone mass. That's the implication of a recent Japanese study of roughly 100 female college students, comparing dietary patterns with bone mass. Those with daily intake of beta-carotene-rich veggies (e.g., carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, red bell peppers and pumpkin) were 500% less likely to suffer low bone mass. Since dairy intake was fairly similar across the board, researchers speculate that the difference in vegetable consumption was the decisive factor. This echoes similar, previous research, which found greater bone mass and less calcium excretion among girls with the highest fruit intake.

Why might that be? Well, as explored in Beyond Calcium, nutrient-dense fruit and vegetables provide the rainbow of other vitamins, minerals and antioxidants needed for overall bone health. For example,

• cantaloupe's a top beta-carotene source, but also provides 60% of daily vitamin C, needed to produce collagen, a structural component of strong bones. 
• Beta-carotene-rich leafy greens are also top sources of vitamin K, adequate intake of which is linked to a 65% lower fracture risk among seniors. 
• Beta-carotene-rich tomatoes are also a top source of lycopene, linked to 66% less bone loss in another recent study.

In addition to eating a plant-based diet, keep bones strong with plenty of weight-bearing exercise -- whether that's strength-training or high-impact team sports like soccer and volleyball.

For high-intensity athletes, bear in mind that you lose a significant amount of calcium and other nutrients needed for bone health through the profuse perspiration that comes with vigorous activity.

[respectfully shared from http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/12/veggies-500-times-more-important-to-bone-mass-than-milk.html]

Sweet Potato Pie - Made Better!

To make it easier for you to make that switch to building stronger bones with veggies, here's a super recipe for one of the bestest bone builders out there, sweet potatoes. 

Recipe: Vegan Sweet Potato Pie

Your friend's email address:

Your email address:

Message (optional):

2 cups cooked sweet potatoes
1 cup soymilk
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp oil
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp powdered cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Mash or blend sweet potatoes in food processor. Add remaining ingredients and mix completely. Pour mixture into unbaked vegan pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

 VEGSOURCE.COM | SABRINA NELSON | 11/09/09
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/11/vegan-sweet-potato-pie.html

MY Letter to IHOP

Most of you are aware of the Humane Society of the United States' campaign to stop the International House of Pancakes from using cruel, unsanitary battery caged chickens for their eggs. I joined over a million other concerned Americans and wrote (emailed) directly to IHOP about my concerns. Here is what I said to them:

Many of your concerned "customers" are not raving do-gooders. Many are common sense business persons like me. I run my own business, hold meetings and mini-conferences at local restaurants, and patronize eating establishments with my family and friends during my leisure time. 

I also am one who will not support your business while you continue unacceptable business practices. If your kitchens were filthy, your employees inconsiderate, or your menu unsavory, I would shun your restaurant. Since your procurement practices are very objectionable, I will avoid contact with your fare and I will encourage my associates, business and private, to go to other restaurants.

Please make life easier for both of us. Please refuse to purchase your foodstuffs from suppliers who exercise filthy, inconsiderate, unsavory practices. Free range eggs cost more. But free range eggs are much, much more flavorful and much healthier than the contaminated eggs you are foisting on your trusting (and discriminating) clientèle. 

Please choose better.
Sincerely,

You can view undercover investigative video of the supplier, Michael Foods, HERE.

Do you think this is a trivial problem? Or do you agree that this is a matter to be addressed? Why?
PLEASE COMMENT so others may get this information.

Vitamin B12

[NOTE: This information comes from VegFamily a very good source of reliable information for the wiser of us (i.e. veg*ans) and was orginally written by Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.]

Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria, fungi, and algae. Neither plants nor animals can synthesize the vitamin. Thus, it is not found in plant products naturally (there might be trace amounts in plant foods contaminated with B12-producing microorganisms, but we should not depend on contaminated food). Animal foods are reliable sources of B12 because large amounts of bacteria live inside animals, and vitamin B12 remains in flesh, milk, and eggs.

