“To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh.”
In penning those words some 3,000 years ago, wise King Solomon of Israel was not discouraging reading. Rather, he was commenting on the need to be selective.
How timely that reminder is today, as billions of pages of reading material roll off the world’s printing and digital presses annually! Some of it beneficial and some not so much. Hence the advice to be selective. Solomon did note realistically that devotion to them, instead of providing positive and lasting rewards, is “wearisome to the flesh.”
Has not this become the situation in the “Realm of Health and Well Being”?
This week, eating raw coarse Kale is good, next week it will cause digestion issues. Avocados are great source of fat, but tomorrow a report on the 7 bad results of eating avocados. Today coffee is good, as much as you like, but new research says that coffee can damage your health.
Solomon wasn’t kidding about this sort of seesaw information making people “wearisome”…
It’s incredible that we have allowed others to dictate something that was so innate, so natural and such a crucial part of our community – eating food; Instead of paying close attention to our body, our culture and the time tested wisdom of the past, we’ve given the reins to “they” – a body of people or individuals or organizations in the “health industry” – manipulated by sponsorship, scholarship, product and profit – to tell us how we should eat, what we should eat and what’s best for us to eat.
Case in point: How is it that “supposed” wellness Gurus and well known celebrities make known the wonderful benefits of Celery juice and have this lowly vegetable become the “latest health craze”? In its wake, creating a shameless tragedy where an immigrant family or low income family wanting to make a little chicken soup to help warm their bones from a cold Canadian winters day have to omit celery from that broth because the price of celery has gone from $1.99 per bunch to $9.99. Ridiculous!! Especially since there are a plethora of fruits and vegetables in creation that can do as much good in their own rite!
Let’s not celebrate one food but all foods and how they all contribute to our complete being my igniting our palate with beautiful flavours while supporting wonderful health!
I have seen so many – parents, families, everyday people caught in unnecessary confusion, lead astray from any viable assistance to help them create a continual pattern of good eating choices and habits for themselves and those they love…drowning in a tidal wave of sometimes useless information that renders them “helpless and hopeless” not knowing how to “put their hand to the plow”…aimlessly resorting to eating bars and fruit soups and other endless processed “natural” foods that no are less damaging than their conventional counterparts. It is really a very sad sight to see!
Hence, What I’m saying in this petty contribution is let’s stop being led along by “Fake Marketing” There is no such thing as Gluten Free Coconut Oil; Pineapples do not make men change their sex and no, wheat is not the bodies enemy. I am not Keto, nor Paleo, Vegan or Caveman. I’m not trying to look like I did when I was 25. I’m a 55 year old human being trying to sustain decent health and enjoying my time doing it; I’m especially grateful for the option to have a variety of many foods. Yes, I am thankful each day that I actually have food on my table.
Perhaps we can begin our Spring Cleaning by cleansing ourselves of some unnecessary habits:
Don’t hang on every word spoken by someone just because they are called “Nutritionist” – ask questions and weigh their words carefully; do your due diligence, take time to “make sure of all things”. After all, it is your body, your health.
Avoid “Theyism” (the influenced Influencers) and “Lemmingitis” (obliviously following every whim of “Theyists”);
Remember – Health has a fundamental foundation based on a good physical, mental emotional and spiritual state. However, wellness is often not a “one size fits all”.
Maybe we should have never abandoned what every health practitioner concludes after all is said and done: “Eat Everything in Balance, Moderation and Variety”! We were there in the first place – we didn’t need to be over informed, mislead, sold and then returned back to where we started….
It’s time we “uncomplicated” our focus, our well-being, our life and get back to our humanity…
I’m just saying…
Chef Andy Muto
