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"Mad cow disease", or bovine spongiform encephalopathy do not necessarily toil in rice paddies: we buy bags of brown rice. (BSE), is most likely not caused by cows eating animal parts with And so forth, and so on. their food—a feeding practice that goes back over 100 years. When Native Americans killed a game animal for food, they British organic farmer Mark Purdey has argued convincingly that would routinely offer a prayer of thanks to the animal's spirit for cows that get mad cow disease are the very ones that have had a giving its life so they could live. In our world, life feeds off life. articular organophosphate insecticide applied to their backs, or — Destruction is always balanced with generation. This is a good ave grazed on soils which lack magnesium but contain high thing. Unchecked, the life force becomes cancerous. If animal levels of aluminium.'” food consumption is viewed in this manner, it is hardly murder Small outbreaks of "mad cow disease" have also occurred but sacrifice. Modern peoples would do well to remember this. among people who reside near cement works and chemical factories and in some areas with a particular type of volcanic © MYTH #15: Eating animal foods is inhumane. soil.'” Without question, some commercially raised livestock live in Purdey theorises that the organophosphate pesticides got into deplorable conditions where sickness and suffering are common. the cows' fat through a spraying program, and then were ingested In countries like Korea, food animals such as dogs are sometimes yy the cows again with the animal parts feed- killed in horrific ways, e.g., beaten to death ing. Seen this way, it is the insecticides, via with a club. Our recommendations for ani- the parts feeding (and not the parts them- mal foods consumption most definitely do selves or their associated "prions"), that has not endorse such practic caused this outbreak. As noted before, cows As noted in our disc on of Myth #1, ave been eating ground-up animal parts in commercial farming of livestock results in their feeds for over 100 years. It was never a Many people have an unhealthy food product, whether that roblem before the introduction of these par- . . product be meat, milk, butter, cream or eggs. ticular insecticides. philosophical problems Our ancestors did not consume such sub- Recently, Purdey has gained support from with eating animal flesh standard foodstuffs, and neither should we. Dr Donald Brown, a British biochemist who ’ It is possible to raise animals humanely. as also argued for a non-infectious cause of and these sentiments This is why organic, preferably biodynamic, BSE. Brown attributes BSE to environmen- must be respected. farming is to be encouraged: it is cleaner tal toxins, specifically manganese overload.’ and more efficient, and produces healthier animals and foodstuffs from those animals. Each person should make every effort, then, to purchase organically raised livestock (and plant foods). Not only does this better support our bodies—as organic foods are more nutrient- dense'” and are free from hormone and pesticide residues—but this also sup- ports smaller farms and is therefore better for the economy.'* Nevertheless, many people have philosophical problems with eating animal flesh, and these sentiments must be respected. Dairy products and eggs, though, are not the result of an animal's death and are fine alternatives Dairy products and eggs, though, are not the result of an animal's death and are fine alternatives for these people. MYTH #14: Eating meat or animal products is less "spiritual" than eating only plant foods. It is often claimed that those who eat meat or animal products are somehow less "spiritually evolved" than those who do not. Though this is not a nutritional or academic issue, those who do include animal products in their diet are often made to feel inferior in some way. This issue, therefore, is worth addressing. Several world religions place no restrictions on animal consumption, and nor did their founders. The Jews eat lamb at their most holy festival, the Passover. Muslims also cele- for these people. brate Ramadan with lamb before entering into their fast. Jesus It should also not be forgotten that agriculture, which involves Christ, like other Jews, partook of meat at the Last Supper __ both the clearance of land to plant crops and the protection and (according to the canonical Gospels). It is true that some forms of | maintenance of those crops, results in many animal deaths.'* Buddhism do place strictures on meat consumption, but dairy — Therefore, the belief that "becoming vegetarian" will somehow products are always allowed. Similar tenets are found in spare animals from dying is one with no foundation in fact. Hinduism. As part of the Samhain celebration, Celtic pagans would slaughter the weaker animals of the herds and cure their © BIOCHEMICAL AND GENETIC INDIVIDUALITY meat for the oncoming winter. It is not true, therefore, that eating As a cleansing diet, vegetarianism is sometimes a good choice. animal foods is always connected with "spiritual inferiority". Several health conditions (e.g., gout) can often be ameliorated by Nevertheless, it is often claimed that since eating meat involves a temporary reduction in intake of animal products and an the taking of a life, it is somehow tantamount to murder. Leaving increase of plant foods. But such measures must not be continu- aside the religious philosophies that often permeate this issue, ous throughout life: there are vital nutrients found only in animal what appears to be at hand is a misunderstanding of the life force foods that we must ingest for optimal health. and how it works. Furthermore, there is no one diet that will work for every per- Modern peoples (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) have lost touch son. Some vegetarians and vegans, in their zeal to get converts, with what it takes to survive in our world—something native are blind to this biochemical fact. peoples never lose sight of. We do not necessarily hunt or clean "Biochemical individuality" is a subject worth clarifying. our meats: we purchase steaks and chops at the supermarket. We Coined by nutritional biochemist Roger Williams, PhD, the term do not necessarily toil in rice paddies: we buy bags of brown rice. And so forth, and so on. When Native Americans killed a game animal for food, they would routinely offer a prayer of thanks to the animal's spirit for giving its life so they could live. In our world, life feeds off life. Destruction is always balanced with generation. This is a good thing. Unchecked, the life force becomes cancerous. If animal food consumption is viewed in this manner, it is hardly murder but sacrifice. Modern peoples would do well to remember this. Many people have philosophical problems with eating animal flesh, and these sentiments must be respected. BIOCHEMICAL AND GENETIC INDIVIDUALITY As a cleansing diet, vegetarianism is sometimes a good choice. Several health conditions (e.g., gout) can often be ameliorated by a temporary reduction in intake of animal products and an increase of plant foods. But such measures must not be continu- ous throughout life: there are vital nutrients found only in animal foods that we must ingest for optimal health. Furthermore, there is no one diet that will work for every per- son. Some vegetarians and vegans, in their zeal to get converts, are blind to this biochemical fact. "Biochemical individuality" is a subject worth clarifying. Coined by nutritional biochemist Roger Williams, PhD, the term JUNE - JULY 2002 NEXUS ¢ 39 www.nexusmagazine.com