We vegans need to get B12 from supplements and/or fortified foods. The B12 added to foods and supplements are synthetically produced in a laboratory from bacteria, not animal sources. Here are some other foods that typically are B12-fortified. Make sure you read the food label! B12 is also called cobalamin.

• Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula Nutritional Yeast*
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Fortified soy milk
• Fortified vegetarian meat analogs
• Fortified energy or snack bars, such as Luna Bars
• Fortified soy powders or other beverage mixes

*Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor to foods; my favorite way to use it is in tofu scrambles.

By the way, the lack of vitamin B12 in plant foods has led many to question how "natural" a vegan diet is. After all, if an essential nutrient is lacking from a 100% plant-based diet, how can such a diet be good for you? This is a very good question. Remember, B12 is produced only by microorganisms. Consider the sanitary modern world: only in the last several decades have we had the luxury of treated water, power-washed produce, and machine-sanitized packaged foods. Before these conveniences, people (vegans and non-vegans) ate locally-grown fruits and vegetables and drank water from the well or public water supply, all of which were rich in vitamin B12 due to bacterial contamination. In those times, vitamin B12-producing microorganisms contaminated the entire food supply, not just animal products. The need of a modern-day vegan to supplement the diet with B12 is not because the vegan diet is inferior to a diet with animal products; it is the result of modern sanitary conditions

Thanksgiving or Turkey Day???

We ain't a eatin' no old dead birds for Thanksgiving this year!
 

We've got much more to be thankful for than the death of a bird just so we could eat it. The pilgrims and Indians didn't eat turkeys for the first Thanksgiving, so why do we? Marketing, man! The turkey farmers, just like the milk pushers are lying to you about the fake benefits of eating dead, rotting, pesticide and hormone filled bird bodies. Why do you think they clearly post the numbers to the Turkey Hotline on each bird? so you won't poison your family! Sheesh! But then, many of you go ahead and smoke cigarettes despite warnings, too!

God designed our bodies to operate at peak efficiency on a vegetarian diet (did too! see Genesis 1:29 for proof), so putting dead animal bodies and guts into your stomach is tantamount to putting diesel into a gasoline engine - NOT a good idea!

Here are some more reasons to skip the turkey this year:

 **************

No Turkey?! Why Not?

For the Animals

Abusing and killing an innocent bird betrays the life-affirming spirit of giving thanks for our life, health, and happiness. The nearly 300 million turkeys killed each year in the U.S. spend their entire lives crammed in large sheds with little room to move. Artificially inseminated and selectively bred to gain enormous amounts of weight, they suffer heart attacks, broken limbs, lameness, and death from their genetically-induced accelerated growth rate. Most of these same conditions apply to "free range" turkeys.

Click here to continue reading and learn more about atrocious animal farm practices or watch undercover investigations of turkey facilities.

For Your Health

Turkey flesh is loaded with cholesterol and saturated fats, which have been linked conclusively with an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases that kill 1.3 million Americans annually. Turkey flesh is also contaminated with deadly pathogens and antibiotics.

Click here to continue reading about the negative effects of turkey on our health.

For the Globe

In addition to threatening personal health, factory farming is a global problem. Much of the 10 billion pounds of manure generated by 7,300 turkey farms in 33 states ends up in our drinking water. Grain fed to turkeys is denied to millions of starving people in the world's most impoverished nations.

Click here to continue reading about how animal farming ruins the earth.

Want More?

Find out the Top Ten Reasons to drop turkey from your holiday menu!

Original source: http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/index.htm

God's Original Health plan:

Genesis 2:29:
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

The Daniel Fast: A Personal Experience

Around day 15, something started just gnawing at my brain. My clinical self began working at the speed of light as I started to note a marked difference in the health and stature of some of these people. One of my favorite ladies, suffering from osteoarthritis and on a steady diet of pain pills, seemed to just glide into service one night. I noticed she literally forgot to bring her walking stick, which was usually dutifully planted by her side. One of the gals, a busy and tired mom, commented on how well she was sleeping and enjoying her excess bursts of energy. A dangerously diabetic fellow had cut his use of insulin in half. Some of the kids, labeled hyper and otherwise ADHD, had started to show signs of settling and appeared much more relaxed.

