I was watching a show on Netflix called “What the Health”. I thought it was going to be good and it actually started off being so until you could obviously tell that it was a group or groups that did not want us to eat the meat from animals or use animal products.
I noticed that during the show the director/host was displaying information that on the surface would make you think twice about eating any animal products, but upon further review it was obvious there was an agenda. They never showed you who their sponsors are, but are willing to show you the sponsors for all the companies and the research done in favor of eating/using animal products. This was done so you would cast doubt on the validity of the data and to distrust organizations like the AHA, ADA, ACS, and all of the others who take money from the dairy and meat companies
Here is what I agree with from the show:
- Processed meats are bad for us.
- We do not get enough fruits and vegetables and the vitamins, minerals, and fiber that is associated with them.
- Milk is not meant for adults.
Here is what I do not agree with:
- All meat is bad for us.
- Eggs are bad for us.
- That carbohydrate rich diets do not make us fat.
- That fat makes us fat.
- That diets rich in high fat meat are bad for us.
God made all foods clean:
Mark 7:19 New International Version (NIV)
19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
Now this is only true for food that God has created and not mans creation. Not everything that man makes is good for us. Look at the ingredient list on a lot of the food items and you will see:
- Sugar or high fructose corn syrup in almost everything.
- Lots of salt.
- Flavor enhancers like MSG.
- Lots of preservatives.
- Ingredients that we would never eat on their own.
Why these ingredients? These make the food addictive to the point where when you take that first bite you will continue to want more and more. In other words, it is all about money.
What is the FDA doing about this? Absolutely nothing because they do not really work for you and I, but big business. There are lobbyists for the meat and dairy companies to push their agenda so they can make more money at the expense of the US citizens.
Now is is possible that the animal products we are putting into our bodies is bad for our health? The answer is yes, but not because it is animal products. The way the animals are treated and what they do to them during the slaughter process is just wrong. Diseased animals are allowed to pass through the line. Chickens are injected with some kind of solution to make them look more plump and juicier. Animals of all kinds are fed products that contain animal byproducts. Fish are raised in much worse conditions than any cow, chicken, or pig. All animals are injected with antibiotics, steroids, hormones, etc to make them bigger and to keep those that would die alive.
Am I saying that it is ok to eat plant products only? No. One of the arguments is that chemicals get into the animals and they build up in concentration and then they are passed onto us. However, all of that comes from plants. Plants contain these chemicals and I would have to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy weight which means that I will still get these nasty chemicals no matter what I do. In other words, our environment is already polluted.
Then there are the GMO products. A lot of people think that GMO is fine. After all, they will use less herbicides and pesticides as some have stated. This is just wrong. The GMO plants are made to resist the herbicides and pesticides that are sprayed so it will not destroy the crops. This means that plants that would normally die are now able to survive and be ingested by us. The plants can contain herbicides and pesticides that we ingest. Furthermore, the research is still out on how the GMO products will affect our bodies.
Organic must be the way to go, right? Wrong. When organic first came out, it was super strict, but over the years it has been loosened so the bigger companies could also sell organic products without too much cost or change to their current way of doing things. Also, they too use herbicides and pesticides, but they have to be organic. To me this is far worse since it is more likely that these chemicals will be able to penetrate the flesh of the plant products.
It is up to each of us to understand what we are putting in and on our bodies. We need to take better care of our bodies and treat them as temples.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 New International Version (NIV)
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
If you want a place to start and I know this is difficult, but give up the sugar and starches. This would mean all things like:
- Soda
- Pasta
- Pies
- Cakes
- Pizza
- Bread or breaded items
- Potatoes
- Rice
- Chips of all kinds
- Sweetened tea
- Anything with corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, maltose, galactose, molasses. sucrose, and anything ending in “ol” such as sorbitol.
- Artificial sweeteners
Natural sugars such as fructose in fruits is ok.
For a lot of you, you will think I am asking you to give up the world. If the grains were like they were 50, 100, 200, 500 years ago, then it might not be so bad, but they are not. However, man has taken what was given to us by God and has tried to create his own without much success. Instead we have created a world where obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are the norm.
I pray that if you like I are overweight and struggle with all the above foods that God will help you to become stronger to resist the urge to eat these highly addictive foods.