The Daniel Fast: A Personal Experience

By Linda Posch

Each day that we awaken is certainly a glorious and a blessed day, given to us by the Lord our Father. My passion for each day and the wonders it brings is sometimes insurmountable. Often, it’s the simple things that radiate such joy through my heart. The sun peaking above the horizon, the branches of the trees swaying in the gentle morning breeze, watching my daughter sleep for she so looks like an angel and the nectar sweet taste of my breakfast, usually melon and a slice of spouted bread. I cannot imagine what more a person could ask for. One might ask, “Why so content?” Especially when so many do not feel peace in their hearts. My answer: I am lucky and I am blessed by God. My life experienced radical changes 6 years ago when one of the Lord’s messengers reached out to me. At a late age (it is never to late) I was saved. Through my salvation, I came to realize that the written word empowers us with everything we require in order to live a fruitful, gracious, peaceful and spiritual life.

I have worked within the confines of allopathic health care for over 17 years. My background includes neuro-rehab services in the areas of spinal cord injuries, strokes, and traumatic brain injuries. I have worked adult acute psychiatric care, special education services, and autistic child services. I have worked with cancer patients in rehab services and with those suffering Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s Korea and Dementia. I have worked with doctors, nurses, and other specialists who were absolutely brilliant, compassionate, and absolute masters in their fields. I have worked with the same, who were not so bright and possessed not one ounce of compassion. All the time doing my best to make sure that my patients received the very best of care, the care they deserved and as taught to me during so many years of University. However, despite my best efforts, I never really felt I was making the difference I had set out to do so early in life. Many of my patients were still sick or ailing, not making the strides, leaps, and bounds I had envisioned for them. While I was at a loss as to why, I came to find many years later that the Lord was not lost at all. God knew all. Unfortunately, I was neither intimate nor familiar with His word, wishes, and teachings. Therefore, I was limited as to what I could do for those in my care. I was also limited as to what I could do for myself and my family.

At the beginning of every year, my fellow parishioners (or should I say those who are willing to do so) take 3 weeks to fast for 21 days. The Daniel Fast they say. By fasting, it is meant that for 3 weeks nothing is consumed but water, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and juices. For those that feel really “tough”, and so inclined to do so, they will consume only fluids for the 3 weeks. During this time, the lists of taboo foods include any and ALL meat products, ALL sugar products, ALL fast food products, and ALL processed food products.

I did not partake in the Daniel Fast festivities even though I was a newly saved child of God. It really did sound particularly yucky to me. I decided to sit back and simply watch these folks who had destined themselves to eating sticks and roots for the next 21 days. After church that day, I went to my favorite ice cream shop and had a double chili dog topped off with a hot fudge sundae. I felt happy and quite satiated that day compared to my poor friends who were off to a meal of sprouts and lettuce. “No thank-you” I thought.

I did not expect that the Daniel Fast festivities would be that big a deal. But oh it was. By day 3-4, many began complaining of feeling light headed, dizzy and nauseated. Some of the most steadfast parishioners, those who never missed a service or a meeting, all of a sudden felt so badly that they had to stay home for a few days to rest. My silent thoughts were to tell them to “just go grab a burger and feel better”. This early phenomenon of “suffering” was my introduction to the concept of detoxification.

Around days 5-7 I noticed that my fellow Christians had begun huddling in almost clique type groups. They shared giggles, silent whispers, knowing looks and sometimes uncontrollable laughter. What was the big secret? A couple of these groups finally “let me in” and told me what all the giggles were about. Some of these people were absolutely amazed at the bowel contents found in their toilets. There was a hint of pride as each freely shared, without shame or embarrassment, the size, color, shape, amount and frequency of their bowel movements. Some described deposits that had never been seen before, almost like some blob you would find in a science fiction horror movie. Interestingly, some of these folks were beginning to feel considerably better at this point, while a few suffered such severe constipation that it was painful and at times almost crippling. This was my introduction to the concept of colon cleansing.

The fast was also a time for “extra fellowship” as I called it. The ladies would get together and share their best recipes for raw foods, salads, steamed vegetables and the like. They shared tips and tricks for satisfying the stomachs of grumpy fasting husbands and whining children who could not figure out why they had not been to a fast food restaurant in over a week. Parishioners invited each other to their homes for dinner and shared with each other how they took cabbage, sprouts and beans and turned them into meals fit for kings. I was invited to a couple of these dinners. Even though I was not fasting, I went anyway. I looked at the dinner table decorated in bleak offerings and thought to myself, “Okay, where are the french fries, I need steak, and cheesecake covered in chocolate sauce for dessert please.” I politely ate my dinner, fit for a rabbit I thought, and raced to grab a double cheeseburger soon after. I secretly felt sorry for those who were fasting. Three weeks was a long time to chew on shrubs.

Around day 15, something started just gnawing at my brain. My clinical self began working at the speed of light as I started to note a marked difference in the health and stature of some of these people. One of my favorite ladies, suffering from osteoarthritis and on a steady diet of pain pills, seemed to just glide into service one night. I noticed she literally forgot to bring her walking stick, which was usually dutifully planted by her side. One of the gals, a busy and tired mom, commented on how well she was sleeping and enjoying her excess bursts of energy. A dangerously diabetic fellow had cut his use of insulin in half. Some of the kids, labeled hyper and otherwise ADHD, had started to show signs of settling and appeared much more relaxed. That entire day, almost everyone who was fasting received my solid and silent clinical examination. I was intrigued by the results and somewhat puzzled. Some of these folks were achieving a body balance and equilibrium they had not seen in a long time. It seemed quite obvious to me that many were in the initial stages of healing from what had plagued them. Some of them just looked happier, brighter, revitalized. I remained my miserable self.

At this point, some of my fellow parishioners were on a countdown. Happily marking their calendars and anxiously awaiting day 21, when their fast would soon be over. Hmmm … interesting thought patterns indeed. Why? Why change what was suddenly making you feel so well? I was especially concerned about our severe diabetic who had cut his use of insulin in half. It was difficult for me to believe that he was counting down to the day where he then could embark on the pre-fasting habits that were quickly killing him and conjoining him with an umbilical cord to his doctors office. At this point, I began to appreciate and embrace the many changes I had witnessed in the past 2 ½ weeks. My mind was racing as I tried to figure out ways to encourage these people to continue onwards with God’s lifestyle, the life He meant for them to have and not treat this experience as a short 21 day “sacrifice” in the name of the Lord. These thoughts coming from a person who lived on burgers, tacos, soda, and french fries. However, I was still in the mind frame, with regards to myself, that I really did not need to fast. I was young and healthy as a horse. Not to worry. I took plenty of vitamin supplements to insure my good health. I rode horses and jogged. My weight was normal and my physique muscular. Little did I know that my thoughts, habits and actions would change much sooner than later.

Day 21 soon arrived. I was shocked when our pastor announced the fast was over. Hooray, Amen, and Halleluiah everyone shouted. Huh? Why were these good people shouting for joy? The fast was making a marked difference in many of them. To celebrate the end of the fast, there was pizza and lots of other “goodies” in the lounge to be enjoyed and gorged upon by all. I was horrified as I watched my diabetic friend eat slice after slice of pizza. He topped off his pizza dinner with a mound of cinnamon rolls, lovingly made by the best pastry cook in the church. I watched some of the kids who had been doing so well, gorging themselves on dishes of ice cream that had been sprinkled with candies and buried in whipped cream. All of a sudden, what had been normal to me and most of us living an American life had become an absolute horror. It was like watching a monster movie in slow motion, with the wicked creatures being sugar, food dyes, processed meats and the like. Somehow, this day was indeed a sad one for me. In the same breath, it was also a day of glory. I realized that God had given me the answers I had been looking for all of these years. I had the answers as to how to help my patients heal, regain function and live a better quality of life. Even those who were limited by a loss of function due to an accident or a stroke could still reap marked benefits within their own confines. The part that saddened me most was that the answers had always been there, I just hadn’t known where to look.

About two weeks after the 21 day fast, I gave my entire congregation a silent physical examination once again. Where eyes had been bright and sparkly, the same dead pan and tired looks had returned. Where belt buckles had been taken down a notch, some looked as if they were now carrying more weight than they had been carrying before the Daniel Fast. Where children had started to settle down, some seemed more irritable than ever. My sweet, sweet lady suffering from arthritis pain had her walking stick planted firmly by her side once again. All in all, the congregation as a whole just didn’t look so good. That day, my wonderful pastor during his sermon, was creating an analogy. He said something to the effect that “As a congregation, we are at the start of the race, and WE WILL make it to the finish line!” I silently thought to myself, “This congregation won’t be able to make it 10 feet past the starting gate.”

About two weeks later, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. My good friend and excellent gynecologist wished to perform surgery. My mind kept wandering to the Daniel Fast. I started my own Daniel Fast that day. In fact, ever since that day, I have been on the “Daniel Fast”. It has been 6 years now that I have been “Daniel Fasting”. I do not consume meat or it’s by products. I do not consume sugar or processed foods. Where I drank at least 6 cans of soda per day, I now drink just as much water, sometimes with a bit of lemon and/or lime. My plate is full of leafy greens and succulent delicious fruits. I enjoy a myriad of delicious herbal teas. I love home made rolls, crackers and pasta made from my bags of organic oat and spelt flours. Nuts and seeds are a most delicious snack. I take whole food liquid vitamins and a few other supplements in their whole food forms to assist me in my quest to stay healthy, especially when life is just so busy that I literally forget to eat. I did not require surgery during my cervical cancer ordeal and my health has never been better.

On the other hand, my own biological family is plagued with health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, arthritis and high cholesterol. As the old saying goes, “The plumber’s sink is always broken.” Because I choose to care for my body God’s way, I suffer none of the above. Can life really be so simple? I am here to tell you, yes it is. Our Father, through the Written Word, has given us everything we require in order to live solid, peaceful, productive and healthy lives. In my heart of hearts, I do not believe for one moment that God intended for us to experience prolonged physical suffering of any sort. If that were the case, he would not have been so specific as to what he provided us with in order to assist us with the prosperity of our physical bodies. Allow me to support my position with few quotes from the Written Word.

In those days, I was mourning 3 full weeks, I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till 3 whole weeks were fulfilled. Daniel 10:32, 3.

In other words, Daniel gave up certain foods in order to honor God. He was fasting from foods that would defile his body. In fasting Daniel honored God with his body, mind, and soul.

Then God said I give you every seed bearing plant on the face of the whole earth, and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. Genesis 1:29

How can things be stated more clearly? God says nothing here about artificial food colorings, animal products and artificial fats! He is quite clear about fruits, grains and vegetables.

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah “Please test your servants for 10 days. Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see. So he agreed to this and tested them for 10 days. At the end of 10 days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead”. Daniel 1:11-16

With all due respect to modern day science, of which I am a product and student, these people over 2 thousand years ago, did not require the latest research in order to determine what was healthy for them, their spirits and their bodies. After all, it is written in The Word.

Be not anxious for what you shall eat or what you shall drink or what you shall wear. Isn’t life more than food? And the body more than clothing? Luke 12:22; 29

Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, therefore, glorify God in your body. Cornthians 3:16

Point very clear and well taken. Unfortunately, (or I guess that really depends on one’s viewpoint) after being so touched by The Word and its simplicity, I found I had to educate myself once more. I had to go to school again to get the right piece of paper so that I can now “legally” tell people to eat their fruits and vegetables. (SIGH) However, it has been worth every twist and turn in my oftentimes bumpy road. I now have a private practice, own a laboratory and have the burning passion to share God’s word with as many as I am physically and spiritually able to reach. Oh how He changed my life, through so many of his messengers here on earth. I can only hope I am worthy enough to help deliver the same message of love and salvation to others.

Dr. Linda Posch MS SLP ND, ezdoc21@bellsouth.net


Fair Use Notice: This document may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners. We believe that this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

OATMEAL! for dinner!???

If you haven't tried steel cut oatmeal yet, MAN! are you in for a treat! I was first tempted to try Mccann's Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal because of its being from Ireland. I'm a dead sucker for anything from Eire, from Kerrygold cheeses and butter, to an occasional Guinness stout ("It's good for you!"), and now Irish oats.

First, why Irish and steel cut instead of American rolled oats. Several reasons, but here are the top three:

1) Mccann's are purer. As many of you know, my sweetheart Jo Donna is allergic to gluten, which is found in wheat. She can't eat anything with wheat flour in it - breads, cake, pie, breaded fried foods, pizza, many candies, etc, etc, etc. Now oats are gluten free, but she hasn't been able to eat them because they get contaminated during processing with flour which is ground and prepared in the same facilities as almost all oatmeal brands. Except, it turns out, Mccann's from Ireland who only mill oats in their facilites, and therefore keep them pure of the nasty gluten she can't eat.

2) Steel cut oats are much, much better for a body than rolled oats. Rolled oats are partially cooked (steamed) before the rolling process, then steamed again afterwards. This removes some of the nutrients. Steel-Cut Oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into two or three pieces using steel discs. This process preserves all the natural nutrients and flavor of the oat.

3) Irish oats are better quality. Quoting from their website: "The temperature, humid climate of Ireland promotes the slow ripening of the grain. It enables the oats to draw the goodness from the soil and yield up a crop with fuller, plumper grains." (Sure, and isn't everything better in Ireland!)

READ MORE ABOUT Mccann's Oats at http://www.mccanns.ie/index.html
(BTW, you may be askin' your self, "Now Seamus, me boy, is this an advert for old Mccann's?" HA! I only wish! If anyone from Mccann's wants to toss money my way, though, I have a big basket to catch it in!!!!)

Now the recipe for super oatmeal for dinner:

Prepare the oats as directed on the can:
* four cups of water, brought to a boil
* one cup of oats stirred in
* boil for a few minutes, until they begin to get a little creamy, then
* simmer, stirring often, for 30 minutes

at this point the oats are done and you could eat them as is, but wait! there's more ...

* add 1 tsp of sea salt
* stir in 2 tsp of non-dairy butter spread (we use Smart Balance Light with Flax Oil)
* add one tablespoon of milled flax seeds (not just the seeds, but the ground ones you find with the baking goods)
* mix in 1/4 cup of vegetarian bacon bits

Stir this all together and cover the pot tightly; let it sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to merge.

Serve this nutty, rich, super dish either as a main course or as a side dish.

You're welcome.!

Tofu basics AND Bar-be-que Riblets

Jo and I have officially fallen head-over-heels in love with tofu! This stuff is great - you can basically do anything with it, from baking a knock out bar-b-que to scrambling "eggs" for breakfast to even making mayo or sour cream substitutes. But first you gotta know how to work it, and work it right!

When I get that initial "ewwww" yucky face response to tofu from the unenlightened, I tend to follow up with a simple example question: "but do you like potatoes?" I ask all innocent-like to draw them y'see. Which always gets a " why sure I do." response. Then I hand them (if I have one handy) a raw, unpeeled potato and say, "well here you go, dig in!" "B-b-b-ut I can't eat this, it's raw!" they stutter (they always stutter when faced with superior reasoning, don't they).
Same thing with tofu. Raw, unpeeled potato equals raw, unprepared tofu. Both need preparation to be tasty.

Here's how to prep the tofu (figure out the potato your own self!):

* first, get organic tofu. (chemicals bad!)
* also first (first.b) get the freshest tofu package you can find - dig to the back of the counter to find the latest stocked items (I learned that when I worked at a grocery store in 1977!)
-- later at home--
* pierce the top of the package and drain the water the tofu is packed in
* slice the tofu into whatever size pieces are appropriate for your intended recipe (you'll understand when you get going)
* slip these tofu chunks into simmering, almost-but-not-quite-boiling water for about three minutes (slipping prevents splashing and the resulting burning, screaming and dropping of tofu which is painful to even watch)
* after simmering for three minutes, remove the tofu slices with a slotted spoon, and lay them out on a cloth (cheese cloth, tight-weave dish towl, paper towels, old t-shirt, etc)
* fold the above referenced cloth over the tofu and press it to squeeze out as much water as possible - this isn't a strength contest, don't smash the tofu - it will be fairly firm, so press firmly

This batch of tofu is now ready for whatever culinary masterpiece you have in store for it! such as ...

Bar-B-Que Riblets!
[NOTE: no animals were harmed in the making of this dish. Isn't that nice? Yeah.]

"Hey now! If going vegan or vegetarian means giving up muh real Texas bar-b-que, y'all can color me outta here!"
Ah, how many times have we heard that bucolic refrain ringing across the back yard grill? Too many to count, right? Well invite your neighbors over for an old-fashioned (but really new-fashioned) bar-b-que they'll talk about for months.

* Prepare tofu as you know how (see above) and cut it into riblet-sized and shaped pieces - approximately 1 inch thick and about two inches wide.
* mix up your favorite bar-b-que sauce - I like a good, bold bottle off the shelf to which I add chopped onions, crushed garlic, cayenne pepper, Tabasco© sauce - basically whatever Jo will let me get away with. The idea here is to get real close to making yourself cry from the heat without overshadowing the taste.
* pour 1/2 the sauce into your baking dish, place the tofu slices thereupon, and pour the rest of the sauce over, making sure all surfaces of the tofu are covered (don't be stingy! Remember the old saying "a penny saved ... is just flat-out cheap!")
* place the aforementioned baking dish into a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes
* turn the riblets, making sure, again, they are all covered with the sauce
* return to the oven for another 15 - 20 minutes, depending on how chewy you want your riblets

* Serve with bbq beans and something cold to put out the inevitable (if you fixed the sauce right) fire - cole slaw is good, so is grape juice - fermented or not.

* Most important part: don't forget to invite me for dinner!!!!

Super cornbread - non-dairy

And here's the corn bread we've been eating like two starving heathens:
(basically, we just follow the recipe on the side of the Gold Medal Yellow Cornmeal bag, but make substitutions which make the resulting super version.)

two cups of corn meal (NOT mix - it has flour in it)
FOUR teaspoons of baking powder [NOTE: this has been changed as of 3/1/08]
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (lower sodium but same salty flavor)
-- mix the dry ingredients well --
1 1/2 cup of vanilla soy milk
* two heaping tablespoons of Nayonnaise mayonnaise substitute (this is the egg replacer and the "secret" ingredient that makes it so good)
2 tablespoons of EVOO
-- mix all together well--
Pour into a 9 X 9 glass baking dish which has been sprayed with non-stick spray
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes

eat it hot with Smart Balance Light with Flax Oil!

You can also add vegetarian imitation bacon bits, or corn into the mix. I like to place jalapeno slices on top before putting it in the oven ... but Jo says it's too spicy for her!

"Oh Man!" black bean & corn on the cob soup

When Jo Donna says something like, "Oh! Bobby! You've got to taste this!" I know it's going to be good. Last Saturday she said just that after taking out of the fridge the beans we'd put in just the night before. I took a sip from the spoon she was holding and agreed that this was a winner - and somehow all different from what it was the night before.

We started out with dried black beans - I just tolerate the canned black beans because they're supposed to be so healthy, but the taste is blah - and, after soaking them and rinsing them half a dozen times, cooking them to tenderness, we started the seasoning adventure that makes cooking fun. Since we'd never made black beans from scratch before, we sort of played with the seasonings. We added maybe a teaspoon of sea salt and some Mrs. Dash, and then chopped two medium sized yellow onions for good measure. I was rummaging around in the fridge for ideas and saw some frozen mini-ears of corn in the freezer. Why not? So we popped two of these into the soupy beans and let it cook, covered for another half hour. Then we turned them off and let the pot cool before popping it in the fridge overnight.

The next day, as I said before, was eye-opening! The corn cobs had boiled/steamed/melted into the beans and the flavor was so rich it almost tasted like we'd dumped cream into them! I ate mine over crumbled dairy free cornbread (I'll post that recipe, too), and Jo had hers by themselves. Either way was heavenly. In fact, as we were eating, I was continuing grace in sort of a mumbling, zen mantra thing about "Oh Lord! thank you for this wonderful stuff you made and let us mix together. I wish you could share some of it with us! Hey, can we add this to the feast table menu in heaven?"

Try this - guaranteed satisfaction or your money back ... and I'll eat what's left over!

Great Book (Odd Name!)

These ladies lay it on the line - funny, clever, and very informative!

Live Healthy = Eat Healthy!

"You are what you eat!" You've heard it before, and it's still true. What you put in you becomes part of you. Too many of us have been feeding garbage into our bodies only to think, "why do I feel bad so much of the time?"
DUH!

1) If you look at the original plan for man and woman (in Genesis 1:29) you see we were DESIGNED to eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, etc. NOT MEAT. Man didn't start eating animals for thousands of years after he was created - until after the flood.

Our bodies are vegetarian machines. Put diesel into your gasoline engine - consistently - and see how well it runs! Same with your body. DON'T EAT MEAT or other animal stuff, such as eggs, milk (it's awful for you!) or cheese.
Oh, and yes, chickens are animals. Sheesh!

2) Fat is hard on your body. Some are OK, yes, such as olive oil and grapeseed oil. But too much of any fat is hard on your blood vessels and cells. Keep the fats to a minimum.

3) Fiber and "low glycemic index" foods are good for your heart, your cells, your whole body. They fight cancer. They keep your vessels clean. Beans are life giving food!

This isn't some haphazard experiment some great Someone threw together without thinking. God, in His infinite and glorious wisdom created not only our bodies, but the perfect fuels for them - at the same time! In Eden, when everything was perfect, He gave us the perfect food for our bodies.

Use some common sense and eat what we were meant to eat.

The Cost of Eating Meat

According to a new report by LiveScience (http://www.livescience.com/environment/080505-chicken-beef.html), the most damaging part of carnivorism (ecologically, that is) is the "production" part - you know, the part where the cows, chickens, pigs, or whatever else is eaten are crammed together and slaughtered, then chopped into mouth-sized pieces so they can be eaten.

Wow!

Their report states: "

The production phase is responsible for 83 percent of the average U.S. household's greenhouse-gas burden with regard to food, while transportation accounts for only 11 percent, the new study found. The production of red meat, the researchers conclude, is almost 150 percent more greenhouse-gas-intensive than chicken or fish."

Did you get that last bit: 150% more harmful to keep/kill/eat cows than other animals!

I am so glad I don't eat them anymore.
Aren't you?!

What's My "Diet" All About?

To answer basic questions about what I eat, what I don't eat, and why, here's a list of facts:

I don't eat eggs

I don't use dairy*

I DO use soy milk

I don't eat refined white sugar**

I don't eat artificial sweeteners***

if I use a sweetner, it's raw sugar or local organic honey

I don't drink sugarpops (coke, etc)

I don't eat refined white flour**

I DO stick with rye or pumpernickel breads

I DO eat pretty much everything else!

I DO get lots of protein from various sources

I DO get plenty of calcium, and everything else

I have lost 30 pounds on this "diet"

I have corrected my diabetes and cholesterol numbers through this lifestyle

I started out just for health sake, but now continue out of respect for God's pets, which He has created in infinite detail for His enjoyment, and which we were put in charge of to care for

"meat" is the only source of bad cholesterol: no meat = no cholesterol

"good" fats are in most vegetables

tofu, when prepared correctly, is super!
(even potatoes can taste bad if not cooked or if cooked wrong)

NOTES:
* I do eat imported cheese on rare occasion - imported cheeses are free from all the pesticides and hormones of American cheeses
** as much as possible, but these damaged goods are snuck into so many foods it's almost impossible to avoid them totally
***these have all been proven to be poisonous to one extent or another